Updated, October 2018

Families with a child who has a disability have special concerns and often need a great deal of information: information about the disability of their child, about school services, therapy, local policies, funding sources, transportation, medical facilities, and much more. Many families find it very useful to join a parent group, which is what this page is all about.

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Why Join a Parent Group?

When families join a parent group, they can meet other families with similar needs. Parent groups can serve many purposes, but one of their most important can be to introduce families to others like themselves. While it’s true that many online parent groups never actually meet in person, the interactions online can provide much needed information and emotional support. Often, though, parent groups form locally, so that families can meet in person.

In person or online, when families with similar concerns meet, there is a sense of community, of understanding. You create a place where you can laugh about the same things, where you can discuss the same problems, where you can help each other. Where else can a parent find out which local dentists are good with children who don’t sit still, where to buy specialized clothes, toys, or equipment, how to help a teenager find a summer or after-school job, or how to fill out a social security application?

This page will help you identify the parent groups that exist nationally and in your state and community. It will also help you decide which group or groups would be useful to you in meeting your family’s needs and concerns.

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Your PTI and CPRC

PTI stands for Parent Training and Information. Each state has at least one PTI program. If you’re looking for resources in your state and community, call your state’s PTI. The PTI can also give you information about disabilities, the educational rights of your child, or strategies for being an effective advocate for your child.

Similarly, some states also have what’s known as a CPRC—Community Parent Resource Center, which is funded to serve a particular high-need area or audience.

Find your PTI or CPRC.
https://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center

Read a short description of what PTIs and CPRCs do—and what they can do for you and your family.
https://www.parentcenterhub.org/the-parent-center-network/

See what results Parent Centers achieved last year and how many families and professionals they assisted.
https://www.parentcenterhub.org/a-year-in-the-life-2019-2020/

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The Parent to Parent Program

Ever wish you could talk to another parent whose child has the same disability as yours? The Parent to Parent Program may be for you, then. It matches parents in one-on-one relationships for sharing information, experiences, and emotional and practical support. Use CPIR’s resources to learn more about, and connect with, your state’s parent to parent program. For example:

  • Visit Parent to Parent USA, which makes it very easy to find the program in your state or community.
    http://www.p2pusa.org/
  • Read our Parent Basic about the Parent to Parent Program, including how to get in touch with the one in your state.

English version | https://www.parentcenterhub.org/parent-to-parent-support/

Spanish version | https://www.parentcenterhub.org/apoyo/

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Parent Groups on Specific Disabilities

There are many, many parent groups that focus on issues and concerns related to a particular disability. For example, local parents whose children have a learning disability may group together to talk about how to handle their child’s education, find a local dentist or pediatrician, and put their heads together to troubleshoot any number of common concerns.

How do you find such a group in your area? We’d suggest trying any of the resources below. They’ll start you at the national or state level, where you can find a group (if one exists) in or near your community.

Try Our Disability Fact Sheets. We offer fact sheets on a range of disabilities. Most are available in English and Spanish. At the end of each sheet, there’s a resource listing of national level organizations specializing in that disability. If you contact those groups, by phone or via the Web, they can put you in touch with state or local chapters of their group (if they operate chapters, that is).

Here’s a list of the fact sheets we offer. The ones marked with an asterisk (*) are also available in Spanish.

  • AD/HD*
  • Autism/PDD*
  • Cerebral Palsy*
  • Deaf-Blindness
  • Deafness/Hearing Loss*
  • Developmental Delay
  • Down Syndrome*
  • Emotional Disturbance*
  • Epilepsy*
  • Intellectual Disabilities (formerly Mental Retardation)*
  • Learning Disabilities*
  • Other Health Impairment*
  • Rare Disorders
  • Severe/Multiple Disabilities
  • Speech-Language Impairments*
  • Spina Bifida*
  • Traumatic Brain Injury*
  • Visual Impairments*

Find the fact sheets in English at:
https://www.parentcenterhub.org/specific-disabilities/

Find the fact sheets in Spanish at: 
https://www.parentcenterhub.org/especificas/

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Would you like to explore one of the other resource pages in this section?

If so, use these quick-jump links to hop to the page of your choice.

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