Practical Strategies for
Providing Special Needs
Parent Support Groups
Rev. Dr. Lorna Bradley
Fellow, Hope and Healing Institute, Houston, Texas
Email: [email protected]
Website: SpecialNeedsParenting.me
Five Things Churches Can do for
Special Needs Families• Congregational awareness
• Inclusive ministries
• Support resources
• Respite opportunities for parents
• Information sharing (conferences, resource fairs and workshops focused on special needs topics)
Perceived Needs Expressed byFamilies with Special Needs
Source: Welcoming People with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families: a Practical Guide for Congregations
By Courtney Taylor, Erik Carter, et al.
Divorce rate among special needs families is roughly twice that of typical families, with divorce often occurring within 3 years of diagnosis. (National Survey of Children’s Health, Journal Consulting Clinical Psychology, and others)
Why Do Families Need Support?
• Relieve isolation
• Help process emotions
• Receive theologically sound understanding of God and special needs
• Respite / self-care opportunity
• Increase personal and family resilience
• Provide good pastoral care
Plan and Prepare: When and Where
• Conversations with special needs parents
• Choose a day and time: daytime, weeknight, Sunday school, Sunday night
• Choose frequency: monthly, bi-weekly, weekly
• Choose a location: church, home, coffee shop, video conference
• Child care decision
Plan and Prepare: Choose a Format
• Book study
• Guest speakers
• Devotion and conversation
• Periodic social night out or retreat
• Will group be opened or closed to new members?
• Will group be ongoing?
Special Needs Parenting: from Coping to Thriving
• Seven-week study written specifically for launching new small groups
• Addresses common emotional and spiritual challenges of special needs parents
• Includes practical strategies to increase resilience, chapter discussion questions, scripture and weekly prayer
• Effective in increasing resilience and creating connections among members
Additional Authors• Kathleen Bolduc
• Emily Colson
• Jeff Davidson
• Sandra Peoples
• Jolene Philo
Invite, Invite, Invite!• Create awareness inside the
congregation: articles, announcements, emails, website, social media networking
• Create awareness outside the congregation: press release, social media networking, therapist offices, local schools for special needs, public school district, other non-profits (Easter Seals, etc.), follow the bus
• Personal invitation
Create an Inviting Space• Comfortable seating in a circle
• Comfortable lighting
• Sign in sheet and name tags
• Allow adequate time (90 minutes)
• Provide tissues
• Light refreshments (optional)
Suggested Structure• Open in prayer
• Invite participants to introduce themselves and share updates about the past week
• Introduce topic and work through discussion questions
• Gather prayer concerns
• Closing prayer
Sustaining the Group• Maintain regular contact• Use social media• Encourage connections outside of
meetings• Add periodic outings and fun events• Follow up when a person stops
attending
Challenges Along the Way• Finding a day and time that works
• Low turn out
• No shows and child care workers
• Challenging personalities
o Parent with “all the answers”
o “Kamikaze” parent
o Overly negative parent
o Parent with an agenda
Practical Strategies for
Providing Special Needs
Parent Support Groups
Rev. Dr. Lorna Bradley
Fellow, Hope and Healing Institute, Houston, Texas
Email: [email protected]
Website: SpecialNeedsParenting.me
