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Parenting a Child with Special Needs: The Effects on the Family

Parenting a Child with Special Needs: The Effects on the Family. Fran D. Goldfarb, MA, CHES Director, Parent & Family Resources USC UAP CHLA Guthrie’s Mom. Introduction: Who I am. A parent professional A health educator A wife A mother An artist An activist. Introduction: Who I am not.

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Parenting a Child with Special Needs: The Effects on the Family

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  1. Parenting a Child with Special Needs: The Effects on the Family Fran D. Goldfarb, MA, CHES Director, Parent & Family Resources USC UAP CHLA Guthrie’s Mom

  2. Introduction: Who I am • A parent professional • A health educator • A wife • A mother • An artist • An activist

  3. Introduction: Who I am not • A representative of all parents • A saint • A martyr • Someone to be pitied • A volunteer

  4. Becoming a Parent – The Dream and the Reality • Dreams of the parent • Coming to terms with a different reality • Welcome to Holland

  5. Our stories • Pre-natal diagnosis • Learning at birth • Seeing problems as the child gets older • Traumatic event

  6. Learning your child has special needs • Redefining your child has someone who has special needs • Concerns raised by a professional/ seeking out a diagnosis • The push for a diagnosis • Wanting to fix your child

  7. The Stages of Grief • Classic Stages • Denial • Anger • Bargaining • Depression • Acceptance

  8. The Stages of Grief • My experience • Suspicion/Confusion • Relief • A terrible sadness • Coping and competence • Trusting my gut

  9. Cycle of Aggravation • Welcome to Holland revisited • Learning new skills • Advocacy • Collaboration • Don’t go into the basement

  10. My Story Back to School Night Education Mental Health Developmental Disabilities Health

  11. Impacts • Effects on relationships • Marriages • Siblings • Other family members • Friends • Financial • Employment • Health • Previous Interests

  12. Other Impacts • Redefining who you are • Losing your name • Case manager • Expert on your child • Advocate • Mentor • Resource • Exception

  13. The Parent Professional Partnership • What we want • Concrete information • diagnosis • prognosis • where do we go from here • who can help us • what will work every time • What never to do • Honesty

  14. The Parent Professional Partnership • What we want • Laws enforced and implemented in the spirit in which they were written • Our rights respected

  15. The Parent Professional Partnership • What we want • Family-centered planning • to have our children viewed as children and not labels or disabilities • to be seen as competent and concerned • to have our expertise on our children recognized • to be viewed as participants not recipients • to have doors unlocked

  16. to have the professionals who work with us to see us as individuals • our values and cultures to be respected • the realities of our lives recognized • other parents – a peer group • our children to reach their potential • a community

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