Support groups in Ocean County NJ

by Joseph Krok
(Toms River, NJ)

I am interested in support groups, near Toms River for children with SPD. My wife and I have a 5 year old son and we need to talk/meet to other parents with similar challenges in our area. At my sons school we feel alone and sometimes like an outcast.




If there are no local groups, I would appreciate any groups in the entire state of NJ.





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Sep 27, 2007
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starstarstarstarstar 		I have one!
by: Anonymous

I run a support group for families in Ocean and Monmouth County NJ. We meet the 4th Thursday of every month. Please email me for further information.
DawnVanBrunt@optonline.net
Sep 26, 2007
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starstarstarstarstar 		help from a "Self-Help Group Clearinghouse"
by: Ed Madara

Dear Joseph,

I work at the N.J. Self-Help Group Clearinghouse at St. Clare's Hospital in NJ, and I would be glad to help you in your effort to get a local parent support group going in the Tom's River area. Anyone in NJ can just call us at 1-800-367-6274, more easily remembered as 1-800-FOR-M.A.S.H. (Mutual Aid Self-Help). Our website is www.njgroups.org (check out the Library there for general suggestions and info on starting any type of self-help - i.e., member-run - mutual help group.

For those outside NJ, there are a few other non-profit self-help clearinghouses in specific parts of the country and the world:
http://www.mentalhelp.net/selfhelp/selfhelp.php?id=859

In any case, best to you in your group developmjent efforts!

- Ed

From a research study exploring parents' perceptions of the effect of parent-led support groups for parents of children with disabilities. Qualitative methods were used to examine the experiences of members of nine parent-run support groups...

"Results of the study indicated that the effects of belonging to a parent-led parent support group were substantial. Through these groups, parents gain increased skills, an increased sense of power and a sense of belonging. Participants are able to connect with each other and provide support and skills to deal with the day-to-day issues of raising a child with disabilities."

- "The Perceived Effects of Parent-Led Support Groups" by Mary Law, Susanne King, Debra Stewart, & Gillian King, from the journal, Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, vol. 21, numbers 2/3, pp. 29-48, 2001.

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