Parent Training & Support Groups
It is no secret to parents raising a child with disabilities — whether physical, developmental or emotional — that a critical, often unfilled need is support for themselves and their family as a whole.
Attaway’s Parent Training & Support Groups extends the therapeutic benefits of the therapeutic program into families’ homes all year-round. The tool-based training expands the ability of caregivers to handle the complex behavioral challenges they face on a daily basis and support their own mental health via much needed support sessions. The result is a better educated family with the competence and confidence needed to help their children succeed. Throughout the year parents learn about neuropsychology, emotional regulation and a variety mental health topics tailored to their children’s needs. They learn and practice positive discipline skills, including verbal and nonverbal communication, setting and holding boundaries, and exercising authority vs. control. Perhaps the greatest benefit of the group is the fellowship and peer support it offers to families, who describe powerful experiences of isolation, guilt and shame over their children’s struggles. This unique psycho-educational support group is frequently cited as the greatest gift that Camp Attaway provides to families. These parent training and groups have always been run by a child psychologist or licensed social worker experienced working families with children with emotional and behavioral challenges.