PARENT SUPPORT SERVICES
As a parent, it is not easy to suddenly be dependent on the advice of others to raise your child. However, since there are so many treatment options, it can help to have the advice, experience and support of a team that you trust and who will be patient with you as you make decisions for your child. This team can consist of a variety of people: family members, friends, social workers, therapists, teachers, classroom aides and medical specialists.
It can be extremely helpful to speak with a professional to not only discuss your child’s challenges, but also to strategize and ensure that your own needs are being met.
Remember: you are the primary advocate and decision maker.
“A human being mints many coins from the same mold, and they are all identical. But the holy one, blessed by God, strikes us all from the mold of the first human and each one of us is unique.”
Local Resources
Parent to Parent of Miami is a community parent resource center for families of children and adults with all disabilities. Located in Miami, Florida, Parent to Parent serves families in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, as well as the nation. With the help of Parent to Parent of Miami’s specialized team, parents and professionals can find information, workshops, and other resources to help make decisions about early intervention, early childhood, education, IEP process, vocational training, employment, college opportunities, as well as the laws that protect the rights of children and adults with disabilities.
The Department of Exceptional Student Education serves children and families throughout the Miami-Dade district by developing, coordinating and overseeing programs that support students with disabilities in order to insure that curriculum, instructional and behavioral practices are tailored to meet their educational needs. The Department is also committed to enhancing academic success for all students by providing access to age appropriate school and community resources that will benefit the individual needs of each student. Specific programs and services include early identification and intervention, psycho-educational evaluation and placement, transition support and truancy prevention.
University of Miami’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM CARD) runs support groups for parents, grandparents and siblings.
The Melvin J. & Claire Levine LifePlanning® Program offers education, advocacy, consultation and emotional support to parents, siblings and caregivers of a family member with a disability. This program encourages and assists in planning for the future.
