Ready to get connected? You may want to pick up your phone and join the telephone support group for parents of visually impaired children.
The group is organized by The Jewish Guild for the Blind, which is located in New York City and, through its Children's Vision Health Initiative, has been operating national telephone support groups for a few years now. They currently have groups for parents of children with Cortical Visual Impairment, Retinopathy of Prematurity, Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Autism Spectrum Disorders and Visual Impairment, and Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome. They also offer groups intended specifically for fathers of children with visual impairments as well as for high school and college students with visual impairments.
Each group "meets" once a week for 60 to 90 minutes by phone using a toll-free number so there is no cost to the parents who participate from around the country. Each group is kept small, no more than 8 to 10 participants, and is facilitated by a Social Worker from the Guild. Since the Guild also operates an Early Intervention Program, a Pre-school Program, and a Rehabilitation Department they have easy access to guest speakers who often call in to answer parent's questions.
Give the Guild a call and see if you can get involved!
Call (800) 915-0306 or visit their website.