Support for Parents of Special Needs Children
21 May 2013 at 10:29 am
Parents and carers of children who have special needs are being urged to have their say as part of a Monash University project aimed at reducing emotional and behavioural problems in children with a disability.
The Stepping Stones Positive Parenting program will look at children aged between two and 10 in Victoria, Queensland and NSW and will offer free parenting support.
Child psychiatrist and Monash University Emeritus Professor Bruce Tonge launched the My Say survey in Melbourne to help researchers gather information on what it’s like to parent a child with special needs in the year 2013.
Parents of children with disabilities are asked to fill in a survey and register their details to be part of the project.
Victorian professionals who work with children with disabilities such as psychologists, counsellors, teachers, child health nurses and family support workers are also invited to complete the survey and apply for free Stepping Stones training.
Professor Tonge said children with disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorders, Fragile X and Down Syndrome experienced up to three to four times the rate of emotional and behavioural problems compared to typically developing children.
“The extra demands and day-to-day stresses of parenting a child with a disability are enormous,” he said.
“This project offers us a chance to reach out to the 60,000 families in Victoria who have a child with a disability and make a difference to their day-to-day lives.”
Once the survey is finished, free parenting support will be offered across Victoria through the evidence-based Stepping Stones program.
Stepping Stones is part of the internationally acclaimed Triple P – Positive Parenting Program and is for parents of children with disabilities.
To take part in the suvey visit www.mysay.org.au
