Fayette County Disability Town Hall Meeting Announced for Mar 27th

2/28/11 Within services and supports for children with disabilities, sometimes a child does not fit. For example, Nicole's special education class is not intellectually disabled enough to participate in countywide Special Olympics Field Day. Karl, a young adult, sits at home because his communication impairment can't be accommodated by vocational rehab. Pat has behaviors that often leave him as the target for being bullied by both “normal” and “special needs” kids.

Parents with a child with a special need sometimes struggle to find welcoming places that fit to find friends, eat, play, shop, get healthcare, and worship. Often the struggle to find places where the whole family feels accepted wears thin and a family gives up and becomes isolated. Isolation can breed stressed relationships within the family.

The Fayette Navigator Team and the A.C.E.S. Autism Support Group invite you to participate in a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the welcoming places families go in this community and what barriers keep other families stuck at home. The discussion is open to all members of the community who have child with a disability who does not fit or any community member that has a heart for solving problems. Particularly needed are the voices of parents with children with milder disabilities like Aspergers, ADHD, and High Functioning Autism. For those interested, active groups dedicated to help educate the public, solve family issues, or explore bringing new services into the community will be organized.

The Town Hall Meeting for families with disabilities is Sunday, March 27, 3PM, at the Peachtree City Library. For more information about this event or to RSVP, contact Raissa Chandler, Navigator Team Leader, at (770) 713-6731 or Fayette@p2pga.org. Childcare is not provided, however, children are welcome to participate in the care of their parents.

The Fayette Navigator Team is a project of Parent to Parent of Georgia. Information about Navigator Teams is available at the Parent to Parent of Georgia website, www.p2pga.org.  The Fayette A.C.E.S. is a support group who discusses biomedical and dietary interventions for families dealing with autism spectrum disorders. The Fayette A.C.E.S. group meets the last Sunday of the month at the Peachtree City Library.