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Lorna Bradley explores the challenges faced by parents of children with exceptional needs. She highlights the importance of community and genuine connection. The post reminds us that no one should feel isolated in their journey.
We are made for community, for connection and relationship. One thing we all share is the need for a sense of belonging. We need to know we are not alone.
Personal experience with special needs
As a mother of an adult son on the autism spectrum and as pastor, I’ve experienced up close the journey with special needs through my family and congregation. About seven years ago I offered what I thought would be a short 4-week Bible study for parents raising children with special needs. What I found was a community with a deep thirst for connection and spiritual support. I also found a calling. That group continued meeting for years and changed the path of my ministry.
Since then I’ve helped launch many support groups in a variety of settings and wrote a book specifically for parents on the journey with special needs. I have learned that there are three key components to a successful support group:
Common connection across diagnoses
When I began leading support groups one of my biggest concerns was how to address the variety of diagnoses within the lives of the families. Would a mom with an infant with Down syndrome connect with another parent whose child was older and had a diagnosis of autism? Would the parent of a young adult with an intellectual disability, long removed from the shock of diagnosis, find meaningful support? What I discovered time and again is that the differences in diagnosis and life stage virtually disappear within the group. While each parent is on a unique journey, and at a different place along the path, they find a common connection on the emotional and spiritual level that transcends those differences. They find a community that truly understands and in that connection lives are changed.
Guest post by Lorna Bradley
Rev. Dr. Lorna Bradley is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church and author of Special Needs Parenting: From Coping to Thriving. She serves as a Fellow in Developmental Disabilities and the Family at The Hope and Healing Institute. Follow her blog for parent support at specialneedsparenting.me, or on Twitter @revdoclorna and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LornaBradleyAuthor.
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Lorna Bradley explores the challenges faced by parents of children with exceptional needs. She highlights the importance of community and genuine connection. The post reminds us that no one should feel isolated in their journey.
We are made for community, for connection and relationship. One thing we all share is the need for a sense of belonging. We need to know we are not alone.
Personal experience with special needs
As a mother of an adult son on the autism spectrum and as pastor, I’ve experienced up close the journey with special needs through my family and congregation. About seven years ago I offered what I thought would be a short 4-week Bible study for parents raising children with special needs. What I found was a community with a deep thirst for connection and spiritual support. I also found a calling. That group continued meeting for years and changed the path of my ministry.
Since then I’ve helped launch many support groups in a variety of settings and wrote a book specifically for parents on the journey with special needs. I have learned that there are three key components to a successful support group:
Common connection across diagnoses
When I began leading support groups one of my biggest concerns was how to address the variety of diagnoses within the lives of the families. Would a mom with an infant with Down syndrome connect with another parent whose child was older and had a diagnosis of autism? Would the parent of a young adult with an intellectual disability, long removed from the shock of diagnosis, find meaningful support? What I discovered time and again is that the differences in diagnosis and life stage virtually disappear within the group. While each parent is on a unique journey, and at a different place along the path, they find a common connection on the emotional and spiritual level that transcends those differences. They find a community that truly understands and in that connection lives are changed.
Guest post by Lorna Bradley
Rev. Dr. Lorna Bradley is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church and author of Special Needs Parenting: From Coping to Thriving. She serves as a Fellow in Developmental Disabilities and the Family at The Hope and Healing Institute. Follow her blog for parent support at specialneedsparenting.me, or on Twitter @revdoclorna and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LornaBradleyAuthor.
