For most parents of children with special needs, the early period following the diagnosis is a time of emotional crisis. Because well-meaning relatives and friends are sometimes afraid to reach out, many parents of a child with a disability also report feeling an enormous sense of isolation. For these parents, the weeks and months following the diagnosis are ones in which they are often left alone, caught in a vicious cycle of disbelief, anger, depression, and fear of what the future holds for their child and family.
Transition times are also often stressful ones for families with a child having special needs.
Once the initial meeting has occurred, usually by phone, the on-going relationship develops according to the needs and preferences of the referred parent. Some matches are short-term, consisting of only 2 or 3 contacts. Others evolve into lifelong friendships. Families of infants in neonatal intensive care units find the same quality of support through a Parent to Parent match as do families with young adults making the transition from special education settings to supported employment or families coping with the challenges of caring for a head-injury survivor. Through any Parent to Parent match, opportunities are created for a unique sharing of information and emotional support, and these shared experiences are the very foundation of Parent to Parent support.