There will be more about education under the next section. When a family is given the news that their child has a special need, the reactions and adaptations are, of course, unique to the individual family. While the nature of the disability, amount and type of care, stress, and coping mechanisms may be somewhat unique, these problems are shared by other families. Those with disabilities are often viewed as chronic patients. Somewhere along the continuum of stages, most adults and parents of children with special needs will want to reach out to someone else who can understand their situation.
Support can come in many forms.
There are support groups in most urban communities for the more common disorders. Rural communities are not as fortunate, but on-line support is available, as well as many different chat rooms. Parents whose children have rare disorders, such as DiGeorge Syndrome, or Cytomegalovirus infections can find other parents to compare notes and research. Our Kids is a web page devoted to raising kids with special needs. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in most simple terms is the civil rights act that protects the rights of person with disabilities from discrimination.