by Ashlea Mask for Grice Connect
In partnership with the Statesboro Family YMCA, The Therapy SPOT will host its first Parent Support Group on Thursday, September 8th, from 6:00-7:30pm.
The Therapy SPOT staff will be leading the support group discussion. Ashley Patrick, M.Ed. CCC-SLP, shared "We want to use this first meeting to allow all participants to get to know each other and learn a little more about how speech, physical, and occupational therapy services can have a positive impact on a child’s life, and things they can do at home to foster skills in theses areas. We would also like to use this time to ask what parents would like to learn more about so we can plan for future speakers."
The goal is for the event to be held on the second Thursday night of each month. It hopes to provide parents with friendship and support from other parents that may be going through similar things. They also hope to instill a sense of community for parents and families and encouragement through difficult times.
According to Ashley, "Many of our parents have mentioned feeling isolated and alone in the journey of working to help their children achieve their goals. As a therapist, it breaks your heart because you work with children targeting similar goals all day, so you don’t want your patients or their families to feel isolated in their experiences. By supplying a time of fellowship with the parents of children of all abilities, it brings together groups of people who may have otherwise never met."
Ashley said that the main objective is fellowship but parent education will also be a focus for the event.
"Whether it’s learning about what ABA therapy is and how to find a provider, to how to advocate for their child on the child’s IEP, and how to apply for grants and extra funding to cover services, we want this support group to be a place of community for families," she said.
The Therapy Spot partnered with the YMCA because they are not only neighbors but their mission statements both align in that they support health and wellness in the community.
The YMCA is providing use of their facility and child watch center, along with their staff. They are also partnering with the Statesboro Service League to help facilitate the child watch. Their hope is by providing childcare and a meal it will allow more families to attend. They have also partnered with the YMCA in the past for the Parent's Night Out and Back to School Bash.
"We are all excited about starting this next venture together," Ashley said.
To register for the event, call The Therapy SPOT's office at (912) 681-7768. Registering is encouraged but not required. However, in order to participate in the meal, which is available for the entire family, you must register in advance.
