The Social Work Department at The Parkside School is pleased to once again offer a parent support group! The group will take place on Friday mornings from 8:15–9:15am in the conference room (first floor, across from the library). We will meet for six weeks, with the option to renew depending on continuing interest.

Rick Alston, LCSW, and Cara Levinson, LCSW, will co-facilitate the group. Rick has over twenty-five years of experience working with neurodivergent children and their families at Parkside and in private practice. Cara has worked at Parkside for the past four years. Prior to Parkside, she provided a range of clinical services to children and their families in community-based settings.

Support groups provide many benefits, including:

• Meeting other parents who “walk in your shoes.” We will share strategies, struggles, and triumphs.

• A safe place to vent. Parents love their children unconditionally. At the same time, the uncertain trajectory of their children’s development can create overwhelming stress. The group will be a safe place to “feel what you feel” without judgment.

• Learning to accept the child you have. We presume competence in how children with neurodiversity naturally develop skills to navigate the world. They have much to teach us, as we do them. We will identify and discuss how to promote regulation, comfort, confidence, and competence in parents and in their children.

• Finding connection and support. When parents feel socially connected and emotionally understood, they are better prepared to cope with stress and live according to their values.