Raising a child is one of the most challenging enterprises one can embark on.
Many parents find that they stretch themselves to the limits in attempting to cater to their children’s emotional, psychological, and other needs.
In the case of special needs children such as kids with autism and other medical conditions, the task of parenting becomes even more demanding.
Special needs children need attention, love, and care even more than other kids.
Their parents need to monitor the children’s health for early signs of deterioration and often live in worry and anxiety about their kids’ futures.
Furthermore, the stigmatization of people with special needs is still rife in many societies.
This typically hurts the psychological and mental health of parents who have kids with this condition.
Fortunately, there are now many therapists who offer to counsel parents of special needs children. Here are some of them.
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Top 10 Therapists for Parents with Special Needs Children
1. Rose Reif
With over 20 years in the business of offering therapeutic support to parents of disabled children, Rose Reif is certainly one of the leading names in the field.
She is a certified mental health rehabilitation and counseling expert who aims at equipping families of disabled persons with the necessary tools they need to adequately support their handicapped family members.
Reif helps parents of disabled kids to develop healthy and easily practicable routines.
This will help to take care of their mental health and reduce the risk of falling into depression and anxiety over their children’s future.
She also teaches parents when and how to stand up for themselves as well as their special needs kids to adequately support and protect them from emotionally damaging situations.
Furthermore, Reif helps parents to accept the reality of their disabled children’s conditions and to overcome emotions of guilt in them concerning their children.
- Website: https://rosereif.com
Related: 10 Best Disability Management Companies
2. J. Heather Fitzpatrick
A certified medical social worker, Fitzpatrick uses a combination of “play therapy” and active involvement of parents of disabled children to support kids with special needs.
Many parents of children with special needs find it difficult to craft specialized parenting styles to suit their disabled children.
To help solve this problem, Fitzpatrick teaches parents how to modify their modes of parenting to better benefit their children.
She also coaches parents on how to manage their behavior, as well as to set realistic targets for their special needs children’s development.
Furthermore, Fitzpatrick provides counseling for parents to help them better understand and react to their special needs children’s emotions.
- Website: https://www.mendingheartstherapy.com
3. All Relationship Matters
With a base in Melbourne, Australia, and offering services worldwide on the internet, All Relationship Matters has helped parents of children with special needs from all over the world.
They help to cope with the unique challenges associated with raising such children.
The organization has a team of trained psychologists and counselors, with each team member boasting of at least 10 years of experience in the field.
All Relationship Matters commits itself to empathetic and professional service delivery.
The organization helps couples with special needs to maintain the connection between them and keep the spark in their relationship alive without putting their children at a disadvantage.
They also guide such parents to have difficult discussions about their special needs children’s future and what roles each of them will play in raising them.
- Website: https://www.allrelationshipmatters.com.au
4. Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities
Founded by Jane Ross, a parent who has successfully raised a handicapped child herself, this organization helps parents of disabled children to navigate through the maze that raising kids with special needs can be.
The organization coaches parents to pay attention to their special needs children and quickly spot any issues the kids face.
They also teach such parents the legal provisions available to protect their children and encourage them to advocate for their children.
Furthermore, parents get counseling on how to better understand and maximize the potential of their special needs children.
- Website: https://www.smartkidswithld.org
5. Ability Path
This California-based organization envisions a world where all persons receive equal acceptance whether able or disabled.
To achieve this, they regularly organize programs aimed at spotting children with special needs early to give the kids and their parents the necessary support and counseling they need.
Furthermore, the organization has a dedicated family resource center that helps parents of special needs children to understand, accept, and effectively take care of their kids.
- Website: https://abilitypath.org
Related: 7 Easy Jobs that Work with Disabled Children
6. Parent to Parent USA
While many of the organizations on this list are professional counseling organizations, some parents of special needs children crave something different.
Many people find that they benefit more from getting advice from ordinary parents who have passed through similar experiences to theirs.
This is the model that Parent to Parent USA adopts.
Under P2P programs, parents of children with special needs meet with other parents who have had and raised special needs children themselves.
Experienced parents give advice based on their experiences and use the lessons they learned from it to benefit those who are struggling with raising their disabled children.
- Website: https://www.p2pusa.org
7. Understood
Every person in the world should be understood.
This is the driving motive and vision of Understood, a nonprofit organization that aims at helping special needs children and their families with the support they need to pursue peaceful, happy, and successful lives.
Founded by parents of a special needs child, the organization has lasted for over 30 years, providing quality support to parents.
Having realized, from experience, the fact that information on how to support special needs children was indeed scarce and that raising special needs children can feel quite lonely, the founders of Understood took up the responsibility of solving this problem.
This they have achieved through making available high-quality educational resources, know-how, as well as a listening ear, and a supportive community.
- Website: https://www.understood.org
Related: Top 4 Services Available to Handicapped Persons
8. The Parents Place of Maryland (PPM)
“Families supporting families”. This is both a popular slogan and the key value of this organization.
Starting as a minor grassroots organization, it has since grown to serve, guide, and empower families in their thousands.
Most staff members of the organization have special needs children themselves and, therefore, can easily relate to the fears and needs of clients.
PPM encourages and empowers parents to stand strong and provide the support that their special needs children need.
The company also has a strong dedication to multiculturalism and diversity.
- Website: https://www.ppmd.org
9. Not Alone
Not Alone is an online platform formed by parents of special needs children who wish to reach out to other parents in their shoes.
Having passed through the pains, trauma, and rigors of raising special needs children, this group of experienced parents uses their experience to counsel other parents on ways to love and support their special needs children.
Not Alone volunteers draw their inspiration from their religious faith and believe that all humans (able or disabled) have a unique divine purpose.
10. Hopeful Parents
This is an internet platform where parents raising children with all types of special needs can unburden their hearts by sharing their experiences.
On the site, there are several experienced parents known as” healers” who offer “healing” advice based on their experiences.
Parents of special needs children benefit psychologically from the community.
- Website: http://www.hopefulparents.org
