Family & Friends

Support Groups for Parents of Children & Teens

Raising and educating a child with an Asperger profile may be challenging at times, so it's not surprising that many parents feel stressed and isolated. AANE offers a variety of ways to help you feel less alone and more empowered. If you feel overwhelmed or don't know where to start, consider parent coaching. Looking for support in a less formal way? Consider attending an AANE conference or a family or parent event.

Face-to-Face Support Groups

“I gained new insights about my child and family from participating in my support group at AANE. I can't wait to sign up for the next one!”

Many parents find it comforting and helpful to connect with one another through the face-to-face support groups we offer in our Watertown office. All groups are limited in size, run from October through May, are facilitated by an AANE staff member, and require pre-registration. Each session lasts 90 minutes.

The cost is $120 for the full eight-session series. This year there is no extra charge for both parents to attend meetings. In the registration form, just click the “Add” button to register the second parent. If the family budget is tight, please contact Nancy.Parker@aane.org about financial aid or an installment plan.

Parent Support Groups for the 2017-2018 school year are:

Parents of Teen and Tween Boys, facilitated by AANE Board Member Dian Bohannon
will meet at the AANE office from 6:30 - 8:00 pm on the following 5 Thursday evenings
February 15, March 15, April 19th, May 17th, June 21st, 2018

Parents of Children, facilitated by Janeka Melanson, B.A.
will meet at the AANE office from 10:00-11:30 on these eight Tuesday mornings
November 7, December 5, January 9, 2018, February 6, March 6, April 3, May 1, and June 5

Parents of Tween Girls, facilitated by Debbie Curtiss, M.Ed., Ed.S., NCSP
will meet at the AANE office from 7-8:30pm on these 8 Wednesday evenings:
October 18, 2017, November 15, December 20, January 17, 2018, February 7, March 21, April 11, May 16
(Snow day make-up date: June 4)

Parents of Tween Boys, facilitated by Laura Perez, M.Sc.,
will meet at the AANE office from 7-8:30pm for these 8 Monday evenings:
October 16, 2017, November 13, December 11, January 8, 2018, February 12. March 12, April 9, & May 14
(Snow day make-up date: June 4)

Parents of Teen Girls, facilitated by Nancy Parker, MSW, LICSW,
will meet at the AANE office from 6:00pm-7:30pm for these 8 Tuesday evenings:
October 17, 2017, November 7, December 5, January 16, 2018, February 6, March 6, April 3, & May 1.
(Snow day make-up date: June 5)

Parents of High School Boys (evening), facilitated by Stephanie Loo, M.Ed.
will meet at the AANE office from 7-8:30pm for these 8 Monday evenings:
October 23, 2017, November 20, December 18, January 22, 2018, February 26, March 19, April 23, & May 21
(Snow day make-up date: June 11)

Online Discussion Group

 

AANE offers two online discussion groups for parents, moderated by Stephanie Loo, Director of Information and Referral: Parents of Children, and Parents of Teens. If you would like to join either or both groups (or switch groups), please fill out the form below. Then look for your email invitation, and follow the instructions to set up your account. Once your child graduates from high school, contact Stephanie to join the discussion group for Parents of Adults.