A parent group for the Hispanic parents of children with severe cerebral palsy

Children severely affected by cerebral palsy represent a major challenge for their parents. These parents have special educational and emotional support needs. At Orthopaedic Hospital, this challenge has been met through the use of a pilot parent group project. A group of Hispanic parents of children with severe cerebral palsy was formed to educate about the children's medical condition and to provide a forum for mutual support among parents with similar challenges. Language and cultural considerations were an integral part of the intervention. A secondary gain that resulted from this intervention was the improved use of the health care professional's time. As a result of the group experience, parents became better health care managers for their children as measured by the child's weight, hospital usage, utilization of the educational system, and self-ratings.