Caring for a child with a disability can be challenging and at times overwhelming for parents and siblings. Wanting to seek support, one Middle Tennessee mother created a Facebook Group to find other parents facing the same challenges.
Nashville resident Amy Chanin knows what it's like to navigate life with a disability. Not only does she have a son who is diagnosed with Autism, but she also suffers from a disability herself and wears cochlear implants in order to hear. Even with the implants, her hearing is limited and she must read the lips of others to best communicate.
Being deaf and raising a child with autism presents its own challenges, and by January 2019, Amy was struggling with her then 5 year old son. One night while she was scrolling through Facebook, she saw a friend post about her experience raising a child with a disability. Amy knew she needed to create a community for families in middle Tennessee to find the support and assistance they need.
Families everywhere must adapt to a new lifestyle when their child is diagnosed with a disability. It can be especially difficult in single parent homes or low income families, or if there is more than one disability in the family that needs attention. Often these become unspoken difficulties because it's challenging to find other parents who can relate.
With the help of Facebook's 'Group' functionality, Amy created the "Middle TN Disability Resources and Support Group." Facebook groups are becoming more and more popular as a safe place for users to communicate and connect over common interests or experiences with others, making it the perfect platform to share and ask questions in a quick and easy way. What started out as a small group has now grown to nearly 1,000 members across middle Tennessee.
"I wanted to have ONE page where we could all come together as parents of disabled children to share reliable resources and connect with other parents with similar situations to get valuable advice", said group founder, Amy Chanin. "Our mission is focused on many disabilities, rather than just one limited topic."
Frequent posts include questions and advice about insurance coverage, vocational rehabilitation, disability benefits, accommodations, therapies, and even babysitter recommendations. The group is a great resource for families that are new to the Middle Tennessee area or new to caring for a family member with a disability. Local events for families with special needs also fill the page, from summer camp recommendations to promotions for the upcoming Tennessee Disability Mega Conference in May.
Supporters of the group have found their own way to get involved. Social workers are often on the page suggesting therapy sessions that work on behavior or social skills and special needs advocates offer to join parents during important school meetings. Group founder Amy Chanin believes if just one family feels more equipped to handle the challenges that come with disability, then she is doing her part for the community.
"The group is small, but I feel like it's making a difference. We often have new parents whose child has just been diagnosed, so veteran parents share their experiences often in hopes of helping these new parents navigate the world of disability, find specialists, suggesting therapies, offering support, and sharing community events to connect with others," said Chanin.
Over the last year, the group has become a strong voice for families with disabilities in the middle Tennessee community. Founder Amy Chanin is doing whatever it takes to build support around this community. This spring, she will graduate with her Masters Degree in Special Education from Vanderbilt University. Looking forward, she hopes to use her degree to reach more families and begin more partnerships with community organizations to spread awareness about the group.
The Middle TN Disability Resources & Support Group would ultimately like to expand across the state of Tennessee. Amy hopes to build a foundation of hope for these families adapting to the ever-changing life of raising a child with a disability.
If you're a parent struggling to care for a child with a disability, we encourage you to join the Middle TN Disability Resources and Support Facebook Group.
