Family Support Group
Helping Families Deal With Epilepsy
When a child is diagnosed with an illness, it affects every member of his family. That’s why the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Epilepsy Center offers support groups for both parents and children who are dealing with epilepsy.
Parent Support Group
The group provides participants with information, education, resource sharing opportunities, emotional support and a chance to talk with other parents. Each meeting features a guest speaker. This group is facilitated by Kathy Braden, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Jennifer Ganote, Nurse Clinical Coordinator, both from the Children’s Epilepsy Center. Braden has experience working with families who have a loved one diagnosed with a chronic, disabling or life-threatening medical condition. Ganote has an extensive background in neurosciences and epilepsy and is available to assist in understanding the medical aspects of care.
Children's Support Groups
The support groups are for children ages 6 (who are able to spend an hour independent of parents in a process format) through 21.
The Children’s seizure support group is geared toward children learning to cope with their diagnosis in a social support format. The group offers a safe place for children to be open about issues, learn more about their diagnosis, discuss real life experiences, and most importantly, have fun and meet others. We also offer a sibling support group.
Our first-ever Children's Epilepsy Camp will be held July 25-30, 2010, at Camp Twin Lakes-Will-A-Way in Winder, Ga.
Click here to learn more about this exciting new camp.
Occasionally the two support groups will be divided based on age demographics rather than category. The support groups are facilitated by Lindsay Luton, Psy.D., Neuropsychology Resident, and Lori Holman, Child Life Specialist. Both group leaders are experienced in working with special needs families and children with neurological issues.
Support Group Meetings
The Epilepsy Support Group is now on summer break! No meetings are scheduled for the months of June and July. The staff at the Children’s Epilepsy Center wishes everyone a fun-filled summer and we’ll meet again August 26 for a “Share Night”. We hope to see you then!
There are three separate support group meetings on each scheduled night:
- A parent education group for parents of children with seizures to get to know each other and lend support to one another.
- A children’s support group for children with seizures. This is time to meet with others who can relate to personal, shared experiences.
- A sibling support group for children to meet with others who also have and support a sibling diagnosed with epilepsy.
***The children’s groups are for “mature-for-their-age 1st graders”(able to attend a peer discussion group independent of parents for an hour) thru 21.