Starts Tuesday March 12 and runs 8 consecutive Tuesdays - 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM PST

Raising a child who is blind or partially sighted can feel overwhelming and isolating, which is why Blind Beginnings offers our Seeing Things Differently Parent Support Group. This 8-week virtual support group is a place for parents to connect with parents who understand the unique circumstances of raising a child who is blind or partially sighted. The support group is facilitated by registered clinical counsellors who are also blind or partially sighted.

Parents of children and youth who have attended this group have established friendships with other parents, built a community of support, and felt much better equipped to support their child.

This group is offered twice per year and the next session will run on Tuesday evenings starting March 12 through to April 30 from 7:30 – 9:00 PM.

Some topics we can explore include:

• Concerns about how your child will manage daycare, pre-school, or school

• Worries about your child falling behind

• Reactions of extended family and friends towards your child’s visual impairment

• Frustrations with society’s lowered expectations for your child 

• Worries that your child will have trouble making friends

• Dealing with staring, questions and ignorant comments about your child’s vision

• Celebrating with parents who appreciate the effort required for your child’s successes 

We ask that you plan to attend all 8 sessions. 

These will be online sessions. We will use Zoom Conferencing for these meetings.  It is required that you are able to connect in a room that is quiet and private, and you do need to ensure that your device has a working camera.

Registration:
If you would like to participate, please send an email to: shawn@blindbeginnings.ca  

Please include:

• your name and email address

• phone number

• name and age of your child who is visually impaired

  Please Note: Space is limited to 8 participants.  Once we are full, registration will be closed.  Registrations will not be accepted after the first group meeting.
  
  If you’re still feeling hesitant, check out some quotes from past participants:
  
  “I’d highly recommend this group 1000%!! It’s a safe, caring and welcoming environment where I felt comfortable to share personal experiences with relation to my child without being judged or given pity. It was beyond what I expected in terms of connecting with parents who we actually will continue to remain in contact and hopefully have our children grow up together.”
  
  “I've learned so much. I went from being skeptical about group counselling to looking forward to going every Tuesday.”
   
   “Being connected to Blind Beginnings early in our family's journey has been instrumental in building a confident world view for myself as a parent of a kiddo with a visual impairment. I now feel more confident that my feelings are valid, the importance of communication and sharing, and that it's a journey shared with others.”