Doing a befriender course

[Blossomhill]

Am doing a course until christmas that is going to train me to be able to "befriend" other parents who are just going down the diagnosing route.

Really looking forward to it and finding the whole course really interesting and quite theraputic. One of the things I will have to do is take in photos of dd from birth to now (from each year) and discuss each year and my feelings which will be hard but I think in a way I need to do it.

I am hoping I may be able to help stop someone else going through the despair I did.

how lovely of you blossomhill hope you get alot of out of it. i imagine it can be quite stressful but just think of what you are giving back to a family. I felt so alone when dd was first dx as having special needs. Its as if you are the only person in the world it has happened to

Well done you, BH. Is this part of the NAS befriender scheme?

Well done, BH. I bet the parents you 'befriend' will be really glad to have found someone like you.

Good for you Blossom

This service will make a huge difference to families new to SN. Good luck.

What a lovely think to do BH - Good Luck with it

Is it part of the Face 2 Face Scheme? This is something I have been offered - as a recipient rather than a befriender

I am quite nervous about it actually but we are fully trained and we also attend a support group to help us.
Karen - It's not through the NAS no. I will be dealing with a wide range of sn. Just depends who I get matched with.
Merlot - shame you don't live near me, you might've had me!

Oh and thanks for all of your lovely comments too

Bloss - I am waiting for an evening course to be organised where I live! You can give me prior warning of what i'll have to do for the training!

Mine is with Face 2 Face Morticia.

I only wish i'd known about it when ds was being diagnosed!

Well done BH (don't know how you fit it all in!)

Oooh, how exciting BH! Will you just tell them to join MN and check out SN and then you can go home?
I'm thinking of doing parent-to-parent training with the NAS but realistically I think it would be better in a year's time when DD is 3.5 and not 2.5...

Thats really good

I'm sure you will be brilliant!

Blossom, I'm doing this too- in Brighton. Had the first session today. It was alot more emotional and draining than I thought it was going to be . Think it's going to be a bit of a journey...

ps Davros, the NAS training sounds fab but, yeah, if intense v sensible to wait a bit