Thanks for your interest in the Parent Consultant Directory!

First of all, let me explain that the Parent Consultant Directory is a state-wide directory of families who are interested in acting as “consultants”—experts who give advice—to pre-professionals (university/college students) and professionals (e.g. therapists, medical personnel, teachers, service coordinators, child care professionals) on topics related to children with special needs.

As you may know, families like yours can play a critical role in the education of professionals who will serve children with special needs and their families. Professionals will, undoubtedly, understand and work with families better if the “family perspective” is included as a component of their pre-professional and on-going professional training. This is where you come in.

The directory will include a family’s brief explanation of their child’s special needs and family contact information. Faculty interested in bringing a parent perspective to their class may contact you to invite you to speak or a training coordinator might contact you so you can share your experiences with current professionals. You may be asked to speak to a small group of professionals, a class of college students, present on a panel or mentor students. A small presenter’s fee may be available for some presentations. Materials will be made available to help you plan for your presentation format. We know you live busy lives so you would be under no obligation at any time to accept an invitation.

As a parent of a child with special needs myself, I have traveled the bumpy road of medical and educational intervention services—one that only parents of children with special needs know. This is an opportunity to use our experiences to educate professionals with a family perspective. I hope you will consider this.

We currently have a 2004 Edition of the Parent Consultant Directory distributed statewide on CD-ROM but we are interested in gathering more family names in our database for future Directory distributions. If you are interested in getting involved, we need to receive hard copies of the following:
• Consent form
• Biographical Form

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at the Waisman Center at 608-263-5947.

Sincerely,

Lynn Havemann
Early Intervention Family Facilitator and Trainer