Our Licensed Clinical Social Worker facilitates a group at Bornhava for women caregivers (WOW MOMs) which meets one time a month during the school year (usually the first Thursday of the month). Childcare is available by RSVP only.

A group meeting may include a presentation or just general discussion by those who attend around a particular topic of interest.  The women have commented that they appreciate learning from each other, have found information beneficial, and are able to give back to others by sharing what they know.

Past topics of discussion have included:

• Community Resources/ Helpful Organizations
• Family Entertainment and Restaurants
• Toilet Training
• Mealtimes
• Behavior Management
• Siblings
• The Holidays
• Time Management Strategies

Any female who has or cares for a child with special needs can attend (they do not need to be a mother or have a child in our program). This group has included mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and other female caregivers, including babysitters.  We have members from both Erie and Niagara Counties.

To find out when our next WOW MOMs meeting is, please check our events calendar or email Ann.

The Men’s Forum is open to fathers and male caregivers of children with special needs.  The forum meets in the evening once a month throughout the school calendar year. Meetings usually begin at 7:30 p.m. on one Tuesday each month. Even though the group meets at Bornhava, those who attend do not need to have a child who attends Bornhava.

The Men’s Forum began in 2004, meeting monthly during the school year.  Numerous males have participated in the group, with an average attendance of seven or eight men.  Most men who attend have children from birth to age of five.  However, the group has had several men who have older children or young adults with special needs as well.

This group has been a great success, and valued by those who attend.  Raising a child with special needs as a male caregiver can prove to have wonderful successes, as well as many challenges.  It is great for men to be able to share the successes with others who understand, as well as receive guidance from those who may have similar experiences.   The group has ongoing discussions about coping  as a male caregiver facing so many additional challenges or obstacles in today’s world.

The group is facilitated by a licensed child psychologist, Donald Crawford, Ph.D.  He has extensive experience in evaluating preschool age children and is very knowledgeable about early intervention and CPSE.

Our team may meet with parents to discuss challenging behaviors and unique ways to help in improving the relationships that children have with their families, and with society as a whole.  The LCSW may also be assigned to work with a family, who has the service of Parent Counseling & Training or Family Training on their child’s IEP, to facilitate consistency in learning across both the home and school environment, so that when the child is learning how to express him/herself, both environments can respond in understanding.  Individual counseling for a child may be considered to further support and help the child to process emotions and social interactions, as well as learn new coping and social skills.

Parent-team conferences are a wonderful opportunity for parents to meet with their child’s teaching team (including therapists) to discuss progress, concerns and answer questions regarding upcoming placement. Meetings generally last 30 minutes and are scheduled 1-2 times per school year. Additional meetings can always be scheduled as needed.