Local Support Groups
Find a Support Group in Your Area:At present we have parents from all over Ireland on our Forum looking to hook up with other families in their local area. You can register with our forum to make contact or you can also send an email to groups@giftekids.ie and we will forward to the relevant Organiser if available. Running a support group can be a daunting prospect but most groups start out simply as a means to socialise with parents and to share information and advice in an informal setting. For some advice on starting your own group you can download the Guidelines for Organising a Support Group by Dorothy Armstrong, ex IAGC Committee Member. Unfortunately Giftedkids.ie does not yet have the option of covering group meetings for public liability insurance purposes. If groups choose to meet they do so under their own personal individual insurance. Giftedkids.ie cannot take any responsibility for such meetings and have no input into their organisation, scheduling or content. An Example of one Support Group Meeting by the Cavan/Longford/Meath Support GroupA meeting of the Cavan/Longford/Meath Support Group was held in the Hotel Kilmore, Dublin Rd., Cavan at 8.00pm on June 27th 2008. Ten members attended which is a fantastic turn out for a new support group. As one of the oganisers put it: "Personally I left the meeting buzzing, the exchanging of stories, information and laughter were a tonic. Hopefully we'll have many more meetings to come! " These are the main questions that arose and the issues discussed:
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Personal Stories"I initially felt a little nervous about meeting up with other parents, were we just going to discuss how bright our kids were? But honestly it was great craic. And such a relief to talk to others who understood the difficulties. It's great to now have a support network and even though we don't meet that often, at least I have someone on the end of the phone if I need a shoulder!" "Personally I left the meeting buzzing, the exchanging of stories, information and laughter were a tonic. Hopefully we'll have many more meetings to come!"
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Disclaimer: This is not an expert site, it is run on a voluntary basis and as such is based on opinion and experience but we hope that it acts as a signpost for educational resources and other support services for Irish families with exceptionally able children. By using this website you accept that any dependence by you on such information, opinion or advice is at your own risk.