A TAMWORTH mother has started a support group for families with special needs children with a lack of help currently on offer in town.
Mother-of-six, Louise Dawson moved to Tamworth from the Central Coast a number of years ago, but she said it has been a challenge ever since to find people or groups to reach out to.
“I really felt alone most of my friends don’t have kids, like my kids,” Ms Dawson said.
“I can’t go to them with things I would go through.
“I’m not judging them, we're just not on the same path.”
Ms Dawson’s eight-year-old son, Deacon, lives with a range of conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.
It’s a shame something hasn’t been put in place.
- Mother Louise Dawson
She put the call out on social media, scoping interest from parents, or carers, of kids with special needs, or any medical condition, in a regular get-together to share support and knowledge about what is available in Tamworth.
“We came from the Central Coast, we moved over for work and to get the kids out and about and there was plenty of opportunities for work,” she said.
“We had everything for Deacon in terms of support and respite care, but here it’s like whole different channel.”
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Ms Dawson said there was a clear need for something to be started.
She pitched it as a regular get-together for parents to share information relate to each other on day-to-day challenges.
“If you search on Facebook, there was 30 to 40 posts from Tamworth from special needs families looking for support,” she said.
“On another Tamworth mums page, there was lots of posts asking where there was speech pathologists, or dietitians.
“It’s shame something hasn’t been put in place.”
After gauging interest, Ms Dawson said she was surprised with the response.
While it’s still in a very formative stage, she said she’d gained some interest from a psychologist willing to come along and offer advice and was hoping to get someone to talk about navigating the NDIS.
“I wouldn’t care if five people came, that’s five friends we can relate to,” she said.
Once the workshops get up and running, Ms Dawson said there was no restrictions on who could attend the meetings.
“I didn’t want to base it on one condition,” she said.
“It’s for anyone, any medical condition.”
What do you think of the support on offer in Tamworth? Write a letter to the editor. Click this link to have your say.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
