By Rebecca Rider

rebecca.rider@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Families who have a child with special needs can now get the support they need right at home thanks to a new initiative by Partners in Learning.

Tonya Correll, family support specialist with Partners in Learning, a 501(c)3 non-profit childcare center, said gone are the days of a circle of chairs in a church fellowship hall.

“I think those days are starting to wane because of the technology we have now,” she said.

And it’s the technology that Partners in Learning is tapping into to help fit the busy schedules of parents. Norma Honeycutt, executive director of Partners in Learning, said that it’s often especially difficult for parents to attend a support group if a child has special needs.

It’s why the organization is now offering an online support group that meets once a month.

“We’re firm believers here in meeting parents where they’re at,” Honeycutt said.

On the third Tuesday of every month, up to eight or nine families can log onto a Google Hangout chat to talk with other parents, Honeycutt and Correll or an expert. But the support group also tackles another problem: accessibility.

Honeycutt said that many families who use Partners in Learning’s services are in poverty, or lack reliable transportation — but these days everyone has a cell phone.

A cyber support group was also a popular result on a recent survey the organization conducted.

The meetings begin at 9:15 p.m., and have a “come as you are” policy. It’s not unusual for parents — or Honeycutt and Correll — to show up in their pajamas with wet hair, or lying down with a child.

During the meeting, parents ask questions of experts, drum up strategies and form connections with other families that share similar struggles.

Eventually, Correll said, they may have separate groups to tackle specific issues such as sensory processing disorders, ADHD or autism. Until then, the parents decide each meeting’s topic.

“We wanted them to run it, we wanted it to be their group,” Correll said.

But the set-up isn’t perfect. Currently, only 10 people can participate in the hour-long meeting, and Correll and Honeycutt usually take up two of those slots. The two are searching for a free, user-friendly software that can support a larger group.

Honeycutt said that parents do not have to have children participating in Partners in Learning programs to join the support group.

“I’m hoping that the connections will be lasting connections for them,” she said.

Interested parents can find upcoming dates and directions on how to participate at http://epartnersinlearning.org/cyber-support-group. For more information contact Tonya Correll at tonya@epartnersinlearning.org

Contact reporter Rebecca Rider at 704-797-4264.