Bridging uncharted waters in Georgia: Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta outreach to Latino/a families.
Receiving the news that your newborn child has Down syndrome is difficult for most parents; difficulties which are compounded by language and cultural barriers for immigrant Latino/a families. The metro Atlanta area has shown a large increase in this population in the last 10 years, and increasing numbers of Latino/a parents with children with Down syndrome are coming in contact with the health care system. Experiences and observations regarding the formation of a Latino/a support group for parents of children with Down syndrome in Atlanta are described. In addition, efforts to integrate these Latino/a parents into a parent education conference sponsored by the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta are also recounted. Finally, reflections upon the lessons learned and individual and organizational changes that occurred as a result of the process are discussed.
Martorell
Susan J
SJ
Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta, 1006 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, USA. smartor@emory.edu
Martorell
Gabriela A
GA
D002648:Child; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology*; D005845:Georgia; D006266:Health Education; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014837:Voluntary Health Agencies