by Napoleon Broughton

Created on: December 11, 2009   Last Updated: December 12, 2009

It may be one of the most important decisions you will ever make as a parent. Are you familiar with a group home environment? Does your special needs child require this type of setting? Both questions require extensive thought to determine an adequate answer. Here are some helpful tips that will promote your decision to proceed with alternative placement.

Talk to your child about your decision to seek group home placement. Be very selective, and focus on the benefits of the placement. Children who are accustomed to residing with their parents generally have to be sold on the positives of the move. If your child’s diagnosis affects his or her ability to communicate or understand, work extensively with group home staff to schedule more than one trial visit before placement. This will allow for a smoother transition and assists with acclimating your child to his or her new surroundings. Initially, drop your child off at the group home for a few hours and eventually allow for overnight stay. It is essential to begin group home placement slowly. This gives your child an opportunity to become more comfortable with staff and the group home itself.

The goal of the placement should always be to ensure that your child is maintained at an optimal functioning level. When coordinating placement for a special needs child, every option must be explored. Is your child stable in his or her present environment? Is the child presently taking medication? Does the group home that you are considering have a structured facility and competent staff to ensure proper and timely administration of medication? Does the staff effectively execute program related expectations?

Personally meet with the group home staff that will be working with your child. Target staff that has experience working with special needs individuals. Keep in mind, most group home settings are very personal and have less staff to provide supervision of residents. The key is to know how much supervision your special needs child requires. The prerequisite should always be one staff per every 7 to 8 residents. An effective staff to resident ratio is mandatory for success. If your child requires more supervision than a group home can accommodate, don't proceed with placement. Parents should also check to see if the other residents have a similar diagnosis. If your child is autistic and the other children are not, this may eventually cause problems. Meet with the group home manager to inquire about the different

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