Support Groups
Exceptional Family Resource Center co-sponsors various support groups in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Support groups are a place of mutual aid for parents to exchange emotional and practical support in order to reduce stress, to develop constructive coping skills and exchange information. *Please call to verify dates and locations of support groups before attending.
Listing of EFRC Support Groups
ALZHEIMER'S:
Alzheimer's Association - Brawley. 760-335-3725.
ARTHRITIS:
Juvenile Arthritis Support Network - 858-492-1090 or arthritis.org.
ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER:
CHADD - San Diego: 760-736-1111; Encinitas/Carlsbad: 760-436-8766.
Informational Meetings for Adults - 858-581-5050 or LearningDevelopmentServices.com.
San Carlos - 619-464-4331.
Vista - 760-758-5732.
Military Family ADHD Group - 619-532-5666.
ADHD & Behavioral Support - 619-885-8315. View flyer or specialneedskidz.com.
AUTISM:
Evening Parent Support - Chula Vista: 619-220-7020 or 619-595-1631 or msebastyn@sdcoe.net. View flyer.
Autism Society of America, San Diego County - 858-715-0678 or sd-autism.org.
Asperger's & HFA Parent Group - Chula Vista: CVHFAParentGroup@cox.net.
Family Autism Mentoring Program at the Scripps Well Being Center - 619-887-1475.
Children's Autism Intervention Center at Children's Hospital - 858-966-7453. Support for newly diagnosed - 858-966-5416.
Parents of Autism and Children Empowering Success(PACES) - Oceanside: paces2007@gmail.com.
Parent Support for San Diego Unified School District Resource Students with Autism - 858-490-8520 or bkohrt@sandi.net.
SPAYA (Supporting the Parents of Young Adults with Autism) - spaya@san.rr.com.
TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) parent group - Rancho Bernardo: becky@tacanow.com.
Autism Friends Club at CASE - 760-720-4964.
Autism Society of Imperial County - 760-337-2107.
Asperger's Support - North County at Tri City Medical Center: tricitymed.org/service/childstudy/nccsc/education.html
Support/Playgroup - 858-412-3687 or 916-606-5072.
BRAIN INJURY:
San Diego Brain Injury Foundation support - 858-272-2090.
BURN SURVIVORS:
UCSD Burn Support Group - 619-466-6291.
CANCER:
Families Supporting Families - 858-576-1700 x5429.
CEREBRAL PALSY:
United Cerebral Palsy San Diego - 858-571-7803.
CORNELIA DE LANGE SYNDROME:
Cornelia de Lange Syndrome - 760-746-9954 or View flyer.
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES:
Support for primary caretakers - Miramar: 858-695-9415 or crimsoncenter.com.
Social group for 9-13 year olds - Temecula: 951-699-3127 or temeculasnells@msn.com.
DIABETES:
American Diabetes Association - San Diego: 858-279-9160; North County: 760-434-0014.
DOWN SYNDROME:
Down Syndrome Association of San Diego Family Support Network - 619-594-7389 or DSAsdonline.org.
Early Childhood - Central San Diego: View flyer / North County: View flyer or map / Spanish: View flyer.
All Ages - Central San Diego: View flyer.
Mommy & Me group - North County: 760-295-2637 or mommy_n_me_ds_playgroup@yahoo.com.
Down Syndrome Association of Imperial Valley - 760-355-0147 or View flyer.
DYSTONIA:
Dystonia Support & Advocacy Group - 619.582.1961 or dystoniaofsandiego.com.
North County Dystonia Support Group - 760-729-0525.
EMOTIONAL/BEHAVIORAL:
NAMI - 619-543-1434 or 800-523-5933. namisandiego.org.
Postpartum Support - 800-727-4777. View flyer.
Anger Management/ Healthy Relationships - Chula Vista: 619-420-3620.
EPILEPSY:
Epilepsy Foundation of America - 619-296-0162 or epilepsysandiego.org
Teen Program - 619-255-3542.
FATHERS GROUPS:
Men's Legal Center of San Diego Fathers Support - 619-234-3838.
Encinitas Father Resource Center - 760-634-3237.
The Fathers Group - 858-558-0700.
Coalition of Parents' Support - 619-465-2677.
FRAGILE X SYNDROME:
Fragile X Resource Center of San Diego - 619- 697-6468 or fraxsocal.org.
GRIEF:
Elizabeth Hospice - North County: 760-737-2050.
San Diego Hospice - 619-688-1600.
Sharp Hospice Bereavement - La Mesa: 619-667-1821.
Multiple Loss with Survivor Sibling Support at Sharp Mary Birch - 858-939-4141or View flyer.
The Family Treehouse - Imperial County: 760-355-0175 or wright-counselor@yahoo.com.
HEARING IMPAIRMENT:
Deaf Community Services - 619-398-2441.
Signs of Silence - group for teens: 760-744-1325.
HOH playgroup - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deafchildrenofsandiego/
ASL Story time at Borders Books - San Diego: cdevereux@msn.com.
HEART DISEASE:
Children's Heart Institute - Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego 858-576-1700 x5799 or lespino@rchsd.org.
HEMOPHILIA:
Hemophilia Association - 858-560-8373.
Parents Networking Group - 619-325-3570.
KLINEFELTER'S SYNDROME:
Parent support - 619.318.3824, 619.261.4424 or sandiegoks47@yahoo.com.
LUNG DISEASE:
American Lung Association - 760-761-4803.
MILITARY SUPPORT:
Exceptional Family Member Program:
MCRD San Diego: 619.524.8086 or erin.vanko.ctr@usmc.mil.
Camp Pendleton: 760-725-5363 or San Onofre: 760-763-0868.
MCAS Miramar: 858-577-8644.
San Diego Armed Services YMCA - San Diego EFM Parent Group: 858-751-5755 x116 or ccobbs@asymcasd.org.
Hospital Behavior Modification Group for Parents - 619-532-5666.
ADHD Groups - San Diego: 619-532-5666.
Association of Military Parents of Dependents with Disabilities (AMPDD) - 858-695-9415.
Dads on Duty - San Diego: 858-496-0044.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS:
Multiple Sclerosis Society - 858-974-8640.
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY:
Muscular Dystrophy Association - 858-492-9792.
OSTOMY:
Ostomy Support - 858-693-7966.
PRADER-WILLI:
Prader-Willi Syndrome Association - Vista: 760-724-6985.
RESPITE:
Together We Grow - Medically fragile child care and overnight weekend program in San Diego and Oceanside. togetherwegrow.org.
RETT SYNDROME:
Support Group for girls with Rett Syndrome - 619-482-5282 or sdrett.org.
SIBLING SUPPORT GROUP:
United Cerebral Palsy Sibling Support - 858-571-7803 x316.
SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER:
Parent support - 858-505-9464 or sensational_kid@yahoo.com.
SPINA BIFIDA:
Spina Bifida Association of Greater San Diego - 619-806-9065 or sbaofgsd@hotmail.com.
Spina Bifida Mommy and Me Group - 619-806-9065.
TOURETTE SYNDROME:
San Diego Tourette Syndrome Association -619-437-4810.
Tourette Spectrum Disorder Association - 760-967-6791.
TRISOMIES SUPPORT GROUP:
Support of Fetal Trisomies (S.O.F.T.) - 800-716-7638.
VISION IMPAIRMENT:
Braille Foundation Support Group - 858-452-1111.
WILLIAMS SYNDROME:
858-676-1883 or williamsyndrome.org.
NON-SPECIFIC DISABILITY SUPPORT GROUPS:
Central San Diego:
Sibshops for siblings of children with special needs - mraybould@chsd.org.
Support Group for siblings of children with developmental disabilities - 858-571-7803 or www.ucpsd.org .
Friends With Open Minds - Teens and young adults (16-25 yrs) with and without disabilities: 858-571-7803.
"Let's Talk", "Baby & Me" and "Toddler & Me" Groups 858-272-9641 x143 or View Flyer.
Support for parents of twins in SDRC Early Start Program - San Diego: 858-503-4477.
Filipino-American Assoc. for Developmental Disabilities - 858-576-2980.
Drug/Alcohol Support for Regional Center Consumers - 619-336-6600..
Special needs playgroup - sdplaygroup@hotmail.com.
People First Self-Advocacy Support - 619-645-3024.
Stepmom to Stepmom - stepmom2stepmom@gmail.com.
East San Diego County:
Hand in Hand support for families of children with physical or developmental disabilities - 619-465-2288 or 619-465-1364.
Puzzled Parents - Special needs support in El Cajon: 619-922-8608 or puzzledparents.org
Drug/Alcohol Support for Regional Center Consumers 858-4576-2980.
Regional Center Support for siblings of children with disabilities - 858-576-2961.
North San Diego County:
Parent Advocates Seeking Solutions Poway: 858-748-2594 or http://www.powaypasscom.
UCP Self Advocacy Group Escondido: 760-736-1200 or 858-503-4438. View flyer.
First Friday Club for parents of children with developmental disabilities - San Marcos: 760-736-1207. View flyer.
Support for parents of children in Early Start Program - San Marcos: 760-736-1200. View flyer.
Drug/Alcohol Support for Regional Center Consumers San Marcos: 619-336-6600.
North County Network of Parents of children with special needs - 760-736-1200. View flyer.
Special Connections Temecula: 951-699-3127 or specialconnections.homestead.com.
Coalition of Advocates for Special Learners Temecula: 951-695-0339 or hmroby@aol.com.
Peer-to-Peer Parent Support 619-260-7658 or View flyer.
South San Diego County:
Evening support for parents of children 0 - 5 with special needs - 619-595-1631 or msebastyn@sdcoe.net or View flyer.
Drug/Alcohol Support for Regional Center Consumers - National City: 619-336-6600.
Imperial County:
Wellness Support - El Centro: 760-352-9413.
"Between Women" breast cancer awareness and prevention - 760-351-1774.
Infant Toddler Program Bilingual - 760-312-6641.
Peer Support by Access to Independence - 760-353-4191 or 760-353-2802TDD.
Drug/Alcohol Support for Regional Center Consumers - Imperial: 760-355-8383.
Basic Support Group Guidelines:
Respect and don't judge others; Listen and do not interrupt others; Support each other; Pass to the next person and don't monopolize sharing time; Empathy; Confidentiality; and Trust.
View our CALENDAR for upcoming workshops and events.
Exceptional Family Resource Center does not promote or recommend any therapy, treatment, institution, etc. and does not espouse any particular political, educational or religious views. Inclusion of information or resources does not necessarily imply promotion or recommendation by EFRC. Content is provided for informational purposes only.
