Parent Support Network is a network of parents, providing a strong voice for parents, whose priority is supporting, educating, and advocating for each other while raising children and adolescents with learning, emotional, developmental, social, and behavioral disorders.

Our programs serve families in the Hudson Valley region of New York. An all-volunteer, parent-run, non-profit organization, we fulfill our mission through monthly educational workshops that are free and open to the public, individual and group family support meetings, social skills training for young people, educational and financial planning for special needs children, and parent and professional education on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and New York State special education regulations (part 200-1). Individual educational advocacy is available on a limited basis. We are delighted to be entering our second decade.

On behalf of our Board of Directors, I would like to welcome you to our website. We are proud of our accomplishments in providing help for families of children and adolescents with family, school and community problems. We want parents to know that they are not alone. Parenting a child with ongoing special needs is intense, demanding and emotionally draining, especially when trying to access services for a child for the first time.

Our activities and programs are informed by our strongly held beliefs:

• We believe that all children have a right to reach their educational, social, emotional and physical potential.
• We believe that informed parents are the best teachers and advocates for their children.
• We believe that community resources and family support must work together to help children and adolescents with social, educational, and legal problems.
• We believe that the the failure to diagnose and treat a child's special needs spells disaster for the child, family, and community. The global cost to society as this child moves into adult service areas can reach tens of thousands of dollars.

Put into action, these beliefs keep our organization vital and make our programs invaluable for the community.

• PSN works to connect families in need of assistance with community resources and provides referrals and assistance to families with school and community issues. Learning to navigate the system can be extremely frustrating. It is our goal to make this process easier.
• PSN serves as a clearinghouse for the latest information relating to research, early intervention, family support, assistive technology, education, transitions and many more specialized services. We offer a resource of helpful and practical literature and reprints for parents and professionals.
• PSN provides opportunities for parents and professionals to exchange ideas, experiences, coping skills, concerns and questions, and offers a place where parents can come, be themselves and be understood.

This website provides information about our programs and upcoming events. If you have any questions, please call or email us. We are here to help.

I would like to thank Prince Global for designing our website and Frontline Communications for hosting us.

Sincerely,
Micki Leader, President