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Parenting Institute
Offers Family Support

LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER

W

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I-596

hen Lynne Tamor
gave birth to her
son Isaac nearly
two years ago, she
and her husband, Michael
Sugar, didn't know where to
turn.
, Isaac was born with a
chromosome disorder affec-
ting his nervous system. He
is legally blind and devel-
opmentally delayed. He has
seizures which are controll-
ed with medication.
Doctors suggested the
finest medical care, but had
no suggestions for outreach.
A friend told Ms. Tamor and
Mr. Sugar about Keshet, a
newly forming group for
families of children with
special needs. They also at-
tended a one-day seminar
run by the Parenting In-
stitute of the Agency for
Jewish Education.
Sunday, Dec. 6, the Paren-
ting Institute will run their
second program with the co-
sponsorship of Jewish
Association for Residential
Care, Jewish Experiences
for Families, Keshet, Jewish
Family Service and seven
other Detroit Jewish agen-
cies.
Stanley Klein, publisher of
Exceptional Parent maga-
zine — a publication for the
families of disabled children,
will be the keynote speaker.
Workshops will be offered
exploring issues of creating
support networks; caring for
the caregiver and addressing
concerns of non-handicapped
children.
The seminar was de-
veloped from a suggestion to
the Agency for Jewish Edu-
cation to incorporate the en-
tire family in the learning
and coping process.
Renee Wohl, director of
AJE's resource center, and
Bayla Landsman, AJE's di-
rector of special education,
head up the project. In addi-
tion to issues explored dur-
ing the seminar, the women
hope to develop respite care
programs — giving the
primary caregiver a much
needed break.
Ms. Tamor likes the idea.
"When friends and family
are around you, they try to
act like everything is OK,
like everything is normal.
But it's not," Ms. Tamor
said. "You won't ask for help
and then you get angry be-
cause no one knows to help
you."

cf.

By joining Keshet and
becoming involved in
workshops with the Jewish
Parenting Institute, Ms.
Tamor and Mr. Sugar have
found peers with similar
feelings — a comfort to both
of them.
They also send Isaac to
Taft Elementary in Ferndale
where he is involved in the
early intervention program.
Ms. Tamor and Mr. Sugar
are part of a support group of
those parents also.
"Those people are helpful.
Yet because most of them'
are not Jewish the experi- rl
ence is different," Ms.
Tamor said. "We all want
what's best for our children.
But as Jews we have such an
emphasis on achievement.
We need to revise what we
value."
Ms. Tamor said when she )
attended the Jewish Paren- (_%

"I never knew
these people had
disabled children. I
guess it's not
something you run
around telling
everyone."

Lynne Tamor

ting Institute's seminar last
year she was both nervous
and surprised.
"I went there with a lot of I
trepidation. I didn't know if I
was ready to deal with what
it meant to be the parent of a
special- needs child," Ms. ,
Tamor said.
However, she found com-
fort in the group — even
recognizing a few faces.
"I never knew these people
had disabled children. I
guess it's not something you
run around telling every-
one," Ms. Tamor added.
Ms. Tamor and Mr. Sugar,
the parents of a 6-year-old Q=:
daughter, Rachel, will attend
the seminar again this year —
hoping to learn more and
develop more relationships
with other families.
For more information
about the Parenting In-
stitute, call AJE at 354-
1050.

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