An interdisciplinary health care setting's experience with groups for parents of children having specific disabilities.

This paper describes the planning, implementation, use, and evaluation of a group for parents of children with Williams elfin facies syndrome in an interdisciplinary health care setting. The group utilized a modified educational approach that resulted in significant gains reported by participants in learning about educational opportunities and rights of the handicapped, terminology and labeling of Williams syndrome, and meeting and sharing with other parents. The experience has implications applicable in interdisciplinary health care settings for use of groups as an aid in reducing the conflict that may result from the frequent combination of research and service to individuals with specific disabilities.