Parent to Parent Peer Support Across the Pacific Rim

Abstract

In Pacific Rim countries parents of children with developmental disabilities have organized peer support organizations. One form of peer support is Parent to Parent based on one to one connections between two parents. The movements to create and sustain peer support in the U.S., New Zealand, China, and Korea are described. Qualitative evidence from interviews in the US indicates several reasons why Parent to Parent is effective for some of the people who obtain social provisions from the organizations. Peer support helps parents resist social stigma, gain hope, and obtain persuasive guidance. They are able to exchange situated knowledge from their lived experiences with children with disabilities (Brown, Collins & Duguid, 1989). This kind of information may not be available through other sources.