Bridging Uncharted Waters in Georgia: Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta Outreach to Latino/a Families

Receiving the news that your newborn child has Down syndrome is difficult for most parents; difficulties which are compounded by language and cultural barriers for immigrant Latino/a families. The metro Atlanta area has shown a large increase in this population in the last 10 years, and increasing numbers of Latino/a parents with children with Down syndrome are coming in contact with the health care system. Experiences and observations regarding the formation of a Latino/a support group for parents of children with Down syndrome in Atlanta are described. In addition, efforts to integrate these Latino/a parents into a parent education conference sponsored by the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta are also recounted. Finally, reflections upon the lessons learned and individual and organizational changes that occurred as a result of the process are discussed.