When you're looking for ways to reduce your legwork and maximize participation, the Internet can be a terrific ally.

• Send out your group newsletter by email to reduce both financial and time expenditures.
• Send out flyers and meeting reminders by email.
• Consider starting an electronic discussion list for your group.

Services like Topica.com and Yahoo Groups allow you to do this free of charge. The advantage of having this type of list is that the group members can interact more frequently and build more rapport -- this way they are coming to see friends when meeting time roles around, not strangers.

The other advantage is that it allows families to participate that may not be able to arrange childcare during the scheduled meeting times.

Make contact with other parents online. For example, both NICHCY and Wrightslaw.com offer state resource sheets for parents of children with special needs. By sending an email to the contact person listed on these sites, you could have your group listed as an available support in your state.

• NICHCY State Resources Page
• Wrightslaw Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities

© 2003, Lisa Simmons. All Rights Reserved. Lisa is the author of ?Birth of an Advocate?; an interactive workbook series that helps parents of children with special needs become knowledgeable, articulate, effective advocates!