Honestly, I am quite shocked at the unwillingness of parents to help other parents. Particularly regarding the assumed stereotypes. We are all at this forum because we believe that gifted children are unique. I asked this (somewhat hypothetical) question for 2 reasons. The first is that it really surprises me this type of mentoring is already not an option. The second reason is that I hope a seed can be planted should you meet other parents who may be in this situation or should you be involved in a group or advocacy which could embrace this idea.
My 13yr daughter is very bright, though not gifted. She also has hearing loss. Our school district has a completely voluntary program for hearing loss families. This program is entirely ran by parents. The only role of the school is they have a list of parents who have volunteered to mentor other parents. The school simply notifies new parents that the mentoring program exists & should they wish to receive this assistance, the school can provide contact info. This is the program I am familiar with but I have heard of other similar programs. It is very informal but it was invaluable when I had questions or needed advice. It gives us the ability to ask a parent of a child a few years older than her what we should expect. It provides us with parents who understand our concerns. It provides our children with an opportunity to relate to children who have "been there, done that".
You were correct that I left the framework open ended. I see the possibilities here as endless. If you honestly fear for your life meeting someone perhaps you could use email, Skype, or FaceTime. It is disappointing to see people who would view this as a waste of their time. In my experience the mentor program has been just as rewarding to the mentor family.
The sad truth is that many children go without an appropriate educational environment because their parents simply do not know there is another way. Some parents are middle-class & live in good neighborhoods. That does not automatically enable them to know how to get their child what they need. Parents in poverty are very unlikely to have know where to look or even that their child needs more. I do understand hat some parents would not want this & I am in no means saying this should be mandatory for anyone. I simply think there must be a way that somehow there must be a way to be better.
