The benefits of pairing parents of children with complex needs with those who went down that same road before them are clearly evident in a new report compiled by researchers from the University of Galway and launched by Enable Ireland last week.

Titled The Parent Connection: The Power of Peer Support for Parents of Children with Complex Needs, the report presents findings from Ireland’s first peer support pilot programme of its kind.

The twelve-week initiative took place in 2024 across three Enable Ireland service locations – in Galway City, Curraheen in Cork city, and Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

One of the Galway pair-ups saw support parent, Sheila McCormack, partnered with a mother in Galway whose child had a similar diagnosis to her son.

“Being part of the peer support pilot was an amazing experience,” she said.

“I would 100% have benefited from support like this in the early days after my son was born. I was partnered with a parent whose young child had also been diagnosed with Down Syndrome—something I went through ten years ago with my own son.

“I remember how overwhelming and lonely those early days were.

“When you first get a diagnosis, it’s a lonely, scary time. You’re dealing with a new baby, sometimes medical issues, and the emotional impact is huge.

“Being able to say to another parent, ‘It’s going to be ok,’ and really mean it—because you’ve lived it—that’s powerful.

“We’ve built a real friendship. We meet regularly and text often—just recently she asked me about summer camps my son did. It’s been amazing to be part of something that helps parents feel seen, supported, and less alone,” she added.

Sheila, who lives in Salthill, was one of ten experienced parents were paired with ten parents newer to the journey of raising a child with complex needs.

Enable Ireland Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) staff members provided supervision sessions to support parents at monthly intervals. The aim: to provide emotional, social, and practical support through shared lived experience.

Principal Investigators on the pilot project were Dr Lhara Mullins and Dr Devon Goodwin from the University of Galway.

“This project was born from our own lived experience as parents and our belief in the power of connection,” explained Dr Goodwin.

“We wanted to create something by parents, with parents, and for parents—because no one understands the journey like someone who’s walked it too,” she said.

“Through this pilot, we’ve seen how peer support can reduce loneliness and isolation, build confidence, and offer both practical guidance and emotional reassurance,” added Dr Mullins.

“It’s about creating a community where parents feel seen, supported, and empowered.”

The report has now made a number of key recommendations which would see these peer support initiatives scaled up nationally to complement existing formal service provision, as well as embedding parents in the planning and delivery of future peer support programmes.

It also advocated conducting further research into the unique needs of parents of autistic children.

Enable Ireland CEO John O’Sullivan said they were proud to have delivered what he called this innovative project.

“The next steps in moving this forward are currently being planned and it is hoped that this is the beginning of a national roll out of this initiative to other Children’s Disability Network Teams which will commence initially on a phased basis,” he added.

Pictured: University of Galway Researchers Dr Devon Goodwin (left) and Dr Lhara Mullins (right) at the launch of a new report by Enable Ireland and researchers from the University of Galway revealing the positive impact of peer support for parents of children with complex disabilities, joined by (from left) Sinead O’Brien, Sheila McCormack, Siobhan Singleton and Deirdre Noone, all Galway parents who participated in the pilot programme.