Thankfully we live in the age of the internet, which gives us countless ways to connect with people in similar circumstances, who can not only empathise with our situations, but offer tips and tricks to surviving the journey, and provide support when times get tough.

acebook in particular is a great way to connect with other likeminded people. With more than 2.23 BILLION monthly active users, Facebook is the ideal place to connect with people from all walks of life.

The easiest way to find those people is by searching for specific groups. We’ve compiled some of our favourites below:

1. The Mighty

Though not technically a ‘group’ this Facebook page is an excellent resource for parents of people with intellectual disabilities.

Visit the group here

2. Special needs survival

This closed group has around 250 members, making it a great place to start if you find the larger groups overwhelming.

Visit the group here

3. Make it tips for special needs

With over 6000 members, this group is all about finding creative ways to make life easier for special needs kids.

Visit the group here

4. The Wolfpack

A closed group for families who have two or more children with special needs (aka super powers!).

Visit the group here

5. A special needs Christmas

Although this group is Christmas themed, it’s active all year round, and with 16,000 members there’s lots of advice here for families of those with special needs.

Visit the group here

Tips for using Facebook groups

Check the group status
Facebook groups come in 3 different types; open, closed and private. If you’re posting in an open group, your posts will be available to be viewed by the public, and may appear in your news feed, so be careful about sharing private information.

If it’s a closed group, your friends and family will be able to see that you’re a member of the group, but won’t see anything you post, unless they are a member of the group as well. If the group is private, nobody can see that you are a member, or anything you post, unless they are a member too.

Read the guidelines
Be sure to read the group rules carefully to make sure you follow the guidelines. Failure to follow the rules may result in being removed from the group. Often group rules will outline the types of posts that are allowed in the group, expectations about behaviour, and usually they also discourage self-promotion.

Search first
Some questions get asked over and over again, and it can be frustrating for members to be fielding the same types of questions all day long, so before you post a question or topic in the group, it’s a good idea to run a search to see if your question has already been answered.

Don’t forget to check out the CoAct Facebook page!
You can like our page and follow us here.  As leaders in Disability Employment Services we’re always chatting disability, how to find the right job and thrive in the workplace, and touching on topics outside of the world of work too.

Happy Facebooking, we hope to see you online soon!