Support Groups A-Z

The list below includes links to New Zealand support groups for disabilities, health impairments, special needs and disorders, where they exist.

If no support group exists we suggest you speak to Parent to Parent. This is a New Zealand-wide organisation which provides advice, information and support to parents of children with any disorder. They can also put you in touch with other families living with the same condition.

You can also check the following:

• the Ministry of Social Development national directory of organisations which you can search by region and by service type (for example, disability issues, health, family violence, help lines, youth and children)
• the directory of New Zealand health and disability support and information groups for rare and common disorders at the NZORD (New Zealand Organisation for Rare Disorders) website
• the listing of New Zealand health and disability support groups at the "everybody" website

• Addison’s Network (New Zealand)
• ADHD Online Support Group (New Zealand)
• Allergy New Zealand
• Anxiety Disorders (see Phobic Trust of New Zealand)
• Arthritis New Zealand (see Children with Arthritis)
• Asperger Syndrome (see Autism New Zealand or Cloud 9 Children's Foundation New Zealand or Jen Birch's Personal Asperger Syndrome Web Site) 
• Asthma Foundation of New Zealand
• Asthma New Zealand
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder (see Autism New Zealand or Cloud 9 Children's Foundation New Zealand or Jen Birch's Personal Asperger Syndrome Web Site)
• Autism New Zealand

B

• Barnardos New Zealand
• An organisation providing services to children and families throughout New Zealand
• Bedwetting (see KEEA - Kiwi Enuresis Encopresis Association or New Zealand Continence Association)
• Blindness (see Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind)
• Bone Marrow Transplant Children (see IDFNZ (Immune Deficiencies Foundation of New Zealand))
• Brain Injury Association New Zealand
• Breastfeeding (see La Leche League New Zealand)   

C

• Cancer (see Child Cancer Foundation or CanTeen)
• CanTeen
• Supports young people aged 13-24 years living with cancer or a life-threatening blood disorder and their teenage siblings.
• Carers New Zealand
• Grassworks network for New Zealanders who care for sick, injured and disabled family members at home
• CCS Disability Action
• Cerebral Palsy (see Carlson School for Cerebral Palsy or Cerebral Palsy Society of New Zealand)
• Child Cancer Foundation
• Cleft New Zealand
• Cloud 9 Children's Foundation New Zealand
• Asperger Syndrome support and information organisation
• Cochlear Implants (see the National Foundation for the Deaf)
• Coeliac Society of New Zealand
• Continence Problems (see New Zealand Continence Association)
• Includes section on Incontinence in Children & Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis)
• Counselling services: Free, national, professional telephone counselling service for all five to 18 year olds that offers anonymous, confidential and child-centred counselling seven days a week between noon and midnight (see What's Up). A web site designed to complement National 0800 Kidsline (0800 543 754), a 24 hour telephone help line for school-aged children (five to 18 years) (see KidsLine). A web site which complements a free telephone counselling service for young people (0800 376 633) (see Youthline).
• Crohn’s & Colitis Support Group (CCSG)
• Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand

D

• DebRA New Zealand
  

  The DEBRA New Zealand Trust is an organization dedicated to the improvement in the quality of life for all people with epidermolysis bullosa and their families. Epidermolysis bullosa is the name of a group of genetic disorders causing blistering and shearing of the skin from even the gentlest friction, often from everyday activities.

• Diabetes New Zealand
• Disabilities - General (see Enable New Zealand or Halberg Trust or New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association Inc or Weka)
• Disabilities - Intellectual (see Halberg Trust or IHC New Zealand or New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association Inc or Rescare New Zealand or Weka)
• Disabilities - Physical (see Enable New Zealand or Halberg Trust or CCS Disability Action or New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association Inc or Weka)
• Disability Support Services - (see Enable New Zealand or Weka)
• Down Syndrome (see New Zealand Down Syndrome Association)
• Dwarfism (see Little People of New Zealand)
• Dyslexia (see SPELD New Zealand - Specific Learning Disabilities Federation)
• Dyspraxia (see SPELD New Zealand - Specific Learning Disabilities Federation)

E

• EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa) (see DebRA New Zealand)
  

  The DEBRA New Zealand Trust is an organization dedicated to the improvement in the quality of life for all people with epidermolysis bullosa and their families. Epidermolysis bullosa is the name of a group of genetic disorders causing blistering and shearing of the skin from even the gentlest friction, often from everyday activities.

• Eczema (see Itchy Kids)
• Ehlers-Danlos Foundation of New Zealand
• Enable New Zealand

  Enable New Zealand is a multi-service organisation working to assist disabled people and their families/whanau, employers, health professionals and disability support organisations. Some of Enable's services are available nationwide, while other services are provided regionally.

• Encopresis (see KEEA - Kiwi Enuresis Encopresis Association or New Zealand Continence Association) 
• Enuresis (see KEEA - Kiwi Enuresis Encopresis Association or New Zealand Continence Association)
• Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) (see DebRA New Zealand)
  

  The DEBRA New Zealand Trust is an organization dedicated to the improvement in the quality of life for all people with epidermolysis bullosa and their families. Epidermolysis bullosa is the name of a group of genetic disorders causing blistering and shearing of the skin from even the gentlest friction, often from everyday activities.

• Epilepsy New Zealand

G

• General Disabilities (see Enable New Zealand or New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association Inc or Weka)
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
• Grief (see Skylight or SANDS New Zealand (Stillborn and Neonatal Death Support) or SAFDA (Support after Foetal Diagnosis of Abnormaility) email: safda.info@nzord.org.nz or Twin and Multiple Birth Loss New Zealand)

H

• Haemochromatosis - information and support previously provided by the NZ Haemochromatosis Support & Awareness Group (IRONZ) is now proivided at the Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ website
• Haemophilia New Zealand
• Halberg Trust
  Supports children with a disability to be involved in active leisure or recreation of their choice, alongside their peers in an inclusive environment.
• @Heart (previously Heart Children New Zealand)

I

• IDFNZ (Immune Deficiencies Foundation of New Zealand)
  

  IDFNZ is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting children, teenagers and adults with diagnosed PID (Primary Immune Deficiency) disorders. The Kids Foundation is the welfare arm of IDFNZ and is responsible for caring for suspected or diagnosed PID children, teenagers and their immediate families, as well as BMT (bone marrow transplant) children.

• IHC New Zealand 
  New Zealand’s largest provider of services to people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
• Immune Deficiencies (see IDFNZ (Immune Deficiencies Foundation of New Zealand))
• Intellectual Disabilities (see IHC New Zealand or New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association Inc or Rescare New Zealand or Weka)
• Iron Overload Disorder (Haemochromatosis) - information and support previously provided by the NZ Haemochromatosis Support & Awareness Group (IRONZ) is now proivided at the Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ website
• Itchy Kids
  Support group for parents of children with eczema.

J

• Jen Birch's Personal Asperger Syndrome Web Site

K

• K.E.E.A. Kiwi Enuresis Encopresis Association
  Supports families who have children with wetting and soiling problems.
• Kidney disorders (see Kidney Kids and Kidney Health New Zealand)
• Kidney Kids
• Kids Foundation (see IDFNZ (Immune Deficiencies Foundation of New Zealand))
• KidsLine
  A web site designed to complement National 0800 Kidsline (0800 543 754), a 24 hour telephone help line for children under 13 years of age.

L 

• La Leche League New Zealand
  For breastfeeding support and education.
• Learning Disabilities (see SPELD New Zealand - Specific Learning Disabilities Federation)
• Leukaemia and Blood Foundation of New Zealand
• Little People of New Zealand
• Lupus (see Arthritis New Zealand or Lupus Trust of New Zealand)
• Lupus Trust of New Zealand
• Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand

M

• Mental Health (see Headspace or Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand).
• Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
• Muscular Dystrophy Association of New Zealand

N

• New Zealand Continence Association
• New Zealand Down Syndrome Association
• Kidney Health New Zealand
• New Zealand Organisation for Rare Disorders
• New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association Inc
  Offers therapy and rehabilitation; education, behaviour modification and social contact; horse riding for sport and recreation for people with disabilities.

P

• Parent and Family Resource Centre
  An umbrella organisation for a network of support groups and parents in Auckland, New Zealand. The main aim of the centre is to create support and skill development opportunities that can empower parents of children with special needs. The organisation is parent driven, parent focused and open to all in the disability community.
• Parent to Parent
  Parent to Parent New Zealand is a national organisation working with families and children affected by disabilities, health impairments, rare syndromes, and special needs. Parent to Parent currently has contacts available for 638 different disabilities and information relating to over 1800 disorders. Support groups both in New Zealand and overseas are listed for over 3500 conditions
• Perthes Support Group (Perthes disease). Contact details for the Perthes support group are listed in the NZORD (New Zealand Organisation for Rare Disorders) website support groups directory (check under "P") 
• Phobias (see Phobic Trust of New Zealand or Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand)
• Physical Disabilities (see Enable New Zealand or CCS Disability Action or New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association Inc or Weka)
• Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of New Zealand
• Primary Immune Deficiency Disorders (see IDFNZ (Immune Deficiencies Foundation of New Zealand))

R

• Rare Disorders (see New Zealand Organisation for Rare Disorders)
• Reflux, Gastric (see Crying Over Spilt Milk, the website of GRSNNZ - Gastric Reflux Support Network NZ for Parents of Infants & Children Charitable Trust)
• Reflux, Gastro-oesophageal (see Crying Over Spilt Milk, the website of GRSNNZ - Gastric Reflux Support Network NZ for Parents of Infants & Children Charitable Trust)
• Rescare New Zealand
• Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind

S

• SAFDA
  Support after Foetal Diagnosis of Abnormaility
  Email: safda.info@nzord.org.nz
• SANDS New Zealand
  Stillborn and Neonatal Death Support
• Schizophrenia Fellowship NZ
• Skylight
  Skylight is a national organisation working to support children, young people and their families who have been affected by change, loss and grief.
• Soiling (see KEEA - Kiwi Enuresis Encopresis Association or New Zealand Continence Association)
• Speakeasy - New Zealand Speak Easy Association Inc.
  A support group for people who stutter. 
• SPELD New Zealand - Specific Learning Disabilities Federation
• Stillborn and Neonatal Death Support (see SANDS New Zealand)
• Stuttering (see Speakeasy - New Zealand Speak Easy Association Inc.)

T

• Twin and Multiple Birth Loss NZ

U

• Urge/Whakamanawa
  A youth health and information service designed to assist young people (primarily 15-18 year olds) find useful information or resources to help them regarding a variety of youth related topics.

W

• Weka
  New Zealand's disability information web site.
• What's Up
  Free, national, professional telephone counselling service for all 5 to 18 year olds that offers anonymous, confidential and child-centred counselling 7 days a week between noon and midnight.

Y

• Youth Health (see Urge/Whakamanawa)
• Youthline
  A web site which complements the free telephone counselling service for young people (0800 376 633).