A CHARITY has launched a new support group to help parents of children with special needs.

Worthing Scope has launched Super Scopers in Birkdale Road which will host activities for children and allow parents to communicate and offer guidance and reassurance to one another.

Jo McCaffery, the community liaison worker for the charity and started the group, said she is happy with the initial response.

She said: “There have been lots of new faces and when chatting with everyone we've been saying that we want the group to meet the needs of local families.”

Super Scopers will be held once every four weeks with plans to extend it further with different age-related groups so the children can socialise with others.

Lancing mother Sian Driscoll, 32, has an eight-year-old daughter, Imogen, who has cerebral palsy.

She said: “When we got the diagnosis for Imogen we were basically told there were no support groups but we rang the Scope helpline and found out that there was this group in Worthing.”

Mandy Buxton, 44, from Sompting, has two sons with special needs.

Cain, 12, has brain damage caused by a stroke he suffered when he was four, and Fynn, 10, has ADHD.

Finding places for both her sons to develop educationally and socially has been difficult, but Worthing Scope has provided some solace as has a change of school for Cain.

Miss Buxton said: “He's completely changed since he's been there, his vocabulary has expanded enormously.”