Children with Disability and their Siblings

Oftentimes so much time goes into supporting children with special needs, that there siblings may be inadvertently over looked and may need extra support and mentoring. Easter Seals recently did a study about siblings who will become the caregivers later on in life of their brothers and sisters with disability. Writer Rachel Adams shares in The New York Times’ her maternal reflections about the subject in her article Growing up With a Disabled Sibling. Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics also published a study in May 2013 testing “whether siblings of children with disability had higher levels of parent-reported behavioral and emotional functional impairment compared with a peer group of siblings residing with only typically developing children.” Children with disabilities and their siblings can have special relationships as we can see from this video from the King County (Seattle, WA) Developmental Disabilities Division of Early Intervention. They can be involved in the early intervention process as seen in this video produced by UC Davis’ MIND Institute. Both these studies and video illustrate the importance of attending to both siblings and individuals with disability alongside one another. While completing my masters with the UNH Education Department’s early childhood education program, I took a family partnerships class that introduced into the world of Sibshops and sibling support groups for individuals who have brothers and sisters with disability.


Sibshops: Workshops for Siblings of Children with Special Needs (Revised Edition) By: Don Meyer and Patricia Vadasy

Meyer, Don and Patricia Vadasy. (2008). Sibshops: Workshops for Siblings of Children with Special Needs (Rev. Ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc.

Sibling Support Project Sibshops
http://www.siblingsupport.org/

The Sibshops manual stemmed from a movement to build community support groups for siblings of children with disabilities (Sibs). These groups invite Sibs to share their stories, connect with peers, and have fun through recreational group games and experiences that alleviate the stress that sometimes surrounds being a Sib. The manual guides adults through conversations, topics and areas of concern for siblings. It outlines how to run a Sibshoptm, including certificates, workshop pages that guide discussions and activities, schedules and support forms.

Sibshops in New Hampshire:
Kathy Stocker
(603) 653-9899
CHaD Family Center - http://chad.dartmouthhitchcock.org/pc/health_care_services/list_of_services/family_ctr.html
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, NH

Pam Blair
(603) 653-9899
Special Needs Support Center

http://www.snsc-uv.org/
Lebanon, NH

Kristin Walker
(603) 448-2077
Pathways of the River Valley – http://www.pathwaysnh.org
Lebanon, NH

Kelly Michael
Community Bridges NH
2 Whitney Rd, Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 225-4153 x 288
http://www.communitybridgesnh.org
https://www.facebook.com/CBSibshop

Below are a few books and websites for siblings of children with special needs. Families and professionals can share these resources to begin discussions about whole family and child wellbeing. There are a host of other resources, but here is a start. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section.

Books:
Views from Our Shoes: Growing up with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs
Edited by: Don Meyer

My Brother is Different: A sibling’s guide to coping with Autism and A parent’s guide to help children cope with an Autistic sibling

By: Barbara J. Morvay

We'll Paint the Octopus Red

By Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen

In Jesse's Shoes 

By: Beverly Lewis

Ian's Walk: Story about Autism 

By: Laurie Lears

Brothers and Sisters: A Special Part of Exceptional Families
By: by Thomas H. Powell, Peggy A. Gallagher

Just Because 

By: Rebecca Elliott

Websites:
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities resources for families
http://nichcy.org/families-community/siblings

My Brother is Different: Supplement to the book by Barbara Morvay
www.mybrotherisdifferent.com

Parenting Siblings of Children with Disabilities – Parents Magazine
http://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/teaching-tolerance/parenting-siblings-of-children-with-disabilities/

Siblings of Children with Special Needs – NYU Medical Center
http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/siblings_children_special_needs

Autism Society
http://www.autism-society.org/living-with-autism/family-issues/siblings.html

CHaD – Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Recommended Books for Parents and Caregivers
http://chad.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/child_life/special_needs.html#down_syndrome_sibling

Massachusetts Sibling Support Network
http://www.masiblingsupport.org/massachusetts-sibling-resources.html

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Maine
http://www.namimaine.org/SibShop.htm