Supporting Siblings

It’s not always easy being the sibling of a child with disabilities. Even when parents are extremely sensitive to their typically developing children’s needs, these siblings face unique challenges that are sometimes overlooked because they may pale in comparison to the many challenges faced by a brother or sister with disabilities.

Some of these may include:

  • Guilt about not having a disability
  • Worries about the medical status of their sibling
  • Resentment that their sibling gets so much attention
  • Embarrassment about their sibling’s appearance or behavior
  • Feelings of isolation because their family situation is different from their peers’
  • Feeling obligated to take a parenting role in relation to their sibling

Fortunately, there are things parents can do to minimize the stressors for their typically developing children. These include:

Despite the challenges faced by siblings of children with disabilities, there are also tremendous benefits to growing up with a brother or sister with special needs. Childhood development experts have found that these siblings tend to be more empathetic, compassionate, tolerant and mature. One study showed that teens who grew up with a sibling with disabilities are able to form deeper connections and have higher levels of social and emotional growth than their peers.

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