After reading a fellow classmates blog, I discovered this helpful article about siblings of children who have a disability. It discusses their feelings and emotions of their role in the family.
http://www.ccakids.com/Articles/Living%20With%20A%20Sibling%20Who%20Has%20A%20Disability.pdf
Also, I discovered this video that provides a visual and another perspective of what life is like being a sibling to a child who has a disability:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ooWPy7HuTc
From reading the article about siblings of children who have a disability, I liked how it gave insight on dealing with stress for the sibling. When thinking about stress in regards to family with children with disabilities, we tend to immediately think of the parents. It's important to understand the whole family dynamic, including the siblings, these tips I found the most interesting:
ReplyDelete• Discuss feelings and emotions openly and honestly and let them know that all
feelings are ok;
• Be truthful in each situation
• Allow siblings to become actively involved in the care of the ill child;
• Work to recognize the sibling’s concerns (they may not be obvious);
• Provide jobs or tasks for the sibling and the disabled child to feel a part of the family;
• Make time for each child as well as the family as a whole;
• Allow all children time to be on their own;
• Inform others including teachers, relatives, parents of the children’s friends about the
situation;