Resources for Siblings of Children with Disabilities

Many parents find it challenging to balance the care and attention they give to each child, but this can be especially difficult when one child has a disability and another does not. Caring for a child with a disability can be so all-consuming that parents often worry their other children are falling by the wayside.

We’ve gathered resources that we hope will help you in raising siblings of children with disabilities.Siblings of Disabled Children

Blog posts and articles

Offspring: How to Parent a Typical Child When You Also Have One With a Disability

Jaclyn Youhana Garver reflects on her experiences growing up alongside a younger brother with autism. She discusses some of the ways her parents supported her and nurtured the relationship between her and her brother.

Psychology Today: Siblings of Children with Disabilities

This article emphasizes the need for research on the wellbeing of children with disabled siblings, as well as what is already known on this matter.

Parent Center Hub: Sibling Issues

This page discusses the effect of age on sibling relationships, how to talk to children about disabilities, and more.

Emotional Problems Facing Siblings of Children with Disabilities

This PsychiatryAdvisor article provides information on the mental health of siblings, with particular emphasis on how they grapple with the knowledge that they may need to be their siblings’ primary caregivers in the future.

12 Ways to Support Siblings of Children with Disabilities

This piece by The Inclusion Lab lists specific things parents can do to involve and support siblings, such as providing age-appropriate information about their sibling’s condition, and setting aside one-on-one time to focus on their needs and interests.

Support groups and other organizations

The Sibling Support Project

This organization was founded in 1990, and supports siblings of children with disabilities and complex healthcare needs nationwide. They help people start local sibshops (support groups), host online groups, and present workshops on sibling issues.

Sibling Leadership Network

This organization is focused on helping people advocate for their siblings with disabilities and promote the issues about which they care most.

SibTeen

A Facebook group for teenagers who have siblings with disabilities.

SibNet

A Facebook group for adults who have siblings with disabilities.

Sibs

This UK-based charity focuses specifically on supporting siblings of people with disabilities. In addition to in-person groups, they provide an abundance of useful information on their website — aimed at both young siblings and adults.

Please note that this is by no means a complete list of support groups! There are many other groups focused specifically on supporting siblings of people with disabilities. For more information, you may want to check out our disability support group database, which allows users to search based on location, language, and other factors!

About ABC Law Centers

ABC Law Centers was established to focus exclusively on birth injury cases. A “birth injury” is any type of harm to a baby that occurs just before, during, or after birth. This includes issues such as oxygen deprivation, infection, and trauma. While some children with birth injuries make a complete recovery, others develop lifelong conditions such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

If a birth injury and subsequent disability could have been prevented with proper care, then it constitutes medical malpractice. Settlements from birth injury cases can cover the costs of lifelong treatment, care, and other crucial resources.

If you believe you may have a birth injury case for your child, please contact us today to learn more. We are happy to talk to you free of any obligation or charge. In fact, clients pay nothing throughout the entire legal process unless we win.

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