Sibshops at Lutheran Children’s Hospital

Please note—this article originally appeared on Indiana's News Center January 15, 2010. Original Web site link

Quite often people with developmental disabilities have siblings. They are usually around the same age, grow up together, and ultimately, live most of their lives being around one another. So how are these siblings affected by this when most of the attention is usually on the brother or sister with the disability?

For the past year, Sibshops, provided locally through Easter Seals Arc and Lutheran Children's Hospital, have been thriving at the Mad Anthony Children's Hope House located on the campus of Lutheran Children's Hospital. Sibshops acknowledge that being the brother or sister of a person with special needs is for some a good thing, others a not-so-good thing, and for many, somewhere in-between. They reflect a belief that brothers and sisters have much to offer one another — if they are given a chance.

At these relaxed, four-hour sessions kids are empowered to be themselves. Sibshops provide the opportunity for siblings to express what they're feeling and how they fit into the family, while also arming them with tools and resources that they can take back and share with the family. They are also a spirited mix of new games (designed to be unique, off-beat, and appealing to a wide ability range), new friends, and discussion activities.

Dates for 2010 Sibshops are:
Saturday, February 20th
Saturday, May 15th
Saturday, August 21st
Saturday, November 20th

Sibshops are not therapy, group or otherwise, although their effect may be therapeutic for some children. Sibshops focus on the well-being of the family member most likely to have the longest-lasting relationship with a special-needs sibling, while providing a casual opportunity to meet and discuss the goods and bads, to find out how others handle similar situations and to learn more about the implications of their siblings' special needs.

The nationally acclaimed Sibshop curriculum, www.siblingsupport.org, is used throughout the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Guatemala, Mexico, and Argentina.

Easter Seals Arc of Northeast Indiana's mission is to create solutions that change lives of children and adults with disabilities or other special needs and their families. We provide a wide range of excellent services that nurture independence based on each individual's goals and choices while providing advocacy and promoting community inclusion.

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