Brothers and sisters of people with developmental disabilities can often benefit from professional assistance and peer support.
Sibling services can be made available to brothers and sisters of individuals with developmental disabilities, regardless of whether their disabled sibling receives services through AHRC NYC.
Services are available to siblings from all five boroughs at AHRC NYC Headquarters.
The Sibling Relationship
The sibling relationship is extremely important and powerful. Good, bad, or indifferent, our relationships with our siblings shape who we are and influence all our other relationships. Growing up with a sister or brother who has a disability can present unique challenges and responsibilities. Siblings may feel isolated from their peers, or sometimes overlooked by their parents. As they grow older, siblings might take on a role of oversight and caregiving for their brother or sister with a disability.
In sharing their thoughts with others who have experienced similar situations, siblings learn that as in all relationships, those with their disabled siblings are fraught with mixed emotions, and that is okay. Siblings come to understand that they are not alone. There are others just like them and they are given the opportunity to further accept themselves, their sisters and brothers with a disability, and the importance of the sibling bond.
AHRC NYC offers services to support siblings, both children and adults.
Sibshops
Sibshops are activity-based workshops for brothers and sisters of individuals with cognitive/developmental disabilities, ages 8 to 13.
Upcoming (In-Person) Sibshops dates are as follows:
- Saturday, February 8th, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Saturday, March 8th, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
held on the Penthouse floor of
AHRC New York City’s headquarters
83 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
Contact Us about Sibshops
Those interested should be from 8-13 years of age and can contact Annette Spallino at 908-419-3907 or email annette.spallino@ahrcnyc.org.
Additional Resources for Siblings
SiblingResources.org is a website dedicated to serving the needs of siblings, providing:
- Online Learning – Self-paced training on important topics for siblings such as planning for the future and navigating the disabilities service system.
- Educational Webinars – Available to both siblings and service providers, including education on important topics.
- Sibchats – Phone conversations in which adult siblings from across New York State connect with each other to discuss share expertise in future planning for one’s sibling with a disability, securing appropriate services within the New York State disabilities services system, and tools to advocate on behalf of siblings.