Early in life, brothers and sisters worry about what obligations they will have toward their sibling in the days to come. Parents should be encouraged to plan for the future and share these plans with their children. Many agencies are beginning to realize that siblings are too valuable to ignore, and have begun changing policies and procedures to acknowledge the important roles brothers and sisters play. However, providers may still need to be reminded that there is more to a family than the child with special needs and his or her parents. With siblings and grandparents assuming increasingly active roles in the lives of people with disabilities, we cannot afford to exclude anyone.
Siblings frequently have legitimate questions that can be answered by service providers.
Brothers and sisters also have informed opinions and perspectives and can make positive contributions to the child's team. A sibling panel is a valuable way for staff to learn more about life as a brother or sister of a person with a disability or chronic illness. Guidelines for conducting a sibling panel are available from the Sibling Support Project. Other methods to help educate agency staff include videotapes, books, and newsletters. A bibliography is available from the Sibling Support Project.