Sibshops: A Place for Siblings to Feel Special

The children are greeted by smiling volunteers who know their names. Their shyness melts away quickly as they put on colorful bandanas, meet other kids in their age group and hear about the fun activities they will get to do for the next three hours. Welcome to Sibshops, a community-based peer support program for siblings of students with special needs. 

Sibshops was created in 1990 by Don Meyer, director of the Sibling Support Project based in Seattle. The Sibling Support Project is a national effort dedicated to supporting the siblings of individuals with disabilities, illness or mental health issues - the people who will most likely have the longest-term relationship with their brother or sister. Don has trained facilitators across the country and around the world in how to hold Sibshops. There are now over 340 Sibshops in eight countries. 

Andrea Congdon, coordinator and co-founder of the local Sibshops, holds a masters degree in social work. “In the day-to-day life of a family with a special needs child there is a lot of focus on that child”, she explains. “IEPs (Individual Education Plans), therapies, medical challenges, dietary issues, behavior management, etc. can make it very easy for the needs of the siblings to be overlooked. This is their opportunity to feel special and be around other kids who share a similar experience.” 

Northwest Special Families (NSF) sponsors Sibshops, which is held three times a year at Woodmoor Elementary during the months of October, February and April. The facilitators are all volunteers, including Woodmoor teachers and several dedicated “teen-sibs”, most of whom are Sibshops graduates. 

At Sibshops events, volunteers lead small groups in fun activities such as crafts, scavenger hunts, sibOlympics, yoga sessions and creating “About Me” books. The children are placed in groups of similar age so they can connect with their peers and understand more about their sibling’s particular disability.

“It’s not just a chance for them to have fun and get a break from their usual routine”, says Congdon.“It’s an opportunity for them to share their feelings and perspectives, with other kids who understand their unique position.”

She beams while describing the responses she gets from the children. “As they leave a Sibshops event, kids often eagerly ask when the next one will be. I’ve heard of kids being very upset if they get sick and have to miss.”

The next Sibshops event is Thursday Feb. 9, from 3:45-6:45p.m. at Woodmoor Elementary. To register or be put on the notification e-mail list, contact Andrea Congdon at: ancongdon@gmail.com.

 

For general Sibshops info and more about the Sibling Support Project visit:

http://www.siblingsupport.org

For more information about Northwest Special Families go to:

http://www.northwestspecialfamilies.org