In So Many Words

Updated 4/21/08: This book by was recommended by Jenny for older elementary or middle school aged children. It incorporates a Christian perspective into the topic as well.

In Jesse’s Shoes by Beverly Lewis

Siblings of children (or adults) with a disability encounter specific challenges and demands from their unique position within the family. Here are some books and other resources designed to both express and address these issues:

Written by (or stories from) Siblings

• Sibling Stories: Reflections on Life with a Brother or Sister on the Autism Spectrum by Lynne Stern Feiges, Mary Jane Weiss, and Sandra L. Harris
• The Sibling Slam Book: What It’s Really Like To Have A Brother Or Sister With Special Needs by Don Meyer and David Gallagher
• Autism through a Sister’s Eyes by Eve B Band, Emily Hecht, Gary B Mesibov, and Sue Lynn Cotton
• All About My Brother by Sarah Peralta

Written to Siblings

• Siblings of Children With Autism: A Guide for Families (Topics in Autism) by Sandra L. Harris and Beth A., Ph.D. Glasberg
• What About Me? Growing Up with a Developmentally Disabled Sibling by Bryna Siegel and Stuart Silverstein
• Being the Other One: Growing Up with a Brother or Sister Who Has Special Needs by Kate Strohm
• Everybody Is Different: A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters With Autism by Fiona Bleach

Some Online Resources

• Autism Society of American: Sibling Issues – article by Sandra Harris Ph.D.
• Siblings Perspectives: Some Guidelines for Parents – article by Marci Wheeler M.S.W. on Access Autism
• Sibling Support Project – organization for supporting and connecting siblings of people with disabilities; also the home of SibShops, which are described as “opportunities for brothers and sisters of children with special health and developmental needs to obtain peer support and education within a recreational context.”