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The Sibling Support Project is a national effort dedicated to the life-long concerns of brothers and sisters of people who have special health, developmental, or mental health concerns.

We believe that disabilities, illness, and mental health issues affect the lives of all family members.  Consequently, we want to increase the peer support and information opportunities for brothers and sisters of people with special needs and to increase parents' and providers' understanding of sibling issues.

Our mission is accomplished by training local service providers on how to create community-based peer support programs for young siblings; hosting workshops, listservs, and websites for young and adult siblings; and increasing parents' and providers' awareness of siblings' unique, lifelong, and ever-changing concerns through workshops, websites, and written materials.

Special messages for:

 

Our newest book is now available!

Thicker than Water: Essays by adult siblings of people with disabilities

Thicker Than WaterIn this thought-provoking essay collection, thirty-nine adult siblings (ages 20 to 70) reflect on how their lives have been indelibly shaped by their relationship with a brother or sister with special needs. Edited by Don Meyer, Thicker than Water reveals both positive and negative aspects of growing up with someone who might have received the lion’s share of his parents’ attention or who now requires extra support as an adult.  Authors include Rachel Simon (Riding the Bus with My Sister), Mary McHugh (Special Siblings), Kate Strohm (Being the Other One), Veronica Chater (Waiting for the Apocalypse), Edgar-award winning author Nancy Werlin, filmakers Jeff Daly (Where's Molly?), Jennifer Owensby (The Teachings of Jon), and Susan Hamovitch (Without Apology), Kim Keprios (Ex. Director of the Arc of the Great Twin Cities), Doreen Croser (Ex. Director of the American Association of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities), disability activist Jeff Moyer and many others!

(Read advance reviews.  Read an excerpt.)

To learn more and order now, click here!

 

The new edition of Sibshops: Workshops for Siblings of Children with Sibshops: Workshops for siblings of children with special needs, new editionSpecial Needs is now available!

  • Read more about Sibshops
  • Read praise from Ann Turnbull, Rachel Simon, Ann Kaiser, and others for Sibshops
  • Order a copy of Sibshops

 

Click the below purple box to receive occasional email newsletters from the Sibling Support Project

  Click here to join SiblingSupportProject
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What's New

Get your own Sibshop t-shirt, sweatshirt or mug! 

Sibshop logo red and black
The only way to become a first-generation Sibshop facilitator is to attend a two-day Sibshop training.  And adult sibs, parents, service providers, university students and others often join us for the first day for a lively and rewarding discussion of sibs' issues across the lifespan.  We hope you can join us!
 
Confirmed dates for upcoming Sibshop trainings:
 
January 18 & 19, 2013
Las Vegas, Nevada
Hosted by UNR & the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities
Registration contact: Diana Rovetti 775-682-9063
 
February 15 & 16, 2013
Savannah, Georgia
Hosted by The Matthew Reardon Center for Autism
Registration contact: Jennifer McGee 912-355-9098 ext. 223
http://www.matthewreardon.org
 
February 22 & 23, 2013
Cincinnati, Ohio
Hosted by Child Focus, Inc. Training Center 
Registration contact: Marsha Skaggs (513) 752-1555 
 
March 7 & 8, 2013

Jamestown, New York
Hosted by Chautauqua Tapestry
Registration Contact:  Victoria Patti 716-753-4519
www.chautauquatapestry.org  

April 4 & 5, 2013
Waltham, Massachusetts (near Boston)
Hosted by The Jewish Family and Children's Services and the Massachusetts Sibling Support Network
Registration contact: Samantha Camacho scamacho@jfcsboston.org 781-647-5327
April 20 & 21, 2013
Turin, Italy
For more information contact Don Meyer

April 26 & 27, 2013
Tucson, Arizona

Hosted by the Autism Society - Greater Tucson chapter
Registration contact:  Selina Martinez - (520) 324-3284 or (520) 770-1541
www.AutismSocietyGreaterTucson.org

May 10 & 11, 2013
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hosted by the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin
Registration contact: Emily Levine 414-427-9345

November 15 & 16, 2013
Vancouver, British Columbia

Hosted by ACT--Autism Community Training
Registration contact: 604-205-5467 or info@actcommunity.net
ACT website

 More trainings will be listed here as dates are confirmed, so check back often!  To learn about pending dates and locations, visit our online training calendar

 Learn what happens during a two-day Sibshop training 
 Sibshop11
Want to schedule a Sibshop training in your community?  Drop us a line at info@siblingsupport.org


Miss Georgia chooses the Sibling Support Project as her platform!

As you probably know, each Miss America contestant has a special cause or "platform."  Leighton Jordan, the newly crowned Miss Georgia is the sister of a young man with multiple disabilities.  Because of her experiences, she has chosen the Sibling Support Project as her platform!  Leighton has participated in Sibshops in Atlanta sponsored by the Georgia Sensory Assistance Project and is a member of our SibTeen Facebook group.  She's been interviewed by WTVM and featured in the Atlanta Leger-Enquirer.  Congratulations, Leighton, and good luck!


Leighton Jordan

Sibshops will soon celebrate 30 years!

This September, Sibshops will celebrate 30 years of service to young brothers and sisters across the globe.  With almost 400 Sibshops in almost every state and in countries from Iceland to Argentina and Ireland to Japan, there's much to celebrate! Check back soon for details!  In the meantime, let us know if you'd like to start a Sibshop in your community by dropping us a line.

1982 Sibshop
Serving homemade pasta at one of the first Sibshops at the University of Washington's Experimental Education Unit, 1982 


SibTeen logo
Introducing SibTeen!  For quite a while, we have been wanting to create a place on the internet just for teenage brothers and sisters.  We're happy to announce that SibTeen is available as a Yahoogroup and a Facebook group.  Learn more about SibTeen here!

The Arc of King County in Seattle produced an excellent video about sibling issues and Sibshops.  It's almost 15 minutes long, but provides great insights from sibs of different ages and cultural backgrounds.  So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and check it out!  We've been on television, radio and in newspapers quite a bit lately.  Check out our media page!

And in other news, Don Meyer was quoted in the New York Times on April 13 and Sibshops were discussed on CNN on April 18th and again on the NPR's Diane Rehm Show on April 20th.

There are now over 350 Sibshops worldwide!

Do you want to start a Sibshop?  Sure you do!  They're fun, rewarding for everyone, and affordable.  
 

Have you seen our new blog?  Sibling Stories features short essays by siblings of people with disabilities.


Click here to see an extensive list of sibling-related books!

 Sibshop sisters

Get the same great deals you always get at Amazon.com while supporting the work of the Sibling Support Project!  Visit the Sibling Support Project's Amazon Associate Astore for a great selection of products, purchase a gift card, or purchase anything anywhere on Amazon and benefit the work of the Sibling Support Project!

 

 Other news:

 

 

 

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