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All About Sibshops! Julia Chalker, Stacy Crowe, & Colleen Kugler Frisco ISD Texas Transition Conference February 2013
All About Sibshops!
Julia Chalker, Stacy Crowe, & Colleen KuglerFrisco ISD
Texas Transition Conference February 2013
What are Sibshops?
Sibshops are opportunities for brothers and sisters of children with disabilities or special health care needs to obtain peer support and education within a recreational context.
Model intervention for sibling support, learning, and fun!
Sibshop – How Does ThisRelate to Transition?
Provides siblings, and subsequently families, with support
Helps siblings deal with fear and uncertainty about the future
Helps better equip the person who might someday be caregiver and/or guardian of the person with special needs
Sibshops – The History
Sibling Support Project
Don Meyer, M.Ed., pioneer in sibling movement – forefront for more than 25 years
Kindering Center – parent organization – family-centered services
Sibshops are . . .
Events - lively, pedal to the metal celebrations
Place to acknowledge that being a brother or sister of a person with special needs can be a good thing, a not-so-good thing, and for many something in between!
Reflect a belief that sibs have much to offer one another -- opportunities for peer support
Sibshops are . . .
Fun and rewarding for participants and hosts
Lively, recreational context that emphasizes kids’-eye view
Not therapy, but effect may be therapeutic
Goals of Sibshop
Opportunity to meet other siblings
Discuss common joys and concerns
Learn how to handle different situations common to sibs
Goals of Sibshop
Learn more about implications of their siblings’ special needs
Provide professionals & parents an opportunity to learn more of siblings’ concerns
Unusual Concerns for Siblings
Overidentification
Embarrassment
Guilt
Shame
Unusual Concerns for Siblings
Isolation, Loneliness, and Loss
Resentment
Increased Responsibilities
Pressure to Achieve
Unique, Significant, and Often Unexpected Awards of Being a Sib
MaturitySocial CompetenceInsightTolerancePrideVocational OpportunitiesAdvocacyLoyalty
Who Attends Sibshops?
Developed for 8-13 year old siblings of children with developmental disabilities
Can be adapted for younger or older age groups
Has been adapted for brothers and sisters of children with other special needs, including cancer and other health impairments, hearing loss, and mental health concerns.
Leaders/ParticipantsDesired leader-to-participant ratio 1:5
Leaders consist of trained facilitators and volunteers
Older sibs make great volunteers
Who Runs Sibshops?Service providers – Special Education teachers,
social workers, psychologists, therapists, etc.
Adult siblings
Anyone with knowledge of disabilities
Must have sense of humor and play
Must respect the siblings’ expertise
When are Sibshops offered?
Most common model – Saturday, 10-2
MonthlyQuarterlyWeeklyYearlySeries (like a class)Stand alone events
Sibshop Activities
Trickle in - while participants arriving
Introductory – participants get to know each other
Sibshop Activities
Recreation – promotes informal sharing and friendships among participants, can encourage them to return
Food – sharing and informal support occurs during snack
Sibshop Activities
Discussion/Peer Support – occurs throughout the workshop – allows siblings to discuss their lives with others who share similar experiences
Guest speakers – such as OT, PT, and others
Funding/Sponsors
Any agency or group funding children with special needs can sponsor a Sibshop – sometimes done collaboratively by more than one agency
Scholarships for training
Grants
Can charge small fee for attendance – can add “value”
Items to Consider
Training to be Sibshop Facilitator
Promotion of Sibshop
Evaluation of Sibshop
The Frisco Sibshop Story
Personal experience Saw the needSought scholarship from NAA-NTWent to Sibshop trainingPartnered with school district/parent trainingWon grant to help pay expenses and start Sib
Library
My Sib VideoHow the video came about – R word video
Sibs hit all the pertinent issues without prompting!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyOixKJJeXY
What the Research Shows
Sibshops increase the chances that brothers and sisters will elect to remain lovingly involved as adults (study showed that 75% said that Sibshops had an impact on their adult lives)
Gives siblings a chance to meet and learn from others who are helping siblings with disabilities as adults
Creates bonds of support and friendship for sibs that can last into adulthood
For more information:
Sibling Support Project information
Frisco ISD SibshopJulia Chalker, Transition Specialist,
[email protected] Crowe, Parent, [email protected] Kugler, In-Home Parent Trainer,
