Living With a Brother or Sister With Special Needs: A Book for Sibs [Paperback]

Donald J. Meyer (Author), Patricia Vadasy (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

"Living with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs" focuses on the intensity of emotions that brothers and sisters experience when they have a sibling with special needs, and the hard questions they ask: What caused my sibling's disability? Could my own child have a disability as well? What will happen to my brother or sister if my parents die? Written for young readers, the book discusses specific disabilities in easy to understand terms. It talks about the good and not-so-good parts of having a brother or sister who has special needs, and offers suggestions for how to make life easier for everyone in the family. The book is a wonderful resource, not just for siblings and their parents but also for teachers and other professionals who work with children with special needs. This revised and updated edition includes new sections on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome, fragile X syndrome, traumatic brain injuries, ultrasound, speech therapy, recent legislation on disabilities, and an extensive bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a book that has long been awaited! [It] can be highly recommended to families, support groups, professionals and libraries." - School Social Work Journal "Good writing for children is relatively ageless and it is a tribute to the authors that most grown-ups would find it tolerable, even pleasurable, to read. The tone is marvelous; there is nothing patronizing about the style. This is a gem of a book." - JASH

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr; 2 Revised edition (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295975474
• ISBN-13: 978-0295975474
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #530,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Siblings need peer support and information!, January 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Living With a Brother or Sister With Special Needs: A Book for Sibs (Paperback)

I am a Japanese and I am a "sibling."

I encountered this book and Don Meyer's Sibling Support Project in October of 1997. At that time, I was struggling to persuade the staff of a (sibling) group that support for siblings was as important as support for people with special needs. In my view this book gave me confidence and shed light on my road to start a new sibling support group.

Some uncommon feelings, opportunities and concerns that siblings might have are described in Chapter 1. Medical knowledge of various disabilities are written about in Chapters 2-6. Since siblings are not often informed about their siblings' disabilities by anyone, it could cause more concern; this book's objective is very important. You can also get basic knowledge of laws, programs, and services for persons with disabilities and their families in the U.S., in Chapter 7. In Chapter 8, an uncommon concern is discussed: where will my sister (brother) live when she (he) grows up. The authors continues by stressing the fact that parents should tell their plans for their disabled children to their "normal" children, and offers suggestions for doing this.

Since this book is intended for young siblings, it is easy for me to read it as a foreigner. Reading Chapter 1, tears welled up in my eyes. I could relate to many things: friends, unselfishness, accepting differences, guilt, overinvolvement, understanding, embarrassment, loss, maturity, worry and loneliness. I wish I could have read it in Japanese when I was a child ! I strongly recommend young and adult siblings, parents and service providers to read this book all over the world, because siblings need peer support and information in a straightforward manner.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let's Propose a Toast to Donald J. Meyer..., February 14, 2005

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Living With a Brother or Sister With Special Needs: A Book for Sibs (Paperback)

...for this fund of invaluable information. I highly recommend this book along with Meyer's other stellar gem, "Views From Our Shoes," which addresses the needs siblings of people with special needs have.

This book lends the voice of hope, confidence and clarity to the experiences many people whose siblings with special needs have. It not only sheds light on many questions that often crop up, it also provides a safe forum to explore any and all sibling related issues.

I like the way Meyer respects his readers' intelligence. It is so critical, in fact paramount for people to be informed about the special needs their siblings have. That is a good way to foster honest relationships and inclusion within the family. That also promotes acceptance of the members who have special needs.


Meyer's book serves as a medical, legal and educational advocate. It provides much needed information about services in these areas. I especially liked the part where people are strongly encouraged and rightfully so to make provisions for their children with special needs and to keep the other children without special needs informed of these decisions. People with special needs are vital members of their respective families and each person impacts upon the lives of others. That is still another reason why it is so crucial to have frank, open discussions with all the family members so as to keep the lines of communication open and to prevent secrets and fear. The fear of the unknown and the lack of communication causes problems and helps no one.

I wish this book had existed a generation ago! I can't recommend it highly enough and it is a book for everybody, parents; all children; educators; medical professionals and the world at large. I love this book!