Customer Reviews

The Sibling Slam Book: What It's Really Like To Have A Brother Or Sister With Special Needs

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An insightful, contemplative, and often humorous read. Slam book editor Don Meyer asks 80 young people what it's really like to have a sibling with special needs. The answers are as varied as the contributors.

This book is a must-read for kids and teens who have a brother or sister with a disability, and is a valuable resource for health and social workers.

Read it and know that you're not the only one who gets scared or frustrated or embarassed. And learn how others work through tough times to become mature, independent and thoughtful young people.

My daughter, the twin sister of a boy with Down Syndrome, couldn't put the Sibling Slam down. She quickly got taken up into the many comments and it definitely stimulated a number of good, open conversations between us. A great and important read for a sibling, and a parent.

I am one of the 81 siblings who answered the questions in this book, and although it was nearly 3 years ago and I've changed a lot since I wrote my answers, it still feels good to go back through and know I'm not alone. That was really our intended goal behind this book, and it came off well. Seeing that others share the same joys and frustrations of being a sibling as I do will never cease to help me get through the difficult life that we, as siblings of special needs kids, will live forever.

This book was bought for my daughter because her brother has Autism and sometimes that makes for some interesting living situations. She really liked reading what everyone wrote in the book and it helped her talk more freely about her feelings. The book made her realize she is not alone - which I really liked! It also helped facilitate conversations with our mobile therapist and my kids together. I would highly recommend this book as an escape and a way to start talking to your other "special" child. It is not a "fact" book, but it does work to get the family talking. My kids are 9 (daughter) and 7 (son).

I grew up with a mentally retarded sister, but in the days when nobody talked about such things and I didn't know anybody else with a disabled sibling. How I wish I had a book such as this when I was young! Throughout the book are reflections of pretty much everything I felt, at all ages. And now, I have a son with Down Syndrome, and I notice his older teen brother picking it up from time to time. I highly recommend it.

I got this book for my 11 year old son who has been withdrawing and sullen as his brother's issues have become more acute. He is the type of kid who won't open up and gets passive agressive about his frustrations. My son loves to pick this book up and read in bits and pieces and add his own comments in swirls and long lines...sometimes teeny tiny writing too! I would say this is BY FAR been better than any therapy he has had to date. BUY THE BOOK!