Siblings of children with disabilities need a chance to connect with other kids facing the same challenges. Sibshops can help.

Lost in the shuffle of medical appointments and therapy sessions are the siblings of children with disabilities, who often feel as though no one understands their needs.

Parents are often preoccupied with the demands of their child with special needs, while their other children may feel isolated from peers who don’t understand why their brother or sister “acts out.”

Sibshops provide age-specific programs tailored to the unique needs of siblings of children with disabilities or health care needs. They are offered quarterly through a partnership between Noble of Indiana, Riley Hospital for Children, Easter Seals Crossroads, DAMAR and Northview Church by staff trained as Sibshop Facilitators.

Interactive activities, creative crafts, informal discussions, and snacks are offered at each Sibshop to help children meet other siblings, share, have fun, make friends, and learn more about what it’s like to be a sibling of a brother or sister with disabilities or health care needs. Development of a Sibshop specifically for teens is underway.