Medicaid in Jeopardy! Calling all SIBS! Better Late than Never!

The Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council
Due to significant proposed cuts to Medicaid the services that people
with developmental disabilities and their families receive are in
jeopardy!
"The Future for People with Special Needs is Happening Now"
"Join our efforts to preserve New York State's service model"

Your influence is important and your help is crucial!
"People First Grassroots Effort" Information Session
July 26,2011
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
College of Staten lsland/Center for the Arts (1P)
2800 Victory Blvd. SI, NY
Make informed decisions ... Come to learn:
How Medicaid provides essential services enabling your child,
sibling, friend and neighbor enjoy a full and rewarding life
How the proposed 1115 Medicaid Waiver will dramatically change this
service system
How recent and proposed budget cuts are unraveling forty years of
progress
How you can have a voice. No Voice! No Choice!
For more information, or to RSVP, please contact the Council office at (718) 983-5276,
contactsiddc@siddc.org

The Sibling/Parent Disconnect: An Age-Old Issue

The other day, my supervisor told me that he found a book in the swap pile in the laundry room of his apartment building. It was called "It Isn't Fair: Siblings of Children with Disabilities" (you can find it here, on Amazon). Although it was first published in 1993 by Exceptional Parent Press, the cover photo suggests the 80s and the content goes back to as early as 1972. It was really interesting to read an article orginally published in Exceptional Parent magazine which was an interview with four siblings in their 20s. Many of the issues resonated with me and it struck me that sibling issues are shared by sibs not only across state lines and oceans, but across the decades. What was even more interesting to me was the case studies with parents, who often had no clue about what their typically developing children were feeling and why. Although they had a real desire to help their children, they genuinely had a lot of trouble understanding how having a brother or sister with a disability was impacting their other children. I believe that holds true today, based on the conversations I've had with many parents and even from reading a recent book chapter by a parent advocate. Reading his accounts of raising a child with autism and his typically developing brother, and seeing the boys' relationship through their father's eyes, was a bit unsettling. The concept of "fair" is tricky to begin with, but it seemed to me that there were some pretty high expectations for a typically developing three-year-old, without a lot of understanding of HIS special needs. This is why it is so important for siblings to share their stories with parents, service providers, and each other. We have a lot to offer our brothers, sisters and families. With the right amount of encouragement, support and room to grow into our own selves, siblings can play a very positive role throughout their siblings' lives.