1. All About Sibshops! Julia Chalker, Stacy Crowe, & Colleen Kugler Frisco ISD Texas Transition Conference February 2013

2. 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!

3. Sibshop – How Does This Relate 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Sibshops are... Fun and rewarding for participants and hosts Lively, recreational context that emphasizes kids’-eye view Not therapy, but effect may be therapeutic

7. Goals of Sibshop Opportunity to meet other siblings Discuss common joys and concerns Learn how to handle different situations common to sibs

8. Goals of Sibshop Learn more about implications of their siblings’ special needs Provide professionals & parents an opportunity to learn more of siblings’ concerns

9. Unusual Concerns for Siblings Overidentification Embarrassment Guilt Shame

10. Unusual Concerns for Siblings Isolation, Loneliness, and Loss Resentment Increased Responsibilities Pressure to Achieve

11. Unique, Significant, and Often Unexpected Awards of Being a Sib Maturity Social Competence Insight Tolerance Pride Vocational Opportunities Advocacy Loyalty

12. 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.

13. Leaders/Participants Desired leader-to-participant ratio 1:5 Leaders consist of trained facilitators and volunteers Older sibs make great volunteers

14. 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

15. When are Sibshops offered? Most common model – Saturday, 10-2 Monthly Quarterly Weekly Yearly Series (like a class) Stand alone events

16. Sibshop Activities Trickle in - while participants arriving Introductory – participants get to know each other

17. Sibshop Activities Recreation – promotes informal sharing and friendships among participants, can encourage them to return Food – sharing and informal support occurs during snack

18. 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

19. 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”

20. Items to Consider Training to be Sibshop Facilitator Promotion of Sibshop Evaluation of Sibshop

21. The Frisco Sibshop Story Personal experience Saw the need Sought scholarship from NAA-NT Went to Sibshop training Partnered with school district/parent training Won grant to help pay expenses and start Sib Library

22. My Sib Video How the video came about – R word video Sibs hit all the pertinent issues without prompting! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyOixKJJeXY

23. 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

24. For more information: Sibling Support Project information Frisco ISD Sibshop Julia Chalker, Transition Specialist, chalkerj@friscoisd.org Stacy Crowe, Parent, slhcrowe@yahoo.com Colleen Kugler, In-Home Parent Trainer, kuglerc@friscoisd.orgchalkerj@friscoisd.orgslhcrowe@yahoo.comkuglerc@friscoisd.org