When you grow up as the sibling of a disabled person, there is often an unspoken expectation that your story should fit a specific script. Society tends to prefer these narratives wrapped in a neat, sentimental box: either a story of quiet tragedy or one of selfless sainthood. But forcing my experience into either of … Continued
My Journey as a Sibling: A Message of Persistence and Perspective Growing up, my earliest memories of my brother weren’t defined by a diagnosis, but by the simple, shared experiences of childhood—spending time away on holidays with our grandparents or losing track of time playing video games together. For a long time, he was just … Continued
Hi, I’m Eden. I’m 22 and from Belfast, Northern Ireland. I’m currently an undergraduate student studying Childhood and Youth Studies, while also balancing being a young adult carer for my younger brother, who is 19 and has autism and learning disabilities. Alongside this, I work for a charity supporting young people with autism, host my … Continued
Listen to this honest and moving BBC Radio 2 programme featuring adult sibling Hannah, who grew up as a young carer for her sister Sally, who is autistic and has ADHD and OCD. Listen on BBC Sounds (free account required). Hannah’s interview begins at 48 minutes 40 seconds and lasts around 22 minutes. Hannah reflects on … Continued
I am 20 years old and my sister is 2.5 years younger than me, but the developmental age gap is much higher. This is harder to put a number on! She is neurodivergent with a spiky profile, so her developmental age varies on the day and by the task. She also has some minor health … Continued
I am 19 and my brother is three years younger than me and is autistic. Although we have always been very close and probably spend more time together than ‘normal’ siblings, it’s hard to think of concrete ‘things’ that we do together. Conversations and texts A lot of our time together is spent with … Continued
Hi everyone, I’m Cassie. I don’t remember a time before my only sibling was diagnosed with what would now be described as level 3 autism and a severe learning disability. Although I have many wonderful memories of growing up with my sister, there were also aspects of our home life that were intensely challenging and … Continued
I’ve recently made some new friends. I want to explain about my brother and how he is severely Autistic and non-verbal. People often hear the Autistic part and don’t really pay attention to the non-verbal part. This can be difficult as it means people make an assumption about what my brother is like. They might assume … Continued
The thing about being a sibling to someone with a lifelong disability is that it is very difficult to know how you feel about it. The depth of emotions are never linear and only as an adult have I realised the significance of what this has meant, how it has shaped me, and how it … Continued
Sibling Truths Important: This is a personal account that may/may not be reflective of other people’s experiences. There are many times when having a sibling with a disability is hard; life-changingly, cripplingly hard. I feel we don’t speak about this enough. Social media is full of posts of parents celebrating their children’s disabilities, sharing moments … Continued