I sat down to write about my sibling strengths and this is what came out. I began thinking about my experiences growing up, and realised a lot of the cringier or more painful memories came from the ignorance of others. So my sibling strengths are being patient when I need to be, assertive if I … Continued
My brother, Mark, has periventricular leukomalacia which is a lifelong disability caused by damage to his brain around the time of his birth. This has impacted him physically, cognitively and made him partially sighted. He has always lived in boarding schools or supported living due to the level of his needs, including challenging behaviour. Mark … Continued
My youngest brother Reuben, who has Down’s Syndrome, suffered a breakdown 4 years ago. It was a form of regression that locked him into himself. After two years of moving between my parents and partner´s homes, as we were trying to get him better, he moved into a care home in Dorset, UK. Then the … Continued
Written by Louise Walters, adult sibling to brother who has autism We are going to the farm today and we are going to have a picnic. You watch me write the words on your white board. You jump up and start pacing the minute I put down the pen. You are ready to leave now. … Continued
My twin severely autistic brothers were institutionalised at the age of 7. I was 6 and our younger brother was 5 at the time. This was in 1962. I do not remember our parents explaining to us what was happening, nor why our family was being broken up. I remember that my twin brothers were … Continued
I was 6 years old and my sister, Sophie, was nearly 5 years old, when Kathryn was born. Kathryn was a really easy baby, but when it came to her two year check – things weren’t quite right. Physically she was fine, but she wasn’t meeting milestones mentally and didn’t have any language. That has … Continued
When people hear I have an autistic sibling, they always seem to jump straight to an apology… like I should feel sad that my brother has autism. Personally, I have never understood this. I love my brother more than life itself and he is the greatest person in my life. It’s hard to say whether … Continued
My sister is only one year older than me. When I was born, in spite of a very difficult birth and a spell at Great Ormond Street as a newborn, she hadn’t yet been diagnosed with any disability. Everyone thought she was just slower at crawling and moving than other babies. The story goes that … Continued
I remember the night my brother was born – I was two and a half and it was probably the first time I’d been away from my parents. I was put to bed at our neighbour’s house in a big double bed. I was wary of the size of the bed and the sheets felt … Continued