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 The post Katie – “Life could be incredibly serious at times, but it…
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 The post Adam – “I realised that prioritising my own…
Growing up I have had the privilege of having an extremely supportive family for the most part. My mother has always been my rock. However, this isn’t to say it was always easy. I subconsciously felt less than my sibling growing up and often felt responsible for him in situations my immediate family was not … Continued The post Izzy – “Two things can be true at the same time: loving your sibling…
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 The post Eden – “Navigating my own health…
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 The post Hannah – “I don’t have to be defined by being a sister”…
My sister is 3 years older than me and has William’s syndrome. When I was 14 – 17 years-old, these were some things we would do together. When I was too young to take her out, we spent a lot of time doing activities at home. I always tried to do something that we both … Continued The post Jamie – “If I was doing something that I knew my sister would be able to join in with, I would always involve…
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 The post Ben – “We used to enjoy going into town together” appeared first on Sibs .
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 The post Kathryn – “I made personalised board games for me and my autistic brother to…
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 The post Cassie – “Not being a carer makes me feel isolated and…
Five adult siblings tell us about their experiences of genetic screening and genetic counselling. “I’ve had genetic screening and genetic counselling twice, the first time I was 16 to see if I was a carrier for the DMD [Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy] gene. I would want someone to know that there is no shame in wanting … Continued The post Exploring genetic counselling and genetic screening appeared…
