Episode Five
In this episode Theresa talks with Sue Levine, Social Worker, and Co-Founder of Family Resource Associates in Red Bank, New Jersey. FRA is a not for profit agency that provides services to people with disabilities across the lifespan, helping them realize their great potential. Sue has spent her entire professional career working with children with disabilities and their families. She has conducted support programs for parents and siblings of children with differing abilities since 1979. Among those programs, Susan has coordinated support groups specifically for parents of children with Down syndrome. She has presented on the needs of siblings at national and regional conferences on Down syndrome, spina bifida, and Rett syndrome, as well as for New Jersey school system parent groups. This episode is packed with information about the special needs of siblings of children with disabilities. Sue emphasizes that siblings need three things: 1) information about their sibling's disability; 2) to be able to express a range of emotions safely; and 3) strategies to solve the problems they are experiencing. Sue offers great tips and provides lots of resources for families. Here are links to the resources discussed in the episode:
You can find Family Resource Associates at: Family Resource Associates
Sue has co-authored “Fasten Your Seatbelt: A Crash Course on Down Syndrome for Brothers and Sisters” with Dr. Brian Skotko. This book, along with other specialty books related to children with special needs, is currently available at www.Woodbinehouse.com. FYI, this publisher may be going out of business later in 2022.
The Sibling Leadership Network | Siblings of people with disabilities is the national sibling network for adult siblings
Levine and Skotko also have develop a sibling program which is available here: Down Syndrome Workshops for Siblings (siblingslearnaboutdownsyndrome.com) . As Sue discusses in the webinar, this is not just applicable to siblings of individuals with Down syndrome but can be adapted to any group.
Don Meyer, author of the book "Sibshops", has a website www.siblingsupport.org that may be of interest.
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