Why I started Super Sibs

When I started volunteering with children who have special needs, I thought that it would teach me more about them, but through this experience, what really stood out to me were their siblings.

At Little Friends, a respite program for families with children who have special needs, I volunteer to work with a child with disabilities and their sibling(s). The goal is to give parents a well-deserved break while making sure both kids are engaged in a fun and supportive environment. Last summer, I worked as a camp counselor for elementary school kids, while consistently volunteering with Little Friends. What I quickly realized was how different these siblings were when compared to the kids I worked with at camp. 

These siblings weren’t just regular kids. They were more mature, patient, and carried a sense of responsibility that most kids their age didn’t. I remember at one of my first sessions, I was paired with a child with autism and his older brother, who was in fourth grader. He was quiet at first and he seemed as though he didn’t seem to expect me to ask him much, so he just did his own thing. I ended up just asking simple things like if they were doing anything fun for the 4th of July or how his week had been. As I showed more interest in his life, his responses grew longer. Occasionally, his younger brother would chime in, interrupting mid-sentence. But instead of getting frustrated or annoyed, the older brother just smiled. He let his brother speak, then naturally worked him into the story. It was such a small moment, but it stuck with me. These siblings are used to putting others first in ways most people don’t realize. It was so different from what I saw as a camp counselor where the kids were carefree, while these siblings carried a quiet responsibility that most people didn’t even notice. 

Siblings of special needs children grow up in a unique world. They love their brother or sister deeply, but they also experience things in ways that can be confusing, overwhelming, or isolating. I started SuperSibs, because in many ways, although maybe cliche, these children are superheroes and they deserve to be recognized. I hope that with SuperSibs, these siblings have a place where they feel seen and heard. 

I also started it for anyone who knows someone with a special needs sibling. 

I hope that Super Sibs can be a gentle reminder to check in on them, not because they complain, but because they don’t. While they might not ask for attention, every human has the need to feel seen. 

But more than anything, I want SuperSibs to spread awareness.