An interesting "Parent to Parent" advice column published in the Charlotte Observer deals with the subject of stress, coping, and emotional support for parents and siblings of a child who has a disability or chronic illness. Here's an excerpt:
"Disabilities, illness, and mental-health issues in children affect the lives of all family members, and family-based intervention eases the lifelong journey, research shows. 'There's a real stress associated with having a child with a disability,' says [Debra] Lobato, of the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center in Providence, R.I.'"It's physically demanding day-in and day-out, and is associated with a higher rate of depression, especially among mothers.'
"Typically, developing siblings are affected, too. They are more likely than their peers to have adjustment problems, says Lobato. They get a double whammy if their parents are depressed and not communicative."
Two good family resources featured in this column:
SibLink promotes healthy adjustment among siblings of children with chronic illness or developmental disabilities.
And the Seattle, Washington-based Sibling Support Project seeks to "nurture siblings as they grow up."
