Virtual Lecture: Siblings Have Special Needs Too: Caring for Siblings of Kids With Special Needs by Nadine Briggs

As a parent, you want to give equal attention to all of your children. But when parenting a child with special health care needs, that can be hard. It may feel like there's never enough of your attention to go around — and your other kids might begin to feel left out.

The advantages to having a brother or sister with special needs are numerous and include being more empathetic, more responsible and more resilient. However, these typically developing siblings also shoulder tremendous burdens that are not often or easily discussed. While every sibling — and every family — is different, Nadine Briggs has found some common experiences including her own family experience that she will share with our group.

Nadine Briggs is a best-selling author and an accomplished social educator. She has expertise and certifications in bullying and cyber-bullying prevention, Foundations of Positive Psychology including learned optimism and resilience, and sibling relationships. Nadine Briggs will go over practical tips for kids to overcome common social challenges. She will offer social skills and friendship advice and immediately actionable tips to navigate common social situations that can be challenging, such as: How to Join a Group; How to Safely Handle Angry Feelings; Handling Rejection and Exclusion; Working Things Out & Sharing Fairly; Being a Good Guest and Host, Playground Success; Caring for Siblings of Kids With Special Needs; and much more!

There will be 15 minutes of social time prior to the lecture starting at 8 pm. There will also be time at the end of the discussion for questions and answers.

Mercedes Leboreiro, WMF Special Needs Subgroups Coordinator