Brothers and sisters of children with a disability are amazing people!
Brothers and sisters of children with disability are often a part of the family care team. Siblings across Australia report that they provide all sorts of help from directly assisting their sibling with disabilities with activities like dressing, playing, supervising for safety or medical issues, through to pitching in more around the house. Two famous siblings are the swimming champions, the Bronte sisters. The Bronte sisters care for their brother Hamish (watch the video below to learn more).
Recent research in Australia investigated the educational engagement of siblings and found that many siblings face challenges studying at home or have less time for schoolwork generally. Siblings report that their school may not know about their care responsibilities or understand why they have more difficulty completing schoolwork even though they want to achieve at school.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have brought more challenges to siblings as they stay connected to school and school work. It’s really worth learning about the education bursary available to siblings in Australia in case financial assistance will help. More information about the bursary is available here: https://youngcarersnetwork.com.au/bursary/young-carer-bursary/. Applications open in July.
We are currently seeking parents to participate in research that will result in the design of new resources for siblings so that schools are better able to support them and so siblings can reach their educational goals.
So what can I do?
If you are a mother of a child with a disability and have another child who is over 10 years of age, you are eligible to participate in the following research survey. The research is anonymous. The survey will take 20-30 minutes of your time. Simply click on the link below to the survey or scan the QR code to participate.
