Posted on 15/3/2023

Facing the challenges of a sibling’s disability

Fondation Dora is helping the Resiliam association in their work with children facing the challenges of a brother or sister’s disability through the launch of a new support group for siblings between the ages of 10 and 15 years old. 

Living with a disabled brother or sister can give rise to questions, worries, and also to certain challenges that can be difficult to articulate. The family unit invests a considerable amount of time and energy for the child with the disability, often at the expense of the other siblings. 

Resiliam has established a support group offering children the chance to meet with peers experiencing similar situations. This space, designed especially for them, enables these children to express and share their experiences, ideas, solutions, emotions and feelings through games, discussions and creative workshops. Feedback from the children is very positive, especially in terms of being surrounded by peers who understand them, and also having a space made especially and only for them. 

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The children all have different backgrounds, questions and sibling relationships coming from their personal experiences and the various disabilities of their siblings: multiple disabilities, intellectual disabilities, developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders, etc. These differences do not separate the children, but instead they connect through their shared experiences and emotions, thus enriching their exchanges. 

Resiliam’s work involves two distinct stages: family work and the peer group:

  • Family work: a first session to evaluate the needs and type of support required, followed by at least a second meeting or more, if necessary
  • Peer group: this child-based peer group enables the children to share both their difficulties and their resources and to feel less alone; it meets at least once a month and is led by 2 psychomotor therapists.

Founded in 2012, the Resiliam association is recognized as a Public Service Organization by the State of Geneva; the association supports children and teenagers confronted with a serious illness, a disability