People with learning disabilities will require varying degrees of support throughout their lives. This will initially come from parents or guardians, followed by professional care staff. But siblings also have an important role to play that will help to improve their brother or sister's quality of life. This article will focus on how siblings of people with learning disabilities can become advocates.
Personal Care
Personal care is something that many of us take for granted when we are able to do it ourselves. But not all people with learning disabilities are able to bathe, shower, wash their hair or deal with other personal care duties without some support. One way in which siblings can help is to take the load off from their parents by assisting their siblings with taking care of their personal care needs. Very young children should not have to shoulder the full responsibility of caring for older siblings with learning disabilities. After all, they will require support themselves. But simple tasks such as hair washing, assisting with brushing their teeth and combing their hair will make a difference.
Reaching Goals
Siblings of children with learning disabilities can help their family member to reach goals, whether that is in school or at home. The goal can be as simple as putting away books and pencils in the correct place to learning to make informed healthy eating choices when offered either an apple or a chocolate bar. Siblings can do more than reinforce these goals on one occasion. They can continue to work with goals set in school or at home and support the teachers and their parents in accomplishing the goals.
Health
Advocates can also have a deep impact on the health of their sibling by taking a keen interest in their physical, emotional and mental welfare. Social services have the power to provide social care services. But they very rarely know all there is to know about the people with learning disabilities in their care. That is where family members can fill the gaps. They can bring up issues that are causing them concern and then decisions can be made as to whether medication is required to deal with psychotic behavior, physical health problems or other issues relating to health that have not been properly addressed.
Future
Siblings of children born with learning disabilities can help their parents make the difficult decision about the future. Will their brother or sister be placed into care when the parents become too old and frail to care for them? Will they take over the care of their sibling full-time instead? These are just some issues that can be discussed as a family.
Sibling advocates are among the best there is when it comes to putting the welfare of their disabled brother or sister first. Social services, teachers, psychiatrists and doctors will have a vested interest to a certain degree. But siblings will have a personal insight and attachment to doing what is right for their family member(s).
