5 Ways to Support Siblings in Special Needs Families
written by Alyson Krueger, published on childmind.org
When Sophie Kleinhandler was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder at 8, one thing that meant a lot to her was the support of her sister Rachel.
“My older sister started worrying about me,” Sophie recalled, “and she told me something really special. There’s a song called ‘Lean on Me,’ and she said, ‘Sophie, now that you haveOCD I want you to lean on me when you’re upset and you can’t handle anything.’”
Rachel was a big help to Sophie, but Sophie’s OCD was hard on Rachel, too.
Sophie would get very upset if she was touched without warning. If someone brushed against her clothing, she had to immediately take it off and wash it. She had an aversion to commonplace sounds like breathing, yawning, sniffing, or kissing. Certain words set her off as well.
For Rachel, Sophie’s outbursts could be embarrassing. She didn’t know how to explain her sister’s behavior to her friends. It was also hard to concentrate on her homework or enjoy family vacations when her sister was slamming doors or melting down. Her parents spent a disproportionate amount of time on her sister, taking her to appointments and visiting when she was in a treatment center. And, of course, Rachel worried a lot about Sophie.