Living with disability. Taking care of siblings

The birth of a disabled child is a critical event that places all the members of the family in a condition of great vulnerability. When talking about families with a dis- abled child, attention is usually focused on the parents. Siblings tend to play a marginal role, as shown in the referred literature, in this specific field of investiga- tion. Communicating diagnosis to siblings means involving them in the process of family change, making them active players rather than “spectators” in their own “existential niche”. Communication of diagnosis is a delicate, continuous process that has to be tackled appropriately, using targeted words and educational actions. Children need help in accepting and welcoming their disabled sibling, with all his/her characteristics (and deficits), through a balanced, pondered approach that includes both the dimension of co-development and the acknowledgement of problematic situations.