Need: Throughout their lives, brothers and sisters will share many—if not most—of the same concerns that parents of children with special needs experience, as well as issues that are uniquely theirs. With the exception of a child's parents, no one in the family spends more time with children who have special needs than do brothers and sisters. And because the sibling relationship is usually the longest-lasting relationship in a family, brothers and sisters will likely be involved in the life of a child with special needs longer than anyone—including a child's parents. For the sake of everyone—brothers, sisters, parents, providers, and especially the family member who has special needs—siblings and their concerns must not be ignored.

Purpose: SibSaturdays acknowledge that being the brother or sister of a person with special needs is for some a good thing, others a not-so-good thing, and for many, somewhere in-between. They reflect a belief that brothers and sisters have much to offer one another—if they are given a chance. SibSaturdays are a spirited mix of new games (designed to be unique, off-beat, and appealing to a wide ability range), new friends, and discussion activities. There are now over 200 SibSaturdays in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand, Guatemala, Belgium, Mexico, and Argentina. A project of The Arc of the U.S., SibSaturdays were developed by Don Meyer, director of the Sibling Support Project and creator of the SibSaturday model, who trained the Kennedy Center's SibSaturday leaders.

Innovations: This SibSaturday is a part of the national center for research on developmental disabilities with a Family Research and Resource Center providing broad, family-centered resources and supports.

Description: This SibSaturday has been a collaborative effort of several disability groups in the Nashville area. We include siblings from ages 5 to 13 years of age whose brothers or sisters have various types of disabilities or chronic health conditions.

When and Where: SibSaturdays are held every other month on Saturdays at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center on the Vanderbilt campus (link to map). SibSaturdays for 2007 are scheduled for August 11, October 27, and December 15. SibSaturdays for 2008 are scheduled for February 16, April 12, June 14, August 16, October 11, and December 13.

Contact: Roxanne Carreon, (615) 936-5118