At present, more than 526,000 adults with disabilities are older than 60 years of age, and that number is expected to triple-- to over 1.5 million -- by 2030. Most of these adults are in some way cared for or supported by their siblings. Although some research exists on sibling relationships in early to middle childhood, much less is known about the nature of adult sibling relationships and the factors that contribute to positive relationships and developmental outcomes in adulthood.
National Sibling Research Consortium
-- The Arc of the US and Vanderbilt Kennedy CenterAnn Kaiser, Ph.D., and Robert Hodapp, Ph.D.
Begun in 2003, the Consortium is a collaborative effort of researchers from several universities interested in siblings of individuals with disabilities and The Arc of the US. The Consortium's goals are to conduct research focusing on life span experiences and outcomes for siblings in families that include individuals with disabilities, to build capacity for conducting research on sibilings and families, and to make recommendations for policy and practice based on findings from this research.
See additional information on the Siblings Consortium
SibSaturdays
A program of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Family Outreach Center, SibSaturdays are fun activities and support for siblings.
See additional information on SibSaturdays
The Sibling Support Project
Siblings - Health Library, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt