Supporting the brothers and sisters of kids with special needs
Our special guest, Shellie Léger, MSW MBA from Massachusetts General Hospital digs into the issues that affect the other members of the family. Shellie is a leader of the internationally acclaimed “Sibshops” program and brings both her experience and her dedication to the table to discuss how to help provide healthy balance for the siblings of kids who have Mito.
“Sibshops are lively, pedal-to-the-metal celebrations of the many contributions made by brothers and sisters of kids with special needs. Sibshops 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.”
Learn from Shellie what parents can do to support the brothers and sisters of chronically ill kids.
Shellie Léger, MSW MBA is a licensed clinical social worker. She is also a certified special ed teacher, and has worked with children and families for 25 years in various clinical settings. She has been with the Coordinated Care Clinic at MGHfC for three years, and especially enjoys working with special needs families. She founded the MGHfC Sibshops to address the needs of the typically developing sibs of medically fragile children, and to ideally restore some sense of normalcy and balance in the family. In her spare time Shellie enjoys reading and writing literary fiction, arguing politics, and singing.
Date: 10/01/2010This session will present some common issues that siblings experience and share seven simple ways that parents and providers can help minimize sibling concerns and maximize opportunities to build close bonds with siblings.