Supporting Siblings of Children with Disabilities Emily Holl

EPISODE 107
Supporting Siblings of Children
and Family Members with Disabilities:
A Discussion with Emily Holl

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Show Notes

Siblings of children and family members with autism and other conditions live and grow up in a unique space in their relationships within the family. Their lived experience may present challenges, as well as unique opportunities for growth in supporting their autistic or neurodivergent sibling. Barry and Dave engage in a wide-ranging discussion with Emily Holl, who is both a sibling and a professional who has focused on sibling issues for much of her life.

Learn more about Siblings Support on their website

Resource: What Siblings Would Like Parents and Service Providers to Know
Resource: How to Let Young Siblings Know You Care
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Featuring

Emily Holl

EMILY HOLL

Emily Holl is the Director of the Sibling Support Project. Emily is a social worker, author, trainer, and sibling. Since 2003, she has worked in the disability field and has provided workshops, training, and groups for siblings, families, and individuals with disabilities. She has presented and written extensively on sibling issues, has conducted and published sibling research, and has facilitated future planning workshops for adult siblings and their families, and co-facilitated Sibshops for school-age brothers and sisters of children with disabilities. Upon completion of her MSW, Emily was a social worker in New York City serving families of young children with disabilities. Emily has written about her own sibling experiences in blogs, magazines and books such as Thicker than Water. Emily was an author and a co-editor of The Sibling Survival Guide: Indispensable Information for Adult Brothers and Sisters of People with Disabilities, published by Woodbine House in 2014.

…and Continue the Discussion

Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.

1) Emily states that future concerns are a “big deal “in the sibling community. What is she referring to specifically, and what are the range of concerns? Have you had a similar experience or know of others with this experience?

2) What are some of the recommendations that Emily provides for supporting and including siblings in discussions and decision-making? Have you implemented some of these recommendations, or observed others who are doing so?

3) Emily states that for siblings, “diversity training begins 365 days a year before  breakfast”. What does she mean by that? She also comments that even        for siblings who do not get directly involved in professions that serve people, they often still try to engage in activities to help others who are perceived by others as different. Have you seen that in yourself, or in others?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Music

Matt Savage, courtesy of Savage Records

Matt Savage is an autistic jazz musician, composer, and bandleader. Matt has collaborated with jazz greats like Chick Corea, the Ellington All Stars, Chaka Khan, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Arturo O’Farrill, John Pizzarelli, Joshua Redman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi. Donny McCaslin, and more. He has recorded more than a dozen records and graciously contributes the music for Uniquely Human.

Production and Sound Design

ELEVATEDSTUDIO

Uniquely Human: The Podcast is produced, engineered, and edited by Elevated Studio in Denver, Colorado. Owned and operated by co-host Dave Finch, Elevated Studio produces digital media assets and content strategies for the electronics, entertainment, and lifestyle industries.