Through Our Daughter’s Eyes
Our daughter, now an adult, was only 8 years old when her younger brother was diagnosed with autism. This diagnosis affected her deeply. What typical families may not realize is that siblings of special needs brothers or sisters often take on a protective and nurturing role, sometimes becoming ‘second parents’ to their unique needs siblings. At times, there is an underlying resentment as well, with feelings of being overlooked while the sibling with special needs receives more attention.
We still occasionally struggle to ensure our children receive the attention and one-on-one time they deserve. However, we recognize that not all families manage this as smoothly as we try to. The books listed below have been valuable resources that I shared with our daughter. They helped her understand that she is essential and that our love for her is just as solid and unconditional as our love for her brother.
