Siblings: The Autism spectrum through our eyes is a collection of essays written by siblings of Autistic individuals and edited by Jane Johnson and Anne Rensselaer. The perspective of siblings has always been an interest for me, perhaps because my son is the only child in our family and I don't get to see the sibling dynamics. This book lived up to my expectations and provided a ring side view of the sibling's feelings, their struggles and more than anything their amazing maturity in handling a tough life with amazing grace!
The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 is for younger children and parents and part 2 is for teenagers and parents. The nineteen essays featured in this book are authored by siblings aged from 10 to 41, a whole spectrum of siblings! What fascinated me the most was that siblings as young as ten year old are so mature and understanding!! They speak out their heart and discuss myriad of feelings ranging from growing up with an Autistic sibling to jealousy to constant doctor appointments and special diets to feeling neglected to gradual development of a bond with Autistic sibling and almost all of them echo the same thought - They are better people because of their Autistic siblings!
If you are parent looking for ways to talk to your neurotypical child about their Autistic sibling, this book would be a good starting point as they get to meet other siblings and learn to cope and love and have fun growing up with an Autistic child in their home. This book also offers parents many ways to make their neurotypical child learn to cope with the tough situation as they learn how other parents have successfully navigated this in their life.
I want to conclude by expressing my heartfelt love to all the siblings of special needs children and adults who continue to amaze me by their loving support, maturity and understanding. More power to you, God bless you all!
You can purchase this book on Amazon India
