There are programs and support groups throughout the United States addressing the issues, concerns and emotional support of school-age brothers and sisters of people with disabilities. In Columbus, Ohio, The Ohio State University Nisonger Center has offered such support groups for more than 20 years. Under the guidance of Tom Fish, Ph.D., Director of Family and Employment Services, these groups have helped hundreds of young siblings share their concerns, gain information, and connect with others experiencing similar life circumstances. As siblings become adolescents and adults, their concerns and family circumstances change. Clearly the issues concerning the 8 year-old brother are not the same as the 48 year-old brother. New, “grown-up” issues such as the long-term care of their sibling, their sibling’s eligibility for programs, and support services are more prominent in the minds of adolescent and adult siblings. However, all too often, these siblings are left out of the information loop as parents continually try to shield them from anything related to the sibling with a disability.

In November 2001, Dr. Fish organized a statewide conference to begin to address adult siblings of people with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. Adult siblings and disability professionals gathered to exchange information, ideas and share similar life experiences at the first Ohio Adult Sibling Conference.

Recognizing that adult siblings could greatly impact not only their MR/DD sibling’s quality of life but the entire family’s life as well, Dr. Fish and a small group to volunteers set out to establish Ohio SIBS (Special Initiatives by Brothers & Sisters) an organization dedicated to serving the needs of adult siblings of people with MR/DD. Ohio SIBS is the only organization of its kind and developed out of a very specific, special need. The success of the first conference in the fall of 2001 set the standard for a unique and empowering movement that has gained momentum and continues to grow. In addition to the Ohio Adult Sibling Conference, Ohio SIBS has developed a web site (www.ohiosibs.info), provided technical assistance for local support groups around the state, created a quarterly newsletter, (Sibling SPHERE) and has offered information and referral for adult siblings across the state.