About This Guide

Siblings of people with disabilities and special health care needs have unique experiences throughout their lives. Their questions, roles, relationships, and support needs may change from childhood and adolescence through adulthood, as parents age, and as family circumstances change.

The Iowa Sibling Resource Guide brings together sibling-specific programs, peer-support opportunities, educational materials, tools, training, and national resources in one place. Iowa resources are highlighted whenever available. National resources are included when they provide useful sibling-specific information that Iowa families and professionals can access.

This guide intentionally focuses on resources created for siblings or on resources that teach parents and professionals how to support siblings. A general disability or family resource is not included solely because siblings may use it.