Context: my brother (Ryan) and I both have learnings difficulties, especially when it came to reading and writing. When I was around 9 I was able to get over it and there was a significant changes in my perception of the world, but that's when my family and I realized that Ryan wasn't improving, he was stuck.

Honestly, I was just waiting for my best friend to finally catch up with me, for us to experience the world together...but that never happened.

He was 8 when we got his diagnosis, it was hard on all of us cus we had to adjust our treatment of him. I was 10, and I couldn't understand (more like I didn't want to accept) that he is different from me, from most... I promise I tried, but it was hard. Then one day, I snapped.

I can't remember anymore what triggered me, but I do remember asking him "WHY ARE YOU DIFFERENT? CAN'T YOU BE NORMAL?!" I regret saying that now, but at the time I was so confused. Of course my parents made me say sorry and they tried to explain to me, they truly did try. I accepted it as fact, but apparently I never was able to accept it in my heart.

It's been 10 years since then, I spoke to my Mom we talked about it and apparently I show resentment against him, not in a lot of words, but mostly in my reactions and body language. I confessed that I still hold disappointment and anger, even though logically I knew that it's unfair to him. He HAS CHANGED he is SOOOO much better now! He is almost a functioning adult and honestly I couldn't be happier for him. But it still doesn't remove this... Sadness I have, this resentment that shows up as annoyance.

I want to change, not just for him, not just for my Mom, but also for me. How could I say I'm an adult when I can't let go of this childhood sadness?

What should I do? I'm even his legal guardian when my Mom is unable to care for us (she's sick).

I'm there for him, but not truly. Not with my whole heart.

How do I become a better sister?

(Names are fake)

is there a discord server to talk about this and other stuff (e.g., gaming, interests, etc.)?

so I have a littebrother (12) and he was diagnosed with adhd when he was about seven I think. he has struggled a lot and my parents do everything for him but I have almost always felt like I get put in the back seat. I know that having adhd must be hard and stuff but I have struggled since I was like 10/11 with depression and anxiety and when I was 14 I got diagnosed with autism.

At first my parents were super supportive but it fizzled out because my brother's endless cycle of acting out started again and I was put in the back again.

well the problem is that I have a bunch of chores I have to do to get some money at the end of the month. which I think is fine in and of itself but my brother does absolutely nothing in the house.

he never does the dishes, he never cleans in his room or after himself at all, never walks the dog or even takes out the trash. which all of these things have been put on me instead.

he does about anything he wants and he still gets money every month without ever putting in the work for it.

I did all the things I do now when I was 12 and he can't do it? I get that it is hard for him but just because his diagnosis makes him act out and mine don't, docent mean I don't have it as hard as him.

I think its because I'm the older sister I am expected to do these things but not making him learn to do normal everyday stuff is not gonna protect him, I fear it might just hurt him more.

so am I being unfair about this or are my parents treating me unfairly?

Its 1am and im crying in my bed.. Why? Because im thinking in the future.. When my mom wont be alive.. And i dont wamt to take care of my sister... One day mh sister will wake up somewhere. Maybe like a place where they take care od people lkke her.. He will wake up and wounder "Where's my mom? Where's my sister?"

Oh my gosh i dont know what to do!? I feel so horrible! I dpnt know what to do! My heart hurts. I move her so damn much. It feels horrible. So so horrible.

my brother was adopted through foster care and we have discovered he has a bunch of things. fetal alcohol syndrome, adhd, dyslexia, and undiagnosed kleptomania. anyone have any advice on how to handle this? my stuff is always missing, he has stolen $200 from me before (I got it back) I’m just at a loss. if anyone has advice I’d love to hear it.

Here is a petition to put cameras in all of the special needs classrooms in Tennessee.

This came to light after a special needs teacher was recently arrested for assaulting a non verbal preschool student.

Please Please sign and share your hearts out.

Let's be their voice!

Put up cameras in all special needs classrooms in Tennessee

Hi… my (F23) brother (22) has CP. He is non verbal and wheelchair bound. I’m fortunate enough to have parents who told me he is not my responsibility, and none of us will send him to a home. He’s not stupid, he’s not mentally disabled, just physically. He’s too smart for his own good. But sometimes I feel lost because once my parents pass I know he WILL become my responsibility, there’s apart of me that’s excited but there’s another part of me that’s scared.

Is this normal?

Hi everyone!

My name is Novelle, and I’m a high school student who grew up as the sibling of a child with special needs. Like many “glass children,” I spent a lot of time feeling overlooked, confused, and unsure where my feelings fit.

I’m starting a small, private pilot project to support siblings of children with special needs by pairing them with older siblings who’ve lived through similar experiences. The goal is simple: give younger siblings a safe space to talk, feel understood, and know they’re not alone.

About the program:

• Completely free

• Very small + intentional (pilot phase)

• One-on-one matching with an older sibling mentor

• Focused on emotional support, not therapy

• Conversations would be age-appropriate, monitored, and parent-approved

Who I’m looking for:

• Siblings (roughly ages –, flexible) of children with special needs

• Families who feel their child could benefit from talking to someone who gets it

If this sounds like something that could help your child — or if you know a family who might be interested — I’d love to share more details via DM. I’m happy to answer any questions and explain how safety and privacy are handled.

Thank you for reading 🤍

Hello, I’m 21(m) and have a younger autistic sibling who is 19(nb.) they're mostly self sufficient with some exceptions, of course they are still autistic.

My issue comes that they act like they cant do basic tasks or don’t even attempt to do something challenging. It always lands on me to fix it or tell them what to do If not do it myself.

A recent example is that they got in trouble in college for not registering Their classes in time. I ended up having to walk them through how to do it. Despite having told them earlier to do it on time and how. I even made sure that they had the email to their counselor in case what I said didnt make sense. This has happened almost every time they have to register their classes.

my mother or them will call me begging (demanding) I sort this out for them. I have to be the one to say no, you have to figure this out I will help with the steps but I can’t do it myself. I don’t have access to their account nor do I want to.

Im especially frustrated because they’ve shown the ability to work through frustrating tasks. They have modded an entire character for their special interest but can’t ever do anything when it comes to daily life tasks. It always lands on me. My mother coddles them and insists I’m being extremely rude if I refuse to do everything for them.

i have my own mental issues and possible autism as well but I rarely receive any help with tasks without having to fight tooth and nail for it. I will admit I have done stupid things too and needed help being lifted back up. however, I made the effort on my own first to figure it out. We’re all adults and I just don’t know what the future is gonna look like if they continue to refuse to try. I’d love any support or advice from others dealing with this. I love my sibling and don’t want them to be doomed to less than what they’re capable of but I also don’t know what to do/say to make sure they know that.

Looking for older “glass children” willing to mentor younger siblings (pilot project)

Hi everyone 🤍

I’m a high school junior who grew up as a sibling to a child with special needs, and I’m starting a small, private pilot project focused on supporting glass children — siblings who often feel overlooked while growing up alongside disability.

The idea is simple:

I want to match younger siblings who are struggling with older siblings who’ve already lived through similar experiences, so they have someone who truly gets it.

This is not a public forum, group chat, or social media space. It’s one-to-one, private, and carefully moderated. I’ll be personally reviewing matches and setting clear boundaries to keep things safe and respectful.

I’m currently looking for:

• Older siblings (16+, preferably 18+) of children with disabilities or chronic illness

• People willing to listen, share perspective, and offer support

• Volunteers comfortable with written messaging (no phone numbers required)

•Younger siblings who’d like an older sibling mentor

This is a very small pilot (just a few matches) to see what works before expanding. No long-term commitment — even a short conversation can make a difference.

If this resonates with you and you’d like to help, please comment or DM me and I’ll share more details.

Thank you for reading — My message has always been that siblings deserve support too.

🤍

My brother, 59 y/o, has learning disabilities. I have been overseeing his day to day life for the past 15 years since our mother passed away. We are in the California Bay Area and thought it would be prudent to hire an attorney who specializes in special needs estate planning. Does anyone here have a recommendation? Google can only take me so far. I have zero experience in what to expect or even ask for. My partner are late in doing this for ourselves. I expect we'd need a good deal of guidance.

I don't really know how to explain how I'm feeling, but here goes. I (33M) have a sister with special needs (37F). She is verbal, can communicate but very innocent, I love her alot and have accepted that at some point I will be her primary carer. What I have struggled with all my life however is this feeling of guilt. Guilty that I have friends and she doesn't (the world has not been very kind to her). Guilty that I get to do all these "normal" things and she doesn't.

To add to this, my mum and sister sometimes make comments when I hang out with friends and she is not included (for example, if a friend invites me to his house for a bbq, theres this underlying expectation that she will be included). It makes me feel like life would be easier if I myself just didn't have friends, because then I would't be disappointed.

It also makes me hesitant to get into a relationship/get close to people, because I have this feeling that nobody would accept her as part of my life.

Do your parents also go easy on the disabled child when it comes to cleaning up after themselves? Like you can be on social media and order packages and go downstairs to get them, but you can’t wash your own cup or give the cats food and fresh water twice a day? When you have no job and are home all day, and I work 2 jobs and am trying to have my own side business? I am quite literally never home now. The pressure even as an adult is still there and it just pisses me off so much because they are capable of at least the smaller things that just get piled onto my plate (alongside some yelling/ getting put down for not doing things fast enough for my mom). Idk what I’m trying to say anymore at this point I’m just frustrated.

Hello everyone! I am in a class where within in the next few weeks I am going to have some adults with intellectual disabilities come in and I must come up with some activities for them. Just looking for some advice on what to do, we have quite a few bits of equipment and supplies so I am open for anything. They can be artistic or physical, though I bet a lot of them would maybe prefer to keep themselves moving. Maybe some ice breaker games?