The free sibling class is taking applications until 26 December 2026. Apply for a place
Steady Path Society

How we help

Applications open 1 October 2026

Support for the siblings of a child with special needs.

Most support goes to the child with the diagnosis. Some reaches the parents. Almost none reaches the brothers and sisters growing up in the same house. Steady Path is building a program for them , as part of supporting the whole family, alongside our other free support. If this is your family, tell us. It will shape what we build.

One sibling's story

Growing up beside a child with special needs.

Here is why sibling support matters, in the words of one sibling who lived it.

I love my brother very much. But growing up with a sibling with special needs was one of the hardest parts of my childhood.

The fear I could not explain

When we were younger, I wanted to play with him like any little sister would. But his moods could change without warning. I was often afraid of saying or doing something that might trigger a behavioural outburst. That fear made me keep my distance, even when I wanted to be close to him.

As a child, I could not understand why he would sometimes have a behavioural outburst, or why I sometimes got hurt. I felt confused, resentful, even angry. Looking back now, I understand those feelings came from fear, not from a lack of love. We shared beautiful moments too. Whenever he felt included (playing a game, watching a movie) his whole face lit up with the biggest smile. Seeing him happy always brought me joy.

The responsibility came too early

In many families, the older brother looks out for his younger sister. In mine, those roles were reversed. I remember being left home alone with my brother at a young age, making sure he had eaten, keeping him safe, trying to care for him. Sometimes he would have behavioural outbursts while it was just the two of us. I would hide, scared, waiting for my parents to come home.

“No child should have to carry that kind of fear or responsibility.”

Why we stayed

One of the hardest things to process was watching my brother hurt my sister and me during his episodes while my parents struggled to keep our family together. As a child, I could not understand why we kept living in a situation that felt so unsafe. It made me question whether my parents cared about us.

As I have gotten older, I understand that my brother is their child too. They loved him deeply and were doing their best with very little support. That understanding has given me compassion for them. It does not erase the questions I carried, but it explains them.

Watching the system fail him

As I grew older, another kind of heartbreak emerged. I watched my brother spend most of his life at home because he was not getting the support and services he truly needed. The system had failed him. Seeing someone you love isolated, not because of who they are but because the resources simply are not there, is devastating.

The birthday I stopped inviting friends

I remember one birthday when I invited a friend over. That day my brother had one of his behavioural outbursts, and my friend and I spent most of the day locked in my bedroom because it was not safe to come out. I felt embarrassed and ashamed, even though none of it was my brother's fault. I was grateful my friend was not hurt. But after that day, I never felt comfortable inviting friends to my house again.

My parents were often working or managing my brother's needs, so through middle school and high school I usually came straight home to help care for him. While my classmates spent time with friends after school, I was taking on responsibilities at home. I struggled to build close friendships, and even today I am still learning how to form deeper relationships.

What it made me

Despite everything, I can see how these experiences shaped me. They made me patient, compassionate, responsible, independent, and resilient. They are a large part of why I love working with children and why I connect naturally with people whose lives look different from mine.

What I wish people understood

If there is one thing I wish people understood, it is that siblings of children with special needs need support too. Having a sibling with significant needs often forces you to grow up much faster than your peers. It can leave you feeling isolated, overlooked, even unloved as you watch your sibling receive most of your parents' time and attention. Those feelings are hard to admit. But they are real, and many siblings carry them in silence.

I also wish there had been more programs, respite services, and resources for my brother. Better support for him would have meant better support for our whole family. It would have let him thrive, and let me be a little sister instead of a caregiver before I was old enough to understand what that meant.

“When we support a child with special needs, we must also remember to support the siblings growing up alongside them.”

I love my brother with my whole heart, and I would never change the fact that he is my brother. I hope that by sharing my story, people will see the siblings too.

Adesuwa

Adesuwa's story, shared with Steady Path Society and edited lightly for length and clarity. A real, first-hand account, not a composite and not invented.

If this is your family

The siblings carry it too. We see them.

Steady Path is building a program that supports the whole household together: the sibling, the parents, and the child. Cordelia has watched what the silence does, in other families and in her own.

You can read how Steady Path began, see how we help families, or tell us about your family so it can shape what we build.

Looking for more? Explore our free guides for families and how we help newcomer families settle in BC.

The program

First class 9 January 2027

A 12-week program, shaped around your child's age.

Our sibling support program will be a free, 12-week program for the brothers and sisters of a child with special needs. It is built around three phases, from understanding to skills to looking ahead, and adapted for four age groups, so a seven-year-old and a young adult each get support that fits where they are.

Applications open1 October 2026

Apply by26 December 2026

First classSaturday 9 January 2027

Last classSaturday 27 March 2027

WhenSaturdays, 10am to 12 noon

Twelve Saturdays, the same group each week. Applications open on 1 October and close on 26 December.

1

Foundation

Weeks 1–4

Understanding disability, emotions, and family dynamics.

2

Skills

Weeks 5–8

Coping strategies, communication, boundaries, and healthy sibling relationships.

3

Integration

Weeks 9–12

Identity, leadership, future roles, and family collaboration.

Four age groups.

Ages 4–7

Early childhood

Emotional expression, reassurance, simple understanding

Ages 8–12

Middle childhood

Knowledge, coping, peer connection, identity

Ages 13–17

Adolescents

Autonomy, emotional processing, boundaries, future planning

Ages 18–25

Young adults

Independence, mental health, future caregiving roles, communication

How it will run.

The program was shaped by Cordelia's own family's experience, and will be run by a mix of facilitators over time. Read how Steady Path began.

A note on what this is

This is caring peer support and learning: warmth and company for the journey. It is not clinical therapy or a substitute for counselling. If a sibling needs individual mental-health care, we will help you find it.

If you or your child is in crisis, call 911, or call 811 for HealthLink BC health advice at any hour.

Questions

Sibling support, answered plainly.

What is sibling support?Sibling support is help for the brothers and sisters of a child with special needs, not just the child or the parents. It means someone checking in on them directly, and space to talk about a childhood that looks different from their peers'.

Do siblings of children with disabilities need support too?Yes. Most support goes to the child with the diagnosis, and some reaches the parents. The brothers and sisters are often overlooked, even though they carry real emotional weight. Supporting the sibling helps the whole family.

What is it like to be the sibling of a child with special needs?It often means growing up faster than you should. Many siblings take on caregiving early, feel afraid during difficult episodes, and carry emotions they rarely say out loud: love, fear, resentment, and guilt, all at once.

Does Steady Path Society offer sibling support in British Columbia?Steady Path is opening a 12-week sibling support program for four age groups (4–7, 8–12, 13–17, and 18–25), with group, individual, and family sessions in person and online. It will be caring peer support, not clinical therapy, and it is free. Applications open on 1 October 2026 and the first class is Saturday 9 January 2027. Apply with the button at the bottom of this page.

You are not carrying it alone

Tell us about your family.

If you are a sibling, a parent, or a whole household finding your footing in BC, there is a place for you on the steady path.

Apply for a place See how we help