September Sibshop Session

Sibshop’s “home” is in the Delevan Community Center (part of the Delevan Townhouse Complex). The sessions will be held in the Delevan Community Center Building A, and staff will be available for any direction needed. There will be ample parking available in the Delevan Townhouse lot behind the building, and parents should bring their children to the rear entrance of the building. For the sake of safety, parents must stay with their child until a facilitator has signed them in and obtained information about who will be picking them up.

Staff

Your children will be supervised by well qualified facilitators who have received special training in leading Sibshop activities. These facilitators include: psychology and education graduate and undergraduate students, social workers, and at times, an adult sibling of children diagnosed with a developmental disorder. All staff members have experience with various disorders that require special support services. Some are adult siblings of individuals with special needs, and this have special insight into the challenges that attendees may be facing. Dr. Susan Putnam functions as Director of the Sibshop program and she, or another qualified supervisor, will be on premises at all times during Sibshop sessions.

What are Sibshops?

When a child is diagnosed with a developmental disorder or serious chronic physical disorder, the entire family is affected. Sibshops provide support and guidance to siblings of children with special needs. Siblings are encouraged to share the challenges and celebrate the joys with brothers and sisters in similar situations. Our Sibshops are lively, action packed, 4-hour workshops that celebrate the many contributions made by brothers and sisters of kids with special needs. Sibshops acknowledge that being the brother or sister of a person with special needs is for some a good thing, others a not-so-good thing, and for many, somewhere in between. They reflect a belief that brothers and sisters have much to offer one another—if they are given a chance. The Sibshop model mixes information with special guests, events, and discussion activities with new games (designed to be unique, off-beat, and appealing to a wide ability range).

Based in Seattle since 1990, award-winning Sibshop programs now exist in all 50 states, England, Ireland, New Zealand, and Japan, and many other countries around the world!

Please note: Sibshops are more like a club than a class! Do not worry if your child can not attend every Sibshop during the upcoming school year. Also, parents who learn about Sibshops during the school year are encouraged to register their children for the remaining dates.

Cost per session is $20 to register the first child in the family.

Subsequent children in the same family are offered a discount and the registration fee would be $10 each.

Please make checks or money orders payable to WNY Sibshop at Canisius College.

Regrets: If you can’t make a Sibshop that you’ve registered for, please call

(716) 888-2895

Parking: Please park in the lot behind the Delevan Community Center @

1025 West Delevan.

If you would like to print a registration form and bring it the day of the SibShop, you can access it here.

Visit the Sibling Support Project Website at www.thearc.org/siblingsupport/

On the webpage, you can join SibKids, our no-cost listserv for sibs of kids with

special needs and meet brothers and sisters from around the world!