The Sibling Support program is designed to meet the social and emotional needs of children who have a disabled sibling, through structured activity and recreation. The program is offered twice each week (Tuesdays and Thursdays 3 to 5 pm) while the participant’s brother/sister is receiving physical, occupational, speech, and hippotherapy on our site.
The Sibling Support program, facilitated by a Certified Child Life Specialist, utilizes the ranch setting and resident animals to engage children. The program follows a structured, class-like curriculum that incorporates recreation, education, and opportunities for psychological exploration with the siblings of children with physical and mental disabilities.
The Sibling Support Program has multiple benefits for the participating children, including:
- An established sense of inclusion
- Opportunities for expression (emotional, artistic, intellectual)
- Physical recreation in a safe and structed ranch setting
- Social connectivity to other children with similar family dynamics
The program also provides tangible benefits to parents/guardians/caregivers in the following ways:
- Allows parents to be present and available to observe their disabled child’s therapies
- Enables uninterrupted caregiver communication with therapists
- Minimizes the competing demands for a guardian’s attention
- Improves therapeutic appointment attendance
Please register your child for Sibling Support participation here: