As a sibling of someone with special needs, I can tell you about the struggles my family has faced. I can also tell you about how our lives have changed for the better. My little sister, April, was diagnosed with a rare disease called Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome two weeks after she was born. As we grew up, I began to learn more about her syndrome, as well as about her. April has blossomed into a beautiful and intelligent 16-year old and I couldn't be more proud to call her my sister and best friend. She has taught me so much in the past 16 years that I wish to share with you now. If you're a sibling of someone with special needs, I hope you can relate to my experience.

Patience

Children and adults with special needs require a lot of patience. This can range from diaper changing, potty training, eating, speaking, walking, and even something as simple as taking off a coat. My sister has taught me that with patience, great things will happen. It may take her a lot longer to walk from point A to point B, but like Miley Cyrus said, “Life’s a climb, but the view is great.” This quote relates directly to the daily struggles that children with special needs endure every day.

Persistence

With patience comes persistence. I have learned to never give up on any goal because of my sister. She may be non-verbal, but she never gives up during her speech therapy sessions. Right now I am pursuing a degree in Speech Pathology, in hopes of becoming a certified speech pathologist. I work with my sister daily to improve her speech in hopes that one day she will be verbal. My sister didn’t learn to walk until she was almost six years of age, but every day we worked on even the smallest steps in our living room. As long as my sister doesn’t give up, I won’t give up.

Acceptance

Growing up around a sister with special needs leads to learning about the special needs community. She has taught me that no matter the syndrome or diagnosis, every child is special, unique, and amazing in his or her own way. I could talk for hours about how amazing each child is at my sister’s school. Special needs children are just like average children, they just want to be loved and accepted. I have learned to accept everyone and anyone that is different.

Compassion

I was taught by my parents and my sister to always put those in need first. My strong connection to the special needs community has guided me in the direction of working with children with special needs. I feel for these children and I will never give up on them. I will never give up on my sister. I want to help children with special needs grow and thrive in this world. I believe my sister can achieve great things and she needs compassionate supporters to help her.

Appreciation

Appreciate the little things. Whether that be a first smile, first step, first word, first prom, or the first time you hear “I love you” from a loved one. Every milestone my sister reaches warms my heart and inspires me. Every child is independent and has his or her own mind. We need to allow them to explore the world around us, appreciating every discovery they make for it is truly a blessing to see them grow.

Love

Love is most powerful thing we have. The love that I have for my sister is unconditional. I love her despite everything that makes her different because she is so unique, happy, and beautiful. Children with special needs require one thing and that is to be loved unconditionally. I loved her before I knew about her syndrome and I love her even more so now. She has taught me how to love. I am who I am because of my sister and I couldn’t be more grateful.