Oswego – With the new school year starting and the last breath of summer in the air, the Oswego ARISE Sibshops Group gathered in the Mexico Community Park on August 29 to have fun, play games, and talk about the upcoming school year.
Sibshops were developed by Donald Meyer and Patricia Vadasy to support the siblings of children with special needs. The group-setting balances information and discussions with games, recreation, and special guests. It also allows the youth to share experiences of living with a brother or sister with a disability.
While at the park, the ARISE “Sibs†played limbo and used sheets to work together to throw and catch water balloons. They also had a discussion on ‘new beginnings.’ The Sibs talked about starting new schools, making new friends, and how their siblings with disabilities might feel going into new environments.
The youth are supervised by ARISE staff trained in facilitating Sibshops. While not therapy, some Sibshops participants find having a peer group with similar experiences therapeutic.
Sibshops are open to Oswego County youth in grades 3 through 8 who have a sibling with a developmental disability. The group meets monthly with the next meeting at the ARISE office in Oswego on Saturday September 26. For more information, contact Lisa Seguin at (315) 342-4088 ext. 208.
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