Sibling cards

Sibling cards are a tool created for siblings of children with special needs. The cards are aiming to help siblings to express their feelings and thoughts. Sibling cards are a deck of cards in which each card has a sentence expressing a thought or a feeling based on real experiences from siblings. The deck also includes wild cards, if one doesn’t know or can’t relate to any of the sentences. Being a sibling to a child with disability or longterm illness can be a complex thing causing mixed feelings which may be hard to describe or say aloud. Sibling cards can help by giving words to siblings´ feelings and thoughts. It can also make it easier to say things aloud when knowing that someone else has felt the same way too.

The cards have been used individually and in peer support groups with siblings. The recommendable age to use the cards is above nine years old. Siblings should be able to read themselves. The cards can be also used with parents and professionals to awaken them about siblings´ thoughts.

 

Themes:

Green = Ordinary Siblinghood

Grey = Invisible Child

Purple = Knocks/Blows to the Basic Sense of Security

Red = My Sibling is Important to Me

 

Download Sibling cards here

 

Erityinen sisaruus (Special siblinghood) has been a project (2015-2019) in Finland aiming to raise awareness about the wellbeing, risks and strengths of siblings of children with special needs. During the project we gathered information about the experiences and needs that these siblings have. We have also developed tools to help siblings in different ages to express their feelings and thoughts that this special siblinghood awakens.

Sibling cards were translated in English by Heini Kallio and Katri Lehmuskoski.