Siblings in the families with child with special needs

Birth of a child with special needs has a big impact on the family dynamics and it affects every family member. Family urgently needs help and support with the adaptation process and with the balance reestablishment, but it often occurs that siblings remain lonely and overlooked, especially from the experts. With the systematic examination of the literature we wanted to research the problems and emotions with which the siblings have to confront, what are their needs, and finally propose the framework for helping siblings in their childhood. In the first part we have focused on the dynamics, organization and adaptation of the family with the child with special needs, because all this also affects the siblings. Everything parents experience, siblings experience also, but their needs are nevertheless not completely identical. Consecutively we have in the second part researched the problems, emotions and needs of the siblings and investigated what systems of help and support for the siblings already exist in Slovenia and in the world. We have concluded that having a child with special needs greatly affects the whole family. How the family will adapt to different life depends on different factors on the side of the child with special needs, their siblings, parents and extended community. Siblings need information and support when they are growing up and also when they are older. They have to face different positive and negative emotions and experiences, with which they need the help of the family and the experts. Review of the programs and services has shown that there is not enough programs in Slovenia which would offer help and support to the siblings of the child with special needs