A glass child is a sibling of a disabled or chronically ill child. They often receive less attention than their disabled counterparts.
They have a tendency to be overlooked and feel they are invisible in the struggle of their parent’s family life. This may result in their mental, emotional or physical health being negatively impacted.
Alicia Arenas
Alicia Arenas is a survivor of glass child trauma, having grown up with a brother who had a disability and died at an early age. During her childhood, she was deprived of affection and attention from her family, which negatively impacted her well-being. She even contemplated suicide at the age of eleven, because she couldn’t find a place to turn to for help.
She later started her own company, Sanera, which specializes in business development and people development. She’s also a certified coach and speaker. She aims to help other families affected by glass children by sharing her experiences and offering support.
When she’s not working, Alicia enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. She also loves gardening and cooking. She’s currently a stay-at-home mom to her two children, Isabella and Sebastian.
Her glass child syndrome has made her realize how much her siblings with special needs are impacted by her, and she’s passionate about sharing this information with other families. She’s been a TEDx speaker and uses her stories to raise awareness about the challenges of being a sibling with a special needs child.
Glass child trauma is a mental condition that affects a person’s behavior and self-image. It can result in feelings of isolation, rage, depression, and anxiety. Fortunately, treatment is available for those who suffer from this disorder.
In her TEDx talk, Alicia Arenas shares her experience of being a glass child, as well as how to better help those who are suffering from this disorder. She encourages parents and caregivers to look beyond the illness and consider their children as individuals who have their own interests, fears, and joys outside of their role as a sibling with a special needs brother or sister.
Alicia’s message is simple: you can make a difference in a special needs child’s life by simply giving them the support they need. This can be as simple as sending a card, letting them know they are appreciated, or offering them a hug.
Taking one simple action can mean the world to a special needs child, and it can also have a positive impact on their siblings, who may have become isolated and disconnected from their parents. Taking these small actions can help them grow up strong, healthy, and happy.
Siblings of high-need children
When siblings of children with disabilities or special needs face the challenges of caring for their sibling, they may experience a range of uncomfortable emotions. These include love, anger, resentment, guilt, fear, embarrassment and anxiety.
Fortunately, siblings of high-needs children often develop compassion and loyalty to those with special needs. Justin’s sister, Kara, who has PACS1 syndrome, says she’s learned to be less likely to laugh at or tease other people because of her sibling’s disability.
Many siblings also find it hard to understand why their parents and caregivers are so focused on one child with special needs while the other child in their family is healthy and functioning well. They may not feel able to express their feelings because they are afraid of hurting the parent’s or caregiver’s feelings.
This may lead to negative self-perceptions and even a lack of confidence. It can even affect their future career decisions.
It’s important for siblings of high-needs children to feel they are supported by their parents and caregivers. This includes giving them space to discuss their thoughts and emotions and letting them know they are valued and loved.
In addition, they should be encouraged to develop their own coping strategies for dealing with their emotions and life situations. They should be given opportunities to express their feelings and make friends with others who have similar experiences.
Glass child trauma is a real problem for children of parents who have children with special needs. It is a serious mental health problem that requires support, not denial.
Siblings of high-needs children are at a high risk for developing emotional or medical problems. A study published in Pediatrics (2013) found that siblings of children with disabilities were more likely to have interpersonal problems, psychopathological problems and functional impairments than siblings of typically developing children within a year after their siblings’ diagnoses.
To avoid this, siblings of high-needs children should be screened for potential issues and receive support from family members and professionals. They should participate in therapy sessions and be enrolled in special support programs for people with disabilities. They should also be offered time away from their brothers and sisters to spend with friends or other family members.
Emotional well-being of unaffected children
Emotional wellness lays the foundation for learning and positive well being in children. It involves a child’s developing capacity to: experience, regulate, and express emotion; form close, secure, interpersonal relationships; and explore the environment and learn – all in the context of family and community.
The emotional well-being of unaffected children can be very affected by the situation involving their siblings. It is important for parents to not take the emotional health of their unaffected children for granted and to be skeptical if the child claims that everything is fine. They should frequently express unconditional love and discuss their child’s experiences with them.
Another important element of the emotional well-being of unaffected children is their ability to adjust. Without the help of adult coping mechanisms, they may experience difficulties in adjusting to their new circumstances and in coming up with solutions. They should also be more hesitant to say that they “are fine” and should frequently express their unconditional love.
This may be a sign that they are having difficulty adjusting to their new circumstances or are in denial about their condition. For this reason, it is important for parents to take the glass child syndrome into account when assessing their unaffected children’s emotions and needs.
It is also essential to understand that many unaffected children are still quite young and may not have experienced the same levels of emotional problems as their older brothers or sisters. They might be more likely to feel isolated, sad or frustrated, and they might be more likely to avoid social situations because they are afraid of getting hurt or seen as a troublemaker.
The wellbeing of these children in the crisis has been studied extensively, both in Sweden and in Canada. In both countries, the wellbeing of children during the crisis was rated as improving by most parents, even though they accumulated a lot of problems and felt less comfortable in their own homes.
For example, a study in Sweden found that on average children’s physical symptoms had improved (M = 1.07, MD = 1.33, SD = 0.89; scale 0 = Not at all, 1 = Less often than before, 2 = As often as before, 3 = More often than before), while self-esteem and negativity were significantly reduced compared to the pre-crisis period. Moreover, parents estimated that their children’s prosocial skills had improved, too.
Taking care of the unaffected sibling
When a child with special needs becomes a permanent fixture in the family, the impact on their unaffected sibling can be tremendous. They may be more difficult to care for than other children, and they may have behavioral or emotional problems.
This is not the fault of these siblings, but rather of their parents who are often so consumed with caring for their high-need brother or sister that they fail to look beyond them to the other children in the family. As a result, they sometimes neglect their unaffected siblings, or even exacerbate the problem by making them feel like their problems are a burden on the entire family.
For Alicia Arenas, who was raised with a special needs brother, her childhood was an unmitigated disaster. Her family was unable to give her the attention she needed, and she became emotionally debilitated. Alicia now works to educate families about the difficulties faced by children with special needs, and she advocates for better care of all family members.
She believes that the most important thing a parent can do to help their glass child is to make sure they are not ignored. They must make a conscious effort to take time for their other children, and they should always express love unconditionally.
It is also important for these siblings to have good relationships with their other family members, which can be challenging when they are not feeling well and unable to interact with others as normal. They must be able to ask for help when they need it, and they must feel safe speaking out.
Alicia Arenas stresses that it is important for friends and family members to make sure they spend enough time with glass children, because these siblings are often vulnerable and need to have people in their lives who will stand up for them. She describes this support as a force that can change a person’s life forever, like a mile-per-hour wind.
Taking the time to understand these challenges can make a huge difference in the quality of the life of the sibling, and can lead to more successful caregiving. It can also make a big impact on the sibling’s overall mental health, and it can help them to deal with their own challenges.
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