One factor that families identify as being important is the support they receive from professionals. Families who believe they can influence their future and make choices are more likely to be stronger and cope better.

A child with disability and their family are likely to come into contact with a range of professionals within different settings. 

For workers to be able to support siblings there needs to be an emphasis on:

• Family centred care – all family members feeling they are respected and listened to
• A whole of family approach – all family members are recognised and supported
• Prevention – siblings are provided with support early to enable better health outcomes

The Siblings Australia 2017 Mapping Project indicated that many parents and siblings would benefit from professionals  increasing their understanding of sibling needs. 

Here you will find a range of information and tools to enable professionals from different sectors to identify sibling challenges, what they need and how to support them.