James Donaldson on Mental Health - Advice From Siblings of Kids With Mental Health Disorders

Advice for parents Build a wide support system Laura, a 26-year-old advertising executive, has a younger brother who is 23 and has a form of autism that makes it hard for him to communicate.

As one of four kids, she felt the best thing her parents did was create a wide support system for her autistic brother so the burden didn’t fall as much on the family.

“He had after school programs , he had teachers who came to our house during dinner time, he had a lot of support so that didn’t put as much pressure on us or my parents,” she said.

“They were able to care for more kids,” she said.

Aunts and uncles would also step in and help spread out the responsibility.

Be open with your children and include them in decision-making.

Parents often try to shield siblings from what is happening.

Natalie says that approach is well-intentioned, but it can cause more harm than good.

“You want to feel like a team,” she said.

“You want to feel like you are in this together, because too often the parents feel like a team and you are siloed, so it’s just you by yourself.