Here is an essay written by Stephanie. She is a sibling who has a brother that struggles with his behavior. She sometimes gets blamed for her brothers actions and has a hard time understanding why he does what he does. Read her story below: 

Hello, I’m stephanie.

I am 11 years old. My brother Aaron has a condition that they are trying to find, his behaviour can sometimes have a effect on people and my friend’s. His shouting, hitting and not sharing makes me feel upset and I’m often left out if he wishes to tag along. No matter how many times I try to explain and keep the peace a fight always breaks out and I’m left in the middle.

My friends don’t understand his good side, his funny jokes and random kisses,  they only see the bad side.
It can hurt when I get blamed for my brothers actions when we go out to play on the drive but I know it’s not his fault. Mum and dad are always stepping in to stop arguments breaking out between the kid’s that live on our street over something Aaron as said or done. His new friend Charlie is patient with Aaron’s pestering,pushing and hitting because he knows Aaron is quirky.

My dad is at work most of the time and my mum is cleaning up the mess my brother makes and tries to explain that he just want friends. I get upset when my mum cries when mums and dads start to shout my brother is a menace, I cry when im asked to leave him and play in their garden where he’s not allowed. Our home is Aaron. Mum and dad try to share their time between me and Aaron, iI love my brother but I don’t love his illness, nobody see’s the Aaron we know and LOVE, they see the menace

To Read more click here: http://undiagnosed.org.uk/archives/3814

Some disabled children need help to behave well. This can be very annoying for siblings who can get fed up with coping with difficult behavior. Sometimes when your brother or sister behaves badly it may seem funny and it maybe makes you laugh. Sometimes you may tease your brother or sister and this may end up with them getting angry, throwing things or hurting you. The best thing for you and them is to encourage your disabled brother or sister to behave well.

SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO ARE

• Do say well done when they behave well
• Do give them a hug to show them that you are pleased with them
• Do give them a big smile to show you are happy with them
• Do give them a big clap and a cheer when they have done something well
• Don’t go annoying them at times of the day when you know that they are tired or hungry
• Don’t do something which you know will make them angry, like changing a TV channel over when they are watching a program
• Don’t  disrupt their routines, like using their favorite cup

To see the full article click here: http://www.youngsibs.org.uk/info/helping-your-brother-or-sister-to-behave-well/

My kids are only 2, so I'm still not fully in the loop of kid-culture. Frozen largely stayed off my radar during its run in theaters, because I am NOT crazy enough to take these two to a movie in a theater yet, and I didn't even see trailers because we don't have cable and they don't show ads for movies on Hulu very often. I'd see posts in my social media feeds from moms of older kids complaining about watching it for the umpteenth time, or having the songs stuck in their heads, and I even saw a few videos shared that related to the film, like those self-declared good-looking parents lip-synching. (Tip: unless you're Derek Zoolander, never talk about how good-looking you are.)

All that said, the other day we bought Frozen and tried to watch it as a family. The girls had had a long, late nap that day, so we were looking for a low-key evening activity. And I'd been kind of curious about a movie I heard was about two sisters -- I have a sister and am raising a pair of sisters and YAY SISTERHOOD, you know? I popped popcorn, and all four of us snuggled on the couch and we pressed play. Elmo? the girls asked. And kept asking. Basically, through the entire movie they wanted to know where the heck Elmo was, and if Elmo wasn't in this movie, why were we watching it at all? We didn't even finish before putting them to bed.

To read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-sweatt-orsborn/watching-frozen-with-my-daughters_b_5105525.html

The nonprofit behind Big Bird, Elmo and Abby Cadabby is launching a new effort to reduce stigma surrounding kids with autism and help those with the developmental disorder learn life skills.

Through a new initiative dubbed “See Amazing in All Children,” Sesame Workshop said it will create digital tools to help children with autism learn to play with others and complete everyday activities like brushing teeth, getting dressed and trying new foods.

In addition, the organization said it will use Sesame Street’s brand and characters to educate the public about autism and emphasize that kids on the spectrum are much like their typically developing peers.

“This has become one of the most widely-discussed topics in childhood development, yet we have found that there’s a lack of understanding among the general public about children with autism,” said Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshop’s senior vice president for community and family engagement. “Sesame Workshop has a long history of addressing diversity, acceptance and inclusion, and we felt we could play a critical role in reducing misconceptions by highlighting the commonalities children with autism share with all children.”

Beyond its efforts aimed at children, Sesame Workshop said it also plans to work with Exceptional Minds, a Sherman Oaks, Calif. vocational center that teaches young adults with autism computer animation and post-production skills, to help create content.

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/04/04/sesame-street-autism/19257/

Nick Lachey once exposed his life for the reality-show cameras, but there was one topic that was kept off limits: his brother with Asperger syndrome. 

"It's a personal issue for me and my family," the singer tells PEOPLE of his brother Zac, who was adopted. Now 19, Zac was diagnosed at age 7. "It's something we've all been helping him with for a long time," his big brother adds. Lachey, 40, is speaking out as he launches the fifth-annual Lindt Gold Bunny Celebrity Auctionon Friday to raise funds and awareness for Autism Speaks. (The auction features porcelain gold bunnies signed by Lachey and such other celebs as Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and Harrison Ford.) 

Zac, who lives with their mom Cate in Cincinnati, was diagnosed when he began having trouble learning in elementary school. "He wasn't learning in the same way as the other kids at school," says Lachey, who now lives in New York City with his wife, Vanessa, and their son, Camden, 18 months, for his new hosting VH1 gig, Big Morning Buzz Live. "They originally thought it was ADD. It took a while to narrow it down." At the time, Lachey was touring the country with his other brother, Drew, and their band 98 Degrees, and no longer living at home. It was stressful for his mom. "She was looking for answers more than anything else," Lachey tells PEOPLE. "Once she had them, she could learn to deal with it. It was more stress but at the same time, she could now understand how better to help him." 

As a teenager, Zac enrolled in the Cincinnati School of the Performing Arts, the same school his elder brothers had attended. "He studied technical theater and learned sound, which suited his interests," says Lachey. "And he made friends in the department." Still, he admits, "Social interactions can be a challenge for him. When he's focused on something, it's tough to get him off of it." Zac, he adds, "is highly functioning and very intelligent. A little introverted, but he's a sweet kid." 

To read more click here: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20803153,00.html

SALT LAKE CITY — People keep asking me versions of this question: "How can I help my neighbor who has a child with special needs?"

They ask me this because I have a couple of boys on the autism spectrum. I suspect they ask because they know my life is kind of a hot mess.

It's a lovely question, because it shows that people are aware of those around them facing challenges raising children with special needs. To those who have asked, I say thank you! You rock, people. In my experience, there are a few welcome gestures that come from understanding what life with special needs children is all about.

It's exhausting
Parents of special needs children are universally tired.
Some, like my friends April and Katie, are frequently up at night with a child having seizures. One of my sons is a strange sleeper, waking and wandering the house in the wee hours. All of us find ourselves staying up too late to accomplish the myriad tasks that we can't do when our kids are awake.
Special needs parenting is tiring. It just is. The cumulative effect of handling medications, difficult behaviors and esoteric routines for years and years without respite can turn us into zombies.

Read more at http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1009&sid=29013117#wJq6RuvT4mO9eZhP.99

A young schoolgirl touched the heart of her teacher when she wrote an essay wishing her brother could be “healed of autism”.

“Every person needs a Rachel in their lives,” wrote Co Meath teacher Kathryn Lenaghan, after she read the impromptu essay by nine-year-old Rachel Cahill.

Although written in February, her mother Caroline Cahill asked for the letter to be highlighted for World Autism Awareness Day, which is tomorrow, April 2nd.

The third class student began the essay after she had finished her day’s work at St Paul’s NS in Navan. Titled “I wish, I wish, I wish,” she begins: “Since my little brother Matthew was two, I have always had the same wish. When Matthew was two, he was diagnosed with autism. Autism has no cure. Some children with autism can talk, understand and communicate, but Matthew can’t.

“When you have autism, your brain is different. Matthew would hear things more loudly than us, he feels things more differently and sees things we don’t. So ever since Matthew was diagnosed with autism, my wish was for Matthew’s autism to be healed.”

Click here to read more: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/i-wish-i-wish-i-wish-my-brother-could-be-healed-of-autism-1.1745836