Recognizing Glass Children-What It Means to Be a Sib by Alicia Arenas

Title of talk: Recognizing Glass Children — What It Means to Be a Sibling of a Child with Special Needs

About this talk: Having lost one brother to the world of autism and another to a terminal illness, Alicia Arenas never knew a normal childhood. Expected to always put on a brave face, Arenas played the role of good girl on the outside. One the inside, however, she was dying. In this heart-wrenching talk, Arenas tells parents of children with special needs — and their surrounding community — to stop looking through the siblings of children with special needs.