It’s true—Sibshops are now 25 years old!  Sibshops got their start in 1982 at the University of Washington’s Experimental Education Unit in Seattle.  Here’s a brief history:

(One of our very first Sibshops at the Experimental Education Unit. The pasta was made from scratch, flour was everywhere, and we had a great time. The three girls shown are currently [from left to right] an elementary school teacher, a biotech researcher, and a speech pathologist. The guy with the curly hair is now the director of the Sibling Support Project.)

In 1978, Don Meyer (now the director of the Sibling Support Project) and Greg Schell (now the director of the Fathers Network) helped pioneer an innovative program for dads of kids with disabilities.  The Fathers Program was an effort to provide peer support and information that reflected dads’ interests and concerns.  Almost immediately, it became apparent that there were other, traditionally unserved family members who could also benefit from opportunities to discuss their unique joys and concerns with peers who would understand: grandparents and, of course, brothers and sisters.

With the help of University of Washington colleagues Patricia Vadasy and Rebecca Fewell, the SEFAM (Supporting Extended Family Members) project was born in late 1981.  SEFAM staff further refined the Fathers Program model and developed two new programs: Grandparents Workshop and Sibshops.

(A group picture taken at the end of a three day Sibshop held in 1983 at Lowell School in Seattle. The adult on the left is Margaret Roberts, currently working with nonprofit agencies in Denver. The adult in the middle is Greg Schell, who co-founded the Fathers Program and currently is the director of the Washington State Fathers Network. On the right is Don Meyer.)

In creating Sibshops, Don, Greg, and colleagues certainly did not invent the notion of bringing brothers and sisters together.  But what little they found on sibling groups in clinical journals was not encouraging.  As Don recalls, “Most of the articles seemed to describe a setting where a bunch of kids sat in folding chairs and told a therapist how messed up their lives were because they had a sib with Down syndrome.”  This mindset did not reflect the essential wellness they had seen in the families they served.  Nor did the activities described in the articles sound like much fun! 

SEFAM staff wanted Sibshops to be a program that emphasized wellness and was downright fun to attend—a celebration of the many contributions made by brothers and sisters.  Sibshops were—and are—events where school-age sibs can meet their peers; have some fun; talk about the good (and maybe not-so-good) parts of having a sib with others who get it; play some great, goofy games; learn something about their sibs’ special needs; and have some more fun!

(Bringing her Italian-American sensibilities to the creation of homemade pasta at this 1982 Sibshop is Terry DeLeonardis.  At this point, Terry and Don Meyer were newlyweds.)

The very first Sibshop was held in Seattle, Washington on October 23rd, 1982.  There are now more than 200 local Sibshop programs worldwide. 

back to Celebrating 25 years of Sibshops

Home page