A word about siblings... Siblings of kids on the autism spectrum don't always have it easy. They will find their patience tested, deal with compromises that may not always seem fair, and will often be expected to show more responsibility and maturity than their peers. The amazing part, in my book, is watching them rise to these challenges with grace. Mia is Corey's baby sister, but also his champion and his defender, in her own way. She has a natural instinct for recognizing and opening her heart to kids on the spectrum, befriending them and standing up for them. She is fiercely protective of her brother, and has a passion for advocacy - all of this at the ripe old age of 8. She has even given a blood sample as part of an Autism Research study. She and Corey never fight (seriously), and she cannot quite wrap her head around why her peers fight with their siblings, as siblings (generally) do. They both truly adore the other and enjoy being together. How we got that lucky, I have no idea.
We recognize the sacrifices that Mia makes because she has a brother with special needs, and make our best efforts to give her things that are just for "Mia" - special outings, her gymnastics classes, movies and the like that are not about Corey at all, because she needs to know that she is every bit as important to us as her brother. She is, after all, so much more than "Corey's sister"... She is a rockstar kid in her own right. Sometimes this means pushing Corey to deal with something that is not his cup of tea, sometimes it means she gets a "date" with mom or dad on her own.
Balance is a goal that is never easy to achieve, but we are doing our best, and I think, I hope, they both see that.
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