Some families with disabled and non-disabled siblings have complex problems that can affect everyone in the family and even spill into school and community life. Examples of the common problems experienced by specially blended families:
- Siblings can be jealous of each other and may pick on or bully each other.
- The children may believe their emotional and creative needs are not being met and may feel hurt and resentful.
- The children may believe they are treated unfairly and may develop behavior problems.
- The children sometimes have difficulty supporting each other because of jealousy and embarrassment by their sibling's disability. Unfortunately, when the disabled child has behavior problems outside the home, the whole family may feel stigmatized and may face real barriers to participating in school and community activities that other families enjoy.
- Some children fail to develop a sense of belonging to a family with an identity beyond themselves.
- Family members may experience more arguments, disciplinary problems, stress, and depression than other families and may have difficulty resolving those problems.
- Some parents feel high levels of stress and see no solution to the problem. As a result, these families are particularly vulnerable to marital problems and possibly divorce.
