If you have a child that requires a speech therapist, you will doubtless look for as many experts and resources that you can find to support your child’s communication development. These could include your family doctor, speech pathologists, speech therapy sessions, support groups and online resources. These are all excellent options, but there is one source of help that could be much closer to home, and that is your other children.

Anyone who grew up with one or more brothers or sisters may recall those times as ones where you and your siblings seemed constantly at loggerheads, always seeking to blame the other, and all wishing we were an only child. These are all part of growing up and hopefully, now that you and your siblings are adults your relationship has matured and is now one of compassion and mutual respect.

Going back to childhood siblings, the evidence shows that a child’s brothers or sisters can be an enormous help to them if they are struggling with speech and language. Such is the positive influence that a sibling can have on a child’s communication development that many speech pathologists include the role of the sibling as part of their plan to achieve speech therapy goals.

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