Our First Rural Stop: Oneonta, NY

One of the main reasons we are going on this trip is to diversify the records of stories available about sibs. For this reason, we know that we couldn’t only stop in big cities and suburbs if we were going to get the complete picture on the sibling experience. With help from a friend of mine who lives near Oneonta, we decided to stop in Oneonta, NY to see the sibling experience from a rural perspective, far from the expansive benefits that are often available in large, metropolitan areas. After the beautiful, yet slightly rainy, drive from Boston to Oneonta, we had the great opportunity of visiting Springbrook.

Springbrook is a school in New York that offers several residential programs for students in New York whose school districts are unable to accommodate them as well as day programs. They also offer group homes and other therapy and occupational readiness programs for people over the age of 21.

We were welcomed at the school by Traci Lanner, the director of the Tom Golisano Center for Autism, and Madeline Sansevere, the director of Community Services. School wasn’t in session when we visited – students were on one of their few short brakes – but the facility was beautiful. They have classrooms of about 6 students each, with one teacher and three assistants. They implement different therapies in the classroom and also offer a variety of pull-out therapies for students who may require extra time or services.

We spoke with Madeline and Traci about our project and about the various programs offered in New York for children with special needs. They explained that New York has excellent services for individuals until they turn 21. School districts unable to accommodate the needs of students will pay for them to attend Springbrook. However, once students age out, the school has very little say in where the individuals may be placed and New York’s adult services varies tremendously in quality. The staff and teachers care deeply about the individuals at Springbrook. Springbrook offers to pay for teachers to get their Masters degree in Special Education and they work with SUNY Morrisville to offer classes at Springbrook to make it easier for teachers. They also offer an online program through Endicott University (in Massachusetts).

Check ’em out: www.springbrookny.org

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Next, we headed over to the Family Resource Network in Oneonta where we conducted another group interview with three woman, one of whom was only 13. Here are the basic facts about these women.

Meghann is the Executive Director of the Family Resource Network and has a 24-year-old brother with Trisome 8 (a genetic disability) and autism.

Heidi works with her sister who is developmentally disabled at the Main View Gallery in Oneonta which helps provide artistic jobs for individuals in the community that are developmentally impaired.

Manu is a 13 year old sib to one brother who has ADHD and bipolar disorder and another brother who has cerebral palsy, cortical dysplasia, epilepsy, and is non-verbal.

We had a fantastic interview with all of them in one room so we will basically let the clips speak for themselves.

As we have seen time and time again, sibs seem to have these incredible “old souls” that cradle maturity and insightfulness beyond compare. Below, Manu illustrates some of the turmoil that went along with her relationship with her brother.

One of our favorite questions to ask sibs is what their roles in their families were growing up and what they are now. It was interesting to see the range of answers we received from our three interviewees. From Heidi’s job of “getting her to giggle” to Manu’s role as advocate and future caretaker, we learned a lot from their stories.

Another question we always get a range of answers to regards how having a sibling with special needs affects sibs socially. Below are some their responses.

Manu shared light on a phenomenon we hadn’t truly fleshed out. Many of the sibs that we interview speak about striving for academic excellence in order to “make up for” their sibling’s lack of abilities to do. Manu shared some of the issues that affect her personal academics because of the house that she lives in.

One of the main reasons we stopped in Oneonta was because we wanted to see a rural perspective on the disabilities community. We gained a lot of interesting information on what it is like to care for someone with special needs in a small, economically-depressed area. They talked about how difficult it is for people with special needs to gain access to jobs and healthcare. “The threat of being cut-off is always there,” Heidi told us.