Today, we’re going to share a video from our youngest Inclusion Fusion presenters that includes some very honest and profound observations about the impact of disability on the family.

When we were in Texas two years ago filming Inclusion Fusion 2011, Colleen Swindoll-Thompson asked her adult children to speak on the challenges siblings experience when a brother or sister experiences a disability. Siblings are often forgotten, judged, misunderstood, and suffer many challenges. Colleen’s children (Ashley, Austin and Cody) shared their experiences growing up with a brother with significant special needs. Their presentation, Does Anyone See Me? Attending to the Silent Sufferers (an interview facilitated by Katie Wetherbee) is a remarkable resource addressing an issue all too often overlooked in the church, as well as in the larger disability community.

At the time of this interview, Ashley, Austin and Cody’s brother (Jonathan) was 14 years old and had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. He experiences intellectual, speech, language and motor impairments, along with anxiety associated with his autism. Jonathan had also been diagnosed with Tourette’s Disorder, traumatic brain injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Here’s the interview…

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Check out Steve’s recent interview with Colleen Swindoll-Thompson on  The Mission Field Next Door…Serving Kids with Mental Health Disorders and Their Families. In the interview, Colleen and Steve had the opportunity to discuss the challenges families face in attending church when kids have mental illnesses.  They explored strategies for churches seeking to radically expand disability outreach beyond the traditional “special needs” population, and considered why “special needs” ministries may not meet the needs of families impacted by mental illness.  Here’s a link to Colleen’s blog post where the interview may be viewed in its’ entirety.