My brother is a gentle giant, but sadly his height and behaviour leaves people intimidated. I’m the oldest in my family. My only other sibling is my brother who is thirteen years younger than me. When most people’s parents were busy having children, mine were busy working and travelling all over the world. I’m not entirely sure either of us were planned, but at the end of the day we’re here and we’re a great little family. It was tricky having a brother thirteen years younger than me. It feels like I spent most of his life helping raise him, as opposed to bonding with him on a sibling level. By the time my brother hit thirteen years of age, I was already twenty-six!
I’m not fifty-three and my brother is forty. We’re a lot closer now in terms of relationship, because we’re both older and have more to bond over, and because I’ve seen the struggle my brother has gone through. My brother was born with a few behavioural difficulties that have posed many challenges in his life. Thankfully, we found the best positive behaviour support services in Adelaide. The support my brother received was truly fantastic. He was able to learn various methods to regulate his emotions and improve his behaviour in certain situations. Even the rest of the family were given advice on how to better support my brother.
The positive behaviour support sessions really changed my brother’s life. He started having better relationships and interactions with people, and knew how to better regulate his behaviour. I’m proud to say that he even has a job now and is making his own money. I have so much respect for what he’s achieved. It’s definitely not easy. Life is hard enough for most people. Having a disability can really add an extra hurdle. People would confuse his height and behavioural disabilities as him having a poor demeanour. I knew my brother, and I knew this wasn’t the case. He’s a kind heart who was given a few extra obstacles to overcome.