What It’s Really Like Being the Sibling of an Autistic Child: A Conversation Between Sisters
Listen on: Apple│Spotify│YouTube
In this personal episode, I sit down with my younger sister, Yasmine Smadi, to reflect on our shared experience growing up with our autistic brother, Milo. Yasmine joins me during her visit from Dubai, where she works as a preschool teacher and is pursuing her Master’s in Education.
Together, we unpack what it’s like to grow up in a home full of movement, therapies, and shifting dynamics—and how, despite the chaos, it was also a home built on love, creativity, and resilience.
💬 In this episode, we talk about:
-
What it felt like for Yasmine to witness her older autistic brother living independently today.
-
The unspoken roles siblings take on—protection, observation, participation—and how those evolve over time.
-
The importance of including siblings in the process, even when they’re young and may not fully understand.
-
Yasmine’s reflections on how her upbringing shaped her into the teacher she is today.
-
The beautiful, surprising, and challenging moments that made our bond stronger.
-
What it means to lead with love, even when you're tired or unsure of what to do next.
We also explore what it was like to grow up around our mentor, Dr. Lynette Louise, whose guidance helped our entire family—not just our autistic brother. Yasmine opens up about the value of watching our parents learn, adapt, and grow, and how witnessing that shaped her understanding of what’s possible for any family.
🎧 If you’re a sibling, a parent, or someone trying to support a loved one with special needs, this episode is for you. It’s full of honesty, warmth, and a reminder that everyone in the family is learning—together.
Sometimes the quiet observers in a family have the most powerful things to say.