Meet our People
Our Leadership
Founded in 1990, the Sibling Support Project is the first national program dedicated to recognizing, promoting and addressing the life-long and ever-changing concerns of millions of siblings of people with developmental, health, and mental health concerns.
Founder of the Sibling Support Project & Creator of Sibshops
About Don Meyer
Don Meyer is the Founder of the Sibling Support Project and the creator of Sibshops. Don created SibTeen Sib20, and SibNet, online communities for brothers and sisters which allow thousands of siblings from around the world to connect with their peers.
Don was a founder of the SEFAM (Supporting Extended Family Members) program at the University of Washington, which pioneered services for fathers, siblings, and grandparents of children with special needs.
As a sought-after speaker, Don has conducted hundreds of workshops on siblings, fathers, and grandparents of children with special needs and trainings on the Sibshop model throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, Iceland, England, Italy, New Zealand, and Japan.
Don is the senior author or editor of seven books:
- Sibshops: Workshops for brothers and sisters of children with special needs;
- Uncommon Fathers: Reflections on Raising a Child with Special Needs;
- Living with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs: a Book for Sibs;
- Views from our Shoes: Growing up with a brother or sister with special needs;
- The Sibling Slam Book;
- Thicker than Water: Essays by Adult Siblings of People with Disabilities; and
- The Sibling Survival Guide: Indispensable Information for Brothers and Sisters of Adults with Disabilities.
Don has been interviewed by numerous news outlets for stories regarding siblings’ concerns including ABC News’ 20/20, Nightline, and World News Tonight; Newsweek; The New York Times; The Washington Post; Newsday; Ladies Home Journal; National Public Radio; and Good Housekeeping.
Don is married to Terry DeLeonardis, a special education preschool teacher and consultant. They have four children and two grandchildren.
Contact information:
Don Meyer
Founder, Sibling Support Project
[email protected]
Director of the Sibling Support Project
About Emily Holl
Emily Holl is the Director of the Sibling Support Project. Emily is a social worker, author, trainer, and sibling. Since 2003, she has worked in the disability field and has provided workshops, training, and groups for siblings, families, and individuals with disabilities. She has presented and written extensively on sibling issues, has conducted and published sibling research, and has facilitated future planning workshops for adult siblings and their families, and co-facilitated Sibshops for school-age brothers and sisters of children with disabilities. Upon completion of her MSW, Emily was a social worker in New York City serving families of young children with disabilities.
In 2015, Emily joined St. Paul College in Minnesota, and became the director of academic support, where she oversaw access and disability resources, participated on the College’s behavior intervention team, and served on the equity and inclusion committee.
Emily has served as a board member of the national Sibling Leadership Network (SLN), and she founded sibsNY, the New York state chapter of the SLN. Emily has written about her own sibling experiences in blogs, magazines and books such as Thicker than Water. Emily was an author and a co-editor of The Sibling Survival Guide: Indispensable Information for Adult Brothers and Sisters of People with Disabilities, published by Woodbine House in 2014.
Emily earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts, a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University, and a Master of Social Work from Hunter College at the City University of New York.
Emily and her husband Tom reside in the Greater Seattle area and have two young sons. Emily is the primary family support for her brother, and she is grateful for the “village” of people who help.
Emily joined the Sibling Support Project on September 4, 2018. She can be reached at [email protected].