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Overlooked ‘glass child’, the sibling of a special-needs kid
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Emmanuel Lee (left) with his sister Isabelle Lee, at Bridging the Gap at City Square Mall, a business serving children with special needs started by their mother, Ms Janice Tay.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Follow topic:
- Isabelle Lee, a "glass child", shares the challenges of growing up with a special-needs sibling, including feeling responsible for his safety and suppressing her own emotions.
- Psychologists advise parents to recognise "glass children's" potential neglect and emotional needs, watching for mood swings or withdrawal, and ensuring they feel valued.
- Ms Lee's mother realised her neglect and rebuilt their bond, and Ms Lee now feels closer to her family and plans to become a speech therapist due to her brother's journey.
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SINGAPORE – There was an incident in Ms Isabelle Lee’s childhood that scared her so much that she kept it a secret for years.
When she was seven, she was doing her homework when she realised that her four-year-old brother was not playing with his toys like she had thought. Emmanuel Lee, who has special needs, had taken some pearls from a broken necklace and crammed them into his mouth, making him gag and vomit.
