--- title: A sibling with a disability or illness, a sibling who left home — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «A sibling with a disability or illness, a sibling who left home», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: In a Leeds supermarket the strip lights buzz, a trolley crashes, and Toby, who is 7 and autistic, drops t --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/) / A sibling with a disability or illness… # A sibling with a disability or illness, a sibling who left home Lesson 506 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 34 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/0/) — In a Leeds supermarket the strip lights buzz, a trolley crashes, and Toby, who is 7 and autistic, drops to the floor with his hands over his ears, screaming. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/2/) — It's the lights.» Mum takes him out into the cool air, and ten minutes later he is humming and flapping his hands, happy again. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/3/) — A meltdown is not a tantrum for sweets: it is a brain that has had too much noise and light all at once. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/4/) — Brothers and sisters of disabled kids notice what others miss. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/5/) — In Fife, Ruaridh, 9, hears the class trip is to a castle with a hundred steps. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/7/) — Miss says, «Good shout, we'll ask about the lift.» In Cardiff, Dafydd's brother has an epileptic seizure at the park. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/8/) — Dafydd does what Mam taught him: moves the bikes away, doesn't hold him down, checks the time and rings Mam. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/10/) — Words can cut. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/11/) — In Seattle a boy uses the r-word, a cruel old word for people with learning disabilities, about Eli's sister Romilly, who has Down syndrome (something you are born with that makes learning slower). - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/12/) — Eli, shaking, shouts «Don't you dare!» and goes straight to his teacher. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/13/) — In Melbourne people keep asking Jethro, «What's wrong with your brother?» «Nothing's wrong, he just uses wheels,» says Jethro, and walks on. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/14/) — In Ohio Aidan's mates say his big sister is «faking» when panic attacks keep her home. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/15/) — «It's not fake, no cap, it's anxiety» («no cap» means no lie). - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/16/) — In Leeds, Marta tells Dad, «He's not being naughty, he's got ADHD, he just can't sit still sometimes.» - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/17/) — When a sibling is very ill, the whole house tilts towards them. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/18/) — In Birmingham, Precious's brother has leukaemia, a blood cancer, and is in hospital for months. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/19/) — Mum stays with him, Precious lives with Auntie, and everyone asks, «How's your brother?» Nobody asks how SHE is. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/20/) — She feels jealous, then guilty for being jealous. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/21/) — That is normal, and the hospital even has a group just for brothers and sisters. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/22/) — And sometimes a sibling leaves. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/23/) — In London, Kai-Ahmed's big sister goes off to uni in Leeds; he gets her room, which is «well peng» (London slang: really nice), and still misses her like mad, so he rings her on Sundays. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/24/) — In Bristol, Tilly's brother Liam, 19, walked out after a huge shouting match with Dad, and now nobody says his name at tea. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/25/) — It is not Tilly's fault. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/26/) — She can ask gently, and she can keep loving him. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/27/) — Autism means a brain that works differently; too much noise or light can cause a meltdown, which is not naughtiness. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/28/) — Many autistic children flap their hands, rock or hum to calm or enjoy themselves; this is called stimming. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/29/) — People who stare at a disabled child usually just don't understand; a short calm answer is enough. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/31/) — In a seizure, keep the person safe: move hard things away, never hold them down, put nothing in their mouth, time it and get a grown-up; if it lasts more than five minutes, call 999. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/32/) — Sign language lets a family talk with a deaf member, and anyone can learn some. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/33/) — Some words about disabled people are slurs that hurt deeply; telling a teacher is the right move. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/34/) — Using a wheelchair is not something «wrong» with a person; it is how they get about. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/35/) — Anxiety and panic attacks are a real illness, not faking; ADHD makes sitting still and focusing hard, and it is not naughtiness either. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/36/) — When a sibling is very ill, the healthy sibling often gets less attention, and feeling jealous is normal and does not make you bad. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/506-a-sibling-with-a-disability-or-illness-or-who-left-home/37/) — When a sibling leaves home, for uni or after a row, it can be sad and a bit exciting at once; it is never the younger child's fault. - ← previous: [Half- and step-siblings](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/505-half-and-step-siblings/) - next →: [Siblings as best mates and as rivals](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/507-siblings-as-best-mates-and-as-rivals/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)