Sibling relationships in families of children with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Abstract

Background: Studies have shown that it is often a sibling who takes on the support and caregiving role in the life of a person with a developmental disability (DD) when the parent is no longer able to. However, very little research has examined how siblings adapt to their brother or sister with DD, specifically with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), and Down syndrome (DS). Differences in the behavioural challenges posed by children with ASD, FASD, and DS are critical, and to the extent that those difficulties vary across diagnoses, differences in sibling reactions are possible. Method: Siblings of children with ASD, FASD, and DS participated in in-depth qualitative interviews employing a basic interpretative approach. Results: Thematic Analysis was used to analyze interview transcripts and three main themes were identified: Sibling Demands, Positive Transformational Outcomes, and Supports Conclusions: Supports must be tailored to meet the specific needs of siblings of children with different types of disabilities.