Effects of Typically Developing Siblings on the Social and Emotional Development of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.1824Keywords:
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Siblings, Social Development, Emotional DevelopmentAbstract
The effect typically developing (TD) siblings have on adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rarely studied. Current published research mainly highlights the negative impact siblings with ASD have on their TD siblings. The current study’s goal was to explore the beneficial effects that TD siblings may have on their siblings with ASD. Using a survey administered to seven parents of adolescents with ASD who have TD siblings, this study investigated how sibling interactions may contribute to the social and emotional development in adolescents with ASD. I ran correlations between several variables measured in the survey: (1) the quality of the relationship between the siblings, (2) the amount of time spent together, (3) the frequency of conflicts, and (4) how the interactions have affected the child with ASD. I found significant correlations in the relationship between the siblings and how the interactions have affected the child with ASD. This suggests that sibling interactions, regardless of their quality or the amount of time spent together, positively influenced the social and emotional development of the child with ASD. Simply, having a TD sibling may contribute positively to the development of the child with ASD. These findings highlight the need for more research on the positive role of TD siblings in the lives of adolescents with ASD.
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