Research: A Study of the Relationships and Acknowledgment of Non-disabled Children with Disabled Siblings

Authored by Aksoy, AB, and Yildririm Bercin G. in Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, Volume 8, Issue 3, p. 769-779, (2008).

Article summary (posted Feb 17, 2010):

Family therapy may help siblings of children with autism to have a better attitude toward their sibling.

Healthy children (228 children 10 to 17 years old) were asked about their attitudes toward children with disabilities, including their own brother or sister. This study was performed in Turkey. Disabilities included autism, learning disability, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, motor retardation, and Down syndrome. The authors said that healthy children had a more positive attitude toward their own brother or sister than toward other children with disabilities. Healthy children have more negative attitudes toward their siblings when they have lower abilities. The authors think that educating siblings of disabled children may help the family develop more positive relationships.

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You can access the original abstract and the complete paper is sometimes available for free via Google Scholar (look for entries that say "PDF" or "HTML" on the right side of the page).
autism, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, family, family therapy, mental retardation, motor, relationship, sibling, sister, therapy
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