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Social and emotional adjustment of siblings of children with autism
Author(s) -
Pilowsky Tammy,
Yirmiya Nurit,
Doppelt Osnat,
GrossTsur Varda,
Shalev Ruth S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00277.x
Subject(s) - autism , sibling , psychology , developmental psychology , sibling relationship , developmental disorder , proband , social skills , birth order , socialization , clinical psychology , medicine , population , biochemistry , chemistry , environmental health , mutation , gene
Background: Social and emotional adjustment of siblings of children with autism was examined, to explore their risk or resilience to effects of genetic liability and environmental factors involved in having a sibling with autism. Method: Social‐emotional adjustment, behavior problems, socialization skills, and siblings’ relationships were compared among 30 siblings of children with autism, 28 siblings of children with mental retardation of unknown genetic etiology (MR), and 30 siblings of children with developmental language disorders (DLD). Groups were matched by probands’ gender, siblings’ chronological age, gender, IQ, and birth order, and by family size, ethnicity, and parental income, employment, and stress level. Results: Four siblings of children with autism, three siblings of children with MR, and seven siblings of children with DLD received DSM‐IV diagnoses. Nevertheless, most of the siblings were well adjusted. Conclusions: The adjustment of siblings of children with autism is in sharp contrast to the severe social and emotional disabilities characteristic of autism, and is noteworthy considering the stress involved in having a sibling with autism.