Poster #44 - Sibling Relationships in Families With ASD: the Perspective of the TD-Siblings and their Mothers

• In Event: 1-061 - Poster Session 02
  In Poster Session: PS 02 Section - Developmental Disabilities

Integrative Statement

Background
Sibling relationships are often the longest and most important bonds a person has throughout life (Boer, Dunn, & Dunn, 2013; Gass, Jenkins, & Dunn, 2007). Some studies use parent reports on sibling relationships, while others use self-reports of children. These two perspectives are not always consistent, specifically when one of the siblings has special needs (Allison & Campbell, 2015; Hastings & Petalas, 2014; Rossiter & Sharpe, 2001).
The influential role that Typically Developed (TD) siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) play on their brother or sister’s development was recognized in previous research (Ben-Itzchak & Zachor, 2016) and younger siblings of children with ASD have been studied as a high-risk population. However, not much research has focused on the siblings' relationships (Kaminsky & Dewey, 2001; Rivers & Stoneman, 2003).
Objective
To explore the sibling relationships in families of children with/without ASD, from the perspective of the older TD-sibling, and the mother.
Methods
Twenty-nine families participated in the ASD-group (older TD-siblings, younger siblings with ASD). Forty-six families participated in the TD-group (see table 1: characteristics of participants).
Older TD-siblings and mothers in both groups completed the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ; Furman & Buhrmester, 1985). Items were rated on a 5-point Likert scale (5 indicates a high level of a factor, 1 indicates a low level).
Results
No group differences were found according to the reports from children regarding: Warmth/Closeness (F(1,72)=1.4); Relative Status/Power (F(1,72)=0.22); Conflict (F(1,72)=2.87); Rivalry (F(1,72)=2.13). However, children in the ASD-group reported less intimacy with their siblings than children in the TD-group (F(1,72)=6.08, p=.016, η2=.078).
Mothers in the ASD-group reported less Warmth/Closeness in siblings' relationship than mothers in the TD-group (F(1,72)=5.63, p=.02, η2=.073); as well as less conflict (F (1,72) =6.66, p=.012, η2=.85). They also reported less Prosocial (F(1,72)=4.57, p=.036, η2=.06), Nurture by sibling (F(1,72)=8.29, p=.005, η2=.103), Similarity (F(1,72)=14.2, p=.00, η2=.165), Intimacy (F(1,72)=20.23, p=.00, η2=.219) and Competition (F(1,72)=7.42, p = .008, η2=.093) in the sibling's relationships, than mothers in the TD-group (see table 2 for group means and SDs).
Conclusions
• Results may indicate that from the children's perspective, sibling relationships in both groups are more similar than different, despite the complexity and uniqueness of ASD.
• Participating siblings of children with ASD reported less intimacy with their sibling than participating siblings of TD-children. This may be due to the fact that sharing thoughts and feelings is a challenge for children with ASD who exhibit ToM deficiencies.
• The perspective of mothers on sibling relationship in all families was different from that of the older siblings in some aspects. The discrepancy between the views of the mothers and those of the siblings on the relationships was greater in families with ASD. This may be attributed to parental stress and other behavioral difficulties that typify those families.
• The findings establish the need for and the benefits of considering both the perspectives of the mothers and the children in order to better understand sibling relationships in TD families and families with ASD. In addition, this will also aid in the practice of intervention.

Authors

• Yonat Rum, Tel-Aviv University
  Presenting Author

• Yael Armony, Tel-Aviv University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ella Daniel, Tel-Aviv University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ditza A Zachor, The Autism Center, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center & Tel-Aviv University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Esther Dromi, Tel-Aviv University
  Non-Presenting Author