Sibling Relationships in families with an adolescent or young adult with Autism spectrum disorder: A qualitative survey

Abstract

There is little research on the relationships between adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders and their siblings, despite the importance of these relationships for individual’s psychological well-being and future care that could be planned by siblings. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine sibling relationships in families with an adolescent or young adult with Autism spectrum disorder. We conducted in-person semi-structured interviews with 30 siblings aged 11 to 30 of adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 26 with ASDs, giving to participants the opportunity to describe the sibling relationship in terms of similarity and differences, siblings’ demands, feelings of responsibility for siblings’ well-being, their future perspective time, and the identification of the support’s needs. The results lead to several interesting suggestions to plan support’s projects for adolescents siblings and young adults. Implications for research and clinical practice related to sibling relationships in atypical development are provided.