title: Siblings relationships of children with autism.
abstract: This study investigated sibling relationships of children with autism compared to children with Down syndrome and siblings of normally developing children. Ninety siblings (30 per group) between the ages of 8 and 18 participated in this study. Results indicated that sibling relationships in families of children with autism were characterized by less intimacy, prosocial behavior, and nurturance than those of the two comparison groups. Both siblings of children with autism and siblings of children with Down syndrome reported greater admiration of their sibling and less quarreling and competition in their relationships relative to normally developing comparison children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaminsky
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dewey
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012801:Sibling Relations; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires