title: Support needs of siblings of people with developmental disabilities.
abstract: This qualitative study examines the support needs of adult siblings of people with developmental disabilities. A survey completed by 139 siblings of people with developmental disabilities captured the needs of adult siblings through 2 open-ended questions. A grounded theory approach was used, and the sibling responses anchored the analysis, interpretation of findings, and discussion using the constant comparison method. Eleven core variables and 3 overarching themes emerged. Three overarching themes for sibling support needs include: (a) getting disability-related information, (b) getting support for their caregiving role, and (c) enhancing the formal support system to address sibling needs.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Disability and Human Development, 1640 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60608-1336, USA. kkeiling@uic.edu
authors.forename: Catherine K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kramer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D002658:Developmental Disabilities; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012801:Sibling Relations; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support