Autism Spectrum Disorders and Sibling Relationships: Research and Strategies

Significant attention has been paid in the literature to sibling relationships and the effects of birth order, family size, and gender on such relationships. Although these are important areas to study, there is relatively little research on the effects of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on sibling relationships. The existent research identifies both positive and negative factors in such sibling relationships. This paper analyzes the studies that are available on ASD and sibling relationships, discusses findings, identifies implications, and makes recommendations for improving sibling relationships when one sibling has ASD.