Sibling relationships of children with disabled and nondisabled brothers and sisters.

Abstract

Goals were to compare children with and without mentally retarded (MR) siblings in terms of their sibling relations and adjustment and to examine the links between these constructs. 5s were 62 children (Mage = 12 years), half with and half without a younger MR sibling. Children and mothers evaluated children's adjustment and sibling relations in home interviews and in 7 telephone calls described the child's sibling activities, household tasks, and negative maternal and sibling interactions that day. Children with MR siblings reported more caregiving, more maternal negativity, and poorer adjustment. Caregiving, sibling and maternal negativity, and child's satisfaction with parents' differential treatment of self compared with sibling were associated with adjustment.Funding for this study was provided by the March of Dimes Foundation. We would like to thank Vicki Harris and Terese Hritcko for their help in conducting this research and Ann Crouter, Judy Dunn, Kenneth Dodge, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on a draft of this article. We are also very grateful to the families who participated in the study.

Examining the Role of Communication on Sibling Relationship Quality and Interaction for Sibling Pairs With and Without a Developmental Disability

“…Other studies have found no significant differences for gender as both boys and girls reported engaging in more caretaking activities and more involvement in daily tasks than typically developing comparison siblings (Cuskelly & Gunn, 2003;McHale & Gamble, 1989).…”

“…This difference in power and relative status continues into adolescence. Eisenburg, Baker, and Blacher (1998) Further evidence for the assymetrical nature of sibling relationships for children with ID comes from the greater amount of time spent of caregiving activities by typical siblings in than siblings of children without ID (McHale & Gamble, 1989). Stoneman, Brody, Davis, Crapps, & Malone (1991) examined ascribed roles given to siblings of children with ID by parents such as babysitting, monitoring, and assisting with day-to-day physical care.…”

“…Using self-report data on the SRQ from the typical sibling in the pair, results indicated that although the sibling relationship was characterized as less intimate, it was generally positive and less competitive than typical sibling relationships. McHale and Gamble (1989) compared reports on the SRQ from 62 typical children aged 8-14, half of whom had a sibling with an intellectual disability (ID) and half who did not. The authors reported that there were no significant differences between groups as children evaluated their relationship with their sibling as positive regardless of disability status.…”

Relação Fraternal e Síndrome de Down: um Estudo Comparativo

“…Devido à interação com o irmão com DI, alguns estudos indicam que os irmãos com DT podem se tornar mais empáticos, altruístas e solidários (Gomes, & Bosa, 2004;Messa, & Fiamenghi Jr., 2010), adquirindo melhores estratégias de enfrentamento, o que pode ter impacto positivo sobre a sua saúde mental. Por outro lado, há pesquisas que apontam efeitos negativos da convivência com um irmão com DI, tais como depressão, ansiedade, problemas de comportamento (McHale, & Gamble, 1989) e dificuldade de relacionamento com os pares (Burke, 2010;Inam, & Zehra, 2012). A qualidade da relação entre irmãos merece mais aprofundamento, uma vez que as pesquisas apontam resultados inconsistentes.…”

What is the impact of autism on mother–child interactions within families with a child with autism spectrum disorder?

“…It is even more likely in families with a child with a disability or a chronic illness (Corter et al, 1992;McHale & Pawletko, 1992;Quittner & Opipari, 1994) because of the more extreme differences in abilities and needs between siblings with and without a disability. In these families, differential parenting may take the form of unequal distribution of time and attention in favour of the sibling with a disability (McHale & Pawletko, 1992) and relatively stricter disciplinary strategies and more involvement in household tasks for the TD sibling (McHale & Gamble, 1989).…”