Sibling involvement in interventions for children with a disability: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation science
• Developmental psychology
• Family studies

Background:

• Sibling involvement in therapeutic interventions for individuals with disabilities is an emerging area of research.
• Understanding the roles, outcomes, and experiences of siblings in these interventions is crucial for optimizing therapeutic approaches.
• Existing literature often focuses on specific populations, necessitating a broader review.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the involvement of siblings in therapeutic interventions for individuals with disabilities.
• To explore the diverse roles siblings assume within these interventions.
• To identify reported outcomes and participant experiences related to sibling involvement.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of databases and grey literature was conducted for studies published between 1999 and 2020.
• 14,815 citations were screened, with 31 studies meeting the inclusion criteria for quality assessment.
• Studies focused on sibling roles, intervention outcomes, and participant experiences.

Main Results:

• Siblings most commonly served as trained playmates (n=11), followed by untrained playmates (n=5).
• Interventions generally reported positive outcomes, though sample sizes were small and outcome variability was high.
• Most studies (90.32%) focused on participants with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and none included adult participants. Over half reported positive sibling experiences.

Conclusions:

• Siblings can effectively fulfill various roles in interventions, often with positive results.
• Further research is recommended to clarify the specific impact of sibling involvement compared to peers or parents.
• Future studies should include adult participants and individuals with disabilities beyond ASD, while also considering sibling perspectives.