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Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Challenges and Growth: Lived Experience of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) with a Sibling with ASD
Dorothea Iannuzzi1,2, Lucy Fell3, Christina Luberto4,5
1Department of Pediatrics, Mass General Hospital for Children, Boston, USA. diannuzzi@bwh.harvard.edu.
Abstract:
Adolescent and young adult (AYA) siblings of individuals with autism experience unique challenges that can promote both growth and emotional maladjustment. This study explored sibling and parent reports of siblings' lived experiences and identified learning, stressors, and concerns from those experiences. 20 neurotypical (NT) AYA siblings (ages 13-24), and 21 parents were interviewed. Themes that emerged from the data analysis included: (1) learning, empathy, and compassion (2) relationship between the degree of functional impairment and the nature of the sibling relationship; (3) reluctance to share information about siblings with peers; (4) hypervigilance associated with unpredictable behavior; (5) worries and concerns about the future. These findings contribute to the existing literature on the impact and nature of neurotypical siblings' lived experience.
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