Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Adjustment of siblings of children with a disability: Methodological issues

  • Published:
International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Siblings of individuals with a disability have long been considered to be vulnerable to adjustment difficulties. There are a number of publications written for parents and those who work with families of children with a disability that perpetuate this assumption, however, the research support for this position is equivocal. This article reviews the research and discusses some of the methodological shortcomings which contribute to the lack of consensus. Recommendations are presented for improving the quality of research into sibling experiences and outcomes, and the implications of the review for counselling practice are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achenbach, T.M. & Edelbrock, C. (1983). Manual for the child behavior checklist and revised child behavior profile. Burlington, VT: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breslau, N. (1982). The psychological study of chronically ill and disabled children: Are healthy siblings appropriate controls? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 11, 379–391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breslau, N. & Prabucki, K. (1987). Siblings of disabled children: Effect of chronic stress in the family. Archive of General Psychiatry, 44, 1040–1046.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breslau, N., Weitzman, M. & Messenger, K. (1981). Psychological functioning of siblings of disabled children. Pediatrics, 67, 344–353.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G.H. & Stoneman, Z. (1994). Sibling relationships and their association with parental differential treatment. In E.M. Hetherington, D. Reiss & R. Plomin (Eds.), Separate Social Worlds of Siblings: The Impact of Nonshared Environment on Development (pp. 129–142). Hillsdale NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assocs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G.H. & Stoneman, Z. (1996). A risk-amelioration model of sibling relationships: Conceptual underpinnings and preliminary findings. In G.H. Brody (Ed.), Sibling Relationships: Their Causes and Consequences (pp. 231–247). Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuskelly, M. (1993). Psychological adjustment of the siblings of children with Down syndrome. Unpublished thesis. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuskelly, M (1996). Siblings. In B. Stratford & P. Gunn (Eds.), New Approaches to Down Syndrome (pp. 405–418). London: Cassell

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuskelly. M. & Dadds, M. (1992). Behavioural problems in children with Down's syndrome and their siblings. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33, 749–761.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuskelly, M. & Gunn, P. (1993). Maternal reports of behavior of siblings of children with Down syndrome. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 97, 749–761.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drotar, D. & Crawford, P. (1986). Psychological adaptations of siblings of chronically ill children: Research and practice implications. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 6, 355–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyson, L. (1989). Adjustment of siblings of handicapped children: A comparison. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 14, 215–229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyson, L. & Fewell, R.R. (1989). The self-concept of siblings of handicapped children: A comparison. Journal of Early Education 13 230–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellsworth, R. (1981). The measurement of child and adolescent adjustment Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologists Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Farber, B. (1960). Family organization and crises: Maintenance of integration in families with a severely mentally retarded child Monograph of the Society of Research in Child Development 25 (1) (Serial No. 75).

  • Featherstone, H. (1980). A difference in the family: Life with a disabled child. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrari, M. (1984). Chronic illness: Psychological effects on siblings. 1. Chronically ill boys. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25, 459–476.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisman, S. & Wolf, L. (1991). The handicapped child: Psychological effects of parental, marital, and sibling relationships. Psychiatric Clinics of North America: Pervasive Developmental Disorders, 14, 199–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowle, C. (1973). The effect of the severely mentally retarded child on his family. American Journal On Mental Deficiency, 73, 468–473.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gamble, W.C. & McHale, S.M. (1989). Coping with stress in sibling relationships: A comparison of children with disabled and nondisabled siblings. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 10, 353–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gath, A. (1973). The school-age siblings of mongol children. British Journal of Psychiatry, 123, 161–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gath, A. (1974). Sibling reactions to mental handicap: A comparison of the brothers and sisters of mongol children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 15, 187–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gath, A. & Gumley, D. (1987). Retarded children and their siblings. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 28, 715–730.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goyette, C., Connor, C. & Ulrich, R. (1978). Normative data on revised Conner's parent and teacher rating scales. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 6, 221–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, F.K. (1972). Brothers and sisters of retarded children: An exploratory study. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hensley, V.R. (1988). Australian normative study of the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. Australian Psychologist, 23, 371–382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holroyd, J. & McArthur, D. (1976). Mental retardation and stress on parents: A contrast between Down's syndrome and childhood autism. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 80, 431–436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoppes, K. & Harris, S.L. (1990). Perceptions of child attachment and maternal gratification in mothers of children with autism and Down syndrome. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 19, 365–370.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, F. (1969). Siblings of the retarded. In S.B. Sareson & J. Doris (Eds.), Psychological Problems in Mental Deficiency (4th ed., pp. 186–208). New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langner, T.S., Gersten, J.C., McCarthy, E.D., Eisenberg, J.G., Green, E.L., Herson, J.H. & Jameson, J.D. (1976). A screening inventory for assessing psychiatric impairment in children 6 to 18. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 44, 286–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lavigne, J.V. & Ryan, M. (1979). Psychologic adjustment of siblings of children with chronic illness. Pediatrics, 63, 616–627.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lobato, D. (1983). Siblings of handicapped children: A review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 13, 347–365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lobato, D. (1990). Brothers, sisters, and special needs: Information and activities for helping young siblings of children with chronic illnesses and developmental disabilities.Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lobato, D., Barbour, L., Hall, L.J. & Miller, C.T. (1987). Psychosocial characteristics of preschool siblings of handicapped and nonhandicapped children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 15, 329–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lobato, D., Faust, D. & Spirito, A. (1988). Examining the effects of chronic disease and disability on children's sibling relationships. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 13, 389–407.

    Google Scholar 

  • Longo, D.C. & Bond, L. (1984). Families of the handicapped child: Research and practice. Family Relations, 33, 57–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCubbin, H.I. & Patterson, J.M. (1983). The family stress process: The double ABCX model of adjustment and adaptation. In H.I. McCubbin, M.B. Sussman & J.M. Patterson (Eds.), Social Stress and the Family: Advances and Development in Family Stress Theory and Research (pp. 7–37). New York: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McHale, S.M. & Gamble, W.C. (1989). Sibling relationships of children with disabled and nondisabled brothers and sisters. Developmental Psychology, 25, 421–429.

    Google Scholar 

  • McHale, S.M. & Harris, V.S. (1992). Children's experiences with disabled and nondisabled siblings: Links with personal adjustment and relationship evaluations. In F. Boer & J. Dunn (Eds.), Children's Sibling Relationships: Developmental and Clinical Issues (pp. 83–100). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • McHale, S.M. & Pawletko, T.M. (1992). Differential treatment of siblings in two family contexts. Child Development, 63, 68–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, D.J. & Vadasy, P.F. (1994). Sibshops: Workshops for siblings of children with special needs.Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noh, S., Dumas, J.E., Wolf, L.C. & Fisman, S.N. (1989). Delineating sources of stress in parents of exceptional children. Family Relations, 38, 456–461.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poznanski, E. (1969). Psychiatric difficulties in siblings of handicapped children. Clinical Pediatrics, 8, 232–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quay, H.C. & Peterson, D.R. (1983). Interim Manual for the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist.Published by the authors at 59 Fifth, Highland Park, NJ.

  • Rodrigue, J.R., Geffken, G.R. & Morgan, S.B. (1993). Perceived competence and behavioral adjustment of siblings of children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 23, 665–674.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roe, D. & Plummer, S. (1987). Siblings of disabled children: A report of an investigative study. Paper presented at the 22nd Annual Conference of the Australian Psychological Society, Canberra.

  • Ryde-Brandt, R. (1992). Distress, defence, and support: Reactions in mothers of children with different disabilities.Lund: University of Lund.

    Google Scholar 

  • San Martino, M. & Newman, M.B. (1974). Siblings of the retarded: A population at risk. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 4, 168–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoneman, Z. (1989). Comparison groups in research in families with mentally retarded members: A methodological and conceptual review. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 94, 195–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stonemand, Z. (1993). The effects of mental retardation, disability, and illness on sibling relationships: Research issues and challenges. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tew, B. & Laurence, K.M. (1973). Mothers, brothers and sisters of patients with spina bifida. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 15, 69–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment (1986). Children's mental health: Problems and services. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster-Stratton, C. (1989). The relationship of marital support, conflict, and divorce to parent perceptions, behaviors, and childhood conduct problems. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51, 417–430.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, B., Boyle, J.T., Watkins, J.B., Nogueira, J., Zimand, E. & Carroll, L. (1988). Sibling psychological status and style as related to the disease of their chronically ill brothers and sisters: Implications for models of biopsychosocial interaction. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 9, 66–72.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fred and Eleanor Schonell Special Education Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    M. Cuskelly

Authors
  1. M. Cuskelly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cuskelly, M. Adjustment of siblings of children with a disability: Methodological issues. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling 21, 111–124 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005331700993

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005331700993

Keywords

Search

Navigation