Abstract
Recent research has found that siblings of children with ASD exhibit social, emotional, and physical sequelae (Jokiranta-Olkoniemi et al., 2016; Lovell & Wetherell, 2016) but relatively few studies have examined this population and the effects of having a sibling with ASD. This chapter begins with a discussion of the theoretical background related to the experience of being the sibling of a person with special needs, specifically those on the autistic spectrum. Afterwards, it examines support groups for siblings and the research findings regarding this type of intervention. Finally, it describes a sibling support group based on two guiding principles: encouragement via mentalization and having a peer group with a shared experience. The theoretical and practical implications of the outcomes are analyzed.
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Felsenthal-Berger, N. (2019). Siblings of Individuals with ASD. In: Lowinger, S., Pearlman-Avnion, S. (eds) Autism in Adulthood. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28833-4_11
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