News and Knowledge

In August 2014, OAR released a set of three online Autism Sibling Support resources for parents, teens, and children. The goal was to shine a light on an important but often overlooked demographic: brothers and sisters of individuals with autism.

OAR recognized that these future advocates, potential caretakers, and lifelong friends require more support and attention. Many people who have siblings with autism are faced with overwhelming challenges, responsibilities, and emotions when addressing their siblings’ needs, well before they’re able to develop the coping strategies that their parents use.

The Autism Sibling Support resources not only validate siblings’ feelings and provide a sense of comfort in knowing that they are not alone, but also offer practical and age-appropriate guidance on how to address some of the difficulties they’re likely to experience.

Along with hundreds of downloads of all three resources, OAR has disseminated over 500 hard copies of Autism, My Sibling, and Me, the only one printed initially, since August. It is a workbook designed to address the needs of younger typically developing siblings. Feedback from the community has been encouraging. One recipient of Autism, My Sibling, and Me describes the content as “simple enough for a child to follow” with “excellent use of characters.”

Which Siblings Resource is Right for Me?

For parents: Brothers, Sisters, and Autism: A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Siblings, which is available as a PDF document and will soon be published, outlines what mothers and fathers can do to support children who do not have an autism diagnosis. The topics range from dealing with perceived discrepancies fairly to facilitating a positive relationship between siblings. It can be read from start to finish or used as a reference tool to troubleshoot problems as they arise. Hard copies will be made available no later than March.

For teenage siblings: Life as an Autism Sibling: A Guide for Teens is an online PDF handbook written in a Q&A format and, like the parents’ resource, is being printed now as well. It addresses the challenges that teenage siblings might face as a result of having a brother or sister with autism, while also providing tips and advice on how to deal with such challenges in productive ways. The resource includes testimonials from real teenage siblings and parents, which helps make it a relatable and authentic read. Hard copies will be available by February 20.

For children: Autism, My Sibling, and Me is a colorful workbook specifically designed to engage young children. A host of cartoon characters accompany children as they learn about what autism means for their brother or sister. The resource also aims to guide young siblings through any autism-related questions and concerns they may have, offering fun ideas for activities that can help them deal with potentially stressful issues. The workbook is available now online and in hard copy. See below for more details.

Bringing Information to Your Home

These resources are excellent additions to the bookshelf of any family that has children with and without autism diagnoses. OAR is also open to sharing these resources with clinical professionals, support groups, school resource centers, and any other organizations that serve autism parents and siblings.

To access OAR’s sibling resources, simply go to the “Autism Sibling Support” initiative page to download and print all of the materials.

If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about OAR’s sibling initiative, or would like a hard copy of any of the sibling resources, please contact OAR at 703-243-3466 or programs@researchautism.org.