The attitudes of typically developing adolescents towards their sibling with autism spectrum disorder
Background: Understanding how the cognitive, emotional and behavioural components of sibling attitudes interact with one another at various stages of a sibling’s lifespan will allow clinicians to provide better support to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. However, no r...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2017-04-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Communication Disorders |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/184 |
| _version_ | 1819071150951497728 |
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| author | Christine van der Merwe Juan Bornman Dana Donohue Michal Harty |
| author_facet | Christine van der Merwe Juan Bornman Dana Donohue Michal Harty |
| author_sort | Christine van der Merwe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Understanding how the cognitive, emotional and behavioural components of sibling attitudes interact with one another at various stages of a sibling’s lifespan will allow clinicians to provide better support to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. However, no research exists which focusses on describing the attitudes of adolescent siblings of children with ASD within the South African context towards their sibling with an ASD. The primary aim of this study was to investigate how typically developing adolescents recall their past attitudes and describe their present attitudes towards their sibling with an ASD.
Methods: Thirty typically developing adolescents who have siblings with ASD were selected to complete the survey instrument, the Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale, using a cross-sectional design.
Results: Results indicate that the measure has internal consistency within this sample. Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests were used to test for significant differences between the mean values for the two self-reported time periods. Friedman analysis of variances (ANOVAs) was used to test for significant differences in the three components of attitudes, namely affect, behaviour and cognition. Results indicate that participants held more positive attitudes towards their siblings with ASD as adolescents compared with when they were younger and that adolescents rated their current emotions towards and beliefs about their sibling with ASD to be more positive than their current interaction experiences.
Conclusion: As siblings’ attitudes appear to change over time, clinicians should use a lifespan approach to sibling attitudes when designing and implementing supports for siblings of children with ASD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T17:17:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8bc071e67ca748d38e18172f81517476 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0379-8046 2225-4765 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T17:17:16Z |
| publishDate | 2017-04-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Communication Disorders |
| spelling | doaj.art-8bc071e67ca748d38e18172f815174762022-12-21T18:56:15ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Communication Disorders0379-80462225-47652017-04-01641e1e710.4102/sajcd.v64i1.184455The attitudes of typically developing adolescents towards their sibling with autism spectrum disorderChristine van der Merwe0Juan Bornman1Dana Donohue2Michal Harty3Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of PretoriaCentre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of PretoriaCentre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Psychological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, United StatesCentre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Department of Health and Rehab Sciences, University of Cape Town, South AfricaBackground: Understanding how the cognitive, emotional and behavioural components of sibling attitudes interact with one another at various stages of a sibling’s lifespan will allow clinicians to provide better support to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. However, no research exists which focusses on describing the attitudes of adolescent siblings of children with ASD within the South African context towards their sibling with an ASD. The primary aim of this study was to investigate how typically developing adolescents recall their past attitudes and describe their present attitudes towards their sibling with an ASD. Methods: Thirty typically developing adolescents who have siblings with ASD were selected to complete the survey instrument, the Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale, using a cross-sectional design. Results: Results indicate that the measure has internal consistency within this sample. Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests were used to test for significant differences between the mean values for the two self-reported time periods. Friedman analysis of variances (ANOVAs) was used to test for significant differences in the three components of attitudes, namely affect, behaviour and cognition. Results indicate that participants held more positive attitudes towards their siblings with ASD as adolescents compared with when they were younger and that adolescents rated their current emotions towards and beliefs about their sibling with ASD to be more positive than their current interaction experiences. Conclusion: As siblings’ attitudes appear to change over time, clinicians should use a lifespan approach to sibling attitudes when designing and implementing supports for siblings of children with ASD.https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/184AdolescenceAttitudeAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)Lifespan Sibling Relationship ScaleSiblingSouth Africa |
| spellingShingle | Christine van der Merwe Juan Bornman Dana Donohue Michal Harty The attitudes of typically developing adolescents towards their sibling with autism spectrum disorder South African Journal of Communication Disorders Adolescence Attitude Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale Sibling South Africa |
| title | The attitudes of typically developing adolescents towards their sibling with autism spectrum disorder |
| title_full | The attitudes of typically developing adolescents towards their sibling with autism spectrum disorder |
| title_fullStr | The attitudes of typically developing adolescents towards their sibling with autism spectrum disorder |
| title_full_unstemmed | The attitudes of typically developing adolescents towards their sibling with autism spectrum disorder |
| title_short | The attitudes of typically developing adolescents towards their sibling with autism spectrum disorder |
| title_sort | attitudes of typically developing adolescents towards their sibling with autism spectrum disorder |
| topic | Adolescence Attitude Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale Sibling South Africa |
| url | https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/184 |
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