Many siblings of kids on the autism spectrum say that they love their siblings, play and fight with them, as usually happens between siblings.
Siblings of autistic children generally feel positive about their brothers or sisters, but sometimes their relationships aren't as close as they could be. This might be because of the difficulties autistic children have with social communication.
Autistic children value play with their peers and many are able to play with each other. However, they may communicate more visually and with their hands, rather than in the more verbal way of other children. They may need different facilitation strategies and more support than their neurotypical peers.
For your child with autism, siblings are often extremely beneficial for developing social skills and supporting the child with ASD.
Because of the nature of autism spectrum disorders there are barriers to the sibling bond that can cause additional stress as a result; communication and play can be difficult between siblings when one has an autism spectrum disorder.
Teenage and child siblings of an autistic person
You may feel that your autistic brother or sister doesn't get told off as often as you do and that your parents give them more attention. As a sibling this may make you feel angry, sad, jealous, frustrated and/or confused.
Jealousy in children with autism and their siblings may look different. For their siblings, jealousy can appear as anger or deep sadness and retreat from a typically developing sibling. The most common reason for jealousy is undoubtedly the extra attention that the sibling with autism receives.
Does The Father Or Mother Carry The Autism Gene? Autism was always thought to have a maternal inheritance component, however, research suggests that the rarer variants associated with the disorder are usually inherited from the father.
Insecure attachments are linked to aggression and anxiety. Fewer autistic people form secure attachments than do their typical peers: Studies have shown that 47 to 53 percent of children with autism are securely attached, compared with about 65 percent of typical individuals3.
Autistic children love their parents
You may have to learn to see how your child expresses affection and not take it personally if your child doesn't show affection in the way that typical children do.
Autistic children are often strong in areas like visual, rule-based and interest-based thinking. A developmental assessment or an IQ test can identify autistic children's thinking and learning strengths. You can develop autistic children's skills by working with their strengths.
Remember that every child with autism is different, and each will react differently to a new sibling. At one extreme, some children will be affected by every change in the home, be it environmental or sensory. On the other extreme, some children may seem unaware and even oblivious to the new child, especially at first.
Children who have an older sister with autism are more likely to also have the condition than are those who have an older brother on the spectrum. The risk is higher among younger brothers than younger sisters.
Some people on the autism spectrum may seek social opportunities and may initiate social interactions themselves, others may enjoy social situations and interactions when they are initiated effectively by others.
An autistic child's physical appearance is normal. She may not like to be touched or held. She may have strange, repetitive behaviors. She may seem to be in her own world and lack interest in other people.
Since autism is less prevalent in females, autism was always thought to be passed down from the mother. However, research suggests that autism genes are usually inherited from the father.
Many autistic people enjoy spending time alone and consider it important for their wellbeing. Loneliness is different though. You might feel lonely if you don't have opportunities to socialise, or find this difficult. You might have friends/colleagues but feel misunderstood, or like you cannot be yourself around them.
Advances in diagnostic capabilities and greater understanding and awareness of autism spectrum disorder seem to be largely driving the increase, the Rutgers researchers said. But there's probably more to the story: Genetic factors, and perhaps some environmental ones, too, might also be contributing to the trend.
Among those with autism, common triggers include disturbing breaks in routine, lack of sleep, jarring “sensory stimuli” (noises, lights, or smells) or even undiagnosed mental health problems. Clearly, it's important to look beyond the behavior itself to identify the underlying cause.
There are many different factors that have been identified that may make a child more likely to have ASD, including environmental, biologic, and genetic factors.
Some children with autism smile to show they're happy but don't share their enjoyment. Others show little facial expression or have flat affect and rarely smile so you may not know when they're happy.
Aggression, such as hitting, biting, scratching, hair-pulling, or kicking another person, is relatively common in children on the autism spectrum. A study of children and teenagers with autism found that 68 percent had been aggressive to a caregiver, and 49 percent had been aggressive to someone else, at some point.
It's common for autistic children to behave aggressively towards themselves or other people. The first step in managing and changing aggressive or self-injurious behaviour is understanding why it happens. If your child is ever in immediate or life-threatening danger, immediately call emergency services on 000.