They note that sibling relationships can be especially good for autistic children, and you can help build these relationships.
However, researchers found that autistic children with typical older siblings have better social skills than those without siblings.
There are negative experiences of having a sibling with an autism spectrum disorder that should be acknowledged and addressed. Anxiety, anger, jealousy, embarrassment, loss, and loneliness are all emotions that children will likely experience.
Autism risk estimated at 3 to 5% for children whose parents have a sibling with autism.
Although the exact cause of autism is still unknown, there is evidence to suggest that genetics play a significant role. 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.
Studies that include all siblings born before and after the child who has ASD have found the ASD recurrence risk to be 6-10% (Bolton et al., 1994; Chudley, Guitierrez, Jocelyn, & Chodirker.
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.
The relationship between siblings of autistic children can be complex. While some siblings may have a close bond, others may struggle with feelings of resentment or jealousy. It is important for parents to recognize and address any negative feelings that may arise and to provide support for all of their children.
In fact, parents of children with autism split up as often as parents of children who don't have autism, according to their research. In this study, about two-thirds of the children lived with their two biological or adoptive parents. That was true whether the children had autism or not.
Probably one of the most devastating myths for families is the misconception that children with autism cannot give and receive affection and love. We know that sensory stimulation is processed differently by some children with autism, causing them to have difficulty expressing affection in conventional ways.
Although autistic people may struggle to interact with others, many autistic people have said they find interacting with other autistic people more comfortable.
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.
A child with ASD can be challenging—they may be restless; have trouble sleeping, eating or speaking; experience seizures; or have meltdowns born of frustration or overstimulation. Expectations for a “normal” life may need to be adjusted.
For parents of such children, communication is a problem that compounds the stress & anxiety of parents. Parents face the challenge that their child is unable to communicate their needs and wants. With children at times unaware of nonverbal communication and cues, the challenges of parenting get compounded.
How do parents feel? Parents of children with autism sometimes describe feeling “overwhelmed, guilty, confused, angry, or depressed.” Frustration is a common emotion. They may feel frustrated when their child is clumsy, unresponsive, angry, or disregarding of others.
The main results revealed that children with autism expressed jealousy in situations similar to their typical age mates but manifested it in different behaviors. Moreover, children with autism revealed a less coherent understanding of the feeling.
In fact, parents of autistic children report that they experience more depression, anxiety, and stress-related health problems than other parents. Parental stress has also been associated with marital distress, less effective parenting, and dropping out of treatment.
In all, the findings from research suggest that children with autism are capable of forming secure attachments with their caregivers. However, it also suggests that autistic children may be more prone to developing an insecure attachment than typically developing children.
Jealousy is a tough emotion to deal with because it may not appear as jealousy when it surfaces. 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.
Use pictures and stories. Draw pictures together of families with babies, show your child photos of babies, or use social stories to help your child understand what to expect. You might take the child to a playground to observe babies, or introduce him or her to a friend's baby.
In the largest study of its kind, researchers have shown that the risk of autism increases for firstborn children and children of older parents. The risk of a firstborn with an autism spectrum disorder triples after a mother turns 35 and a father reaches 40.
Among all families affected by autism, up to 19 percent have more than one child with the disorder, according to one large study.
One key finding was that children's symptom severity can change with age. In fact, children can improve and get better. "We found that nearly 30% of young children have less severe autism symptoms at age 6 than they did at age 3.
Studies have shown that more than 50% of mothers report a decreased ability to enjoy life as they face the challenges associated with raising a child with ASD. In fact, a low level of social support has been identified as the most powerful predictor of depression and anxiety in the mothers (Boyd, 2002).