Factors influencing adjustment in siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders

Siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be at an increased risk of adjustment problems. To examine possible predictors of adjustment difficulties in siblings, 70 mothers with at least one child with ASD and one typical child completed surveys of symptom severity in the child with ASD, impact of the child with ASD on the sibling, maternal depression, and broader autism phenotype (BAP) and behavioral adjustment in the typical sibling. A path analysis indicated that symptom severity in the children with ASD was positively associated with adjustment difficulties in the typical siblings; this relationship was mediated by maternal depression, but not sibling impact. Further, greater expression of the BAP in the siblings was associated with more adjustment difficulties, and this relationship was moderated by autism severity in the children with ASD, such that the relationship was stronger at high levels of ASD severity than at lower levels. These findings highlight the importance of assessing functioning of all family members when working with individuals with ASD and their families.

Research highlights
► Siblings of children with ASD had more adjustment problems than a normative sample.
► Child ASD severity was positively related to sibling adjustment problems.
► This relationship was mediated by maternal depression.
► Sibling broader autism phenotype was positively related to adjustment problems.
► This relationship was moderated by ASD severity.