Siblings of Children with ASD: Promoting Social Communication

Siblings of children with disabilities have been a focus of research in recent years. Sibling relationships, family quality of life, and incorporation of siblings into intervention have all been areas of investigation. The current paper describes the participation of siblings in intervention with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sibling-mediated intervention, modeled after peer-mediated intervention, has been shown to increase the social communication skills of children with ASD, and families have reported satisfaction and increased quality of life following such intervention. Clinical implications and ideas for supporting siblings and families of children with ASD are discussed.