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β€˜It Feels Very Weird and Normal at the Same Time’: Sibling Perceptions of Their Relationships With an Autistic Brother or Sister With Complex Care Needs

βœ‡Wiley: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities: Table of Contents
By: Louise Rixon， Richard P. Hastings， Hanna Kovshoff

ABSTRACT

Background

The impact of having a disabled brother or sister on siblings' psychological well-being and sibling relationships has been the subject of several research studies. However, research which focuses on the relationship between siblings and their autistic brother or sister with an intellectual disability and complex care needs is rare. We explored siblings' views and experiences of their sibling relationship with their autistic brother or sister with complex care needs.

Method

Eleven children and early adolescents (4 male/7 female) between the ages of 8 and 14 years took part in semi-structured interviews with questions focussing on their relationship with their autistic brother or sister who had complex care needs. Reflexive thematic analysis was used as a guide to analyse the data.

Results

Four themes are presented: positive interactions bring joy, sibling conflict is driven by verbal interactions, behaviours may have different meanings for the sibling, perceptions of change in the sibling relationship.

Conclusions

The siblings of autistic brothers and sisters with an intellectual disability and complex care needs described warmth and positivity. Siblings of autistic children, who have complex care needs, deeply valued their interactions with their brother or sister despite reciprocity being on their terms. When autistic brothers and sisters had some functional spoken language, this often changed the context for the siblings relationship; perhaps leading to an increased chance of conflict or perceived negative experiences. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the individual meaning of these sibling relationships.

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β€˜I Don't Think I Have Ever Worked Harder on a Case’: Needs of Canadian Child Protection Workers and Parents With Intellectual Disabilities

βœ‡Wiley: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities: Table of Contents
By: Munazza Tahir， Virginie Cobigo

ABSTRACT

Background

The current literature has established that prejudice in child protection cases with parents with intellectual disabilities continues to persist. However, complexities of these cases are not well-understood from the perspective of child protection workers. This study aimed to identify the needs of child protection workers and their views on factors that influence supports for parents with intellectual disabilities.

Method

This qualitative study conducted semistructured interviews with child protection workers who have worked directly with parents with intellectual disabilities across five child protective agencies in three regions in Ontario, Canada (n = 11).

Results

Three major themes emerged after content analysis of interviews: (1) training and support needs of child protection workers; (2) key sources of support for parents; and (3) intersecting factors impacting decision-making.

Conclusion

Social service agencies continue to be fragmented and better coordination across agencies is needed to meet the cross-sectoral needs of parents with intellectual disabilities.

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The Sociodemographic Characteristics of Mothers With Intellectual Disability: A Review of Population‐Level Studies

βœ‡Wiley: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities: Table of Contents
By: S. Collings， G. Hindmarsh， H. Wilkinson， G. Llewellyn

ABSTRACT

Background

Population studies confirm mothers with intellectual disability have poorer antenatal outcomes than other mothers but less is known about any differences in sociodemographic characteristics between these groups.

Method

A systematic review of population-level studies on parents with intellectual disability was undertaken from January to August 2023. Seven electronic databases and references from two literature reviews were examined and 27 studies met inclusion criteria for the review.

Results

All studies reported on mothers and only one on fathers. Maternal age and socioeconomic status were most frequently reported; age in 26 studies and socioeconomic status in 23 studies. Most studies found mothers with intellectual disability were significantly younger (73%) and more disadvantaged (83%) than their peers.

Conclusions

Maternal intellectual disability co-occurs with established parenting risk factors in the general population. Social welfare programs must become disability-inclusive and population datasets should routinely include disability items. A knowledge gap remains in relation to fathers with intellectual disability.

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