A psychoeducational group for siblings of children with autism

Sibling support groups exist for some subsets of siblings but they are, for the most part, lacking for siblings of children with autism. Creating an outlet for siblings of children with autism is important in light of research studies that highlight the effects of growing up with a brother or sister with autism. The purpose of this project was to develop a manual for clinicians to use in the implementation of a psychoeducational group for middle childhood age siblings of children with autism. A psychoeducational group is more comprehensive in nature as it provides education, support, and skill building. It is therefore better suited to address the various issues that siblings of children with autism face. The information in the manual is empirically based in the literature and is comprised of 2 main sections. The information section provides the facilitator with an overview of the diagnostic criteria, prevalence rates, etiology of autism, cultural considerations, and information regarding the structure of the group. The remainder of the manual describes in detail 9 weekly sessions that address topics such as information about autism, feelings, sibling relationships, school, and family. In addition, there is a parent session as well as a combined parent and child session. Following its completion, two licensed psychologists evaluated the manual for it clinical relevance, usefulness, strengths, and weaknesses using an evaluation form. The manual was then edited to reflect their comments and suggestions.