Close Relationships Despite the Challenges: Sibling Relationships and Autism.

Only 10 siblings from 10 families were interviewed, so the themes cannot be generalised to all siblings of autistic adolescents. Participants were mostly white, from middle to high socioeconomic status, and from one area around Canberra, so families with different backgrounds or greater difficulties may not be represented. The study used self-reported interviews with one sibling per family and did not include the autistic siblings or parents, so it gives one perspective rather than a full family account. Families with the most difficult sibling relationships may have been less likely to take part, so the close relationship theme may not reflect the hardest cases.

The paper names Australian Catholic University Limited as the funder. No other author conflicts or sponsor roles are reported.

Do not read the close relationship theme as proof that siblings of autistic adolescents usually cope well, or as evidence that a family intervention works. The findings come from 10 self-reported interviews in one region, and families with more severe conflict may be underrepresented.