Attiya Inam, Rukhsana Kausar.
Psychological Adjustment Of Typical Siblings Of Children With Autism In The Context Of Family Environment.
Isra Med J Jan ;8(3):176-81.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the psychological adjustment of typical siblings of children with autism with siblings of normal children within the context of their family environment. STUDY DESIGN: A Comparative cross sectional study. st th PLACE & DURATION: The study was conducted in 10 institutes dealing children with special needs in Lahore city from 1 Oct 2011 to 30 March 2013. METHODOLOGY: Children with autism were identified from institutes of special children and those meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited. Their typical siblings and their counterparts were than assessed for their psychological adjustment focusing on their emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity issues, peer problems and pro-social behaviour. RESULTS: It was found that psychological adjustment of normal siblings of autistic children was suggestively poorer than siblings of typical children. Presence of a child with autism was a significant predictor of psychological mal-adjustment, emotional symptoms, conduct problems and peer related problems in their siblings. CONCLUSION: The difference between the psychological health of a sibling from a typical children group and a sibling from the autistic group can be attributed to the presence of the autistic child.

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