Sibling relationships are dynamic within any family context and disabilities add a different and even more complex dimension to a family context. In addition, inclusion is a relatively new concept in South Africa, especially as an inclusive society. This means that it is challenging for a family that has children with disabilities to live and function in the greater society as children with disabilities have specialised needs and expectations. However, siblings of children with disabilities have their own needs and expectations as participating individuals within a family context and within society; therefore it is of relevance to be fully aware of their personal views, perceptions, understanding and challenges they are confronted with. The primary aim of this study was to gain a rich and in-depth understanding of how the disabilities of a child could impact on a non-disabled sibling. With the above mentioned taken into account, siblings of children with disabilities are faced with an array of unique challenges that may change as the siblings develop, therefore, this study focused on siblings who are in their middle childhood phase (six to twelve years old). Qualitative research methods were applied to gain an in-depth understanding of the children‘s experiences and views. The review of the literature provided the theoretical framework against which the qualitative research was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were constructed from the comprehensive literature review. Observations and documents were also used as research instruments to collect descriptive and supportive data. Interpretations were made from the data collected. The literature review exposed and recognised variances regarding sibling experiences about living with children with disabilities. Five information rich participants were interviewed. The findings of this empirical investigation revealed that not all the siblings identified the same experiences as shared experiences of being siblings to children with disabilities. Therefore, it is recommended that the challenges these siblings are faced with should be taken into account since it has been revealed that there seems to be a need to support these siblings and their families. The whole family is a nested system interacting with each other, within the family system and with other systems beyond the family system, including the wider community and society. Thus, siblings need regular, understandable and updated information as they grow up, regarding the challenges the families are faced with, pertaining to the disabilities experienced, within this nested system. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / This study focused on South African siblings' experiences of a brother or sister with cancer. Social constructionism was used as an epistemological framework. Three in-depth interviews with siblings (ages 12 – 16 years) of pediatric cancer patients, were done. The case study approach was chosen as the most suitable method to gain the information. The thematic content analysis was the method of analysis. Participants' experiences with regard to their siblings' cancer were reconstructed according to themes. Recurring themes were elucidated and linked with the literature. The study allowed participants to express their conscious and unconscious experiences by means of verbal and non-verbal (art activities) communication. Results support the concern by previous studies about siblings' vulnerability since the diagnosis of a brother's/sister's cancer. The uniqueness of each sib's experience and the implementation of individualy-centered intervention strategies is emphasized. Educational Psychologists as well as members of the multidisciplinary team (teachers, medical and nursing staff, parents, family and peers) interested in supporting siblings of pediatric cancer patients can benefit from this study.

M.A. / A child's life-threatening illness has severe implications for the family. Changes in lifestyle which result from an illness of this nature influence the child-patient's own life, as well as the lives of people who are in close contact with him, i.e. his parents and healthy siblings. Literature on the subject suggests that the healthy siblings suffer due to the illness and that their needs are not addressed during the illness. They often become the victims of emotional neglect, due to the lack of meaningful contact with their parents. Literature also suggests that parents often judge their healthy children to he handling the situation of one child's lifethreatening illness far more successfully than they actually are. Healthy siblings may also develop death anxiety due to this experience. Due to these, and various other reasons, the healthy siblings of children with life-threatening illnesses constitute a population which is at risk of developing moderate and severe personal, social and psychological problems. The aim of this study was to investigate how healthy siblings experience a child's lifethreatening illness and how this experience influences the healthy siblings. The study also aimed to determine the effect of a child's life-threatening illness on healthy siblings' levels of death anxiety. These aims were achieved by conducting interviews with healthy siblings, as well as their parents. The three families which were included in this study were contacted through a local state hospital. In all three families one child had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. All the healthy siblings who were interviewed were between the ages of nine and 16. Both qualitative and quantitative data analyses were incorporated by this study. The qualitative data for the study was gathered by means of open-ended interviews with healthy siblings and their parents. These interviews were then analysed according to the phenomenological research method. The quantitative data for the study was gathered by means of the Death Anxiety Questionnaire for Children (Malan, 1996) which was constructed far the study. The results of the qualitative data of all the participants of the study were combined in the final analysis, to determine how healthy siblings experience a child's life-threatening illness and what effect this experience has on them. The quantitative results of the study were analysed and interpreted in association with the qualitative results. The findings of this study suggest that a child's life-threatening illness constitutes a traumatic and emotional experience for the child's healthy siblings. Various conclusions were drawn as to the effects which this experience may have on the healthy siblings. The study also determined that a child's life-threatening illness influences healthy siblings' levels of death anxiety. According to these findings hypotheses may be set for future research. The results of this study is of value to the fields of psychology, social work and medicine. In the .fields of counselling and child psychology, the results serve to improve the understanding of families, and especially , children, who are experiencing the life-threatening disease of a family member. In the fields of social work and medicine the results serve to improve the relations between professionals and families of child-patients with life-threatening illnesses.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-54).

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:44:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5126.pdf: 1687281 bytes, checksum: 393596b569cb3b9980b77e9f5435b36e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-28 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / Literature has pointed to the importance of intergenerational relationships in families of children with and without disabilities. Once the familiar universe of a child goes beyond the interaction that he establishes with his mother, involving fathers, siblings, grandparents and other individuals, the focus of intergenerationality has contributed to the understanding of developmental processes and family adaptation in families of children with and without developmental abnormalities. Furthermore, studies indicate the need for greater understanding about the family s factors associated with stress reported by the elderly. The aim of this study was to identify the experiences of families of children with intellectual disabilities and typically developing children, about daily life, support practices and intergenerationality from the perspective of three generations - grandmothers, mothers and siblings. As the specific objectives we have: (1) assess the differences and similarities in patterns of intergenerational relationships and daily life of the two family groups represented, (2) identify the presence of stress in participant grandmothers. The study included 36 family members of 12 families of children with intellectual disabilities and typically developing children who were linked to public and / or philanthropic schools located in countryside of Sao Paulo - Brazil, who had older siblings and grandparents living in the same city. For data collection were used: 1) Identification questionnaire of the child and family, 2) Economic Classification Criterion Brazil (CCEB), 3) Semi-structured roadmap interviews for mothers, grandmothers and siblings of the children; 4) Inventory stress symptoms for adults (ISSL). The data obtained through the identification questionnaire, the CCEB and the ISSL were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The interviews were analyzed qualitatively using the technique of the Collective Subject Discourse. The main findings indicate that grandmothers of both family groups studied represent an important source of support for the family. Moreover, the intergenerational relationship between grandmothers and their older grandchildren presented as positive in the lives of all involved, with no significant differences between groups. However, in the case of families of children with disabilities, it was observed that the interaction between grandmothers and older grandchildren is increased with specific features of this reality, since the grandmothers seem to interfere more in the relationship between siblings than the grandmothers of typically developing children do. Furthermore, older siblings, in these families were identified as important support to their mothers and siblings with disabilities. About the stress experienced by the third generation, the results from the application of ISSL revealed that the majority of grandparents of children with disabilities are stressed, while only one grandmother of typically developing children showed symptoms of stress. It is argued about the contribution of intergenerational relationships in the development of all family members and is pointed up, in the case of grandmothers of children with disabilities, about the importance of considering them in the guidance and clarification about the issue of the child. It is emphasized on the importance of intergenerational studies and the need for education and health activities that promote and strength the intergenerational connections. / A literatura aponta para a importância dos relacionamentos intergeracionais em famílias de crianças com e sem deficiência. Uma vez que o universo familiar de uma criança vai muito além da interação que esta estabelece com sua mãe, envolvendo os pais, irmãos, avós e outros indivíduos, o enfoque da intergeracionalidade tem contribuído para a compreensão dos processos de desenvolvimento e adaptação familiar em famílias de crianças com e sem alterações no desenvolvimento. Além disso, estudos apontam sobre a necessidade de maior compreensão acerca dos fatores familiares associados ao estresse relatado por idosos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi identificar a experiência de famílias de crianças com deficiência intelectual e de crianças com desenvolvimento típico, acerca do cotidiano, das práticas de apoio e da intergeracionalidade, sob a ótica de três gerações avós, mães e irmãos. Como objetivos específicos, tem-se: (1) verificar diferenças e semelhanças nos padrões de relacionamento intergeracional e no cotidiano dos dois grupos familiares representados; (2) identificar a presença de estresse nas avós participantes. Participaram do estudo 36 familiares de 12 famílias de crianças com deficiência intelectual e desenvolvimento típico, que estavam vinculadas a escolas públicas e/ou filantrópicas localizadas em uma cidade do interior do estado de São Paulo, que tinham irmãos mais velhos e avós residindo na mesma cidade. Para coleta de dados foram utilizados: 1) Questionário de identificação da criança e da família; 2) Critério de Classificação Econômica Brasil (CCEB); 3) Roteiros de entrevistas semiestruturadas para mães, avós e irmãos das crianças; 4) Inventário de sintomas de stress para adultos (ISSL). Os dados obtidos por meio do Questionário de identificação, do CCEB e do ISSL foram analisados por meio de estatística descritiva. As entrevistas foram analisadas qualitativamente por meio da técnica do Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo. Os principais resultados apontam que as avós de ambos os grupos representam importante fonte de apoio à família. Além disso, o relacionamento intergeracional entre as avós e seus netos mais velhos apresentou-se como positivo na vida de todos os envolvidos, não havendo diferenças marcantes entre os grupos. Contudo, no caso das famílias de crianças com deficiência, observou-se que a interação entre avós e netos mais velhos é acrescida de características específicas desta realidade, uma vez que as avós parecem interferir mais no relacionamento entre os irmãos do que o fazem as avós de crianças com desenvolvimento típico. Além disso, os irmãos mais velhos, nestas famílias, foram apontados como importante fonte de apoio às mães e aos irmãos com deficiência. Acerca do estresse vivenciado pela terceira geração, os resultados advindos da aplicação do ISSL revelaram que a maior parte das avós de crianças com deficiência encontra-se estressada, enquanto que apenas uma avó das crianças com desenvolvimento típico apresentou sintomas de estresse. Discute-se sobre a contribuição de relacionamentos intergeracionais no desenvolvimento de todos os membros da família e aponta-se, no caso das avós das famílias de crianças com deficiência, sobre a importância de considerá-las ao orientar e esclarecer sobre a problemática da criança. Ressalta-se para a importância de estudos intergeracionais e para a necessidade de ações de saúde e educação que promovam e fortaleçam os vínculos intergeracionais.

The focus of this qualitative study is the way siblings of children with autism experience their nuclear family. Five participants in their middle childhood (6 to 12 years), with a younger sibling with autism, participated in the study. Individual unstructured interviews were conducted with all participants to describe their experience of their family. The interviews were, with the consent of the parents and children, video-recorded and transcribed. Eight recurring themes were identified in the transcriptions and studied relative to the existing literature. True to the qualitative nature of this study, the aim was not to generalize the findings, but to give each of the participants the opportunity to tell his/her story. The result of this study is the detailed description of how siblings of children with autism experience their nuclear family. / Social Work / M.Diac.(Play Therapy)

Sibling relationships are dynamic within any family context and disabilities add a different and even more complex dimension to a family context. In addition, inclusion is a relatively new concept in South Africa, especially as an inclusive society. This means that it is challenging for a family that has children with disabilities to live and function in the greater society as children with disabilities have specialised needs and expectations. However, siblings of children with disabilities have their own needs and expectations as participating individuals within a family context and within society; therefore it is of relevance to be fully aware of their personal views, perceptions, understanding and challenges they are confronted with. The primary aim of this study was to gain a rich and in-depth understanding of how the disabilities of a child could impact on a non-disabled sibling. With the above mentioned taken into account, siblings of children with disabilities are faced with an array of unique challenges that may change as the siblings develop, therefore, this study focused on siblings who are in their middle childhood phase (six to twelve years old). Qualitative research methods were applied to gain an in-depth understanding of the children‘s experiences and views. The review of the literature provided the theoretical framework against which the qualitative research was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were constructed from the comprehensive literature review. Observations and documents were also used as research instruments to collect descriptive and supportive data. Interpretations were made from the data collected. The literature review exposed and recognised variances regarding sibling experiences about living with children with disabilities. Five information rich participants were interviewed. The findings of this empirical investigation revealed that not all the siblings identified the same experiences as shared experiences of being siblings to children with disabilities. Therefore, it is recommended that the challenges these siblings are faced with should be taken into account since it has been revealed that there seems to be a need to support these siblings and their families. The whole family is a nested system interacting with each other, within the family system and with other systems beyond the family system, including the wider community and society. Thus, siblings need regular, understandable and updated information as they grow up, regarding the challenges the families are faced with, pertaining to the disabilities experienced, within this nested system. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

Toy sharing and sibling interaction are major contexts for young children's developing social skills. This study examined the effects of parenting on sharing between siblings, and the effectiveness of a 5-session parenting programme in promoting sharing. Forty-eight mothers with two preschoolers participated. Each family was assessed before and after the parenting programme and at a 6-week follow-up. The mother completed measures of her parenting approach and reported on her children's behavior. The children were interviewed to obtain cognitive measures. Interactions of the mother and two children were observed in a laboratory playroom. Fathers and preschool teachers also reported on the children's behavior. Two parts of the study used data collected at the first assessment. First, multivariate analyses showed significant correlations between mother behaviors and those of the children, and between the two children. Second, the immediate effects of parenting on children's sharing were explored by manipulating the mother's activities. Children exhibited more appropriate sharing when the mother was free to interact with them than when she was busy with paperwork. The third part of the study examined the effects of two formats of a parent-training programme on sibling sharing. Families were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: individual programme, group programme, or waiting-list control. The programme provided parents with information about the development of sharing and sibling relationships and taught behavioral parenting techniques to use in promoting the development of child sharing skills. Positive effects of the sharing programme on siblings' sharing-related behavior were clearly demonstrated. These effects were seen to generalize across informants and across behaviors, but not across informants and behaviors combined. Treatment effects were maintained over a follow-up period. Although mothers demonstrated increased knowledge of the content covered by the programme and rated it highly, they did not demonstrate or report significant changes in their own parenting approach on the original measures. Mixed results were obtained concerning the two treatment formats. For observations of child behavior, only the individual format showed superiority over the control condition. The two formats did not differ in treatment effects found on most questionnaire measures. Mothers' reports of decreased behavior problems among younger children and a few tentative findings from child interview measures suggested superiority of the group format. Overall, this study demonstrated both strong relationships between the sharing-related behavior of children, and correlational and causal relationships between mother behavior and sibling sharing. A parent-training intervention was demonstrated to have positive effects on children's sharing behaviors, and these effects generalized over situations, behaviors and time. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

"The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of parenting style and having vs. not having siblings on social skill development."

The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the reasons why some siblings are placed together and why other siblings are separated within the foster care system.