Syftet med studien var att åskådliggöra vilka konsekvenser uppdraget som familjehem kan få för de biologiska barnen när det sker förändringar i syskonskaran. Vi fann flera motsägelser i de biologiska barnens berättelser vilket vi tolkar som att uppdraget är komplext. Förändringen i syskonskaran upplevs delvis som utmanande. En av utmaningarna för våra respondenter har varit att de ska agera utifrån en ny roll vilket är en process som har tagit olika lång tid att hantera. Majoriteten av våra respondenter pratar positivt om sin förändrade situation och uppdraget i sin helhet. De menar att det ökade ansvaret som uppdraget inneburit gjort att de fått en annan roll i familjen som bidragit till att de upplever sig mer tagna på allvar. Den nya rollen har visat sig innebära en större frihet men också givit dem nya möjligheter. Förändringen har likväl väckt ett behov av att bibehålla en viss struktur inom familjen och att ibland få möjlighet att få återgå till det som familjen gjorde innan uppdraget påbörjades. Flera av våra respondenter uttrycker en önskan om en tillflyktsort där de får tillfälle att vara som “vanligt”, vilket vi tolkat som innan de fått en ny position i syskonskaran. Studiens resultat pekar på att uppdraget är komplext. Konsekvensen av att få en ny position i syskonskaran upplevs delvis som utmanande och delvis som en möjlighet. Vi har funniten paradox; att de biologiska barnen å ena sidan finner uppdraget och de nya förväntningar som kommer med den nya syskonpositionen som befriande och å andra sidan uttrycker de ett behov av att låta allt vara som vanligt.       Studien har genomförts med nio respondenter genom både kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer via en intervjuguide och strukturerade intervjuer i enkätform. För att förstå det empiriska materialet har det analyserats med hjälp av flera teoretiska begrepp från systemteorin samt en sociologisk rollteori. Vi har också valt att relatera empirin till den tidigare forskning som gjorts i ämnet. Utgångspunkten i studien har varit att placeringen i syskonskaran spelar roll då det finns olika förväntningar på de olika rollerna. Föreställningen om att ens position i syskonskaran påverkar en individ gör det intressant att lyfta de biologiska barnen i familjehem för att förstå viktiga aspekter av att agera syskon och samtidigt ändra den position som man är van vid. Studien syftade till att klargöra hur de biologiska barnen upplevde den förändring i syskonskaran som uppdraget innebar. / The purpose of the study was to illustrate the consequences of the family home for the biological children when there are changes in the siblingship. We found several contradictions in the children's stories, which we interpret as the mission is complex. The change in the siblingship is partly experienced as challenging. One of the challenges for our respondents has been that they act on a new role, which is a process that has taken a long time to handle. The majority of our respondents speak positively about their changed situation and the assignment as a whole. They believe that the increased responsibility that the assignment meant meant that they had a different role in the family that helped them feel more seriously taken. The new role has proved to mean greater freedom, but also given them new opportunities. However, the change has aroused the need to maintain a certain structure within the family and sometimes to get back to what the family did before the mission began. Several of our respondents express a wish for a place of refuge where they have the opportunity to be "common", which we interpreted as before they got a new position in the siblings. The study results indicate that the assignment is complex. The consequence of getting a new position in the siblingship is partly experienced as challenging and partly as an opportunity. Paradoxically, we have found that the biological children, on the one hand, find the mission and the new expectations that come with the new sibling position as liberation, and on the other hand they express a need to let everything be as usual.      The study has been conducted with nine respondents through both qualitative semistructured interviews via an interview guide and structured interviews in questionnaire. To understand the empirical material, it has been analyzed using several theoretical concepts from system theory and a sociological role theory. We have also chosen to relate empirin to the previous research done on the subject. The starting point of the study has been that the position in the siblings carries a role as there are different expectations of the different roles. The idea that one's position in sibling carries an individual affects an individual makes it interesting to raise the children in family homes to understand important aspects of acting siblings while changing the position that is used to. The study aimed at clarifying how the biological children experienced the change in the siblingship that the mission meant.

iii Abstract Sibling relationships are amongst the most influential relationships in one’s life. Bringing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) into these interactional dynamics has a marked influence on these relationships for both the sibling with ASD and the typically developing siblings. The main aim of this study was to investigate how typically developing adolescents describe their present attitudes towards their sibling with ASD, compared to their attitudes when they were younger. Thirty typically developing adolescents who have siblings with ASD were selected to complete the survey instrument, namely the Modified Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale (MLSRS). The survey instrument operated on the conceptualisation of attitudes as consisting of three components: affective, cognitive and behavioural. The results indicated that the majority of adolescents have very strong positive feelings towards their sibling (affective component), both at the time of the research and when they were younger. Their beliefs about their siblings and their relationship with them (cognitive component) have become more positive as they became older. Their actual interaction (behavioural component) was, however, found to be significantly lower than their feelings towards their siblings (both as adolescents and as younger children) and their beliefs about their relationships as adolescents. This study highlighted the need for children who develop typically to be taught how to interact effectively with their sibling with ASD and the need for siblings to be provided with age appropriate information about their sibling’s disorder. The results also indicate that although most of the children seemed to be coping well with the extra demands placed on them they would nevertheless still be able to benefit from support groups for siblings of children with ASD. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / unrestricted

Background: Family members of people with eating disorders are often involved in caregiving. To better understand the impact on them, outcomes such as burden, distress, and less frequently quality of life (QoL) are taken into consideration. Despite advancements in the knowledge base surrounding the experiences of adult and parental caregivers of individuals with eating disorders, particularly Anorexia Nervosa, there is a scarcity of qualitative exploration from the sibling perspective, particularly that of adolescent siblings. Objectives: The systematic review aimed to identify research and synthesise findings relating to informal caregivers’ quantitative ratings of quality of life in the context of eating disorders. The primary study aimed to explore in detail the lived experience of adolescent siblings with a brother or sister with Bulimia Nervosa or Eating-Disorder-Not-Otherwise-Specified. Method: Applying a priori inclusion and exclusion criteria to papers identified from a combination of systematic searches of electronic databases and hand searches of other pertinent literature, revealed eight studies to be included for review. Within the qualitative study, eight semi-structured interviews were carried out with siblings (aged 12-19-years) who had a brother or sister with an eating disorder. An interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was utilised to analyse interview data. Results: The review highlighted low ratings for aspects of quality of life for informal caregivers of individuals with eating disorders, and some emerging comparative and subgroup differences. Three super-ordinate themes emerged from the qualitative exploration: Sibling Identity, The Vulnerable Social ‘Self’, and Intra- and Inter-Personal Coping. Discussion: Overall the findings provide particular insight into the quality life of informal caregivers and the unique experiences, feelings and various roles of adolescent siblings of people with eating disorders. Implications regarding caregiver support and the needs of siblings specifically are considered. Strengths and limitations, as well as future research possibilities are outlined for both the systematic review and empirical study.

This research deals with the effects that living with a sibling with Autism/PDD has. The aim of the research was to investigate the effect of living with a sibling with Autism/PDD by using play therapy methods. In order to achieve this goal the researcher undertook a literature study to provide a better insight into the dimensions and complexities of defining Autism/PDD and its related conditions, an in-depth look at the triad of impairments and the influence this has on the functioning of siblings of children with Autism/PDD. The second objective was to undertake an empirical study with regards to the influence of Autism/PDD on the functioning of these siblings. The third objective was to make recommendations to parents and people working in families with children with Autism/PDD that will enable them to respond to the needs of these siblings. The researcher made use of applied research. The data collection phase consisted of unstructured interviews, conducted in the form of a play process. The research question was the following: What is the effect of living with a sibling with Autism/PDD? Qualitative research was used in this study to enable the researcher to do a subjective exploration of reality as opposed to the outsider perspective of quantitative research. This study focused on the following aspects: helping, advocacy, awareness and a need for information, positive and negative feelings that the respondents experienced about their siblings, the effect on the child in middle childhood as well as family stresses. The researcher came to the conclusion that siblings of children with Autism/PDD experience both positive and negative feelings with regards to their brother/sister with Autism/PDD. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Social Work / unrestricted

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of play materials on the interactions between a child with autism and her sibling. Three conditions were assessed: open choice, materials chosen by the child with autism, and materials chosen by the typically developing sibling. Within each activity, measures of social interactions were assessed. Results of the assessment showed that more interactions occurred with a material chosen by the child with autism. After sibling training (targeting specific teaching skills), social interactions remained highest in the condition with materials chosen by the child with autism. The results are discussed in terms of a material assessment to optimize sibling training conditions and the importance of sibling relationships.

The focus of this study was three fold. First, modeling and feedback were investigated as a training package for social interactions between siblings. Second, the effects of social phrases taught to the sibling with autism were investigated. Third, the magnitude of these social phrases was measured by timing duration of parallel play. The experimental design is an A-B-A1-A2 design conducted in a clinic, with a probe for generalization in the home environment. This intervention was replicated across an additional sibling dyad to indicate its effectiveness. This study ascertained that the sibling with autism was a viable participant in learning new social skills that could function as a behavioral cusp and increase sibling interactions.

Siblings of individuals with disabilities are a unique group in disability-related careers. This group of professionals has been minimally explored in research. The researcher utilized qualitative methodology to explore perceptions of siblings with respect to their career and familial experiences in the disability field. Findings indicated that siblings entered the field for various reasons. Siblings shared positive and negative experiences from the disability field from both family life and career involvement. Siblings also provided information about the impact of their career on the role as a sibling. Finally, discussion and implications for practice and research are included.

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