Burden, Openness to Sharing, and Parental Attention: Dimensions of Emerging Adult Siblings' Acceptance of a Brother or Sister With Developmental Disabilities.

PURPOSE: This study examined emerging adult siblings' acceptance of a sibling with developmental disabilities as a multidimensional construct and assessed how diagnosis (autism, down syndrome [DS], cerebral palsy [CP]), perceived independent functioning, and socio-cultural factors (gender and religious sector-secular, National religious, ultra-Orthodox) predict three dimensions of acceptance: perceived burden, openness to sharing, and perceived parental attention.

METHODS

A sample of 775 Jewish-Israeli emerging adult siblings (Mage = 22.17) of individuals with autism, DS, and CP completed the Sibling Acceptance Questionnaire and a demographic survey. Hierarchical regressions examined predictors of overall acceptance and its three dimensions.

RESULTS

Siblings of individuals with autism reported higher overall acceptance and fewer perceived burdens and limitations than siblings of individuals with DS or CP, as well as greater openness to sharing than siblings of individuals with DS. Greater perceived independent functioning of the sibling with a disability was associated with higher overall acceptance, fewer perceived burdens and limitations, and greater openness to sharing. While women generally reported higher acceptance than men, gender differences in overall acceptance, burden and limitation, and parental attention were smaller in the autism group. National-religious participants demonstrated the highest acceptance levels, whereas both secular/traditional and ultra-Orthodox participants reported lower openness to sharing than National-religious participants.

CONCLUSION

Sibling acceptance in emerging adulthood is a nuanced, multidimensional orientation shaped by the interplay of diagnostic demands, family demographics, and cultural contexts. Interventions should be dimension-specific and culturally responsive to support brothers and sisters as their sibling relationships become more elective in adulthood.