The Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) can be described as a severe developmental disorder that presents deficits in reciprocal social interaction, communication and restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors. Most studies focus the impact of parenting an individual with PDD. However less research has investigated how autistic individuals affect their siblings. The goal of this study was to evaluate indicators of stress and the quality of family interactions in siblings of autistic individuals compared to siblings of normally developing individuals. Sixty-two siblings between the ages of 8 and 18 participated in this investigation. Results indicated that siblings of individuals with autism, as well as comparison siblings, do not report stress. The results of this investigation suggest that the presence of a family member with PDD does not necessarily represent an adverse event for the siblings. This could be due to the quality of family relations and availability of social support.
pervasive developmental disorders; autism; family relations; stress; siblings
