Parent and Older Sibling Perspectives on Parent-Facilitated Sibling-Mediated Support

Abstract Objectives Early support delivered by adults close to the child such as parents and teachers has been shown to enhance the learning and development of young autistic children. There is also emerging evidence that siblings can be meaningfully included in the provision of support. However, little is known about family members’ perceptions of the inclusion of siblings in the delivery of support. This exploratory study aimed to examine the perspectives of non-autistic siblings and parents on sibling-mediated support for autistic children. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four parents and two older non-autistic siblings regarding their perspectives on a parent-facilitated sibling-mediated program of support based on the Early Start Denver Model. Results Thematic analysis resulted in four themes (a) the importance of family bond, (b) sibling learning and increased understanding, (c) parental desire for naturalistic and ongoing support, and (d) acceptability of the support. Conclusions Our findings suggest that family members may find sibling-mediated support beneficial as it promotes family and sibling relationships and offers naturalistic home-based support. More research is needed to understand improvements in child and family outcomes following the provision of parent-facilitated sibling-mediated support.