Parenting Stress and Stressful Life Events Among Caregivers of Toddler Siblings of Autistic and Non‐Autistic Children

This study measured experiences of parenting stress and stressful life events in caregivers of families with a toddler who has either an autistic or non-autistic older sibling(s). Caregivers of toddlers (12-18 months old) with older autistic siblings (Sibs-autism; n = 58) and toddlers with older non-autistic siblings (Sibs-NA; n = 46) completed questionnaires assessing stress related to parenting their toddler and their exposure to stressful life events since their toddler's birth. We compared levels of parenting stress and stressful life events between caregivers of Sibs-autism and Sibs-NA and examined the association between these measures. Caregivers of Sibs-autism reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress and stressful life events relative to caregivers of Sibs-NA, with small to moderate effects. Parenting stress and stressful life events were moderately correlated. Across these groups of caregivers, parenting stress and stressful life events appear to be related, but partially distinct aspects of caregiver stress. These findings highlight the importance of assessing multiple aspects of stress to better understand how stress may influence both caregiver wellbeing and the development of children with autistic siblings.