Background: There is a dearth of research on the perspectives of adolescent siblings growing up with a brother or sister with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method: Semistructured interviews were used to elicit the perceptions and experiences of 12 typically developing adolescents with a brother with an ASD. Interpretative phenomenological…

Although much research has documented the benefits to children with autism of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI), little has focused on the impact of EIBI on families. Using a semi-structured format, we interviewed 53 parents whose children had received 2 years of EIBI to obtain detailed first person accounts of the perceived benefits…

This study surveyed 47 parents about positive impact of their children's disability on their families. Parents reported a range of positive perceptions and experiences for themselves and their families, similar to categories found in previous research, and were generally positive about futures for their children with disabilities and for the…

Reviews the existing research on the role of grandparents in the lives of children with disabilities. Although parents and grandparents report a wide range of supportive activities and involvement, grandparents may also be an additional burden. Clinical and educational professionals are urged to facilitate the role of grandparents as a resource…

This paper reviews research on the positive perceptions and experiences of other members in families with children with developmental disabilities. It also proposes a model for further study based on the hypothesis that positive perceptions function as strategies that help families adapt to or cope with the experiences of raising a child with…