Eighteen regular education teachers completed a rating scale on their expectations for the behavioral and academic performances of 27 younger siblings of learning disabled (LD) and non-LD students. All teachers previously had taught the Ss' older siblings. Expectation ratings were significantly lower for the siblings of LD Ss in the areas of…

The bibliography on parents and siblings of the handicapped is divided into four sections: writings by parents on being the parent of a handicapped child; information, teaching suggestions, and training guides for parents; readings for the professional; and writings by and stories for siblings on being the sibling of a handicapped child. Almost…

Naturalistic home observations of 54 preterm infants and their caregivers were made when the infants were 1, 3, and 8 months of age. Differences were found in the kinds of everyday transactions which occur with preterm infants raised with and without siblings. (Author/JMB)

Explains the process of dialysis and kidney transplants in children. Reports effects on the family according to interviews with 17 mothers of children who had undergone dialysis and transplants. (SB)

Used longitudinal data on early 20th century cohorts in United States to assess influence of parental age at first birth on adolescents' perceptions of closeness to parents. Found that age at first birth indirectly influenced perceptions of affection from each parent for intergenerational dyads of same sex. (Author/NB)

Observation of in-home interactions of mentally retarded children (N=16 and mean age 6 years) and their older nonhandicapped siblings as well as normal sibling pairs indicated high rates of interaction between siblings, accentuated role asymmetries, less joint object play, but no differences in affect. (Author/DB)

Data from 109 stepparents revealed that stepparenting, particularly for stepmothers, was more positive experience with live-in stepchildren than with stepchildren who lived elsewhere. Stepsiblings' relations were more positive when they lived together rather than visited. Birth of a child to remarried parents impacted differently on the…

Examines the hypothesis that degree of match or congruence between behavioral characteristics of infants and their families may significantly influence the nature of their interactions and the success of their mutual adaptation. Conducted a cross-sectional study on infant-family congruence on the degree of rhythmicity (predictable regularity in…

Examined data from 231 rural elderly which revealed that a sister's availability was second only to physical mobility in predicting higher life satisfaction among older rural women. Among men, availability of a brother was also positively associated with life satisfaction. Effects of cross-sex siblings were minor. (NRB)

Explains the danger that arises when the person referring his or her family is a sibling of the index patient and, in many ways, the most competent and prestigious family member. Demonstrates how this pitfall can be turned into a springboard for therapeutic success. (BH)

The investigation compares self-reported levels of family responsibility, depression, anxiety, and self-concept for 28 female adolescents, of which half were siblings of hearing-impaired and half of normal-hearing children. Results indicated significant differences on two dimensions of self-concept; identity and social self. No other significant…

Surveyed 120 adult children from maritally disrupted situations and 145 adult children in intact marriages about their own and siblings' help to parents. Adult children in maritally disrupted situations gave about the same amount of help as siblings, while those with intact marriages gave more help than siblings. (JAC)

Discusses factors involved in parental bereavement, including the unnaturalness of the child predeceasing the parents, social reactions to the death of a child, the loss of the spouse as a primary support during the grieving process, and grief-related problems with surviving children. Treatment recommendations are presented. (NRB)

Value orientation and different aspects of self-esteem were assessed with male delinquents, marginal delinquents, and nondelinquents. No value orientation or overall self-esteem differences were found, supporting Kaplan's theory that delinquents use psychological defenses to enhance self-esteem and retain endorsement of social values. (Author/BW)

Provides a case study illustrating the use of sibling pairings to understand the career development process. Factors such as birth order, age spacing, sex of siblings, and interactions can help clients explore various striving for significance patterns in sibling dyads and gain insight into their own career development. (JAC)