scholarly journals Siblings’ Influence on the Development of Individuals with Down Syndrome

Author(s):  
Monica Cuskelly

This chapter discusses the influences that siblings may have on developmental outcomes of children with Down syndrome including those related to cognition, language, self-regulation, social-emotional functioning, and identity formation. As there is very little research available that addresses sibling influences on individuals with Down syndrome, the literature related to sibling influence within sibships comprising typically developing children has been used to provide a starting point to the discussion. The influential roles of siblings may include teacher; model and social referent; friend and foe; contrast; and advocate, protector, and caregiver. The quality of the sibling relationship may also influence developmental outcomes. The few investigations that have been conducted suggest that siblings make an important contribution to developmental outcomes for individuals with Down syndrome. In conclusion, directions for future research are discussed.

Author(s):  
Amanda Dimachkie ◽  
Connie L. Kasari

This chapter aims to synthesize historical and contemporary literature to provide an overarching understanding of social-emotional competence in individuals with Down syndrome, where social-emotional competence refers to the skills necessary to allow for successful social relationships, as well as the ability to regulate the experience and expression of emotions. Using the framework of Rose-Krasnor’s prism model, this chapter addresses each of the four components that underlie the development of social-emotional competence: self-regulation, social awareness, prosocial orientation, and social problem-solving. The development of each of these components is described for individuals with Down syndrome, and a description of the typical developmental trajectory is given for reference. The short-term and long-term implications of each component are also discussed, as they relate to the individual’s overall social-emotional competence. This overview aims to highlight what is known regarding social-emotional competence in individuals with Down syndrome, as well as to identify areas in which knowledge is lacking.


Author(s):  
Anna Lee ◽  
Kathleen Knafl ◽  
Marcia Van Riper

The purpose of this scoping review was to identify the family and child quality of life variables that have been studied in relation to one another in children with Down syndrome, the frequency with which different relationships have been studied, and the extent to which family variables were the focus of the research aims. A literature search was conducted to find studies published between January 2007 and June 2018. The initial search yielded 2314 studies; of these, 43 were selected for a final review. Researchers most often addressed family resources and family problem-solving and coping concerning child personal development and physical well-being. Little attention to child emotional well-being was observed, with none considering family appraisal of child emotional well-being. The relationship between family variables and child QoL rarely was the primary focus of the study. Methodologically, most reviewed studies used cross-sectional designs, were conducted in North America and based on maternal report. From future research considering the issues found in this review, healthcare providers can obtain an in-depth understanding of relationships between children and family variables.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
María C. Sánchez Gómez ◽  
Rocío Martín-Sevillano ◽  
María V. Martín-Cilleros ◽  
J. J. Mena Marcos ◽  
Francisco J. García-Peñalvo

Grandparents who have grandchildren with disabilities are an underrepresented group in existing research related to the field. This qualitative phenomenological study’s general purpose is to analyze, from a personal perspective, the situations and needs of grandparents who have grandchildren with Down syndrome. The participants’ ages range from 65 to 85, and the ages of their grandchildren with Down syndrome range from 3 to 21 years. All participants had one grandchild with a disability, except for two, who each had two. A sociodemographic questionnaire was administered, and individual interviews were conducted, using open questions, through phone and/or video calls. An analysis of the participants’ speech was carried out, which implied the development of a system of meta-categories and categories. This analysis was developed manually, given the COVID-19 environment. The results indicate a substantial change from negative feelings caused by the knowledge of the diagnosis to feelings related to positive experiences expressed currently. The participants see themselves as a fundamental source of support (informal, instrumental, practical, social, emotional, and economic) for their families and, mainly, for their grandchildren with Down syndrome. A need for information and training was observed when the grandparents talked about first being informed of the diagnosis and their concerns about the future of these grandchildren and their siblings. They made social demands, such as greater government involvement or more significant opportunities to access resources and rights for their grandchildren. The results are discussed, as are possible future research directions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Longobardi ◽  
L. E. Prino ◽  
F. G. M. Gastaldi ◽  
T. Jungert

This study focused on parents’ perceptions of the quality of sibling relationship and its association with some behavioral and emotional characteristics of the typically developing sibling. The participants were parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing siblings. The sample size was 43. The group comprised 14 fathers (32.6%) and 29 mothers (67.4%) aged 33–53 years (M=43.56; SD = 5.23). The parents completed measures of siblings’ emotional and behavioral difficulties, siblings’ personality, and sibling relationships and their impact on families and siblings. The results showed that behavioral difficulties such as emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer relationship problems were significantly associated with negative sibling relationships—characterized by rivalry, aggression, avoidance, and teaching behavior toward the brother or sister with an autism spectrum disorder. The implications are that sibling-focused interventions should focus on improving negative sibling relationships to reduce the impact on the difficulties of the typical development of the sibling of both genders and shape the content and delivery framework accordingly. This can be done by providing skills and approaches for enhancing sibling relationships so both parties benefit.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 1151-1162
Author(s):  
Tina Seufert

Abstract Building bridges between two of the most influential research fields in educational psychology, self-regulation and cognitive load theory, is highly relevant but also challenging. The collection of papers in this special issue reflects this interplay by reviewing the still scarce base of empirical data in an impressively elaborated and profound way. The papers offer different perspectives on how to improve learning by stimulating both activities for self-regulation as well as for reflecting the mental effort which can be used in return for monitoring and regulation. They provide arguments for the two sidedness of the relationship of self-regulation and cognitive load: that cognitive load can cause self-regulation and that self-regulation can cause cognitive load. The common understanding of self-regulation in this issue is very much focused on monitoring and could benefit from a broader view by including the whole cycle of self-regulation and moderating motivational factors like self-efficacy, as proposed in many self-regulation models. The conceptualization of effort, as it is referred to in most of the papers, could also profit from a more differentiated view, which takes into account the origin of required or invested mental effort. Overall, what learners actually decide to do when dealing with self-regulation as well as with cognitive load highly depends on their resources. In an integrative model, the role of potential resources is discussed as a starting point for future research. This discussion invites for an even broader, more individualized, and differentiated view to add to the bridge-building attempts of this impressive collection of research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-114
Author(s):  
Dawid K. Scigala ◽  
Matteo A. Fabris ◽  
Claudio Longobardi

Background: The quality of sibling relationships is an important factor in the development of individuals, particularly in the context of a relationship with a brother or sister with disabilities. Aims: This research aims to assess the moderating role of the quality of the relationship with siblings between personality traits and coping strategies. Methods: The participants were 187 adults, of whom 97(51.9%) were Individuals with brothers or sisters with intellectual disabilities (S-IDs), aged 18 to 60 years (M=30.22; SD=12.17). The second group was 90 (48.1%) Individuals with typical developmental siblings (S-TDs) aged 18 to 76 years (M=28.56; SD=11.66). Respondents completed the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ), the Coping Orientation to Problem Experiences (COPE), and the Adult Sibling Relationships Questionnaire (ASRQ). Results: The data show a correlation between personality traits and coping strategies. In addition, the size of the ASRQ was found to moderate the relationship between personality traits and coping strategies, albeit in a different way between the two groups. Conclusion: The quality of the reality with brothers or sisters turns out to be an important factor in the development, and it is found to mediate the relationship between personality traits and the development of coping strategies, both in S-TDs and S-IDs, presenting similarities and differences. Future research guidelines have been discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-28
Author(s):  
Brianna Grumstrup ◽  
MaryAnn Demchak

This review of literature focuses on health issues for individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ID), Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), and Multiple Impairments (MI). This population has two to three times higher overweight and obesity prevalence than typically developing individuals. Furthermore, they have higher risk for obesity related diseases such as reduced lifespan and quality of life. Contributing factors for higher rates of overweight or obesity, effective interventions, and barriers to health knowledge and practice are discussed. Implications and future research needs are highlighted.


Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110421
Author(s):  
Ariel Zucker ◽  
Yookyung Chang ◽  
Reena Maharaj ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Theresa Fiani ◽  
...  

When one sibling has autism spectrum disorder, the sibling relationship is often characterized by poorer quality with fewer interactions. Because sibling relationships provide a vital social framework for development, they have the capacity to be a risk or protective factor, depending on the quality of the relationship. One way to improve the quality of the sibling relationship is through typically developing sibling participation in a support group. In this study, researchers randomly assigned typically developing siblings to a 10-week support group or attention-only control group. Typically developing siblings in the support group showed significant improvements in the quality of their sibling relationship and interactions with their sibling with autism spectrum disorder compared to the control group. Autism spectrum disorder severity and externalizing behavior moderated the effects of the support group on positive affect. Findings suggest the positive impact of a support group on sibling relationships, a relationship that has the potential to be protective. Lay abstract The sibling relationship can be negatively impacted when one child has autism spectrum disorder. One way to improve the quality of that relationship is through typically developing sibling participation in a support group in which they learn about autism spectrum disorder and coping skills, develop a peer network, and discuss their feelings. Compared to participating in a similar group without a focus on autism spectrum disorder, siblings in the support group showed improvements in the quality of the sibling relationship. Findings suggest that sibling support groups can be a valuable resource to improve sibling relationship quality when one sibling has autism spectrum disorder.


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