Academic self-concept and sense of school belonging of adolescent siblings of autistic children.
Teen brothers and sisters of autistic students feel worse about school and their own abilities than peers with non-autistic siblings.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked middle- and high-school brothers and sisters to fill out two short surveys. One measured how good they feel about their schoolwork. The other asked how much they feel they belong at school.
They compared teens who have an autistic sibling with teens whose siblings are not autistic. They also checked if any behavior problems could explain the differences.
What they found
Siblings of autistic students scored lower on both surveys. They felt worse about their academic skills and less connected to school life.
The gap stayed even after the researchers removed the effect of behavior problems. This means the school struggles are not just because the teens act out.
How this fits with other research
Chien et al. (2017) saw the same pattern. They also found poorer school attitude and more behavior problems in autism siblings, so the new study is a close replication with a focus on self-concept.
Dudley et al. (2019) extend the picture. They showed these same teens feel higher stress than siblings of kids with Down syndrome. Together the papers map both emotional load and school impact.
Older work looked different. LeFrancois et al. (1993) found no difference in perceived competence, while the new study finds clear deficits. The gap likely exists because the 1993 study used parent ratings and broad age ranges, not teen self-reports in middle and high school.
Why it matters
If you serve a family with an autistic child, remember the typically developing sibling. Ask one extra question at intake: "How is school going for your other kids?" A quick check can flag low academic confidence or weak school belonging. Simple supports like homework clubs, peer mentors, or sibling support groups may protect their school engagement and mental health.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Whilst there is a growing body of research on the psychological outcomes for siblings of autistic children (autism siblings), few studies have considered the school context. AIMS: To explore group differences on two school-related self-reported outcomes for autism siblings and siblings of non-autistic children: sense of school belonging, and academic self-concept. Data on self- and parent/carer-reported behavioural and emotional problems were also collected. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: 65 autism siblings and a comparison group of 57 siblings of non-autistic children aged 11-16 years completed questionnaires measuring sense of school belonging, academic self concept, and behaviour problems. 73 parents in the autism sibling and 67 parents in the comparison sibling group completed the behaviour problems measure. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Autism siblings reported significantly lower school belonging and academic self-concept, and had significantly poorer self- and parent- reported behaviour problems. When controlling for demographic variables and internalising and externalizing behaviour, robust sibling group differences on academic variables remained. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Autism siblings reported poorer school-related outcomes and increased behavioural difficulties relative to siblings of non-autistic children. There was wide variation in autism siblings' outcomes, highlighting the importance of taking an individualised and contextualised approach to understanding the varying needs of autism siblings.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103519