The Impact upon a Family of Having a Disabled Child

This research seeks to explore the impact of having a disabled sibling, with a focus on autism. This impact has often been overlooked, meaning there is a lack of research focused on siblings despite the challenges they face. The sample comprises five individuals from different families; four of the participants have a sibling with autism, and one participant has a sibling with Down syndrome. The study has taken an interpretivist approach using interviews and open-ended questionnaires to collect qualitative data. The chosen paradigm was the most appropriate when collecting and analysing experiences of individuals with disabled siblings. It employed mixed methods: semi-structured interviews were conducted, and each participant completed an open-ended questionnaire. The data were analysed using a thematic approach to identify six themes. The results showed that all the respondents agreed that their disabled sibling has impacted their life, but the overall impact was mixed, showing positives and negatives, although, more negatives were found. There was a detailed discussion on the participants' experiences. It is recommended that there should be further research conducted on siblings and more support given.