The Relationship between Family and Sibling Functioning in Families Raising a Child with a Disability
Keywords
siblings, family functioning, disability, social skills
Abstract
Although considerable research exists concerning families raising children with disabilities, relatively little work has examined the linkages between parent and sibling functioning. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the relationship between parental perceptions of family functioning and school-aged siblings’ social skills and problem behaviors. A purposive sample of 78 sets of parents and their school-aged children participated. Half of the families were raising a child with a disability, and half of the families were not raising a child with a disability. Mothers and fathers completed the Porter-O’Leary Scale and Bloom’s Family Functioning Measure. Teachers of the school-aged children completed a modification of the Gresham and Elliot Social Skills Rating System. Results indicated siblings of both groups demonstrate more social skills than problem behaviors, and siblings of children with disabilities were higher in cooperation and self-control than siblings of children without disabilities. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed fathers’ perceptions of family conflict and external locus of control orientation, and mothers’ perceptions of marital conflict predicted externalizing behaviors for female siblings of children with a disability.
Original Publication Citation
Mandleco, B., Olsen, S. F., Marshall, E., & Dyches, T. (2003). The relationship between family and sibling functioning in families raising a child with a disability. Journal of Family Nursing, 9(4), 365-396. https://doi.org/10.1177/1074840703258329
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Taylor, Tina M.; Mandleco, Barbara L. Dr.; Frost Olsen, Susanne; and Marshall, Elaine, "The Relationship between Family and Sibling Functioning in Families Raising a Child with a Disability" (2003). Faculty Publications. 7434.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/7434
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2003
Publisher
Sage Publications
Language
English
College
David O. McKay School of Education
Department
Counseling Psychology and Special Education
Copyright Status
© 2003 Sage Publications
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