Resiliency perspectives among older siblings of children with significant disabilities

When a child with a significant disability enters an existing family system, it can foster unique challenges and joys for the individuals in that network. Although many studies have focused on the strain of having a sibling with a disability, our purpose was to focus on the development and adaptation of adolescent siblings through the stories they shared. Using a psychological resilience lens, we applied a phenomenological framework to explore the process of adaptation for five adolescents who had a younger sibling with an intellectual disability (ID) as well as other physical and mental health disorders. To understand their perspectives, each participant created a daily check-in journal for a week, participated in a photo-elicitation interview, and completed a semi-structured interview. These data were organized into five overarching themes that included learning about their younger siblings' special needs; developing a relationship with their sibling; changes and adjustments within their families; making meaning of their experience; and ways that they and their families had benefited from these experiences. Implications for these findings are discussed as well as the need for additional research.