Lisa Chen-Wilson.
BSc Education and Psychology.
As part of my degree in BSc Education and Psychology, I’m carrying out a dissertation project to explore the views of siblings of autistic children in a residential school. Research often tends to collate data on parent and teacher views, but there is currently little academic literature on sibling experiences, particularly regarding siblings of children in residential special schools. Evidence suggests that siblings of autistic children may have an elevated risk of psychosocial difficulties and concerns about future responsibilities.
This research aims to:
- Compare participants’ experiences of having an autistic sibling at home and in residential education.
- Find out how school staff can provide better targeted support for the siblings of their residents.
This project uses a survey methodology to gain perspectives of siblings and the findings will be used to inform and develop practices at the school. You can read in detail about the project’s findings here.