"Siblings Of Children With Autism Have Social, Emotional Problems" -Jessica Wright
Even typical siblings of children with autism tend to struggle with anxiety, depression and social difficulties, according to a large new analysis. The findings provide the most robust evidence to date that these siblings have problems, too. The findings jibe with the ‘broad autism phenotype’ theory, which posits that family members of autistic children share some traits of the condition. The findings overall suggest that siblings of autistic children would benefit from early behavioral treatments. “Siblings should be screened for internalizing and other psychological symptoms, which can be target effectively through evidence-based interventions,” said Paige Siper, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who was not involved in the study.
- Paige M. Siper, MD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai