I have seen some families that put a lot of pressure on the normally developing child to do too much in terms of sibling interaction and the sibling ends up feeling the blame when the child with ASD not progressing enough. Do you ever feel that it is appropriate to not incorporate siblings’ interactions?
Answer
That is an outstanding question. It is not an easy one to answer. I guess the best answer is to say that every family is different. I think in those situations what you need to really do is talk to the typically developing sibling one-on-one; maybe even without the parent present. Try to get a sense of how much they want to be involved. This really ties into the idea that the sibling has the right to not participate. They have a right to not feel responsible for the child with autism's progress. Maybe allowing them to help develop goals and allowing them to do some of the data collection for goals rather than always having to be the one mediating can be a positive turn on that question. It might be possible to do some social support groups for that sibling so that they don't have that guilt complex associated with being the typically developing sibling. However, that is a common reaction. The reality is that siblings may often feel the same concerns that their parents do but they don't have the world experience or the coping strategies to fully understand or deal with those concerns. So, some overt instruction, guidance and support from the SLP can go a long way to helping the whole family.
Kathleen J. Abendroth, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA. She specializes in the area of child language including developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and literacy development.
Kathleen J. Abendroth, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Kathleen J. Abendroth, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA. She specializes in the area of child language including developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and literacy development. She previously worked as a speech-language pathologist in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and currently supervises student clinicians in the Southeastern Louisiana University Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic. Dr. Abendroth is an active member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing-Association and the Louisiana-Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Related Courses
1https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/journey-from-middle-to-high-8795Journey from Middle to High School: Language and Literacy Toolkit for SLPsThis course provides a language therapy toolkit refresher for SLPs who work with students from middle to high school. It focuses on interventions that maximize motivation, foster resilience, and develop rapport with the adolescent population.auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlySpeechPathology.comwww.speechpathology.comJourney from Middle to High School: Language and Literacy Toolkit for SLPsThis course provides a language therapy toolkit refresher for SLPs who work with students from middle to high school. It focuses on interventions that maximize motivation, foster resilience, and develop rapport with the adolescent population.8795OnlinePT90M
This course provides a language therapy toolkit refresher for SLPs who work with students from middle to high school. It focuses on interventions that maximize motivation, foster resilience, and develop rapport with the adolescent population.
2https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/from-preschool-to-high-school-8878From Preschool to High School: Language and Literacy Toolkit for SLPsThis 2-part series provides a language and literacy toolkit refresher for school-based SLPs, focusing on interventions that resonate with students to maximize motivation and engagement.auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlySpeechPathology.comwww.speechpathology.comFrom Preschool to High School: Language and Literacy Toolkit for SLPsThis 2-part series provides a language and literacy toolkit refresher for school-based SLPs, focusing on interventions that resonate with students to maximize motivation and engagement.8878OnlinePT180M
This 2-part series provides a language and literacy toolkit refresher for school-based SLPs, focusing on interventions that resonate with students to maximize motivation and engagement.
3https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/connecting-with-preverbal-child-to-10247Connecting with the Preverbal Child to Increase Social CommunicationChildren with autism who have minimal verbal skills present particular communication challenges. This course discusses assessment and intervention strategies to evaluate and increase intentionality of communication, as well as support social interaction and language development in this group of children.auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlySpeechPathology.comwww.speechpathology.comConnecting with the Preverbal Child to Increase Social CommunicationChildren with autism who have minimal verbal skills present particular communication challenges. This course discusses assessment and intervention strategies to evaluate and increase intentionality of communication, as well as support social interaction and language development in this group of children.10247OnlinePT60M
Children with autism who have minimal verbal skills present particular communication challenges. This course discusses assessment and intervention strategies to evaluate and increase intentionality of communication, as well as support social interaction and language development in this group of children.
4https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/understanding-and-treating-echolalia-when-10261Understanding and Treating Echolalia: When You Means IEcholalic speech can reflect a Gestalt learning style that often accompanies hyperlexia and reading comprehension difficulties. This course provides an explanation of echolalia based on this framework, and describes related characteristics common in children with autism. Intervention strategies related to language, literacy, and socialization are also discussed.auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlySpeechPathology.comwww.speechpathology.comUnderstanding and Treating Echolalia: When You Means IEcholalic speech can reflect a Gestalt learning style that often accompanies hyperlexia and reading comprehension difficulties. This course provides an explanation of echolalia based on this framework, and describes related characteristics common in children with autism. Intervention strategies related to language, literacy, and socialization are also discussed.10261OnlinePT60M
Echolalic speech can reflect a Gestalt learning style that often accompanies hyperlexia and reading comprehension difficulties. This course provides an explanation of echolalia based on this framework, and describes related characteristics common in children with autism. Intervention strategies related to language, literacy, and socialization are also discussed.
5https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/practical-treatment-approach-for-students-9499A Practical Treatment Approach for Students with Social Communication Disorders in Schools, Part 1This is Part 1 of a two-part series. This course helped SLPs build a repertoire of social communication intervention strategies and improve functional outcomes with evidence-based treatment plans for students Pre-K to 6th grade. Individual case studies will demonstrate how social communication disorders present in a variety of diagnostic categories. Practical tools for treatment from the therapy room to the classroom - including collaboration with other professionals - will be discussed.auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlySpeechPathology.comwww.speechpathology.comA Practical Treatment Approach for Students with Social Communication Disorders in Schools, Part 1This is Part 1 of a two-part series. This course helped SLPs build a repertoire of social communication intervention strategies and improve functional outcomes with evidence-based treatment plans for students Pre-K to 6th grade. Individual case studies will demonstrate how social communication disorders present in a variety of diagnostic categories. Practical tools for treatment from the therapy room to the classroom - including collaboration with other professionals - will be discussed.9499OnlinePT60M
This is Part 1 of a two-part series. This course helped SLPs build a repertoire of social communication intervention strategies and improve functional outcomes with evidence-based treatment plans for students Pre-K to 6th grade. Individual case studies will demonstrate how social communication disorders present in a variety of diagnostic categories. Practical tools for treatment from the therapy room to the classroom - including collaboration with other professionals - will be discussed.