Sibling Relationships and Parent Stress in Families of Children with and without Learning Disabilities

Abstract

The present study investigated whether (a) siblings of children with (LD) and without learning disabilities (NLD) differed in terms of psychological adjustment and perceived impact of their target brother or sister, and (b) whether parents of LD and NLD children differed in terms of perceived stress and burden. Based on Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores of target child behavior, families were divided into four groups: (a) No LD and no behavior problems (BP), (b) LD only, (c) BP only, and (d) LD and BP. Siblings ( n=71) and their parents ( n=67) were interviewed in their homes. Regardless of whether the target child was LD or NLD, parent reports of the internalizing and externalizing behavior scores from the CBCL differentially reflected the presence of behavior problems. The results indicated that (a) LD and NLD siblings differed in their perception of the quality of their sibling relationships and self-reports of their own behavior, and (b) the parents of children reported to have a behavior problem with or without LD reported higher levels of perceived burden. A substantial indicator of the impact of a child with LD on siblings and parents was related to whether children with LD also had behavior problems.