Date
9-17-2026
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
DIane Pearce
Keywords
Autism, sibling relationships, stressors of ASD, coping skills, sibling supports, neurotypical child
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Jones, Heather G., "Coping Mechanisms: A Neurotypical Child's Response to a Sibling With Autism Spectrum Disorder" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8887.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8887
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex lifelong neurodevelopment disorder with the current prevalence estimation of 1 in 31 children. With the rising prevalence of diagnosed individuals with ASD, there is an increase in the number of neurotypical children (NTC) who live with a sibling that has a diagnosis of ASD. Research on how NTC copes with daily stressors of a sibling with ASD and how their relationship is affected with a sibling with ASD is underexplored. Knowledge of ASD and coping strategies should become a regular process in the NTC life to help manage the stress that may come with having a sibling with ASD. The presented qualitative research used a case study with semi-structured interviews that were conducted to investigate a real-life situation through detailed, in-depth data collection that involved multiple sources of information. Twelve neurotypical child participants from ages 13 years old to 18 years old, who had a sibling with ASD, were provided with the opportunity to describe their sibling relationship. Information gathered during the interviews was used to complete a thematic analysis within the case study. The study was guided by three research questions: how neurotypical children with one sibling with ASD described their lived experience with having a sibling with autism spectrum disorder, how they described the stressors they faced having a sibling with ASD, and how they described coping with having a sibling with ASD. Themes that developed from the analysis reflected participants’ understanding of ASD, sibling-related challenges, positive bonding experiences, family dynamics, emotional responses, and coping strategies. Exploring lived experiences of having a sibling with autism spectrum disorder among neurotypical children in the adolescent stage of development helped the understanding of the unique stressors the NTC experienced due to having a sibling with ASD and how they coped with those stressors.
