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It outlines practical strategies for teaching siblings about autism, addressing fairness, attention sharing, and recognizing differences. The resource also prepares families for challenging emotions during outings and special events, supports difficult situations such as negative feelings and violent behavior, and offers approaches to bonding, getting along, and time apart. Includes testimonials from other autism parents and guidance on checking siblings’ understanding over time.",{"@graph":69,"@context":121},[70,84,104],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/brothers-sisters-and-autism-a-parents-guide-to-supporting-siblings/586642/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":98,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":99,"interactionStatistic":100},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/brothers-sisters-and-autism-a-parents-guide-to-supporting-siblings/586642.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Angel","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":101,"interactionType":102,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":103},"ViewAction",{"@type":105,"mainEntity":106},"FAQPage",[107,113,117],{"name":108,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":110},"Why is it important to explain autism to siblings as well?","Question",{"text":111,"@type":112},"An autism diagnosis affects not only the child diagnosed but also siblings, who often have questions and feelings of loss, confusion, and frustration. Supportive explanations help siblings feel more comfortable and better understand their brother or sister.","Answer",{"name":114,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":115},"When should parents start explaining autism to children without autism?",{"text":116,"@type":112},"There is no perfect time, but starting early and revising definitions helps siblings build a solid understanding. It’s recommended to discuss it before school or before children start having friends over.",{"name":118,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":119},"How should parents explain autism in a way that fits a child’s age?",{"text":120,"@type":112},"Younger children typically do better with ability-based definitions and concrete examples. Older children may understand the disorder more fully when the term “autism” is incorporated, and parents should periodically check and update understanding.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":123,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":125,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":127,"site_id":62},586642,1792075920,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":130},{"doc_id":127,"user_id":131,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":132,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":133,"file_id":134,"file_url":135,"file_type":136,"file_size":137,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":138,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":36},687207412472,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Brothers, sisters,  \nand autism:  \na parent’s guide to supporting siblings  \nORGANIZATION FOR AUTISM RESEARCH  \nBrothers, sisters, and autism  \nHaving children with and without autism comes with a unique set of challenges.  \nYou’re not only faced with doing what’s best for your child with autism, but also with paying attention to the needs of any brothers or sisters. No matter what you call them (neurotypical, typically developing, normal, etc.), these siblings are often dealing with the same struggles and feelings that you do as parents. They, too, feel a sense of loss, confusion, and frustration – all at a time before they’ve had a chance to develop comparable coping skills. These future advocates, potential caretakers, and lifelong friends will establish the longest lasting relationship with your child on the spectrum. Therefore, they need guidance and support from the start. You’re likely to find that supporting your children without autism will prove to be a long-term investment in your child with autism.  \nThe topics addressed in this resource include:  \n• Strategies and resources to help teach your children about their sibling with autism  \n• Ways to address fairness, share attention, and recognize differences between your children  \n• Complicated feelings that may come up during family outings, holidays, play dates, and other special events  \n• Difficult emotions and situations that your children without autism may experience, including negative feelings and violent behavior  \n• Ways to facilitate bonding, getting along, and time apart  \n• Testimonials from other autism parents  \n1. Explaining autism  \nWhy it’s important  \nAn autism diagnosis can be a tricky thing to discuss, not only for the child diagnosed, but for any siblings as well. Kids are the masters of asking “why,” and they may ask questions about autism (or specific aspects of their sibling’s behavior) before you have all the answers. It’s important to be ready to talk to your children about what autism means, even if you think they already understand. You may be surprised at how little your children actually know. Siblings may pick upa few pieces of information here and there, but they likely have more questions than they do answers.  \nWhen should I start?  \nThere is no “perfect time” to explain autism to your other children. However, starting early and revising these definitions often will ensure that they have a good understanding of what autism means for their sibling. It’s a good idea to talk to kids about their sibling with autism before they enter school or start having friends over. This will help prepare them for the seemingly inevitable question: “What’s up with your brother/sister?”  \nKids will generally need more mature explanations of their sibling’s autism as they get older. Younger children are likely to do better with ability-based definitions, accompanied by concrete examples. For instance, try “Your brother just learns a little differently than you and me, so he needs extra help,” or,“Your sister’s autism means she can’t talk and has trouble playing like you do, but she still loves you very much.”In contrast, incorporating the term “autism” into your explanation may help an older child understand the disorder more fully. It is important to periodically check your children’s understanding of autism, especially as it pertains to their own sibling. An accurate and ageappropriate understanding of their sibling’s condition can help children feel more comfortable when explaining it to others, interacting with their sibling, and understanding what their brother or sister is going through.  \n“Your sibling’s autism…”  \nWhen explaining autism to your children, remember to be specific to their sibling’s particular experience. Siblings who don’t have autism want to know what is going on in their brother or sister’s world, so offer any insight that you can. Try explaining behaviors in terms of the motivation and purpose behind them. For example, if you","cbCaigaQVIrl7qlD","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigaQVIrl7qlD","pdf",1258126,16,"English","# Explaining autism\n## Why it’s important\n## When should I start?\n## “Your sibling’s autism…”\n## Additional sibling perspectives\n## What siblings wish they knew about autism growing up","[{\"question\":\"Why is it important to explain autism to siblings as well?\",\"answer\":\"An autism diagnosis affects not only the child diagnosed but also siblings, who often have questions and feelings of loss, confusion, and frustration. Supportive explanations help siblings feel more comfortable and better understand their brother or sister.\"},{\"question\":\"When should parents start explaining autism to children without autism?\",\"answer\":\"There is no perfect time, but starting early and revising definitions helps siblings build a solid understanding. It’s recommended to discuss it before school or before children start having friends over.\"},{\"question\":\"How should parents explain autism in a way that fits a child’s age?\",\"answer\":\"Younger children typically do better with ability-based definitions and concrete examples. Older children may understand the disorder more fully when the term “autism” is incorporated, and parents should periodically check and update understanding.\"}]","Brothers, sisters, and autism - a parent’s guide to supporting siblings | PDF",1792058716]