The ‘Supporting siblings and the sibling relationship when a child is autistic or has a learning disability’ webinar was presented by Dr Louise Rixon and Julie Tattersfield on 27th November 2025.

Introduction

Dr Rixon opened the webinar by introducing her research on sibling relationships in families where one child is autistic or has a learning disability. She highlighted that sibling relationships are among the longest-lasting and most emotionally intense relationships across the lifespan, yet they are often less attended to in research and support planning. The focus of her work is to better understand these relationships by combining large-scale research with the lived experiences of siblings themselves.

Understanding sibling relationships when one child is autistic

The webinar drew on a multi-study research programme examining sibling outcomes and relationship quality when one child is autistic. A central message was that these relationships are highly individual and cannot be captured by a single narrative. Rather than being uniformly positive or negative, sibling relationships vary widely depending on the characteristics of the autistic child, the sibling, and the wider family context.

Across studies, one consistent pattern emerged, there is an inverse relationship between an autistic child’s verbal communication skills and levels of sibling conflict. Higher verbal communication skills were often linked with more frequent conflict, while non-verbal autistic children with complex care needs tended to have calmer, less combative sibling relationships.

Quantitative research – communication and conflict

Two large-scale quantitative studies (using large numerical data sets) showed that autistic children with low verbal communication and high support needs were associated with the lowest levels of sibling conflict. In contrast, profiles characterised by higher verbal ability, anxiety, or behavioural challenges were linked to higher levels of sibling conflict.

These findings challenge common assumptions that greater impairment necessarily leads to poorer sibling relationships. Instead, they suggest that spoken language can create more opportunities for verbal arguments, teasing, and ‘winding each other up’ which are typical features of many sibling relationships.

Qualitative research – hearing the sibling voice

Qualitative interviews (conversational data gathering to capture people’s experiences) provided a deeper understanding of how siblings themselves experience these relationships. Non-autistic siblings of non-verbal autistic children often described their relationships as warm, joyful, and meaningful. Behaviours that might appear challenging to adults were frequently interpreted by siblings as signs of connection or happiness.

Importantly, sibling perspectives sometimes differed from parental reports of relationship quality. Siblings demonstrated a strong ability to adapt, reinterpret behaviour, and find value in shared experiences, even when communication was limited.

Different perspectives within the sibling relationship

Research that included both autistic children (with spoken language) and their non-autistic siblings revealed striking differences in how each described the relationship. Autistic children tended to offer factual or neutral descriptions, while non-autistic siblings used more emotional, personality-focused language. These differences likely reflect variations in communication style rather than differences in affection or relationship quality.

Listening to both perspectives was emphasised as essential for gaining a full and balanced understanding of sibling dynamics.

Implications for practice

The research highlights several important implications for families and professionals:

• Individualised support – Sibling support must move away from “one-size-fits-all” approaches and be tailored to the unique dynamics of each family.
• Valuing the sibling voice – Siblings’ own accounts provide crucial insight and should be actively sought and taken seriously.
• Challenging assumptions – Relationships involving non-verbal autistic children can be deeply positive and should not be assumed to be negative or burdensome.
• Listening to all parties – Understanding sibling relationships requires hearing from both autistic and non-autistic children.

A parent’s lived experience perspective

Julie Tattersfield, a mum to 3 children, two of whom are autistic, shared her reflections about important things she learned to consider while parenting. This included:

• educating children about autism and any co-existing disabilities and the way their sibling experiences it,
• making time for one-to-one relationships,
• being mindful of the responsibilities placed on non-autistic siblings,
• and creating physical and emotional space to reduce conflict.

Support networks and young carers groups were highlighted as particularly valuable, including charities such as Sense and Sibs, which provide tailored resources and peer support groups for siblings of disabled children and adults.

Key messages from the webinar

• Sibling relationships in families of autistic children are diverse, potentially complex, and highly individual.
• Higher verbal communication in autistic children is often linked to increased sibling conflict.
• Non-verbal autistic children can have especially warm and positive sibling relationships.
• The sibling’s perspective is a vital and independent source of understanding.
• Effective support requires personalised, family-centred approaches informed by lived experience and research.

This webinar underscored the importance of recognising sibling relationships as nuanced, meaningful, and deserving of dedicated attention.

Resources

Cerebra information resources

Explore Cerebra’s information resources, that focus on supporting child and family wellbeing, including a guide about understanding and supporting anxiety for children with a learning disability. You can access the resources here.

Books

Join the Cerebra library to borrow a range of books for children about being a sibling. We also have a free toy lending library that is fun for the children. You can view the book list and join the library here.

Wonderfully Wired Brains (for ages 7-11 years) – Louise Gooding

Sibs charity booklist for young siblings.

Sibs charity booklist for adult siblings.

Sibs charity for further information and ongoing support

Sibs Charity is specifically for brothers and sisters of disabled children and adults. If you have any further questions or need any further information about supporting siblings, Sibs charity is a great place to seek further support.

For anyone interested in finding out about support groups for young siblings or for adult siblings, you can get in touch with Sibs here. You can also ask any other sibling related questions on that form as well.

Sibs have also produced some information leaflets on behaviour, “Why do they do that?” You can download for free here.

Research mentioned

• Rixon, L., Hastings, R.P., Kovshoff, H. (2021). Sibling Adjustment and Sibling Relationships Associated with Clusters of Needs in Children with Autism: A Novel Methodological Approach. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 4067–4076   – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33442858/
• Rixon, L., Hastings, R.M. and Kovshoff, H. (2022). Short Report: Outcomes for siblings associated with sub-groups  of autistic children with intellectual disability identified by latent profile analysis, Research in Developmental Disabilities, 104337, 130  – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422222001676
• Rixon, L., Hastings, R. P., & Kovshoff, H. (2025). ‘It Feels Very Weird and Normal at the Same Time’: Sibling Perceptions of Their Relationships With an Autistic Brother or Sister With Complex Care Needs. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 38(1), Article e70009 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39815778/
• Rixon, L., Hastings, R.M., Kovshoff, H. & Cebula, K. (2025). Hearing the voice of the autistic sibling: an analysis of the perspective of the autistic child alongside their non-autistic sibling in the sibling relationship, (manuscript in preparation)