This dissertation, "An Exploratory Study of the Siblings of Severely Mentally Disabled Persons" by Yin-tak, Pandora, Suen, 孫彥德, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. DOI: 10.5353/th_b3124994 Subjects: People with mental disabilities - Family relationships - China - Hong Kong Brothers and sisters - China - Hong Kong

There are approximately 6 million children in the U.S. who receive special education services to address an identified disability. Many of these children live with typically developing siblings (referred to in this study as "Siblings"). Research suggests that although Siblings may be negatively affected by the needs of the disabled child, there is potential for higher levels of positive outcomes in the social and emotional development of Siblings if they are given opportunities to learn about disabilities and develop positive coping skills. Further research determined that Siblings are mainly considered in the context of their homes and families, however there is little information about how Sibling experiences impact their social and emotional functioning in other settings, including school. This study was designed to determine whether educators are aware of Sibling experiences and how they affect their academic and behavioral performances in school, and the level to which they perceive the potential for positive outcomes as a result of Sibling experiences. Lastly, this study purposed to determine whether educators perceived the need for Sibling support to be a school responsibility as well as home.--Page vi.

ABSTRACT: : This project sought to explore the relationship among risk, resilience, and gender in siblings of children with severe emotional disturbance (SED). Growing out of the larger Sibling Resilience Research Project, a planned longitudinal effort studying the siblings and factors influencing their adjustment, it examined the role of gender in adjustment and sought to identify child, family, and contextual factors that differentially predicted adjustment for males and females. This sibling population is understudied yet at increased risk, due to significant stress exposure and shared risk factors with a sibling already identified as SED. Results indicate that siblings demonstrate higher levels of adjustment, fewer problem behaviors, and higher levels of competencies relative to the children with SED. In addition, some gender differences emerged, suggesting that females in this population may fare better than males in the face of adversity in specific domains (e.g., school functioning). Further, characteristics were identified that differentially impact adjustment for males and females. These findings are potentially relevant to multiple disciplines and could be used to better inform prevention/intervention efforts.