For parents, educators, psychologists, and physicians.

"Although professionals have reached a more complete understanding of sibling relationships and disability, there remains an agenda of unexamined questions ... questions that could prove crucial to the well-being of children with developmental disabilities as well as their typical brothers and sisters. The effects of mental retardation, disability, and illness on sibling relationships : research issues and challenges is an authoritative collection of cutting-edge data that serves as a foundation for future research. Emerging from findings presented at a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development conference, this vital resource addresses such important topics as out-of-home placement, pediatric HIV, differential treatment, stress, and coping mechanisms. Issues that are critical to sibling relationships throughout the lifespan are perceptively explored, as well as the impact of the following : mental retardation, complex medical needs, dual diagnosis, physical disabilities, learning disabilities. Chapter after chapter, prominent researchers from a wide range of disciplines illuminate timely research, explore conceptual issues, evaluate methods of study, propose innovative models and perspectives, and reveal promising avenues for further research and intervention." (Tiré de l'endos du livre).

Focusing on practical concerns and on current research, this new volume examines common sibling problems. The research findings, some published for the first time in this book, reveal the diverse ways that the sibling relationship contributes to the harmony or disharmony of the family and to the pattern of individual children's development within the family. This comprehensive volume will prove valuable to a broad range of professionals working with children and families, as well as to parents. The contributors attempt to bridge the gap between research and the practices of parents, therapists and educators. Common problems are examined, such as favoritism and the effects of a new sister or brother on a sibling. The concerns of children in special sibling relations, children in one-parent families, siblings of the mentally ill and disabled, and children facing the imminent death of a sibling, are also explored.