"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).

Children learn some of their earliest lessons about sharing, competition, and compromise through negotiations with their siblings. As early as age 3, children can recognize special problems their brother or sister has due to a developmental disability or chronic illness. "Brothers, sisters, and special needs" shows professionals and parents how they can help a child's understanding of disability or chronic illness develop in a healthy, adaptive direction during the preschool and elementary school years. This explicit curriculum and activity guide, designed especially for children ages 3 to 8, sets up a series of fun work-shops to help siblings get to know their own personal strengths, recognize positive characteristics of their handicapped brother or sister and other family members, and learn ways of coping constructively with stressful family events. "Brothers, sisters, and special needs" will be of interest to professionals, early interventionists, parents, social workers, psychologists, and pediatricians

"I heartily recommend Sibling Development."--CFLE Network Newsletter (National Council on Family Relations) Sibling relationships have a major influence on a person's development and behavior, yet, until now the topic has been seriously underrepresented in the professional literature. Sibling Development: Implications for Mental Health Practitioners addresses this gap by examining the range of developmental, clinical, and cultural issues related to sibling relationships. It highlights positive sibling relationships as a source of strength and resilience; at the other end of the spectrum, it addresses sibling abuse, a dangerous and underdiagnosed condition. It demonstrates the crucial support that siblings can provide each other in families experiencing mental illness, substance abuse, divorce, and other stressors. It also considers issues of cultural and ethnic diversity, gender, disability, and sexual orientation as they relate to siblings and their families. Each chapter provides case studies to illustrate how theory and empirical findings can be incorporated into culturally informed treatment, and offers implications for practice and future research. It is an essential resource for all practitioners, researchers, students, and educators who work with or study siblings. Key Features: Examines the role of siblings as cultural educators and socializing agents Offers empirically derived treatment approaches for siblings and families Discusses lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender siblings Includes case studies to demonstrate how to integrate theory and empirical findings into practice Looks at sibling dynamics in families with mental illness, substance abuse, and divorce, as well as siblings of individuals with disabilities Discusses sibling relationships in transracial adoptive families

International Review of Research in Mental Retardation is an ongoing scholarly look at research into the causes, effects, classification systems, syndromes, etc. of mental retardation. Contributors come from wide-ranging perspectives, including genetics, psychology, education, and other health and behavioral sciences. Volume 37 of the series focuses mainly on topics relating to parenting and families, including chapters on the transition to adulthood for individuals with intellectual disability, contrasts in parenting across early school-age children with developmental delays, parental contributions to communication development, and siblings of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Provides the most recent scholarly research in the study of mental retardation A vast range of perspectives is offered, and many topics are covered An excellent resource for academic researchers