Assessing the behaviours of healthy children with disabled siblings and the factors affecting

Introduction: Being a sibling of a disabled child causes several positive and negative emotional and behavioural reactions. The aim of this study is to assess the factors that affect the behaviours of healthy children with disabled siblings. Method: The descriptive and analytic research has been carried out with n=154 healthy siblings between the ages of 7 and 18 who agreed to participate in the study among the N=198 siblings between the ages of 0-24 and the mothers of disabled children (n=135) registered to two Special Education and Rehabilitation centres between April and September, 2014. In collecting data, "Family description form", "Schaffer Scale of Assessing Sibling Behaviour", "Questionnaire of Sibling Problems" has been used. Data has been evaluated by using NCSS 2007 (Number Cruncher Statistical System). Findings: Age average of mothers at the study is 38.22±5.12. 83 % is graduate of elementary education and 92,6 % is housewife. 55,1% of healthy siblings are male. 88% is student. The age of starting special education of disabled siblings at the ages of 1,5 -27 is between 1 and 19 years. 54,1% is first child, 55,6% is male, 42,2& is mentally retarded, 18,5% has more than one disorder. 71,1% of the mothers and 88,9% of healthy siblings have no disability education. At the end of analysis, healthy brothers over 15 years of age have less problems with disabled siblings (p=0.02; p<0.05). According to sub-dimensions of Schaffer Scale of Assessing Sibling Behaviour, the state of education of healthy sibling affects "Kindness Dimension" (p<0.05); his age and gender affects "Dimension of avoidance and restraint" (p<0.001); level of disability and apparent disability of disabled sibling affect "Kindness Dimension", "Dimension of avoidance and restraint", the age of starting special education affects "Dimension of togetherness-being concerned", birth order affects "Empathy Dimension" (p<0.05). According to mothers, the state of education, age, gender and disability education affects the sub dimensions of the scale. Disability education, working and the state of income of mothers affects the sub dimensions significantly. Significance level is between p<0,01 and p<0,05. Conclusion: It has been determined that behaviours of healthy children with disabled siblings have been affected by several factors. It has been recommended that the problems should be assessed with qualitative studies.