Teaching intervention strategies to siblings of children with special needs can improve social skills to both children: a case study

Includes bibliographical references (pages 38-42)This case study highlights the importance of the development of social skills within a family. It investigated teaching social skill intervention techniques to a sibling of a child with special needs to see if their relationship and social skills would improve. One focus family was used for the study which consisted of a father, mother, 8 year old typical sibling and a five year old child with Down syndrome. A series of observations and interviews were conducted by the researcher to learn about the family???s culture, needs and concerns for the children. Approximately 26 home visits took place over a two year period and meticulous notes were taken about the visit detailing each child???s behavior. In four sessions play interaction was modeled for the older sibling so she could use the techniques to play positively with her younger sister and teach her social skills at the same time. The findings reflect a small improvement in the social skills of the siblings. There are several limitations to this case study, such as the children???s age, the parent involvement and the level of social skills in the older sibling. Implication for practice and research are included in the discussion