Han är som han är - En kvalitativ studie om upplevelsen av att växa upp med ett syskon som har autism
SiblingAutismGrowthStructual family therapyPhenomenologyInternet-based interviewsSyskonAutismUppväxtStrukturell familjeterapiFenomenologiInternetbaserade intervjuer
The aim of this study is to examine the experienced life situations of siblings growing up with a brother or a sister diagnosed with autism. The study is qualitative and therefore suitable to the purpose of studying the informants´ own experiences. Three women and one man, aged between 18-24 years, were interviewed through chatt programs on the Internet. The constituted perspective is phenomenological and the analysis were made by identifying meaning units in the text from the interviews. The theory used to interpret the result is systems theory and more specifically the structual family therapy by Salvador Minuchin. The data was also compared to earlier research. The result showed that the siblings were affected by growing up with a brother or sister with autism. Their experiences were both of positive and negative kind. The findings further showed that the siblings had similar as well as various experiences.