How Do I Keep My Other Children From Being Jealous Of The Attention Received By Their Sibling With Autism?

— -- Question: How do I keep my children who do not have autism from being jealous of the attention received by their sibling with autism?

Answer: It's normal and understandable that some siblings might be jealous of the time required to care for their affected brother or sister with autistic disorder.

It's actually okay for parents to acknowledge some frustration with the amount of time needed.

Parents can establish some special one-to-one time with other siblings, and this can be critical to do. Even if that amount of time is limited, simply having it can go miles in helping reassure those siblings that they're worthy of the parents' attention.

It's also okay to have family activities that don't involve all of the children. For example, if the brother or sister with autism might disrupt the attendance of a school play, it would be okay for the parents to attend the school play for another child, and leave the affected child with autism at home.