National Sibling Research Consortium

The Sibling Research Consortium, begun in 2003, is a collaborative effort of researchers from several universities interested in siblings of individuals with disabilities and The Arc of the United States , with leadership provided by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Family Research Program.

Goals

to conduct research focusing on life span experiences and outcomes for siblings in families that include individuals with disabilities
to build capacity for conducting research on siblings and families
to make recommendations for policy and practice based on findings from this research

Objectives

developing a longitudinal, interdisciplinary research program that includes researchers in special education, developmental psychology, clinical psychology, sociology, genetics, and public policy; and includes the perspectives of people with disabilities, siblings and family members into the development of this research program
examining extant data on siblings in ongoing or completed studies by consortium researchers
designing a longitudinal multi-site study that focuses on the adult siblings and the transition to adulthood
examining the experiences of siblings from a positive psychology perspective
developing measures of siblings’ everyday experience and lifelong outcomes across developmental domains; developing measures of that reflect the experience of the individual with a disability in the context of studying sibling relationships as well as measures of other siblings’ experiences
reporting data and publishing materials on sibling experiences, lifespan outcomes, and factors that affect positive outcomes for siblings who are typically developing, siblings who have disabilities, and families—for use by researchers, practitioners, families, and policy makers