Sib Kinnect: supporting siblings of children with disabilities using a telehealth approach

Current evidence-based literature regarding the experiences of siblings of children with disabilities acknowledges that siblings have diverse experiences and that it is unclear to what extent siblings are negatively impacted. (Emerson & Giallo, 2014; Giallo, Roberts, Emerson, Wood, & Gavidia-Payne, 2014; Goudie, Havercamp, Jamieson, & Sahr, 2013; Neely-Barnes & Graff, 2011). Yet the literature also emphasizes that a substantial portion of siblings experience emotional and social difficulties and are in need of clinical services that better address their challenges. The aim of this doctoral project is to create an evidence-based and theoretically grounded program that supports siblings through the use of telehealth. Telehealth has previously been used with youth, mostly to address chronic conditions, and demonstrated comparable, and sometimes superior, outcomes when using telehealth as opposed to face-to-face treatment (Dougherty, Lipman, Hyams, & Montgomery, 2014; Gettings, Franco, & Santosh, 2015; Letourneau et al., 2012). The objectives of Sib Kinnect, the proposed program, are to use telehealth to increase knowledge about disability, promote development of meaningful interests, improve coping and problem solving skills, and provide an enjoyable experience in which siblings can connect and learn from each other. The eight-week manual-guided program is designed for siblings, ages 10-12, of children with developmental disabilities and will include fun, age-appropriate activities and discussions that address the desired outcomes in a format that is enjoyable and engaging. In order for this program to be implemented, this project will also discuss important operational components such as the evaluation plan, information dissemination, staffing, and funding

Author dc:creator

• Hill, Leslie Anne

• Occupational therapy
• Disability
• Siblings
• Telehealth

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2144/19546

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.bu.edu:2144/19546