Sibling relationships of children with Down syndrome: perspectives of mothers, fathers, and siblings.

Fifty-four siblings of children with Down syndrome and their parents and an individually matched group of comparison children and parents provided data about the quality of sibling relationships. There were no group differences in parental reports, but siblings of children with Down syndrome reported less unkindness and, if in a same-sex dyad, more empathy than did comparison children. There were differences between same-sex and opposite-sex dyads regarding avoidance and frequency of sibling positive and negative interactions. There were no group or sex differences in children's reports of their interactions with parents or contribution to household chores. Siblings of a child with Down syndrome participated in more caregiving activities. Caregiving was associated with empathy and involvement on the relationship questionnaire.