Research Article

Being a Sibling to an Individual with Special Needs: A Phenomenological Study

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Psych Educ Multidisc J, 2025, 33 (5), 576-591, DOI: https://doi.org/10.70838/pemj.330506, ISSN 2822-4353
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Abstract

This study explored the experiences of being a sibling to an individual with special needs. This study aimed to gain insights on the experience of being a sibling to an individual with special needs, specifically answering the following questions; how may the experience of being a sibling to an individual with special needs be described, what is the meaning of their experience of being a sibling to an individual with special needs and what essence can be formulated based on the findings of the study. Six participants were interviewed based on the inclusion criteria of the study. This study was conducted at Barangay Zone III, City of Koronadal. The researchers utilized Colaizzi’s seven-step method in data analysis. This study offers a new perspective on family dynamics and the lived experiences of siblings within families with children who have special needs. The findings reveal that being a sibling in this context is particularly challenging, as they often assume and fulfill parental roles and responsibilities. The themes that emerged from the SOP 1 are the following; self-sacrifice, selfless caregiving, compassionate caregiving, empathic understanding, and self-development. For SOP 2 the themes that emerged are fortitude, developing personal and emotional awareness and embracing optimism. The essence of this study describes this phenomenon as “a state of altruistic commitment”.This study contributes valuable insights for parents, educators, and support systems in understanding and addressing the needs of siblings of individuals with special needs.

Keywords altruism siblings challenges experiences commitment special needs responsibilities

The team behind this paper

4 authors, 1 institution.

This paper Notre Dame of Marbel University — Philippines Notre Dame of Marbel Un… 4 authors Princess Hermione Cerbito — corresponding author PC Princess Hermione Cerbito ✉ Andrea Grace Gamutan AG Andrea Grace Gamutan Nicole Jade Janiola NJ Nicole Jade Janiola Jun Badie JB Jun Badie

Readership

848 reads over 20 months.

March 2025 October 2026

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This article is token #4646 of SciMatic Articles (ERC-1155): 1,000,000 tokens, minted once, never more. The chain also stores a fingerprint (SHA-256) of the article's record, so anyone can check that it has not been altered.

HolderWalletTokens
SciMatic 0xc35709…277732 100,000 (10%)
Princess Hermione Cerbito 0xf0A865…DD2910 225,000 (22.5%)
Andrea Grace Gamutan 0xd5aa67…Bf3b49 225,000 (22.5%)
Nicole Jade Janiola 0x883d2F…632288 225,000 (22.5%)
Jun Badie 0x6887CE…9A45D7 225,000 (22.5%)
Content hash 0x2fe591838f27aaf4a5ad7ba4c6c2d9f49bedd6ff80ee0c5d7a7209ebb09a4171

Bibliographic Information

Princess Hermione Cerbito, Andrea Grace Gamutan, Nicole Jade Janiola, Jun Badie, (2025). Being a Sibling to an Individual with Special Needs: A Phenomenological Study, Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 33(5): 576-591
Bibtex Citation
@article{princess_hermione_cerbito2025pemj,
author = {Princess Hermione Cerbito and Andrea Grace Gamutan and Nicole Jade Janiola and Jun Badie},
title = {Being a Sibling to an Individual with Special Needs: A Phenomenological Study},
journal = {Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal},
year = {2025},
volume = {33},
number = {5},
pages = {576-591},
doi = {10.70838/pemj.330506},
url = {https://scimatic.org/index.php/show_manuscript/4646}
}
APA Citation
Cerbito, P.H., Gamutan, A.G., Janiola, N.J., Badie, J., (2025). Being a Sibling to an Individual with Special Needs: A Phenomenological Study. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 33(5), 576-591. https://doi.org/10.70838/pemj.330506

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