Brothers, Sisters, and Autism: Why Sibling Relationships Matter

In Other Words is a podcast from the UCLA Tarjan Center where people with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities interview researchers, policymakers, and experts in the field of developmental disabilities. Each episode takes presentations from the Tarjan Center Distinguished Lecture Series and turns them into clear, plain-language conversations so everyone can understand and join the discussion. This episode features Dr. Nicole Rosen, a postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA Semel Institute. Dr. Rosen received a postdoctoral fellowship through the Autism Science Foundation to lead Next Gen Sib where she researches the relationships between autistic individuals and their siblings. Host Kecia Weller, Senior Disability Rights Advocate at the UCLA Tarjan Center, talks with Dr. Rosen about the importance of sibling relationships in autism and how those relationships change as siblings grow and age.Together, they discuss: • The role of sibling relationships in autism• Why siblings are so important to autistic individuals • What happens when siblings reach adulthood • The Next Gen Sibs Project• Advice for sibling caregivers Show Notes: To view the entire presentation “ Exploring the Role of Siblings in Autism" with captions, visit: https://teams.semel.ucla.edu/tarjan/2025-2026-presentations To view this podcast with captions, visit: https://youtu.be/3rmOu3Moeww⁠To learn more about Next Gen Sibs or apply to be a part of the research study, you can visit https://nextgensibs.org or email Dr. Rosen at [email protected]. To learn about participating in other Autism Science Foundation research, visit https://autismsciencefoundation.org/participate-in-research/Learn more about the UCLA Tarjan Center: https://teams.semel.ucla.edu/tarjan