Empathy and Prosocial Behavior in Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have, as a group, more autistic traits than typically developing individuals. A high prevalence of autistic traits may (or may not) include lower scores on measures of empathy and prosocial behavior, compared to individuals without ASD. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies of empathy and prosocial behavior in siblings of individuals with ASD. We conducted a comprehensive literature search of studies published until March 2020. We identified 16 studies with a total of 1066 siblings that met inclusion criteria. Based on this review, we conclude that the current literature suggests that siblings of individuals with ASD exhibit normative empathic abilities and prosocial behavior.