• Emma Critchley, Michelle Cuadros, Ina Harper, Harry Smith-Howell, and Miles Rogish.
• Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK. Electronic address: emmacritchley@msn.com.
• Res Dev Disabil. 2021 Apr 1; 111: 103884.

BackgroundAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a life-long condition which affects the individual and their family system. Little research understands the impact of an ASD upon families, how this may change over time and how COVID-19 has impacted these dynamics.AimsTo explore the impact of an ASD on the lived experiences of parents and neurotypical adult siblings, including during the UK COVID-19 lockdown.MethodsEight parent-sibling dyads (16 individuals) completed semi-structured interviews discussing their family before, during and after receiving the ASD diagnosis, and in relation to the first UK lockdown. Interview transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.ResultsThree super-ordinate themes were identified: Dominated by ASD; Family Cohesion; and the Need for Support.ConclusionsThe data suggested a closeness within the families and an adoration towards the individual with ASD (IWA). Dyads were, to an extent, consumed by the diagnosis both presently and in the future, implicating the need for a stretch in services to support parents and neurotypical siblings. In terms of the first UK lockdown, the IWA added an extra layer of difficulty to the dyads work-life balance yet there was an essence of family cohesion. Future research should consider longitudinal methods and explore the impact of ASD co-morbidities upon family dynamics.Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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