PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

The marked increase in the prevalence of autistic children in Malaysia (Shair et al., 2024) highlights that there is a growing number of typically developing siblings whose social-emotional development might be affected due to living with an autistic sibling. Therefore, there is a critical need to examine the socioemotional functioning of the typically developing siblings with an autistic sibling. This study aimed to examine predictors of socioemotional functioning among typically developing siblings of children with autism. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted using questionnaires that incorporated three research instruments: the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA). This study took place in schools offering the Special Education Integration Programme in Central Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 163 respondents, aged 10 to 17, were selected through the fishbowl sampling method. Findings revealed that paternal permissive parenting style and emotion regulation were significant predictors of the socioemotional functioning of typically developing siblings, with β = -.205 and β = .241, respectively. These results provide valuable insight into the specific roles of paternal permissive parenting and emotion regulation in influencing the socioemotional development of ftypically developing siblings. Furthermore, the study highlights the potential value of culturally sensitive school- and family-based interventions that strengthen paternal engagement and emotion regulation skills among siblings of autistic children.