The aim of this study was to describe the present and past experiences of 14 siblings from five families in terms of having abrother or sister with autism and mental retardation. Personal interviews were conducted with the siblings before their brothersor sisters were moved to a newly opened group home. Qualitative content analysis was used for the analysis of the transcribedtexts. The analysis resulted in seven content categories: precocious responsibility, feeling sorry, exposed to frightening behavior,empathetic feelings, hoping that a group home will be a relief, physical violence made siblings feel unsafe and anxious, andrelations with friends were affected negatively. The conclusion is that these siblings' experiences revealed stressful lifeconditions. Counseling for the family and for siblings is recommended to help them deal with their feelings and problems. Forthe siblings in these five families, a group home was a relevant alternative as a temporary or permanent placement for the childwith autism and mental retardation.