ABSTRACT
The family is the first arena in which we develop as persons and learn to relate. A person with autism has a specific difficulty in communicating and relating to others and this initially becomes apparent in family interaction early in the child’s life. This can be a devastating discovery for parents and other family members. It is of vital importance to work with the family to address the child’s needs as early as possible, to support the other members and to help the family optimise the learning environment for the child.
