ABSTRACT
While the family plays an important role in the subsequent development of all children with developmental disabilities, it has a unique and multifaceted position when the child has autism. The interactive relationship involving communication and behavior between the family and child is fundamental and unique in the autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). It serves both as a basis for alerting the family that something is awry, and an opportunity for involvement in treatment and management. That a special kind of relationship exists between the family and the child with ASD is apparent in the literature. Comparison with family references to other major developmental disabilities from the National Library of Medicine (PubMed) indicates that only mental retardation approaches the frequency of ASD entries (Table 1).
