Autism and Communication (cont.)Medical Author:
Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD
Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MDDr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland. Medical Editor:
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACRDr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. In this Article
 How does autism impact the family?
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Having a family member with autism presents emotional, social, and financial challenges. The stress placed on parents and other family members of people with autism can be influenced by a number of factors. Examples of such factors include how well the person with autism functions, how much social support the family receives, and sometimes the ethnicity of the person's parents. Siblings of children and teens with autism seem to fare better in their understanding and acceptance of the family member with autism when provided with education about their loved one's condition. What are the different types of autism?
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Autism is classified as a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), a category of disorders that is often described interchangeably with the broad spectrum of developmental disorders affecting young children and adults called the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The range of these disorders varies from severely impaired individuals with autism to other, more high-functioning individuals who have abnormalities of social interaction but normal intelligence -- Asperger's syndrome. The ways in which autism is exhibited can differ greatly. Additionally, autism can be found in association with other disorders such as mental retardation and certain medical conditions. The degree of autism can range from mild to severe. Mildly affected individuals may appear very close to normal. Severely afflicted individuals may have an extreme intellectual disability and be unable to function in almost any setting. Reviewed by William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR on 8/21/2012 Patient CommentsViewers share their comments
Autism and Communication - Symptoms
Question: What were the symptoms of your child's autism initially?
Autism - Experience
Question: Please describe your experience with autism.
Autism Spectrum Disorder - Types
Question: What type of autism were you or your child diagnosed with? Please discuss your experience.
Autism Spectrum Disorder - Impact on Family
Question: In what ways has autism affected your family?
Autism Spectrum Disorder - Causes
Question: What do you believe is the cause of your child's autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder - Vaccines
Question: Did concern about autism cause you to withhold vaccinating your child? Briefly, please share your story.
Autism Spectrum Disorder - Diet and Supplements
Question: What dietary changes have you made in the treatment of your autistic child?
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