Beliefs held by parents of autistic children.

Autism is an unusual disorder that offers varied and complex challenges. Recent shifts in educational and treatment foci have left many parents of autistic children floundering regarding how best to view and interact with their children. Furthermore, it has become clinically evident that these parents often maintain beliefs that may influence parent-child interactions and even the prognoses of the children. To date, no published research exists that examines how parental beliefs may affect autistic children. The author's purpose is to identify several common beliefs held by parents of autistic children and discuss implications for clinical practice and research.