Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Family characteristics of autistic children: A further report

  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The personality features of parents of a group of 21 well-functioning autistic children have been described previously. The main characteristics of these parents were social gaucheness and a tendency towards the single-minded pursuit of special, often intellectual, interests. We now present the agreement between research interviewers and clinician in the diagnosis of these parents as schizoid, together with clinical details of those parents rated by both as having definite schizoid traits. The educational functioning of the siblings of the autistic children compared with that of siblings of a matched control group is also reported.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • August, G. J., Stewart, M. A., and Tsai, L. (1981). The incidence of cognitive disabilities in the siblings of autistic children.British Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 416–422.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baird, T. D., & August, G. J. (1985). Familial heterogeneity in infantile autism.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 15, 315–321.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, A., Rutter, M., Newman, S., & Bartak, L. (1975). A comparative study of infantile autism and specific developmental receptive language disorder: II. Parental characteristics.British Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 146–159.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeLong, G. R., & Dwyer, J. T. (1988). Correlation of family history with specific autistic subgroups: Asperger's syndrome and bipolar affective disease.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 18, 593–600.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Folstein, S. E., & Rutter, M. L. (1988). Autism: Familial aggregation and genetic implications.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 18, 3–30.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, R. (1989). Infantile autism: A syndrome of multiple primary deficits?Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19, 409–424.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grove, W. M., Andreasen, N. C., McDonald Scott, P., Keller, M. B., & Shapiro, R. W. (1981). Reliability studies of psychiatric diagnosis: Theory and practice.Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 408–413.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lotter, V. (1966). Epidemiology of autistic conditions in young children: I Prevalence.Social Psychiatry, 1, 124–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robins, L. N. (1985). Epidemiology: Reflections on testing the validity of psychiatric interviews.Archives of General Psychiatry, 42, 918–924.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., & Schopler, E. (1987). Autism and pervasive developmental disorders: Concepts and diagnostic issues.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 17, 159–186.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolff, S., & Chick, J. (1980). Schizoid personality in childhood: a controlled follow-up study.Psychological Medicine, 10, 85–100.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolff, S., Narayan, S., & Moyes, B. (1988). Characteristics of parents of autistic children: A controlled study.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 29, 143–153.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham

    Sukhdev Narayan

  2. Lothian Region Social Work Department, USA

    Barbara Moyes

  3. University of Edinburgh Department of Psychiatry, USA

    Sula Wolff

Authors
  1. Sukhdev Narayan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Barbara Moyes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sula Wolff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This study was supported by a grant from the McGhie Fund for Research into Nervous and Mental Disorders.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Narayan, S., Moyes, B. & Wolff, S. Family characteristics of autistic children: A further report. J Autism Dev Disord 20, 523–535 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02216057

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02216057

Keywords

Search

Navigation