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Parental Response to Diagnosis

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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a range of neurodevelopmental disorders classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) (American Psychiatric Association 2013) to encompass autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) (American Psychiatric Association 2000). The disorders have a life-long expectancy and demand for care and treatment, both from parents and professionals. In most Western cultures, children with ASD attend school during daytime, either regular schools with adaptation or specialized schools. Some individuals also do have structured intervention programs implemented at home. Even if these individuals spend a great amount of time together with professionals, e.g., teachers or other caregivers, parents are spending most time and are thereby considered as the primary caregiver for the individual. The consequences...

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Correspondence to Roald Oien .

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Oien, R., Eisemann, M. (2016). Parental Response to Diagnosis. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102113-1

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