Expert Advice for Parents on Overcoming Isolation

When our son was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS), we felt increasingly disconnected from our friends and neighbors. No, our son was not enrolling in the local peewee soccer league. No, the PTO really couldn't help us navigate the special education system. No, no other kids in kindergarten had the kinds of problems Tommy had...

We were not alone in feeling isolated from our community. From soccer to birthday parties to play groups, families with special needs are set apart. But that doesn't mean we're really alone.

How can families with autistic children reconnect with the world?

This question from an About.Com reader is answered by Cindy Ariel, Ph.D. and Robert Naseef, Ph.D., psychologists with a focus on families with special needs. They are also co-editors of the new book, "Voices from the Spectrum: Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, People With Autism, And Professionals Share Their Wisdom." Their psychology practice, Alternative Choices, is based in Philadelphia.

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