In theory, parents should seek medical advice from doctors, and from websites, books and lectures recommended by medical professionals. But autism isn't a strictly medical condition. In fact, it permeates every part of daily life - from finances to school to leisure activities.

And information about autism is available everywhere. Check out Us Magazine, Oprah, Days of Our Lives, or friends and neighbors hanging out at the local playground, and you'll find plenty of "autism experts."

Where do you turn when you're looking for information about autism? Do you stick with medical advice? Or do you explore further? Vote in the poll! You can click on as many sources as are relevant to you.

Last spring, I wrote a blog entitled Who Are Our Autistic Children's Friends? Through the magic of Google, a teacher just found the blog, and made a comment which troubled me.

I had written, in part:

It occurs to me that we may be doing our children with autism a disservice by presenting them with the idea that anyone in our classroom must - simply by being present - be a friend. What could be more confusing than having friendship shoved down your throat as a school requirement?

In fact, since our kids tend to be developmentally delayed - and in some cases more comfortable with adults than with kids - are we doing them a disservice by insisting that "friends" be same-age peers? After all, once they're out of grade school, their relationships are likely to include folks of all ages - in a wide range of settings.

Here (also excerpted) is the response from a autism support teacher:

I am a self contained teacher of students with Autism, so I know what I'm talking about when I say, that children who have autism do stim and do perseverate, they may also have 'severe' behavioral issues that disturb others. That's the nature of autism and a common occurrence in any self contained room. However, these students are placed together because success in a regular classroom environment is not possible ... As a teacher who teaches Social Skills, it is important that a student learn the necessary tools and expectations in an environment that promotes their success and does make them stressed, done any other way can lead to making socializing a 'bad experience'. This is exactly why a teacher has the [autistic] students work together, they all need practice. As for why teachers emphasize the 'friends' thing with their peers is because children with autism far too often only form bonds with adults and not with peers of a similar age. ... as adults they will be exposed to everyone and they will need to befriend their peers, not people 20, 30 or 40 years older than them (italics are mine).

It seems to me that, in fact, that this teacher's perspective is almost backwards. When a child is in school, if they are to interact appropriately with typical peers, only interaction with typical same-age peers will help them to achieve that goal. That's because only typical third graders, for example, really know precisely how bokugans work (if you don't know what bokugans are, you aren't a third grader!), or whether iCarly is cool or not this week. And no matter how good your manners or your eye contact, if you're not fully versed in the shared culture of your same-age peers, you will never fit in. (In fact, very few typical elementary school students are likely to display the level of etiquette or eye contact required of children with autism in a segregated support classroom!)

When a child graduates from school, the whole concept of "same-age peer" disappears in a puff of smoke, as young people mix with "peers" of all ages and backgrounds. It's a rare town or workplace indeed that includes no "peers" who are 20, 30, or 40 years older!

Bottom line, while I have no objection to social skills groups in which children with autism interact with one another, such groups are nowhere near enough. Children with autism need experiences with reverse inclusion (in which typical children are brought into a setting with special needs children), lunch bunch groups, playground groups, inclusive summer programs and - most importantly - ordinary community programs in which they can be successful. Whether it's a karate class, Scout troop, a YMCA program or just a neighborhood playgroup, children with autism need to actually experience social success in the real world.

What's your opinion on this important issue? If you have a child with autism, do you feel his or her social skills program is working? Why or why not?

• Autism and Social Skills Training
• What Is a Social Story?
• Improving Social Thinking in Children with Autism

When your child has Asperger syndrome or High Functioning Autism, you walk a fine line. Sometimes, under some circumstances, your child is perfectly capable of behaving typically. Other times, not so much. And it's not always easy to predict when things will suddenly become overwhelming.

If you tell a coach, scout master or friend's parent "my child has an autism spectrum disorder," you may set your child up to be excluded or treated differently. If you don't tell, though, there's always the possibility that a sensory issue or misunderstanding could lead to real problems.

How to Explain Your Child's Asperger Syndrome includes hints and tips on disclosure from experts including an adult with Asperger syndrome. But the article is just a start. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and add your best suggestions by typing into the green box!

A new theory linking schizophrenia and autism has intrigued the scientific community. According to the New York Times:

Dr. Crespi and Dr. Badcock propose that an evolutionary tug of war between genes from the father’s sperm and the mother’s egg can, in effect, tip brain development in one of two ways. A strong bias toward the father pushes a developing brain along the autistic spectrum, toward a fascination with objects, patterns, mechanical systems, at the expense of social development. A bias toward the mother moves the growing brain along what the researchers call the psychotic spectrum, toward hypersensitivity to mood, their own and others’. This, according to the theory, increases a child’s risk of developing schizophrenia later on, as well as mood problems like bipolar disorder and depression.

In short: autism and schizophrenia represent opposite ends of a spectrum that includes most, if not all, psychiatric and developmental brain disorders. The theory has no use for psychiatry’s many separate categories for disorders, and it would give genetic findings an entirely new dimension.

This is big news, and it's all over Google today. It certainly is an interesting idea to ponder. At this point, however, it's just that: an interesting idea.

One thing that puzzles me, however, is the description of the autistic personality as "a fascination with objects, patterns, mechanical systems, at the expense of social development." Yes, this does describe a subset of people diagnosed with autism. But it most certainly doesn't describe autistic people as a group. And it definitely doesn't describe my own son.

I know artists, authors, public speakers, fathers, mothers and actors with autism. I also know people with autism who can't grasp the workings of a mechanical system - yet are able to write exquisite poetry. My son, who is a wonderful storyteller, has no interest in computers, and only a passing interest in patterns and systems. Right now, his greatest fascination is for - get this - Impressionist painters!

Over time, I've noticed that there's an increasing tendency to stereotype people on the autism spectrum as having certain interests, abilities, challenges and needs. In fact, I have the sense that it's just that kind of stereotyping that has piqued the interest of the researchers cited in the Times story. Yet, as I learn more and more about autism, I find that the stereotypes really don't hold true.