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Personality characteristics of the parents of autistic individuals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

J. Piven ,
M. Wzorek ,
R. Landa ,
J. Lainhart ,
P. Bolton ,
G. A. Chase  and
S. Folstein
J. Piven*
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry; School of Hygiene and Public Health, Department of Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; MRC Child Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London
M. Wzorek
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry; School of Hygiene and Public Health, Department of Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; MRC Child Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London
R. Landa
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry; School of Hygiene and Public Health, Department of Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; MRC Child Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London
J. Lainhart
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry; School of Hygiene and Public Health, Department of Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; MRC Child Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London
P. Bolton
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry; School of Hygiene and Public Health, Department of Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; MRC Child Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London
G. A. Chase
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry; School of Hygiene and Public Health, Department of Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; MRC Child Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London
S. Folstein
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry; School of Hygiene and Public Health, Department of Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; MRC Child Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Joseph Piven, Department of Psychiatry, 1875 Pappajohn Pavilion, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Synopsis

Personality characteristics of 87 parents of autistic probands and 38 parents of Down's syndrome probands were examined using a standardized personality interview. Using best-estimate ratings derived from subject and informant interviews, parents of autistic individuals were rated significantly higher than controls on three characteristics: aloof, untactful and undemonstrative. When ratings were based on interviews with subjects only, parents of autistic probands were rated as significantly more aloof, untactful and unresponsive. There were no significant differences between parent groups on ratings based on informant interviews only. The implications of these findings for future family studies of autism are discussed.

Type
Preliminary Communication
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 24 , Issue 3 , August 1994 , pp. 783 - 795
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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