[Parents of children with autism: recent research findings]

The parents of autistic children have become objects of many controversial studies and theories. This is a review of the studies that have been conducted in the nineties with this group of parents. The studies are combined into three categories: works on the broader phenotype, studies on the parental stress and the perception of the child, and finally, parents as therapists of their children. Although the idea of genetic determination of the cognitive, social and communication deficits, has been widely spread, it still has not been sufficiently proved. The research show that parents of children with autism experience profound stress. This stress response has specific profile--the most difficult for parents are handicaps related with atypical child behaviors, and the lack of knowledge about real development limitation and child problems. But even though, the parents supported by professionals may become the good teachers and therapists for their children. The partnership between parents and professionals is one of the conditions of the parent's success in these roles.