Abstract
Psychopathologies of low frequency of occurrence, such as autistic disorder, constitute a challenge because of the diagnosticians' relatively low familiarity with both the presenting symptoms and, particularly, effective intervention strategies for them. This paper highlights the key potential pitfalls in the assessment of such rare conditions as autism. It then offers some suggestions as to what should be included in a diagnostic assessment of severely and chronically dysfunctional individuals. As well it discusses the need to coordinate the effects of different professionals on behalf of the dysfunctional child and his/her family. Such efforts should take into account the considerable stress and vulnerability of the families across the affected individual's lifespan.