I know 3 people, 2 teens and one young adult, who are considered much more severe than my son. Their parents are the doom and gloom type. One of the teens, although the parent is a doom or gloom type, I believe the parent is beginning to wake up and has just spent too much time with the others.
Anyway, these parents constant view is my son/daughter can't do this, can't do that, blah, blah, blah…yet amazingly enough, when I have been allowed to speak with these teens/young adult, they react VERY differently to me than they do to their parents and others around them in the doom and gloom group.
I do NOT consider their major issues truly autism, but rather much more "depression" and possibly even a bit "psychotic" from the craziness that is constantly around them…I would dare say even neglect and abuse.