Actually, there is a neurological problem in those with autism. Different parts of your brain have functions and if the mother did not take care of herself while her child was in utero, then the child may be born with certain problems. Attention and language and expression are problems these people will have. These are all brain dysfunctions...not just external or behavioral or however people making distant observations see this disorder. To say that this is just a behavioral thing brought on by bad parenting is to say that down syndrome is equally brought on so.

It's more like different wiring of the brain.

But if you are concerned with the misdiagnosis, then yes, this does happen. That does not necessarily mean that the child is simply not acting right. There are marked behavioral patterns that distinct these people from those that are simply just acting out.

There are a lot of people with terrible parents out there that still wound up okay, successful even. Bad parenting is no excuse for any child to act out or to become a socially and behaviorally malfunctioning adult. Those qualities tend to show up in those that turn out to be murders or rapists or something versus those that are autistic.

Have you taken a neurophysiology class or a basic psychology class before?

Anyway, whether or not it is an excuse, it's not us who must deal with it, it's the family of those with this disorder that do.

http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Autistic_Brain

http://autism.about.com/od/causesofautism/a/AutismBrain.htm

http://www.understandingautism.org/uaorg_0REALITY/UAORG_1brainbody.html