摘要：Autism is a disorder whose severity and chronicity imply in a higher demand for care. Therefore, the family is required to engage and adapt to emerging needs. The present article addresses, through a non-systematic literature review, the impact of an autistic member on the family, as well as autism implications to family functioning. Recently published books and scientific papers were used as sources in this research work. The results show that the impact of autism on family functioning is influenced by the severity of the disorder, the parents’ personality traits, as well as the availability of social support networks. Social support and parent training programs represent alternative actions for the development of coping strategies to be adopted by parents faced with autism. Key words: autism, family, coping.
