Diagnosis of a relative with autism or Aspergers syndromeWhen a child or adult is diagnosed as having autism or Aspergers syndrome, parentsand relatives will soon become aware of the different forms of expression of autism, andreview their own family history and the characteristics of their relatives for signs ofautism spectrum disorder, in particular Aspergers syndrome. Recent research has indicatedthat 46 per cent of the first-degree relatives of a child with Aspergers syndromehave a similar profile of abilities and behaviour (Volkmar, Klin and Pauls 1998),although usually to a degree that is sub-clinical, i.e. more a description of personalitythan a syndrome or disorder.After a child has a diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome confirmed, the clinician maythen receive another referral for the diagnostic assessment of a sibling or relative of thechild. The diagnosis may be confirmed and clinical experience has indicated that somefamilies have children and adults with Aspergers syndrome within and between generations.This has been confirmed in some of the autobiographies of adults with Aspergerssyndrome (Willey 1999). However, the subsequent diagnostic assessment may indicatethat the level of expression of the characteristics is too mild for a diagnosis, or theperson has a number of fragments of Aspergers syndrome that are insufficient for adiagnosis. Nevertheless, the person may benefit from some of the strategies that aredesigned for the characteristics or fragments that are present in his or her profile ofabilities.