We are not especially tolerant of disabilities in our society, although we are more accepting of physical disabilities in children.  Differences make us uncomfortable.  We fear that which we do not understand or cannot control.  Mental illness is still misunderstood and feared.  When there is no quick fix or no fix at all, we look for someone to blame.  Too often the family is viewed as “dysfunctional,” a demeaning and stigmatizing term.  Stigma interferes with the collaborative spirit needed for productive relationships between professionals and the parents who bear the ultimate responsibility for disable, disturbed children.