Theres a saying: If you meet one person with autism, youve met one person with autism, Cathy Louden said.

Autism is a term used for complex disorders of brain development and symptoms tend to be very personal and different for each person.

These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors, the Autism Society of West Shore website said.

In Loudin's home it rings true, she and her husband, Shawn Loudin and their two boys, Jason, 8, and Andrew, 11, are all have autism and they are all very different, she said, each with their own needs, their own quirks.

Andy is more withdrawn, Jason is the social butterfly, Cathy Loudin said. But it flips sometimes.

Andrew perfers to be left alone. Jason will pick on his brother.

Yet each has similarities too; they can focus for some time on electronic games.

Neither Cathy nor Shawn knew they had autism until they started noticing signs in their sons. They recognized things from their own childhoods, and it just made sense. The knowledge has strengthened their relationship and has given them a better understanding of each other, she said. They've learned to avoid situations that make them uncomfortable, such as large crowds.

As she learns the needs of her boys, Cathy found having a solid support system was a must. The family found that in the Autism Society of West Shore, the local chapter of the Autism Society of America.

ASWS has monthly coffee socials, Cathy said, where parents can just talk and share tips, tricks and ideas. They have a free speakers series with topics such as how to get through the individualized education plan, she said.

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Autism: It's personal