Due to this lapse in expertise and awareness of this mental condition, parents are often in the dark and without guidance in diagnosing and caring for their autistic child.

FORBES: Autism Is Not Just An American Thing

In a news conference earlier Friday, Banda told reporters she was kept "in the dark" regarding the president's condition.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

But Wilson's doctors and his wife Edith hid the seriousness of his condition so well that even Congress was in the dark.

CNN: Heart Murmurs