Autism: The Process of Accepting Your Child's Diagnosis

Has Your Child Been Recently Diagnosed with Autism?

As the mother of three boys with autism, I can understand how difficult it is to receive a diagnosis of Autism for your child. Learning that your child has Autism can be very overwhelming. You probably have a lot of questions, fears and concerns. Maybe you're thinking that the diagnosis has to be incorrect, that there is no way your beautiful and smart child can have Autism.What follows are the universal steps of acceptance applicable to most any type of medical diagnosis. I have taken these steps and applied them specifically to Autism. Even with three kids, each diagnosis was still a process for me with each child. Intellectually understanding these steps does help because it gives you a reference point for your emotions. However, don't expect that you will get through this process quickly. Not only does it take time, but Autism is a collection of disabilities and challenges. You have a long road ahead of you and may come across many turns and new diagnosis. It is my hope and intention that the following will serve as a road map of sorts for your own healing process.

It is important to understand that Autism does not just affect your child but you and your family as well. Give yourself permission to go through the following steps.

Denial

This is not always as black and white as it is sounds. When I first learned about these acceptance steps, I denied that I was in denial! After all, I did not exactly disagree with the diagnosis. In our situation, my oldest son who was originally diagnosed with (NLD) Nonverbal Learning Disability late became diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome which is considered to be a higher functioning disorder on the autism spectrum. I read everthing I could on Autism but focused mainly on Aspergers.

At the time, I did not realize that the two disorders are more similar than they are different. As a result, I was unable to advocate for him as effectively as I could have. I allowed myself to believe along with teachers and doctors that some of his challenges were due to behavior issues. It was only later when my twins were diagnosed with Autism that I realized how wrong I was about many aspects of my oldest son's Autism.