Accepting the Diagnosis of Autism
Getting a diagnosis of autism can feel like a lot to handle. There may be a lot about the report that you don’t understand. Maybe you think the diagnosis is wrong. Your child can’t be going through this. When you find out you have autism, you will have a lot of different thoughts and feelings. Here are some ways to deal with the news and how you might be feeling.
Denial
People often feel denial when they have a physical problem. Sometimes it’s easier to say there’s no trouble at all. Some parents don’t want to believe that their child might have a problem. So they act as though nothing is wrong. The doctor was wrong, and their child is fine. Denying the report won’t help you in any way. The sooner you realise that your child has autism, the better things will be for both of you. If you don’t do anything about the problem, it won’t go away. As a parent, it will be a big step for you to accept the news and move on. The sooner you get this done, the sooner you can start thinking about how to treat it.
Anger
When you find out you have autism, one of the feelings you might have is anger. You might be mad at yourself, or you might be mad at God. Why does your child have autism? You might be mad at other parents whose kids are healthy. This is a pretty normal way to feel. Remember to think about all the good things about your child when you feel angry. Talk about how you feel with other people. It can be bad to hold on to your anger.
Grief
When a parent hears that their child has autism, they may go through a period of grief. They are sad that something is wrong with their child. They might be sad that their plans for their child might have to change. They might feel sad about how the world will treat their child and how hard things will be for them. Grief is a normal feeling that everyone has. The important thing is to get past the sadness and on to acceptance. Try not to think about what’s wrong. Your plans for your child’s future will need to be changed in some ways. Change is the only constant in life. If you can’t get past the stage of grief, you might need to talk to someone. To deal with the thoughts you’re having, it might help to see a therapist a few times.
Acceptance
It can take a while to finally accept that someone has autism. Some parents are just happy to know what’s wrong with their child. Others find it hard to accept that their child isn’t like other kids. You will eventually realise that it’s okay that your child is different. Once you agree that your child has autism, you can start to help them. Find out everything you can about autism. Consider how hard it is for your kid. They need your full support for the treatments they are doing. Acceptance is the first step to making this happen.
