MEET ALIA,

Your 24/7 Virtual Expert on Autism

✔ Ask questions about autism or ADHD
✔ Get personalized answers and recommendations
✔ Practical advice and support strategies

My child has been diagnosed with autism now what?

Raising a Child with Autism

There is nothing easy about raising a child who is on the Autism Spectrum. This is a difficult feat that can be challenging to overcome. The most important parts about raising a child who is on the autistic spectrum are coming to completely understand the disorder itself and gaining support as a parent for this child. We will discuss these issues in more detail below.

Understand Research and Understanding the Disorder

It is enormously helpful for you to do some research on what this disorder is. You may use online resources such as the National Institute of Health website and the Mayo Clinic website. These are both authoritative sources on medical issues.

It is recommended to get in touch with a counselor for developmental disabilities. To get the right information about the disorder, you may wish to set up an appointment. You may also find it useful to check out books from the library about the autistic spectrum disorder. The more real and important information the better.

Now that your child has been diagnosed, it is completely necessary that you fully understand the nature of the disorder. This will help you to understand your child's perspective in greater detail. It will also prepare you to put in place measures to address your child's disorder.

You should not be discouraged by the information that you find about it. It is a positive thing to be learning more about your child's perspective. Your research helps you to understand your child's experience and how to address your child's autism spectrum disorder.

Give Yourself Time

Parents of children who have this disorder must give themselves time to process the information that their child has been diagnosed. You should not expect to feel comfortable with the diagnosis immediately. It is to be expected that you will need time to take in with this process and to come to terms with the fact that your child has been diagnosed with this disorder.

You may find that it is important to give yourself time with soothing activities outside of your work or recreational activities. You may choose to join a book club or pick up your favorite novel for another read. You must make time for yourself.

You will find that setting aside time for yourself helps you to move through the challenges of processing this information more smoothly. You should make downtime to relax so that you can process this knowledge with more ease.

Becoming Your Child's Advocate

More so than anything else, your child needs you to be their advocate. As a parent, it is your job more than a teacher's or daycare providers to advocate for your child's well-being. This well of course comes naturally to you considering how much you love your child. You will need to enroll your child in the proper services to address his or her disorder. Parents are a child's whole world and with confidence in your abilities, there are no challenges that your child will not be able to overcome.