When parents have long worried about their child's behavior and after many evaluations and visits to developmental professionals, they are seated in an office and told that their child has autism or ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), they may feel the walls of the professional's office collapse on them. It is certainly news that can be, at least at first, totally heartbreaking for parents.
Although it is true that there are different degrees of autism, and that depending on it the life of the child and his family can be affected in one way or another, the news can also be received in different ways depending on the personality of the parents. What cannot be denied is that it is a difficult and hard time that parents will need to assimilate in order to take the reins in the best possible way. before the situation and look out for the welfare of your child. But what should you do once you know this diagnosis?
Ensure diagnosis
It is very important that first of all you make sure that the diagnosis is correct and that your child really has autism to be diagnosed as such. In this sense, you should go to other professionals to verify this information and to be able to verify that it is really a correct diagnosis. It has nothing to do with how much or how little credibility you have towards the first professionals, but this is a very important diagnosis and it should not be taken lightly. All possible evaluations are to be welcomed.
Find all the necessary information
If your child is really diagnosed with autism, you should know what grade he has and find all the information you can about it. In order to understand your child, you must understand what exactly Autism Spectrum Disorder is, it is necessary that you understand what it is about, why it happens, what are the best treatments and what should be done to make your child's life the best possible for him.
Remember that autism has no cure, it is not a disease ... it is a developmental disorder that affects many children in our society. It is an unknown topic for many and it is necessary for people to become aware and understand what autism is about so that they can understand their behaviors and their way (atypical for others) of relating to others and the world.
Assimilate the diagnosis
It is not easy to assimilate a news as hard as this, but that beautiful boy is your son, and yes, he is still the angel who has stolen your heart since he came to this world. The diagnosis of autism does not have to be something that causes you to have a barrier in your heart, quite the opposite.
This diagnosis should only help you to better understand your child, to know what his needs are, to respect his personality and his way of seeing the world, which will be different from how you perceive it. His world will be different, his way of thinking atypical, but you will be able to have the necessary tools to understand him, to know which path you should follow together and to be able to enjoy a full life.
Surely when you receive the news you feel the desire to cry, to feel that things are not how you imagined them when you were pregnant ... you may feel rage, anger, anger, frustration ... feel free to feel all that, but also feel free to be afraid of uncertainty, because all those feelings are adaptive emotions that will help you focus on the here and now. When you feel all those emotions, write along with them good things that your child has and then fight to make your life precious ... because you know very well that it can be.
In this life "normal" is relative and the life of each family is a world that does not have to be or be compared with others. The path of life is ours, and your son needs you to teach him to walk alongside him, and without you realizing it ... he will be teaching you many things about life.
Coordinate with specialists
Another fundamental aspect that you cannot ignore is the coordination that you must constantly maintain with the professionals who serve you. In both health and education, there must be extreme coordination to be able to handle any aspect. Coordination between professionals and family is absolutely necessary to guarantee a good evolution of the child with autism, Because with good care (and the sooner the better), strategies and tools can be obtained so that the child's life has the highest possible quality.
Join a support group
For you to see that you are not alone in the world and that there are many families who have gone through the same feelings that you are going through, you only have to join a support group, friendship or association about Autism Spectrum Disorder, because in addition to find emotional support, They will provide you with information and I am sure that you will also be able to meet great friends.
Family and friends are important
Inform family and friends of the diagnosis, offer them information because in order for them to understand your child and their behaviors, they must understand what ASD is about, but you can never lose sight of autism is not the same in all children. Children with or without autism have their own personality and idiosyncrasies, and although this disorder affects them socially and they perceive the world differently, they are unique and unrepeatable, and most likely they are brilliant in some respect ... you just have to find out.
It is also important to remember that life does not have to revolve around autism, it is something that will always be in your lives but it is necessary to live life as a united family, who wants the best for everyone ... and that they will find the way to achieve that every day is a little better.