There are plenty of guides out there that offer advice for parents whose child has just had an autism diagnosis, but very few that consider this process from the perspective of the child.
After all, as the average diagnosis age is three for boys and four for girls, children are often too young to understand what the diagnosis actually means. While this doesn’t mean you should overburden them with complicated language and leaflets, you should make an effort to bring it into conversation with them.
With that in mind, here are some simple ways in which you can begin to talk to your child about autism, their diagnosis, and how it may impact their lives.
- Start the chat when they are feeling relaxed and comfortable. When you feel ready to talk to your child about their diagnosis, make sure you do so in an environment where they feel relaxed and comfortable, such as the family home.
- Have an honest conversation. Obviously, the age of your child may impact the depth of the conversation you have or how you explain things to them, but you should make sure they know they can always come to you should they have any questions.
- Give them time to process this. Your child may take a little while to come to terms with their diagnosis, so you must give them some time to process this. However, you should also clarify that having autism is not a bad thing. It simply means that they process the world a little differently than the rest of us and has no impact on what they can do with their lives.
- Talk to them about any changes you will be making in their lives. Even adults who do not experience neurodiversity can be resistant to change. As a result, it’s important that you do not overwhelm your child by telling them about their diagnosis and then introducing a host of changes in their lives. In fact, you should be doing the opposite and putting together a structured routine that they can rely on. You should ensure that they are thoroughly involved in the process so they know what to expect. For example, you might want to talk briefly with them about the different therapies for autism spectrum disorder that they will be trialing, such as speech therapy or occupational therapy.
To put it simply, there’s no ‘right’ way to talk about autism with your child. As their parent, you will know them better than anyone else, meaning you’ll know what you need to say and do to make them feel comfortable and supported. However, you must maintain a positive mindset. We now understand autism and related conditions more than ever, meaning that the services available to the neurodiverse community are getting better and better each day.
