Every year, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awarenessraising events. However, despite the acknowledgement of the condition in society, it is a stigma that is still not widely accepted by most parents.
If your child is diagnosed as having autism you will probably be overwhelmed with the decision. You will probably go into some form of denial. It can be very difficult to come to terms with the fact that there is something wrong. The first thing that you might want to do is to contend the findings. The earlier that you accept that the diagnosis is correct, the quicker you will be able to receive help and advice on what care is available for you and your child.
Of all the emotions that can strike you after receiving the diagnosis, the worst is anger. You may be angry with yourself, your doctor, or even with parents who have seemingly healthy children. You have to realize that this is not anybody’s fault. The best thing to do is to seek out other people who are in situations like yours and share experiences.
After anger there is grief. You may have had lots of hopes and dreams for your child, and now feel they have all changed. You may also have the fear that your child may experience difficulties from other children because they are different. You must not let grief takeover your parental role. Try to focus on the positive and not the negative of the situation, and adapt accordingly. If you are having problems it might be a good idea to seek out some form of therapy to help you pass the grieving process.
An autism diagnosis is not made by scientific means such as drug tests and genetic make up, but purely on the observation of certain aspects of behaviour. This is because there are no common factors in a person’s make up that causes autism. Sometimes a diagnosis can be made when the child is about one-year-old, though some do not show signs of the disorder until they are nearly 18 months.
It is natural to compare your child’s behaviour to other children of the same age. This is because the speed of development of children varies according to certain circumstances. Just because they are not matching your friends’ children with regard to speech ability or motor control, do not assume that there is a problem. If you do have concerns, it would be wise to contact your physician, who will observe your child’s behaviour against a predetermined checklist.
Sometimes it is years before the child is diagnosed as being autistic, because they are on the higher level of the autism spectrum. It is also true that just because your child shows certain mannerisms, such as temper tantrums and not wishing to communicate, they are not necessarily autistic. This is because they have a developmental disability or inadequate social skills.
It could take some time to come to terms with the fact that your child is autistic. Nevertheless, you are now a parent, and now must concentrate on helping your child in whatever way possible. Join a group that relates to your problems, and if there is not one in your neighbourhood, why not form one. Support line that is going to be a tremendous help to the child, and you, in the future.
Original article extracted from: http://social-psychiatry.com/coming-terms-result-childs-autismdiagnosis/
