How to Talk to Your Child About Their Autism Diagnosis

1. How To Talk To Your Child About Their Autism Diagnosis www.aleebh.com

2. Introduction • 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Read books about autism • One way children learn about the world around them is through the media they consume. As a result, if you want to help them better understand their diagnosis, you should focus on media that features authentic representations of autism. For example, you could read books such as Different Like Me and All My Stripes to them.

6. 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.

7. 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. 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.

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