Parents that have just heard the words “your child has autism” can experience a wide range of emotions. From fear to relief and trepidation to panic, all of these fears are normal. Even parents who were expecting to hear those words are left wondering how to cope with an autism diagnosis.
Thankfully, many other families have journeyed down this road before. Not only have others been through the early stages of coping with an autism diagnosis, these families have shared their experiences. Their expertise helps families dealing with a new autism diagnosis.
The Stages of Grief
Although receiving an autism diagnosis is different than hearing that one’s child may be suffering from terminal cancer, parents may feel an intense feeling of despair. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has defined five stages of grief and these stages are commonly seen in families dealing with a new autism diagnosis.
- Denial and Isolation
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
Understanding these stages of grief and working through them will help families as they learn to cope with an autism diagnosis.
Local Autism Support Groups
Parents may find their best source of support to be with a group of other families dealing with the same issues. Many organizations, like the Autism Society of America, have local autism support groups across the country.
Not only do local autism support groups provide parents the opportunity to gather together and compare notes, these groups often provide education and outreach opportunities for families coping with a new autism diagnosis.
Online Autism Support Groups
While nothing can beat getting together in person with other families with children on the autism spectrum, an online autism support group is one support alternative. With autism’s prevalence continuing to rise, families in more remote areas are finding a lack of in-person support available. Thankfully, there are online groups available. These groups come in the form of message boards, email groups, blog groups, Facebook pages, and more.
Autism Advocacy
Once parents have begun working through the five stages of grief and have connected with an autism support group, many find it helpful to begin their own autism advocacy campaign. A parent is his child’s best advocate. Autism advocacy is important in several arenas: therapy, education, and medical treatment are just a few of the areas where autism advocacy comes into play.
The more a parent knows about autism and the services available to their child, the better. Parents may feel rejuvenated, turning their stress and grief over the diagnosis into a passion and drive for ensuring nothing but the best for their child. Autism advocacy efforts provide parents with a productive output for this energy.
When a new baby is born, the last thing on most parents’ minds is that they will one day have to cope with an autism diagnosis. However, this does not have to be a journey that parents take alone. Instead, they can rely on the many sources available to families to help learn how to cope with an autism diagnosis.
Melissa Hincha-Ownby - Melissa is a life-long writer. She started her freelance writing career in the 8th grade when the editor of her small town’s ...
