I had once said that an autism diagnosis is not something that I would congratulate someone on, nor was it something I would order a cake for.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t find the upside in a diagnosis. In fact, I think there’s plenty of good things that can be found after receiving a diagnosis for your child.
And I’m sharing six reasons as to why you should celebrate an autism diagnosis.
Maybe you may not realize it right away and maybe you might not have a party… but let’s face it, having a slice of cake couldn’t hurt, right? Point being, receiving a diagnosis of autism may not always be a bad thing. I’m certainly not suggesting that you go out and rent a party room to celebrate this, but at least consider a few things that just might not be so bad about having a diagnosis.
From an autistic autism mom to you
The Autism Family Guide is your shortcut to autism parenting.
How do I know?
Because friend, the resources in this guide are lifechanging.
Create routines with ease, calming strategies at your fingertips, and more.
And if you’re wondering where to start on this journey, be sure to visit my Autism Resources and Inspiration page.
How should you react to an autism diagnosis?
If someone had told me to celebrate my daughter’s diagnosis, I probably would have fought the urge to punch them in the face… or kick them in the shins. The last thing I wanted to do was celebrate.
She has autism.
What joy is there in that?
So instead of finding the bright side, I let me emotions take over. I went through grief and I went through guilt.
But, looking back, maybe I should have celebrated. Maybe I should have started looking on the bright side.
Or, at the very least, once I was done with my anger and punching innocent pillows and screaming profanities at the top of my lungs, I would have looked for the sliver lining.
But that was then…. and this is now.
So here’s my advice to parents who are just starting out on this journey. Yes, you can grieve and yes- there will be guilt. But don’t forget to look for the bright side because that optimism just might get you through the darkest days.
And really? There is no wrong or right way to react. It’s a very personal thing and no one can tell you how to react or respond.
6 Important Things to Celebrate After Receiving an Autism Diagnosis
- You have a diagnosis. This can truly make a world of difference in terms of getting services for your child. From obtaining the right types of therapies for an IEP to getting help with medical expenses, having a definitive diagnosis can make all the difference.
- There is no more uncertainty as far as what’s wrong with your child. Not that there was anything wrong with them to begin with, but now you have a better understanding of why.
- Your child. Your child is still your child regardless of what they’ve been diagnosed with. Don’t forget this.
- You can centralize your research. Okay, so maybe I’m in the smaller pool of parent’s who will do this, but I think it does help. After getting an official diagnosis for my daughter, I knew what books to look for in terms of how to help her. And how to help myself.
- You can look for specific support groups. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with going to a general support group, but sometimes it does help to be with fellow parents who just get it. Or who have been there and give you a real picture of what to expect later on.
- You know where to start. For me, having a diagnosis meant that I had a starting point with how to proceed. It meant knowing that I had a lot of phone calls to make and people to speak with. But, for me, this was also a great relief.
Receiving an autism diagnosis is not the end of the world.
And while yes, it may not be something that you’ll go out and have a celebratory dinner for, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find something to celebrate about the diagnosis.
Your child is still your child, that will never change.
Just now, they happen to have an autism diagnosis.
Go have a cupcake.
Kori
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Good points. Half of any problem is figuring out what the problem is and if you do not know it cannot be dealt with. So a diagnosis helps not only the parents but extended family, school, Sunday school, and so on. It is good you can see the positives and help others to see them, too. Thanks!
Absolutely. It took me awhile to see the good of having a diagnosis but I’m definitely thankful we have one.
So much truth to this list. It’s still very hard to hear the diagnosis though. The guilt that goes along with the grieving process, I think, is the most surprising part of it.
It is a very tough pill to swallow, that’s for sure. And not something that I would wish on anyone. I love my daughter unconditionally and I always will. But that diagnosis sucks.
A truly inspirational and heart warming way to view challenges. My daughter was born with full bilateral cleft lip and palate. My son was diagnosed with a cyst in his brain at the age of three. Their mother left us in 1995 and I raised both of them to face the realities of the world and to deal with the challenges that they would both face. I’m proud to say they are both parents of beautiful sons. It’s a great feeling that they are all doing great and are happy. Thank you again for your story.
You have my admiration for raising them alone- I truly respect any single parent. And congratulations to them both for being parents as well 🙂
The title of this post threw me for a loop at first, but then I read on and discovered the “silver lining”. We’re also parents of twin boys whom are on the spectrum so we totally get it. Thank for your bright perspective.
Thank you for taking the time to read through 🙂 It took me awhile to come to terms with the diagnosis and there are still days that I struggle. My goodness, twins.
Hi there your site came up when I Googled ASD diagnosis celebration. SD16 has just been diagnosed ASD. I’m baking a cake. We will celebrate and then get back to the hard work of learning to work with a late diagnosis the next day. For my partner this diagnosis culminates efforts since she was 6 as her Dad to point out things weren’t right, but no one, not even her mother accepted he might have a valid point of view. For me (I’m the research focused one), it confirms what I’ve already started… we’ve got to get her environment right,… Read more »
I’m the research one as well so I found comfort in that. You are doing awesome things for her!
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