New Autism Diagnosis

Not all parents will experience disenfranchised grief following an autism diagnosis. And for those of us that do experience it, we don’t always talk about it. But I think we should. In fact, I would encourage you to talk about it. I would encourage you to acknowledge it. It’s there and it’s real. This is parental grief and the autism diagnosis. And there’s no shame in acknowledging that it happens. For me, it was part of dealing with the initial autism diagnosis. Is It Normal to Feel Parental Grief Over Autism? Honestly, I think this all depends on the individual. Some parents will experience grief and some won’t. And, for that matter, some of us will acknowledge it. Some of us won’t. For me, personally? Acknowledging that…

If you are just pursuing an autism diagnosis for your child or you are in the beginning stages, here’s how to understand the autism diagnosis process. Be sure to take a look at more of my resources for dealing with the initial diagnosis. Tests and Evaluations for the Autism Diagnosis Process In the last ten years, there have been a multitude of new tests and evaluations for autism spectrum disorder. Some were designed to help with the screening or diagnosis while others were developed for gathering information for individuals already on the spectrum. The ones that I want to talk about are the ones that are most widely and readily available: NAME FORMAT YEAR CREATED Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS) Questionnaire 2001 Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC)…

Many young children are not diagnosed with autism until they’re in the toddler stage. It really depends on what you’re looking for with the initial signs of autism and if you’re mindful of the development. I’m not suggesting that all children should be diagnosed, of course. But parents should at least know what to look for. Especially because if you can catch the signs early, you can start therapy early. Early Intervention services were a blessing for us. Sometimes it may also be difficult to discern between a stubborn toddler and an autistic toddler.  After all, when your toddler is in the midst of an epic temper tantrum, we really aren’t going to stop and think- could this be a sign of autism? With an…