New Autism Diagnosis

I will not lie and say that every day is easy because it’s not. Here’s how to manage the depression that follows an autism diagnosis. Really, it’s all part of dealing with the initial diagnosis. Though your experience may not be the same as mine, if you are feeling these things? Know that you are not alone. Managing Your Depression as a Parent of an Autistic Child When my daughter was diagnosed with autism, I went through so many things. I’ve talked in the past about the grief after the diagnosis. I have also talked about the mom guilt following the diagnosis. If you’re looking to just understand the diagnosis process? I have you covered there too. What I wasn’t expecting was, after the grief and the…

The days that surround the initial autism diagnosis process can be difficult. Some days are easier than others though and eventually, yes, you will find the brighter side of the autism diagnosis. Just hang in there. You’ll get there soon enough. How to Find the Brighter Side to the Autism Diagnosis If you had said to me, when my daughter was diagnosed, to look for a brighter side? I would have laughed in your face. Or, I would have been inclined to punch you, depending on my mood at the time. How could I possibly consider a brighter side of the autism diagnosis? What was I supposed to be thankful for? Honestly, at the time, I was hard pressed to find anything positive about this diagnosis. …

One of the main things that I struggled with after my daughter was diagnosed was mom guilt after the autism diagnosis. To be perfectly honest? There are still days that I struggle with this. It wasn’t just limited to the initial autism diagnosis, as I’ve come to learn. Did I Cause My Child’s Autism? I can’t tell you the number of times I asked myself this question and I can tell you this:  You did not cause your child’s autism. Autism is a developmental disability and a neurological disorder.  In the 1950s and 1960s, the term “refrigerator mothers” was used. Parents, and in particular moms, were accused of causing their child’s autism. Child psychologist, Bruno Bettelheim came up the term to describe moms who are emotionally unavailable….

Following an autism diagnosis, you are likely to feel many things. Some moms may feel guilt. Here’s how to handle the autism mom guilt following the diagnosis.  It’s part of the on-going process of dealing with the initial autism diagnosis. Should I Feel Guilt After An Autism Diagnosis? After my daughter was diagnosed, there were so many feelings that I grappled with.  Some, I definitely expected (anger and sadness being at the top) but then there was more that I wasn’t quite prepared to handle. The emptiness?  The helplessness? Nobody could have ever told me that I would contend with those things. Then, on top of all of that, there was the guilt.  If someone had told me that I would feel guilty about my daughter’s…