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From Denial to Acceptance: Parenting After an Autism Diagnosis
Each parent has a unique experience when they realize their child is different. For most people, it isn’t a time of rejoicing.
It usually starts with suspicions because the child’s behavior isn’t typical.
These suspicions lead to a period of consideration and denial, perhaps with doctor’s visits, or discussions with other parents.
The emphasis is on denial because an autism diagnosis is considered the end of the world, or at least the end of parental dreams.
The Moment We Knew He Was Autistic
We had been noticing our son was unusual since he was a baby. Most notably, we were dismayed by the lack of eye contact.
He refused to look at us.
No matter what we did, he wouldn’t hold our gaze.
We were new parents, but we knew that wasn’t right. We carried on, hoping it was a phase he would grow out of.
One day, my wife came across a magazine article that listed the signs of autism. My son checked every box.
