Within our local community of families with Autism, a recurring question and ongoing discussion is the appropriateness of explaining an Autism diagnosis to your spectrum child. There are many dimensions to this question some of which may be unique to each family. There is a reason Autism is considered a spectrum disorder: Autism symptoms vary widely among those on the spectrum.
The wide variance of symptoms and the unique family experiences that may result, necessitates that each family consider what is best for them and their special spectrum child. We did and I’m going to share with you our experience assisting our little guy with learning, accepting, and embracing his life on the spectrum. Importantly, we’ve begun this effort within the last week and, so far, are pleased with the results.
Since our son’s diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder – Asperger’s Syndrome, about two years ago, we have struggled with why, how, and when to tell him. Fortunately, his diagnosis was received when he was quite young, giving us time to consider – we thought. It did not take long before he started asking why he was going to special doctors and therapists while his sister was not. He wanted to know what was wrong. He asked, “Am I going to die?”
Read the rest of the post from an Oklahoma City dad on the spectrum on the Odd Dad Blog.
