As a mom of a child with high functioning autism, I used to wonder if my child even qualifies as autistic.
I used to say things like he's on the autism spectrum or that he's autistic to some degree. In matter fact, I really didn't say my son was autistic until a year ago. I used to think it was different.
What I had to realize is that though my son's autism didn't look like "Rain Man" or look as severe as other moms children that I know, my son is still autism.
High Functioning Autism doesn't mean "Easy Autism" nor does it suggest that there are no challenges. Trust me, there are!
And this is also where you might see one of the phases of grief. Though your child can do a lot of things on their own or seem "smart enough", there are still challenges that they face daily due to social limitations.
We may wonder- will my child find new friends when they move to an integrated school? Will they find love? Will they live independently? ect .
When I take my 9 year old son with autism to the park... I have to watch him as closely as the two year old. His way of play is unconventional to the point where I told other children that he was autistic to spare them from laughing. They were great about it.
Yes all of this plays a role in accepting your child's acceptance. Grief of what could have been.
Moms of newly diagnosed autistic children, it gets better with time. Raising an autistic child is not easy!
Denial, Angel Guilt and Grief are normal feelings. But they MUST be dealt with asap.
I created a specific and proven method for successfully managing your child's autism diagnosis, and the affects it has on your family, called the 'BTH Method'
What are your challenges as a new autism mom?
Comment below or send me a message.
https://bernadettethenry.com/work-with-me/
Ps. Webinar about accepting your child's diagnosis
Link In Bio