Our beautiful daughter was diagnosed with autism, when she was three. This was not my plan for her life. This was never something I ever dream would happened, but the reality is she is beautiful! She is strong! She is her own person! If you find yourself on the same journey, please gleam from my journey. My daughter is now ten and here are some things we have learned along the way.

What you Need to Know when your Child is Diagnosed with Autism:

1. It’s going to be all right. Your life and the life of your child will be good. It is just a different good. It is alright to mourn the loss of what you thought things were and how they were going to be. Bawl your eyes out if you have to.

2. Find support. Find people who will love you and walk this road with you. There are great communities on line or in your community of moms who are living the same struggles.

3. Find support for your child. Find the state resources for special needs and get started with a company that can help provide care and therapies for your children.

4. Go with your gut. If you don’t feel right about a teacher or therapist for your child, move on. Also evaluate therapies. After a 3 month time ask, “is this therapy helping my child and worth driving to every week?”If not, move on. Be careful not to become buddies with your therapists..sometimes, when this happens, they suddenly want to hang out and chat with you instead of working with your child.

5. Be careful! Unfortunately, lots of people are out there looking to make big money off desperate parents and will make all sorts of claims and charge you money on treatments that your insurance won’t cover. Here is my rule of thumb: If it is low risk and you can afford it, try it. Give it three months, if you see no improvement in your child, move on.

6. Don’t compare your child’s progress with another child on the spectrum. These kids are all so different. They respond differently to things. The Gluten free diet may be great for her kid, but not yours. Stay true to your child’s growth, pace, and improvements. Celebrate any level of progress.

7. You child is smart. Your child knows and experiences more than you know. Love your child, talk to your child as you would a typical child.

8. Don’t let autism take over your life. Don’t abandon your marriage or your other children for the sake of your child with autism. Find time to get away, even for an hour to nurture the other aspects of your life.

9. Everyone has a tough road. Even when you see typical kids all over and you feel like you are the only one with a child having a meltdown for the tenth time, remember no one has a perfect life.

10. It’s going to be alright. You have a wonderful child. He needs you and loves you even if she can’t tell you.

Image used under Creative Commons License – Flickr User George Pauwels 5/13/15.