My Child has Autism, What Now?: First Things to Do After Your Child is Diagnosed with Autism

No parent wants to hear news like this: a child diagnosed with autism. Many times, they’re left wondering why or how they could have ended up in their situation, and well, the truth is that no parent deserves to go through something so disheartening, but tens of thousands do every year.

Facts are facts, and facing them is part of life. Sometimes, the truth cuts deep at the heart and scoops it with a spoon. And it’s during these times that we’re often frozen, not in fear, but rather, from shock. It’s often near-impossible to keep composure and to formulate a plan of action. But you should start planning, and this advice can help.

These are some of the first things that you need to do when your child gets diagnosed with autism…

Learn to Breath Deeply

Deep breaths and meditation may sound facile at this point, given the situation, but it can help you regulate your blood pressure, as well as maintain composure. Slow breathing is a habit to learn that you may need to turn to many times in the coming years. Whatever you do, never panic and despair. Maintain a clear head and focus on putting together an actionable plan.

Begin to Develop a Care Plan

There are no cures for autism, but there are ways that are proven to help your child develop fundamental social skills. A few prime examples of such a care plan would include speech, physical, occupational, and socio-behavioral therapy.

It’s also important for you as a parents to learn how to observe and detect when your child is trying to communicate with you. The sooner you’re able to discern how your child communicates, the better you’re able to attend to your child’s needs.

Join a Support Group

We, humans are social beings that are very empathic. Handling things on your own is extremely difficult and being able to speak with someone who understands what you’re going through is invaluable as part of your support network.

Apart from the emotional support, you’re also going to be able to call on the group when you need information on certain aspects of caring for your child.

Contact a Birth Injury Lawyer

While legalities may be the last thing on your mind right now, it’s still important to have a birth injury lawyer look into the circumstances of your child’s birth. It may feel like an irresponsible thing to do (trying to fix blame onto someone), but it’s still far better to know the true circumstances of your child’s birth.

This, at least gives you some closure. There are times when autism is caused by complications during birth that weren’t properly handled by the medical professionals who were charged with the care of both child and mother.

Request For Some Help From Your Doctor

No, this isn’t for your child. You’re going to lose a lot of sleep over learning that your child has just been diagnosed with autism. You’re going to need to be able to get enough rest in order for you to be able to take good care of your child. Sleep is essential and you need to get it, even if it means using a sleep aid to adjust.

And even when you’re able to get some sleep, you’re going to need to be able to remain calm. Sleep aids or other meds, while not exactly essential, can help many overwhelmed people.