A diagnosis of autism may come as a shock to some families, or maybe they’ve had a feeling for some time. It is also possible they knew about their child’s autistic identity and a formal diagnosis affirmed this. Some parents are autistic themselves, so their understanding of their child’s identity is informed by their own lived experience.
Download the 'Reactions to Diagnosis' sheet and explore the additional resources tab for more information.
Additional Resources
Welcome To The Club – Evolved - by Jess Wilson, Diary of a Mom
Advice To Parents After An Autism Diagnosis - by ASD Dad
A Letter To Parents Of Children With Autism from An Autistic Adult - by Andrea Michael
What Now? Ten Tips for Families with a New Autism Diagnosis - by Squillo, for Thinking Person’s Guide To Autism
References
Bonis, S., Sawin, K., Risks and Protective Factors for Stress: Self-Management in Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Integrated Review of the Literature, Journal of Pediatric Nursing (2016)31, 567–579. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2016.08.006
Crane, L., Batty, R., Adeyinka, H., Goddard, L., Henry, L. A., & Hill, E. L. (2018). Autism diagnosis in the United Kingdom: Perspectives of autistic adults, parents and professionals. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 48(11), 3761-3772. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-018-3639-1
Derguy, C., M’Bailara, K., Michel, G. et al., (2016) The Need for an Ecological Approach to Parental Stress in Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Combined Role of Individual and Environmental Factors. Journal of Autism Dev Disord 46: 1895. https://doi-org/10.1007/s10803-016-2719-3
Hsiao, Y.‐J. (2018), Autism Spectrum Disorders: Family Demographics, Parental Stress, and Family Quality of Life. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 15: 70-79. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12232
Legg, H., Tickle, A., (2019), UK parents’ experiences of their child receiving a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of the qualitative evidence. Autism, 23:8, 1897-1910
Moh, T., Magiati, I., (2012), Factors associated with parental stress and satisfaction during the process of diagnosis of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6:1, 293-303,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2011.05.011
Rasmussen, P., Pedersen, I. Pagsberg, A., (2020) Biographical disruption or cohesion? How parents deal with their child's autism diagnosis, Social Science & Medicine, Vol.244, 112673
Tint, A., & Weiss, J. A. (2016). Family wellbeing of individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review. Autism, 20(3), 262–275. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315580442
