5 Tips for Parents Following an Autism Diagnosis

Written by: Corinna Ndolo, M.Ed., BCBA-LBA, Founder and CEO of St. Dominic Savio Academy

1. Take heart!

You are not alone in this. Allow yourself time to feel all the feelings that are coming. An autism diagnosis follows the stages of grieving, and those stages don’t go in order and aren’t as neat and tidy as we’d like. You may alternate between feelings of acceptance and positivity, sadness and despair, anger and frustration, denial, and back again. Try not to stay in a slump, though! Your child is counting on you to be his or her advocate, so try to pick yourself up and roll up your sleeves because you have work to do! 

2. Consider your treatment options and desires. 

If your child is diagnosed before age 6, early intervention is critical. Intensive treatment, as early as possible, capitalizes on the neuroplasticity of the young brain and maximizes outcomes for children diagnosed with autism. The most evidence-based early intervention treatment for children with autism is applied behavior analysis (ABA). Along with ABA therapy, you may want to consider speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy for your child, depending on their unique needs. Once you’ve learned a bit more about the types of interventions that are most effective for children with autism, you will want to give consideration to how you will go about selecting a clinic. Our blog post titled “Choosing Effective Treatment” may be useful. 

3. Call your insurance.

Understanding your insurance is critical as you consider early intervention treatment options for your child. Your company’s HR manager may be able to help you evaluate benefits for your child with autism. All fifty states have taken government action to ensure children with autism have access to ABA therapy funded by their health insurance provider. ABA is recognized as a medically necessary treatment for children with autism, so investigating your family’s funding options and finding an ABA provider should be some of your first steps following a diagnosis. In Arizona, insurance coverage for ABA is typically funded through private health insurance or Medicaid. Some plan types (e.g., “fully insured plans”) must provide benefits directed by state law, while others do not. Self-funded plans are regulated by federal law, not state law. By being well-informed about your insurance policy’s coverage, you can ensure your child receives the benefits of ABA therapy while reducing or eliminating any financial obligation.

4. Connect with others.

With 1 in 36 children diagnosed with autism, it is not hard to find other parents who are on this journey. Online communities are plentiful and can be a resource for the many questions you’ll likely have or just a source of camaraderie on bad days. Additionally, an online community affords busy parents the flexibility to be as active as you would like.

5. Find an IRL (in real life) community.

As convenient as online groups are, nothing can replace the true connection found through “in real life” communities. Most cities have autism societies that can point you to meet-ups and parent groups in your area. Finding friendship with parents of a child the same age as yours can be a balm to the heart, and the resource found in parents who have walked this road a few miles ahead of you is invaluable. Please reach out! The autism community is a tight-knit group, and every parent remembers what it felt like when they were in your shoes.