Ask ART: My Child Was Just Diagnosed With Autism — What Are My Next Steps?
As Published on Autism Speaks Canada’s My Autism Guide
Unsure of the first steps to take following an autism diagnosis for your loved one? You are not alone. It is easy to get overwhelmed and not know where to start. It is common to try ‘googling’ autism or autism spectrum disorder, and be inundated with information, not all of which is accurate. It may feel like you need to do everything at once and immediately, and at the same time, there is no clear path or direction to follow.
Many caregivers contact the Autism Response Team (ART) following the diagnosis of their child looking for guidance on what to do next. Here are 4 actions you can take to help you move forward today!
- Learn about autism
Autism is a spectrum disorder; your child is like no other child on the spectrum. They have their own unique characteristics, strengths, and needs. Learn about how your child perceives the world, how they communicate, how they learn, and how their brain works. This will help you feel confident when making decisions as well as assist in advocating in the community for the support they need. You may meet with experts on autism, but you are the expert on your autistic child.
Learn from autistic sources as well as professionals. Professional sources can be useful but tend to focus on your child’s needs and barriers. There are several great websites, articles, books, podcasts, and blogs created by autistic people that provide a valuable and unique perspective and better represent the strengths of autistic people. By learning from both sources, you will have a richer understanding of the autistic experience.
- Complete Applications
Apply to everything you can! Each province or territory has its own programs and services and all of them will have a waiting period. If you are unsure if your child will need it, apply anyways, and decide when the service is available if there is a need for it.
- Seek Support
Some of the best support and advice you will receive is from the autism community. Meeting with other caregivers who are going through or have gone through similar experiences can provide emotional support, tips, and suggestions, and a place of acceptance for you and your child. This can be a formal support group, a more casual social event, or even a forum or Facebook page. You can find autism organizations in every province across Canada, as well as national organizations and more regional groups.
- Start at home
Parent/Caregiver involvement is key to your child’s success. You have spent time learning about your child and what they need. The next step is to learn about the support you can provide for them. Learn strategies to engage your child, help them communicate, and partake in their community. Take advantage of free online courses, workshops, and videos to begin implementing helpful strategies into your day-to-day life.
Recommended Resources:
WHO (World Health Organization) eLearning Caregiver Skills Training
The Caregiver Skills Training e-learning course was designed for caregivers of children with developmental delays. This course is free and self-directed, allowing you to review the topics in any order at your own pace. Appropriate for children from age 2–9 years.
https://openwho.org/courses/caregiver-skills-training
Autism Speaks 100-day toolkits
These guides provide an overview of autism and what to do in the first 100 days after receiving a diagnosis.
“100-Day Kit for Families of Young Children Newly Diagnosed with Autism”
https://docs.autismspeaks.org/100-day-kit-young-children/home/
“100-Day Kit for Families of School-Age Children Newly Diagnosed with Autism” This Link Will Open A PDF Documenthttps://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/100_Day_Tool_Kit_School_Aged_Children.pdf
Understanding Autism — OpenLearn
A free course from Open Learn University
Learn From Autistics
A website that seeks to connect caregivers, educators, therapists, and other professionals with autistic voices.
https://www.learnfromautistics.com/Home — Learn From Autistics
Embrace Autism
This website was created by an autistic couple who merges science and lived experience for an informative blog.
“Autism from an Actually Autistic lens”
Archived videos from Neuroclastic from a multi-day online seminar of autistic panelists
https://www.watch.psu.edu/actuallyautistic/day-two/autism-and-a-framework-for-evolving-empathy.html
“Why Everything you know about autism is wrong” — Ted Talk Video
Jac den Houting is an autistic activist and research psychologist. In this video, they speak about concepts like the Neurodiversity paradigm, the Social Model of Disability, and the Double Empathy Problem mixed in with their firsthand experiences.
YouTubeWhy everything you know about autism is wrong | Jac den Houting | TEDxMacquarieUniversity
Ask ART is a reoccurring blog series written by Autism Speaks Canada’s Autism Response Team Coordinator. The blog answers common questions received by the Autism Response Team.
More questions? Contact the Autism Response Team for personalized support.
- Click to send an email to support@autismspeakscan.ca
- To contact the Autism Response Team, please call 1–888–362–6227”
