Dealing with Negative Emotions When You Discover Your Child Has an Autism Spectrum Disorder
When parents first discover that their child has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), they may experience an emotional struggle that looks something like this: Denial: "Surely the doctors have misdiagnosed my child. He may be a little odd, but I have a hard time believing he has some kind of disorder." Anger: "Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this." Bargaining: "Maybe there's a cure!" Depression/Guilt: "I must have done something to make this happen." Anxiety: "I don't even know where to start in dealing with this." Acceptance: "This could be much worse than it is. I think I'll be able to handle it." It's natural for moms and dads to get angry with themselves, each other, teachers, doctors, and even the child himself. Parents are trying to make sense of what has happened. Moms and dads need to allow themselves to experience whatever emotions they are having. It's all par