• Replies 4 replies
  • Subscribers 31 subscribers
  • Views 706 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

How to explain to my son that he has an autism diagnosis

NAS81204

Hi,

I'm new to this site so am sorry as I imagine my question has been discussed a lot.

My 13 year old son has been given a diagnosis of autism (he has ADHD too) and I am struggling to understand how to explain this to him in a way that he will understand and not to worry him or sound negative.

He struggles to access any emotions or feelings so I have to use very basic and factual detail. Please could you help me with your stories and any tips you may have for what I should say to him.

Many thanks in advance

Parents

  • Hello, you may find it useful to choose tips from these videos to help explain autistic identity and ways of being.

    https://youtu.be/GOTdEi9_SI4

    https://youtu.be/KY_si7rGpDY

    https://youtu.be/hU8xEH5yRnA

    Being autistic means we have a different nervous system- we have our own way of doing everything (this is really cool!). We have our own way of communicating and socialising, experiencing emotions and the sensory world. Our senses also affect the way we focus - when we are really interested in something we hyper focus. 

    This short explanation is only a starting point but hopefully it will help you explain autistic experience to your son and understand what it means for him.

    Like you say you don’t want your son to have any negative connotations with being autistic, so it is really important to emphasise that he is part of an amazing autistic community. It may just be easier to explain being autistic is a different way of being human.

    What are his interests? You could start a conversation by asking him about his interests and what they mean to him because dedicated interests are at the basis of autistic identity.

    I hope this reply helps you and your son understand what it means to be autistic.

Reply

  • Hello, you may find it useful to choose tips from these videos to help explain autistic identity and ways of being.

    https://youtu.be/GOTdEi9_SI4

    https://youtu.be/KY_si7rGpDY

    https://youtu.be/hU8xEH5yRnA

    Being autistic means we have a different nervous system- we have our own way of doing everything (this is really cool!). We have our own way of communicating and socialising, experiencing emotions and the sensory world. Our senses also affect the way we focus - when we are really interested in something we hyper focus. 

    This short explanation is only a starting point but hopefully it will help you explain autistic experience to your son and understand what it means for him.

    Like you say you don’t want your son to have any negative connotations with being autistic, so it is really important to emphasise that he is part of an amazing autistic community. It may just be easier to explain being autistic is a different way of being human.

    What are his interests? You could start a conversation by asking him about his interests and what they mean to him because dedicated interests are at the basis of autistic identity.

    I hope this reply helps you and your son understand what it means to be autistic.

Children
No Data