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Refusal to accept diagnosis

NAS77901

My 18 year old son was diagnosed with Autism in February of this year. At first he seemed quite OK with it and was reading up about it. Now he is totally denying it, saying the report and diagnosis were wrong and that he wasn't behaving normally when he was being assessed. He wants to be like other teenagers. Has anyone else experienced this with a loved one??

Parents

  • No, but I've heard other young people express that. One said to me that he would have been "normal" without a diagnosis (he wouldn't of course. And what's normal, anyway?) and that late diagnosed people "have it easy". Oh dear.

    Well, I guess it's hard in a different way for younger diagnosed people.  What to me feels like a massive relief after years of hardship, may to him sound like a death knell for normal life. The key will be when he bends his head around the fact he is as good as anyone one else, but needs to either adapt some stuff or to shout until others adapt some stuff for him.

    All I can suggest is that you help him see his strengths as an autistic person and help him see how he could use them. Then stand back and cross your fingers.

    He'll have to pick his own way through this, of course. His diagnosis, his truth, his life.

  • in reply to Dawn

    Thank you - his strengths and his uniqueness are amazing. It's sad that he doesn't embrace it but I'm crossing my fingers.

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