Hi,
My son has recently been diagnosed with autism, I’ve not yet shared this diagnosis with him, and am interested to know whether others chose to share their child’s diagnosis with them straight away or if you held off for a while? If so, what were the reasons for this?
Hi and welcome to the community! 
Whilst I haven't been in your position, I would personally tell my child as soon as possible. For a more informed opinion, you might find the advice in this NAS article helpful - it includes tips on this question from other parents, along with another section on autistic adult and parent experiences of disclosing:
It's from the After Diagnosis section of the diagnosis hub, which also offers a lot of other useful information.
You might also find this free NAS service helpful:
NAS - Parent to Parent Emotional Support Helpline - offers emotional support directly from other parents regarding their autistic children.
I noticed from your profile that you're awaiting assessment yourself. With that in mind, you might also like to check out Autistic Parents UK, whose resources include peer support via both Facebook and Discord, facilitated groups, and one-on-one support:
"Autistic Parents UK CIO was founded in 2020 by Autistic parents seeking connection and support, born from a deep understanding of the unique challenges Autistic individuals face while navigating parenthood. We are the only national, Autistic-led charity offering essential support services, resources, education and a thriving community for Autistic parents."
Facebook - Autistic Parents UK - Peer Support Group
Finally, perhaps once your son is a little older, he might find these resources helpful. They're designed to support autistic teenagers in understanding what being autistic means to them:
NAS - Resources for autistic teenagers - Know Yourself series
Hi and welcome to the community!
Whilst I haven't been in your position, I would personally tell my child as soon as possible. For a more informed opinion, you might find the advice in this NAS article helpful - it includes tips on this question from other parents, along with another section on autistic adult and parent experiences of disclosing:
It's from the After Diagnosis section of the diagnosis hub, which also offers a lot of other useful information.
You might also find this free NAS service helpful:
NAS - Parent to Parent Emotional Support Helpline - offers emotional support directly from other parents regarding their autistic children.
I noticed from your profile that you're awaiting assessment yourself. With that in mind, you might also like to check out Autistic Parents UK, whose resources include peer support via both Facebook and Discord, facilitated groups, and one-on-one support:
"Autistic Parents UK CIO was founded in 2020 by Autistic parents seeking connection and support, born from a deep understanding of the unique challenges Autistic individuals face while navigating parenthood. We are the only national, Autistic-led charity offering essential support services, resources, education and a thriving community for Autistic parents."
Facebook - Autistic Parents UK - Peer Support Group
Finally, perhaps once your son is a little older, he might find these resources helpful. They're designed to support autistic teenagers in understanding what being autistic means to them:
NAS - Resources for autistic teenagers - Know Yourself series
