Finding out your child has autism is scary and the information you have to sift through is overwhelming (wow, that word is an understatement!) and daunting. In a short period of time you need to take life's crash course in what autism actually is...then the onslaught of medical, therapeutic, financial, legal information can make your head spin.
First, let me tell you that you should take a breath and let it out. You WILL know what to do and soon, and you will get through this. Give yourself time to digest the information. Don't be hard on yourself!
There is a grieving process you go through, too, but that is a whole other topic that is for another time. But it's critical to know that you can't wallow in your grief and depression for long, your child is depending on you! Now is the time to start taking action. The clock is ticking, and while it's important to weigh all of your options, it is also important to wisely and prayerfully make your decisions.
If you have a child with autism (or any other special need), God has entrusted you with a child who is special and needs you. God will help you and give you strength and wisdom if you ask Him. God loves your child even more than you do and He will be your very present help.
Most of the time, the doctor who diagnosed your child with autism will not give you much hope or help. They will most likely send you on your way and you will feel lost. But don't give up hope! What a blessing we have with the internet! So many people sharing information quickly.
Here are some tips:
1. Beware of charlatans! There are many people out there that say "this supplement cured my child", but they want to make a quick buck off of desperate parents. Don't buy anything until you ask around about it. I have saved a lot of money just asking around people I trust (I call them my "e-friends") Chances are...if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Get into a good Yahoo Group about autism (maybe one in your state or just one that focuses on curing autism). This is how you make "e-friends". I know this has been so instrumental for me, I learned so much from other seasoned moms and I had a lot of support. It was so refreshing for me to not feel so alone.
3. Educate yourself! Read some good books not just about "curing" autism but also how to live with it! I will give book recommendations on another post that were instrumental for me.
This is not by any means an exhaustive list of things you should do, but it's a start.
No comments:
Post a Comment