What Parents Really Need to Know After an Autism Diagnosis
Even if you suspected it.
Even if you’d been searching for answers for months.
Even if part of you feels relief for finally having a name for what you’ve been seeing.
An autism diagnosis often brings two emotions at once: clarity and fear.
You may be wondering what this means for your child’s future, what you’re supposed to do next, and whether you’re already behind. Many parents find themselves scrolling late at night, reading article after article, hoping for reassurance — or at least a place to start.
If that’s where you are right now, take a breath.
Nothing is broken. And you don’t have to figure everything out today.
I Stopped Trying to Fix My Child — and Everything Changed
When my son Jake was diagnosed with autism, I didn’t realize how much pressure I quietly placed on both of us. I was determined to help him succeed — but underneath that determination was fear. Fear that if I didn’t do enough, or do the right things fast enough, I might fail him. I didn’t see it at the time, but I was parenting from panic.
Everything changed the moment I stopped trying to fix my child — and started trying to understand him.
Why Creative Storytelling Builds Confidence in Autistic Kids (Without Pressure)
Confidence isn’t something you can force.
I learned that the hard way.
Like many parents raising an autistic child, I spent years trying to teach confidence — through routines, encouragement, therapy tools, and reassurance. I thought if I said the right things often enough, confidence would stick. It didn’t. What changed everything wasn’t more instruction.
It was creative storytelling.
7 Signs I Didn’t Notice Before My Son’s Autism Diagnosis
When my son Jake was three and a half years old, he was diagnosed with autism. Looking back, I realized there were signs I didn’t recognize — not because I wasn’t paying attention, but because I didn’t yet understand what I was seeing.