When Your Child is diagnosed with Level 3 Autism
When your child is diagnosed with level three autism, it can feel like the ground shifts beneath you. Suddenly, there are new words, new expectations, and a lot of emotions ... confusion, fear, sadness, relief, or even a strange kind of calm. Every parent reacts differently, and that’s okay. I remember when Wyatt was diagnosed. The truth is, it didn’t change the way I saw him at all. He was - and still is - the same person he was before anyone said the word autism. A diagnosis doesn’t define who our children are. It just gives us language and tools to understand them better. For some parents, though, the diagnosis hits hard. It can feel like the future you imagined has suddenly changed shape. But here’s what I want you to remember: your child hasn’t changed. The diagnosis didn’t take away a single part of who they are - their laugh, their quirks, their love for certain routines, or the way they light up when they’re happy. Those things are still theirs. It’s okay to g...