Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapist on Explaining Autism to Kids
The Rise in Neurodiversity Awareness & How That Affects Explaining Autism to Kids
It has been encouraging to see a growing number of discussions in the media focused on neurodiversity and spreading affirming and accepting information about autism. As a therapist for parents of neurodivergent kids, it has been particularly heartening to bear witness to discussions centered on helping parents better understand developmentally appropriate, affirming, and inclusive ways to talk to their children about autism.
In my work, I often see that well-meaning and motivated parents of neurodivergent kids are often not given good guidance and support for how to introduce their children to information about their own neurotype or how to better understand siblings, friends, and other neurodivergent humans. The pressure to handle these discussions with care and in a developmentally-appropriate way in the absence of affirming and effective guidance adds to the stress and strain of parenting autistic, ADHD, PDA, AuDHD, and other neurodivergent kids.
If you’ve been feeling worn down by the emotional and mental load of supporting your child, you can take the parent burnout quiz as an early step in understanding where you fall on the burnout spectrum. This conversation also connects to experiences described in depleted dad syndrome, which can affect fathers navigating chronic stress.
Parents can benefit from their own increased understanding and support when explaining autism to kids who have a friend or loved one who is autistic, or when talking about autism with autistic children themselves. This article will explore how to address these conversations with children at different stages of development. For further support, you may also find information about the parental burnout course for parents of neurodivergent kids to be helpful with managing parenting challenges unique to neurodivergent parenting.
Helping Parents Know How to Talk to a Child with Autism and How to Talk to Non-Autistic Kids About Autism
Recently, I was honored to contribute to a conversation about neurodiversity-affirmative ways to talk to children of all ages about autism for Insider. The full article shares advice and information from autistic individuals, advocates, therapists, and other experts to help guide discussions between parents and children. The tips are aimed at dispelling common myths and increasing awareness, comfort, understanding, and empathy about what it means to be an autistic child or an autistic teen, as well as to open up communication opportunities to talk about autism.
Talking to Kids About Autism: What to Say, and What Not to Say
Knowing that autism is a neurobiological difference in how brains are wired that affects how a person feels, thinks, and interacts with the world can help to build an appreciation for diversity across humanity. This shift in understanding about autism helps to deconstruct the outdated and harmful notion that autism is a human deficiency to be fixed or cured, or that the goal for autistic people should be to help them behave as non-autistically as possible. Resources for children of all ages can help to extend the conversation with the aid of books for children, relevant media. This can help adults and kids tune into the voices of actually autistic people to help them learn about, appreciate, and incorporate the needs of autistic individuals into their lives and into broader society; and to feel considered, valued, and included as autistic people.
For parents, these conversations can sometimes bring up stress, self-doubt, or even exhaustion as they try to support their kids in less-than-affirming environments. If you’ve noticed yourself feeling depleted in this process, my parent burnout course offers step-by-step strategies to help you regain balance while staying connected to your child. If you are thinking about starting therapy for additional support as you navigate the challenges that may come up related to parenting neurodivergent kids, you can also explore how to prepare for first therapy session to enhance your confidence, and help you to get the most out of your work with a new therapist.
Therapy Support for Autistic People and Parents of Autistic Kids Chicago and Online
If you are seeking neurodiversity-affirming therapy support to address anxiety, stress, burnout, or trauma that you may have experienced through your personal journey as an autistic, ADHDer, or otherwise neurodivergent person in a less-affirming, neurotypical world, I may be able to help. If you are the parent or caregiver of an autistic person who has struggled with your own anxiety, stress, burnout, or trauma from trying to support your kid in a broader society that has not adequately addressed their needs, or you just want to learn about how to care for your loved one in a more affirming way, neurodiversity-affirming therapy can be helpful for you too. Contact Shore Therapy for a free 15-minute phone consultation to talk about your experiences, needs, and how I might be able to help. I provide affirming therapy for marginalized adults including affirmative LGBT and neurodiversity affirming therapy; therapy for parent burnout and caregiver burnout; therapy for trauma and PTSD; EMDR therapy; and online therapy to support the needs of people in over 40 states across the U.S.
If therapy isn’t the right fit right now, you might also explore the autistic parent burnout course, which provides a flexible, online option for learning practical tools to recover from burnout and parent from a place of greater balance. If you’re unsure where to begin, the parent burnout quiz can help you identify your starting point.
