Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children

April is Autism Acceptance Month; here's what caregivers should know about ASD diagnosis, treatment, and the importance of taking care of yourself in the process.

Experts: Meleah Ackley, PhD; Sharyn Kerr, PhD, MBA, BCBA-D; Tiffanie Moore; Emily Newton, PsyD, BCBA; Kellie Wicklund, MA, LPC, PMH-C

During a recent therapy session, my counselor said to me, “You know, you don’t have to be polished with me, Ashley. I can sense the tears you’re holding back. It’s OK if you’re not actually ‘fine’ right now.” She was right; I was not “fine”—not at all. And for the first time since I started the long, drawn-out process of getting my daughter diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), I gratefully accepted her permission to cry. 

Before this appointment, I had been so consumed with making sure my daughter got the support and care she needed that I had stopped taking care of myself. On the outside, I looked like I had it all under control, but the reality is that I was—and often still am—barely hanging on.  

“There’s a range of responses [a caregiver of a child with ASD will experience]: Guilt, grief, denial, relief, doubt, fear, anger, frustration, jealousy,” says Kellie Wicklund, MA, LPC, PMH-C, owner and clinical director of Maternal Wellness Center in Hatboro, Pennsylvania. “Like most emotional adaptations that need metabolizing, it isn’t a linear or sequential process.”  Read More.