After an Autism Diagnosis: Why Kids Don’t React Right Away
Book mentioned in this video is called: The Day I Learned I’m Autistic
Here is the Amazon link (I earn royalties if you buy through this link): https://www.amazon.com/Day-Learned-Au...
After an autism diagnosis, many kids seem unfazed—here’s why.
If your child was just diagnosed autistic, it can feel like everything changes in one day. But for many kids, the understanding arrives slowly—sometimes weeks later—as they start making sense of their brain, their sensory world, and their strengths and support needs.
I’m Dr. James Thatcher, a licensed psychologist at Forest Psychological Clinic in Portland, Oregon. I’ve completed 2,000+ autism evaluations, and in this video I walk through what typically happens right after diagnosis—and how to talk about autism in a calm, affirming way that helps kids feel safer and more understood.
Timestamps
0:00 What happens right after an autism diagnosis (the “quiet moment” for parents)
0:57 Why many kids don’t react right away: identity takes time to settle in
1:57 The “weeks later” phase: when kids start making sense of being autistic
2:32 Parent grief after diagnosis + the reframe: nothing about your child changed
3:30 How to explain autism in a calm, affirming way (+ The Day I Learned I’m Autistic)
#autism #autismdiagnosis #autismparenting