Life after an Autism diagnosis...

So what is life like after an autism diagnosis? Pretty much the same I'd say.

It has been 12 hours and 30 minutes (not that I'm counting) since we were told by our paediatrician that she had no doubt in her mind that Alice has autism.

I suppose at that moment in time I should of felt like crying? There were tears, but they were more tears of relief, that I didn't have to fight, that my worries and concerns about Alice have finally been validated. I felt like screaming "HA! TOLD YA!"

To be really honest I hate the label. I hated calling my parents and telling them that Alice is now technically autistic. I hate the stereotype that they had in their head, that most people have in their head. The reality is when the paediatrician stated that Alice was on the autism spectrum Alice didn't magically turn non-verbal or start sitting in a corner rocking and humming....she is still the same girl that woke up this morning and asked for a cuddle, still the same girl who was so excited that her Daddy was staying home today. The only difference between before the autism diagnosis and after is that she now has access to much more support and therapy that will help her reach her full potential. And because of that I feel relief. I feel thankful. I know that because of this diagnosis she will get help and support and her life will be better.

I think if she had of been "officially" diagnosed earlier it might of been harder, perhaps I would of grieved more. But we've been dealing with her needs for so long now that it doesn't matter any more. In fact, I feel closer to her, more appreciative of the little things she does, more in love with every single one of her little quirks, more in love with her as a person. I am left wondering how much more she will teach me about life, about myself.

So what's the next step? What do we do with our now "officially" autistic child? Well...we went to the park....