Autism is a developmental disorder which manifests as impaired social interaction and communication, and may also include passionate special interests or repetitive behavior. If you've just discovered you have autism, your parents may be embarrassed to talk about it. It can hurt but there are some tips to make your parents pluck up the courage to talk to you about it.
1Ask them outright. This is the first step towards discovering what you are. Choose a good time to ask, not when they're ironing or balancing the checkbook. Long drives, mealtimes, and relaxed evenings are better choices.
2Persuade your parents to let you see a doctor. If they agree, a doctor will provide you and your family with vital information and make it easier for your parents to talk to you about it.
3Put yourself in their shoes. Sometimes parents aren't willing to talk openly because they're worried. Are they scared you'll think of yourself as a social outcast if you find out about it? Are they worried it'll affect your self-esteem. Acknowledge that discussing a big topic like autism might be hard for them, and it'll help them feel relieved.
4Leave a note. Leave a note somewhere your parents will see it. Keep it short and sweet. For example, "I've been wondering about autism. What is it exactly? I'd like to talk about it when I come home from school/my friends/the shops etc. Thanks."
5Ask someone else. If your parents still won't talk to you, ask a teacher or a doctor. Then gently announce to your parents what they told you. Refrain from asking a classmate or someone you don't know.
- There's nothing wrong with wanting to understand who you are. Your desire to learn the truth is reasonable and valid.
- Be proud of who you are. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being autistic. Hold your head high and love yourself!
- Learn about autism from the internet autism community. They have a ton of resources for people who are questioning if they're autistic, and they're just cool people in general.
- Autism is a disability, not a life-ruining disease. You're not going to die, you're not going to end up homeless or institutionalized, and you aren't going to be friendless for the rest of your life. You will, however, have to cope with being objectively awesome.
- When researching autism, avoid organizations that aren't run by autistic people. Some of these spread hate speech that doesn't reflect who you are.