I remember the moment each one of my kids was diagnosed with Autism. It’s permanently seared into my brain because these moments are among the most pivotal in my life.

One of the things I remember most was how much guilt I felt as our Autism journey began. I felt like I had sentenced my kids to a life of misery because them having Autism was somehow my fault. That guilt ate me alive for a long time. Truth be told, there are still moments where that guilt pops back up, even after all these years.

I wanted to take a minute and talk to the Autism parents of the world, especially those just starting this crazy, wonderful, confusing and overwhelming ride.

Speaking from personal experience, and extensive contact with families from across the globe, it’s extremely common for the parents of the newly diagnosed to seek out someone or something to blame, including themselves.

Your child being diagnosed with Autism is not your fault and it’s certainly not your child’s fault. It’s not the doctor’s fault or even the fault of vaccines. It’s so easy to assign blame when something like an Autism diagnosis occurs. Often, we don’t fully understand the diagnosis at first. In a knowledge vacuum, fear, anger, and heartache can take over.