Start Here: a guide for parents of autistic kids

Too often, when parents find out their kid is autistic, they receive negative messages from all sides. Many resources available to parents stigmatise autism and talk about it as something to be “overcome,” not as a part of who an autistic child is. ASAN heard from many parents of autistic children who wish they’d had a better resource to learn about autism: one that cuts through myths and misconceptions and explains autism from an autistic perspective. And ASAN heard from many of their autistic community members who wish their families had access to that kind of information when they were growing up. That’s what the booklet, “Start Here: A Guide for Parents of Autistic Kids” is for!

This booklet was created with the Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network, the Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism, and Little Lobbyists.

This booklet will explain:

• What is autism?
• What parents should do next
• Where parents can learn more
• What good services look like
• Topics such as self-advocacy, communication, and presuming competence
• And more!

We hope you'll check out this toolkit and share it widely! When you learn your kid is autistic, you’re also learning that they’re part of a larger community of autistic people. Your kid has a lot of people on their team, so we wanted to give you a chance to learn from their community.