Parents' views and experiences of talking about autism with their children.
Parents feel better after the autism talk when they tailor words and stay open, and the same honesty helps autistic adults gain allies.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Delgado-Lobete et al. (2019) asked parents how they told their autistic child about the diagnosis.
They used a survey. Parents shared what they said and how the talk felt.
What they found
Most parents had already talked with their child.
They felt good when they shaped the words to the child and stayed open.
How this fits with other research
LeBlanc et al. (2003) asked Scottish parents the same thing sixteen years earlier. Back then, only half felt satisfied. They wanted clearer papers and time to ask questions.
Rum et al. (2025) tested the flip side. When an autistic adult tells peers, listeners feel more empathy and want to work together.
Togher et al. (2023) adds the adult view. Autistic adults decide to disclose when they feel proud of the group, not ashamed.
Together the four studies show: timing, tone, and identity matter across the lifespan.
Why it matters
You can coach parents to lead with calm, kid-friendly words and invite questions. You can also teach older clients that sharing can win allies. Use these findings to guide family sessions and self-advocacy lessons.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The way an autism diagnosis is disclosed to parents has been found to play a crucial role in their acceptance of, and the way they cope with, their child's diagnosis. Yet, research into parents' subsequent experiences of disclosing a diagnosis to their children, and talking to their families about autism more generally, is limited. Using an online survey, the current study examined 558 parents' experiences of talking about autism with their autistic and non-autistic children. Results demonstrated that most parents (n = 379, 67.9%) had told their autistic children about their diagnosis. Despite few parents (n = 163, 20.4%) receiving advice or support regarding the disclosure of the diagnosis, those that had disclosed felt satisfied with the process (n = 319, 84.2%) and felt confident in talking about autism with their children (n = 339, 92.4%). Those who had not told their autistic children about the diagnosis largely planned to discuss this with their child in the future (n = 100, 73.5%), felt confident in doing so (n = 95, 70.9%) and were satisfied with their decision (n = 95, 70.4%). Analysis of open-ended data, using thematic analysis, highlighted the importance of openness and the need to tailor explanations to individual children's needs, while acknowledging that disclosure could often be challenging for parents.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2019 · doi:10.1177/1362361319836257