Tuesday Mar 15, 2022

The Disclosure Dilemma

Summary

The episode includes everyone sharing their own unique experiences of disclosing to family, friends and school that their child is on the Autism spectrum and how that affected them and their lives as women, mothers, and professionals.

Topics

00:00 - This Life, the chronicles of Autism moms podcast, series 1 episode 4 – The Disclosure Dilemma.

00:30 - Alison kicks off the show

01:08 What do we mean by Disclosure?

06:00 Have you ever been in a dilemma over disclosing?

08:45 Are there any situations where you wouldn’t disclose?

12:00 In terms of schooling, what are your experiences of disclosure? Would you have done things differently?

16:30 Have you had any negative reactions to disclosure?

18:30 How can we empower our kids by sharing information when it backfires?

21:00 Do you proactively disclose your situation?

29:00 What are your top tips for disclosure?

Additional Info

When to absolutely not disclose – When making an insurance claim! Speech Therapy for general speech and language disorder or Occupational Therapy for general gross and fine motor skills assistance do not need to be linked back to the A word!

When to absolutely disclose – Anywhere there is a queue!!!! Airports, tourist attractions, Disney!! Fast Track it to the front of the queue wherever possible. Some countries try to make it easier by having a card to display to save you going through endless explanations.

In Qatar you can apply for a card from the Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs. You need to visit the office in order to process the card. https://goo.gl/maps/h8vs9kaWR882

In the UK you can apply for a Sunflower Card. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a discreet sign that the wearer has a hidden disability and may need additional support. It is now recognized in many airports around the world. https://hiddendisabilitiesstore.com/

Resources

Watch the preview for Learn Autism's episode on School and Special Education with attorney Michael Gilberg: https://bit.ly/3CDBRqZ

The Disclosure Dilemma

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