So how and when should parents of children with AS explain the
disorder? Is it always necessary to discuss it at all? To find
answers to these questions, I interviewed Stephen Shore, an
adult with Asperger syndrome as well as an international speaker
and author. Should Children with Asperger Syndrome Be Told About
Their Diagnosis?Many children with AS are included in typical
classes, and can handle a wide range of typical activities. Some
parents worry that, by telling a child about their own
diagnosis, they're opening the door to trouble. Might the child
lean on the diagnosis when challenges appear? Might their self-
esteem suffer when they hear they have a diagnosable difference?
Shore says, "I recommend that the person on the spectrum be told
as early as possible. There never should be a discrete
disclosure session, but it should be something that's talked
about all along. I was lucky because my parents used the word
autism just like any other word. By age five, I knew I had
autism." Should Parents Disclose