--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then the dreaded words, Your child has…" description: "\"“Then the dreaded words, Your child has autism. These words echo in their heads like a freight train blasting through their hopes and dreams.”\" — Dr. L..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d86/dr-linda-barboa-91665_autism_then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-au_1047949.jpg" --- # Then the dreaded words, Your child has autism. These words… ![“Then the dreaded words, Your child has autism. These words echo in their heads like a freight train blasting through their hopes and dreams.” quote by Dr. Linda Barboa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d86/dr-linda-barboa-91665_autism_then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-au_1047949.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d86/dr-linda-barboa-91665_autism_then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-au_1047949.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d86/dr-linda-barboa-91665_autism_then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-au_1047949.jpg) > ““Then the dreaded words, Your child has autism. These words echo in their heads like a freight train blasting through their hopes and dreams.”” Dr. Linda Barboa ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Receiving an autism diagnosis can feel devastating, echoing like a freight train through hopes. **In simple terms:** Autism diagnosis feels shattering. Key Takeaway Offer support and hope to affected families. Themes parenting autism hope empathy challenge Mood empathetic somber supportive Type Autism:1 Children:1 Dreams:0 Fitness:0 Hope:1 Hopes and dreams:0 Parenting:1 Teachers:0 Freight Train:0 Dreaded Words:0 Words Child:0 Child Autism:1 Autism Words:0 When to use this quote - counseling - support groups - education planning - advocacy - community outreach Key Concepts diagnostic impact family resilience social stigma Questions to Reflect On - How can families rebuild hope? - What support systems are essential? A Different Perspective Stigma may hinder acceptance and resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Autism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autism/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Hopes and dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopes-and-dreams/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers/) ## Related quotes > [“Then Gerry heard through his helmet radio the two most dreaded words any crew never wanted to hear during a space mission; "Oh sh\*t”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mackay/then-gerry-heard-through-his-helmet-radio-the-two-most-dreaded-words/) Scott Mackay > [“We need to talk." she says. "The four most dreaded words in the history of marriage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-pyper/we-need-to-talk-she-says-the-four-most-dreaded-words-in-the-history/) [Andrew Pyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-pyper/) > [The three most dreaded words in the English language are 'negative cash flow'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tang/the-three-most-dreaded-words-in-the-english-language-are-negative/) [David Tang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tang/) > [“Someone dropped her off in a shopping mall food court just before her third birthday. Pinned to her dress was a note with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rysa-walker/someone-dropped-her-off-in-a-shopping-mall-food-court-just-before-her/) [Rysa Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rysa-walker/) > [“Lisette was born without the ability to speak, but she'd been brazen with written words as a child, substituting a sharp tongue for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/lisette-was-born-without-the-ability-to-speak-but-she-d-been-brazen/) [Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/) > [One day, observing a child drinking out of his hands, he cast away the cup from his wallet with the words, "A child has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes/one-day-observing-a-child-drinking-out-of-his-hands-he-cast-away-the/) [Diogenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes/) > [The words with which a child's heart is poisoned, whether through malice or through ignorance, remain branded in his memory, and sooner or later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/the-words-with-which-a-child-s-heart-is-poisoned-whether-through/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/seeing-comes-before-words-the-child-looks-and-recognizes-before-it/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [If you have a child with autism, and he or she has good intelligence, with no delay in language learning maybe there is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-baron-cohen/if-you-have-a-child-with-autism-and-he-or-she-has-good-intelligence/) [Simon Baron-Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-baron-cohen/) > [As a parent with a child with autism, it's been really tough to experience your child having autism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deron-williams/as-a-parent-with-a-child-with-autism-it-s-been-really-tough-to/) [Deron Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deron-williams/) > [Parents of recovered children, and I've met hundreds, all share the same experience of doubters and deniers telling us our child must have never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-mccarthy/parents-of-recovered-children-and-i-ve-met-hundreds-all-share-the/) [Jenny McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-mccarthy/) > [It's not just the child that has autism. It's the whole family that has autism. It's not a one person thing,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lindsay/it-s-not-just-the-child-that-has-autism-it-s-the-whole-family-that/) [Ted Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lindsay/) > [“Adapting our own perception, following rather than leading and building bridges are all keys to helping the child with autism learn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-devine/adapting-our-own-perception-following-rather-than-leading-and/) [Adele Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele-devine/) > [What it boils down to is that parenting a child with autism is a difficult job; writing about it is far easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-moon/what-it-boils-down-to-is-that-parenting-a-child-with-autism-is-a/) [Elizabeth Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-moon/) > [If you can't see the gift in having a child with autism, you're focusing too much on the autism and not enough on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-duncan/if-you-can-t-see-the-gift-in-having-a-child-with-autism-you-re/) [Stuart Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-duncan/) ## More by Dr. Linda Barboa > [“You have a healthy baby boy! The words ring like church bells in the ears of new parents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-linda-barboa/you-have-a-healthy-baby-boy-the-words-ring-like-church-bells-in-the/) Dr. Linda Barboa Explore all 2 Dr. Linda Barboa quotes ## More Autism quotes > [“We know that children with autism like order, that they are often very visual and that they can be quite literal. They deserve beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-devine/we-know-that-children-with-autism-like-order-that-they-are-often-very/) [Adele Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele-devine/) > [In fact, when we as neuro-typical people encounter a person with autism spectrum syndrome who's always been that way it is that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamlyn-tomita/in-fact-when-we-as-neuro-typical-people-encounter-a-person-with/) [Tamlyn Tomita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamlyn-tomita/) > [If you give us a safe vaccine, we'll use it. It shouldn't be polio versus autism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-mccarthy/if-you-give-us-a-safe-vaccine-we-ll-use-it-it-shouldn-t-be-polio/) [Jenny McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-mccarthy/) > [Autism is a big continuum, going from someone who remains nonverbal, all the way up to geniuses on Silicon Valley. And some kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/autism-is-a-big-continuum-going-from-someone-who-remains-nonverbal/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Metaphor isn't just a fancy turn of speech. It shapes our thoughts and feelings, reaches out to grasp new experience, and even binds our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-richardson/metaphor-isn-t-just-a-fancy-turn-of-speech-it-shapes-our-thoughts-and/) [James Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-richardson/) > [The position of Autism Speaks has been for quite awhile that we need to find out what's happening. We know there's a genetic component,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-emken/the-position-of-autism-speaks-has-been-for-quite-awhile-that-we-need/) [Elizabeth Emken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-emken/) > [Some people with autism who don't talk, all they hear are vowel sounds. Like if I said 'cup,' they might just hear 'uh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/some-people-with-autism-who-don-t-talk-all-they-hear-are-vowel-sounds/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/children-must-be-taught-how-to-think-not-what-to-think/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Mild autism can give you a genius like Einstein. If you have severe autism, you could remain nonverbal. You don't want people to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/mild-autism-can-give-you-a-genius-like-einstein-if-you-have-severe/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“The autistic mind is not the wave at the surface of the ocean, but the whole world that exists below.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krissy-bells/the-autistic-mind-is-not-the-wave-at-the-surface-of-the-ocean-but-the/) Krissy Bells > [In the person with autism, the brain may already be seeing the part and be less distracted by the whole, and in the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-baron-cohen/in-the-person-with-autism-the-brain-may-already-be-seeing-the-part/) [Simon Baron-Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-baron-cohen/) > [I think that the definition of autism is too broad. You got to remember, autism definition is a behavioral profiling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/i-think-that-the-definition-of-autism-is-too-broad-you-got-to/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [There is a small segment of people with autism that have savant skills, where they can memorize entire maps of whole entire city. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/there-is-a-small-segment-of-people-with-autism-that-have-savant/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [When you have autism or aspergers, it's so hard to get a social life but trust me, in the end everyone can achieve at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia/when-you-have-autism-or-aspergers-it-s-so-hard-to-get-a-social-life/) Lia > [“Unfortunately, by this time it didn't matter. Self-diagnosed autistics and fakers were asking diagnosed autistics whether or not they had a diagnosis, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-d-taylor/unfortunately-by-this-time-it-didn-t-matter-self-diagnosed-autistics/) [Thomas D. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-d-taylor/) [Browse all 621 Autism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Then the dreaded words, Your child has autism. These words echo in their heads like a freight train blasting through their hopes and dreams.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dr. Linda Barboa" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-linda-barboa/then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-autism-these-words-echo-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Autism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-linda-barboa/then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-autism-these-words-echo-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d86/dr-linda-barboa-91665_autism_then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-au_1047949.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d86/dr-linda-barboa-91665_autism_then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-au_1047949.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d86/dr-linda-barboa-91665_autism_then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-au_1047949.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Then the dreaded words, Your child has autism. These words echo in their heads like a freight train blasting…” — Dr. Linda Barboa", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dr. Linda Barboa", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-linda-barboa/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Then the dreaded words, Your child...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-linda-barboa/then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-autism-these-words-echo-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-linda-barboa/then-the-dreaded-words-your-child-has-autism-these-words-echo-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```