Regression is NOT a Reason to Quit on Your Autistic Child

A month or so ago, we brought out the Monopoly board game for the first time in a while.Julianna is super competitive and loves to win (not sure where she got that from 🤣).

When we first started playing games that required turn-taking, she wasn’t the best at it.

If she was winning, she’d rub it in other players’ faces.
If she lost, she’d be a sore loser, quit mid-game, or even throw the game pieces and cry.

But after playing Monopoly, Guess Who, SORRY, UNO, LIFE, and others, she got better.

She’d say “good game” when she lost and be a gracious winner.

Then, summer came, and we spent more time outdoors. Yesterday, we decided to play Monopoly again.

While I rolled the dice, she counted the few dollars she had left, burst into tears, and ran off.

Regression.

I bet you know this feeling. You might be thinking:

“Why, after months of practice, did she lose what she learned when it comes to potty training?”

Or

“He had no behaviors for months, now he is back to biting himself and others.”

You may want to think, “This is Autism” and feel frustrated by it.

But here’s the truth: REGRESSION HAPPENS TO ALL CHILDREN.

When we start thinking “This is Autism,” we set ourselves up for unnecessary suffering. Somewhere along the way, the Autism community began equating regression with disaster.

This thinking started because, for many of us, our kids had skills like eye contact or talking that they lost, which led to the Autism diagnosis.

That experience is TRAUMATIC.

It’s no wonder our brains link regression to Autism as something bad.

But the truth is, regression is normal—even in neurotypical children.

When it happens, we reteach the skill, generalize it in their environment, and most of the time, the skill sticks for good.

But if we believe “regression is the end,” we risk giving up altogether.

We might think, “If they can’t keep a skill, why teach it at all?”

THIS MINDSET TRAPS YOU.

If you believe it, you’ll find yourself on a road of no progress.

It’s never the regression that’s stopping you—it’s quitting on your child.

Here’s the good news: one of the positives of raising a child with Autism is that we become experts at teaching skills like trying new foods, playing games, potty training, and communicating.

The more you teach, the easier dealing with regression gets.

And when you believe in your ability to solve anything, regression won’t feel like a big deal.

So, next time your son refuses to use the potty, or your daughter suddenly starts tantruming, don’t think “This is Autism” and spiral.

Instead, pause. Take a deep breath. Put the strategies back in place that worked the first time.

When you do this, you’ll find that not only does the skill come back faster, but you’ll also feel empowered.

xo, Michelle

P.S. If you’re struggling to teach your child with Autism, I can help. Book a consultation call, and we’ll figure out if you’re a good fit for my program.

P.P.S. Shout out to Kacie! In less than a month in the Masterclass, her daughter Michaela is now potty trained at school and at home!