Dear Parent,

I can only speak of my own experience, but I hope it resonates with some of you, and provides whatever comfort it can.

My husband and I were unaware of the issues surrounding our son until he was 6 months old, when he did not start hitting his milestones. That gave us a little bit of time being a typical family, and I will admit that letting go of my idea of a “normal” family was hard. My son’s path would be so vastly different from that of our older daughter. I had to go through a grieving process of sorts, so I allowed myself to feel the sadness and to feel overwhelmed. And then after a short while, I shook myself off, got up and did what needed to be done. I had to dig deep some days, but the strength was always there.

For our son, we quickly discovered that we had to adjust our expectations for him. But the important thing we always remember is that improvements are happening, even if they are small and take time. Because of this, any progress forward is met with gratitude and appreciation.

And regardless of what things look like in the future, we will continue to do everything we can for him, with all our love and energy.

Helen.