What I Wish I’d Known After My Boys’ Diagnosis

When my boys were diagnosed, I was handed leaflets and silence — and left to work it all out alone. Here’s what I wish someone had told me that first week: you are not behind, and you haven’t missed anything.

There’s no single “right” first step, and you don’t have to do everything at once. In those early days it can feel like there’s a mountain of information to get through and a clock ticking — but that pressure rarely helps anyone.

The most powerful thing you can do early isn’t a supplement or a special diet. It’s looking after your own capacity to cope — because everything else gets easier from there. A parent who is rested and supported has so much more to give.

So if you’re at the very start of this, take a breath. You haven’t fallen behind. You’re simply at the beginning — and you don’t have to walk it alone.