How much is too much?

When you have a child with special needs you tend to get overwhelmed and excited at even the littlest accomplishments. Like every parent, the first steps, the first words, even the first time your child looks up at you and smiles, fills your heart with love. But once you hear the words "autism" or "special needs", everything changes. While you want to see your child grow and learn, the realization of their limitations sets in motion a game of give-and-take. You hope some milestones are reachable, while accepting some things are simply out of reach - or are they? If you push your child to be more mainstream, are you hurting them in the long run? By this same token, if you over-compensate and don't challenge your child enough, are you limiting their growth? Below are a few sites that parents of autistic/special needs children may find helpful.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/helping-your-child-with-autism-thrive.htm

https://www.autismspeaks.org/behavioral-resources

In the end, it's up to you, the parent, to decide what the best course of action should be. Above all else, give your child all the love in the world and rejoice in their beauty!