My toddler was clinically diagnosed with autism. How do I feel about this new diagnosis?

He has always been enough. I hope to be enough for him.

I am going to do all I can to be the support he needs and to find all the support he needs.

His personality is seriously the best thing about him, and that’s not up for negotiation with me. His quirks and all.

I want to be enough for him. It’s not the other way around for me.

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This diagnosis does not change the love I have for this beautiful boy. This diagnosis helps us to navigate things for him better. This diagnosis helps us to understand him better.

When I heard the word autism officially added as a new word to describe my baby, there was no question of him being enough.

The first thing that popped into my head was questioning if I would be enough for him.

I’m trying to do all I can to be the person I needed when I was younger while still aiming to be the person my son needs me to be.

To take the best care of him, I have to take care of me too. When I heard the diagnosis, I had to remind myself that I was enough. I am enough. My son is more than enough. 

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I love him. I love him. I love him.

This diagnosis doesn’t change that one bit. His quirks are what help make him, him. He is beautifully and wonderfully made. That’s not up for debate, and it’s as simple as that.

I want to be enough for him. It’s not the other way around. And as long as there’s breath in my lungs, I am going to do all I can to be the mom he needs me to be. 

I can’t be there if I’m not also taking care of me.

Originally published on the author’s Instagram page