Thanks for that Slinkycat - I just try to do my best for my children. I've been on courses and all sorts to try and understand the world of my autistic son, and you're so right that it's been hard, because sometimes I've had weeks on end of just getting a couple of hour's sleep a night (no joke!). However, in developing my own patterns of educational "play", and being consistent, much of the hard work'd paid off, and I have a happy little boy who's a pleasure to be with. The situation was complicated by my eldest child also being diagnosed with ADHD when he was 5 year's old. Thankfully he's outgrown this now, as it wasn't caused by an allergy or food intolerance, and I'm fortunate enough to have the best of help around me. That still doesn't mean that I can't identify with folk who have disabled children though, and although we all hope our babies are going to be born "perfect", you still love them, no matter what. I'd do it all again.