For you

Raising an autistic child can be joyful and exhausting, sometimes in the same hour. Many parents carry worry, grief, guilt, love and fierce pride all at once. None of those feelings makes you a bad parent.

You are probably doing more than anyone sees: insurance calls, therapy schedules, school meetings, nights with too little sleep. It makes sense to be tired.

This page is for you, not your child. Nothing here asks you to do more.

Feeling close to snapping is a signal to pause, not a failure.

1. If your child is safe, step back for a minute. Even across the room is enough.
2. Breathe out longer than you breathe in. Three slow breaths.
3. Feel your feet on the floor and name five things you can see.
4. Say one kind sentence to yourself, the one you'd say to a friend in your place.

If you ever worry you might hurt your child or yourself, call or text 988, or call the Childhelp hotline at 1-800-422-4453. Reaching out is a strong thing to do.

You don't have to carry this alone. These lines are free, and the people who answer talk with parents every day.