If I get a headache, going for the paracetamol is not my instinctive response. I’d always prefer to resolve things without resorting to tablets if at all possible.

I often think the experience of being a parent of a child with differences is like being on an emotional roller coaster.

I’m not sure exactly when it happens, it’s some time after the feeling of being validated, you wake up and you feel empowered. It’s the culmination of many things. You have the knowledge, you know what you know, and you know what you don’t know and, importantly, you now know how to find out.

Doing what I do, I get to support parents at mediations. I see it as a huge privilege to be invited to attend a mediation meeting, and I hope that I am able to provide not only moral support but an objective viewpoint.

When I talk to parents about their feelings while their child is struggling, they use a range of words. At their lowest parents describe feeling despondent. And while they remain isolated they often feel bewildered and frustrated.

Once they have some support in their lives, they begin to feel informed. This is the first step to becoming an advocate and once again, finding their child’s smile.