There’s no single moment, no exact point in time, when you suddenly know. For some parents, the realisation that their child is “different” comes gradually — a quiet awareness that builds over time. For others, it hits suddenly, a clear moment when something just feels off.

 

Not everyone experiences it the same way, and not everyone remembers the exact moment when the penny drops. But for me, looking back, there were signs — little quirks that made Kane, well, Kane.

 

I remember how he used to watch his favourite movie upside down. He’d balance on the couch, on his head, completely content, eyes locked on the screen — but from an angle that made no sense to anyone else. Or how he would laugh hysterically when Mufasa died in The Lion King (I know, strange, right?). While other kids might have been sad or frightened, Kane found the scene hilarious.

 

He didn’t show the “classic” signs people often associate with autism. He didn’t flap his hands. He didn’t walk on his tiptoes. He wasn’t particularly sensitive to noise. But there was something in the way he interacted — or didn’t — that told me he experienced the world differently.

 

And that’s when the instinct kicked in. That deep, unshakable knowing that something more was going on.

 

What followed was a long, frustrating process of trying to be heard. Of sitting in appointments, explaining my concerns, only to be met with polite smiles and dismissive comments. “It’s probably just lockdown.” “He’ll catch up.” “All kids develop differently.”

 

But I knew. I knew my child.

 

It’s an incredibly isolating place to be — knowing something isn’t quite typical, but having to convince professionals that you’re not just an overanxious parent. That your worries are not unfounded. That you’re not overreacting.

 

If you’re a parent in that place right now, hear me when I say this: trust your gut. You know your child better than anyone else ever will.

 

This moment — when you first realise your child is different — is only the beginning of a journey. One that will test you, strengthen you, and change you in ways you never expected. You’ll learn to fight for your child, to advocate fiercely, and to celebrate their uniqueness with every fibre of your being.

 

Because “different” doesn’t mean less. It just means their own kind of extraordinary.

 

And while the road ahead isn’t always easy, it’s one filled with discovery, resilience, and love that runs deeper than words.