'Before celebrating the wonderful child you have, you mourn the one you don't'

Being a parent of an autistic child means having to fight for everything, being let down by our lack of support, and continuing the fight

'Grace is a beautiful six-year-old girl. I would say that, but it’s true. Her sense of wonder and curiosity are to behold.' writes 'Irish Examiner' GAA correspondent John Fogarty

• This article is part of our Best of 2024 collection. It was originally published in September. Find more stories like this here.

My wife Sharon knew before me. Mothers always do. Grace had reached most of her milestones before her twin brother Ollie but she didn’t socialise with other toddlers and her speech was non-existent.