Light Blues with Mulled Wine

Unfortunately for us parents of kids with autism, the social world at Christmas requires that friends and family get together and share the edited highlights concerning what successful children they have. For even the biggest of hearts, this can be difficult to hear, when junior is flapping, twiddling, spinning (or in Alec's case, destroying everyone's eardrums) in the background.

Don't feel downhearted. Though it may not be obvious to the outside world, the small steps your child is making are just as worthy, just as precious. Though others cannot know what to ask and therefore cannot celebrate your achievements in the same way, the fact that you can recognise and rejoice in these small steps makes you a very special sort of parent.

Believe it or not, being in these sorts of social situations and not feeling the need to show off, nor feeling inadequate because your son/daughter isn't at the top of their class, changes you for the better. Only you can know how far you've climbed this year. Working with a child where every step is a struggle, you can take far more credit than someone whose kids were born with natural talents.