Let’s also talk about the realities of special needs parenting. No one ever wants to hear the ugly and realistic side of it. If you talk about it you are shunned. I had no choice but to surrender my special needs son at 13 as my mental and physical health were in dire straights and he was failing badly in every way. Many did support me but some told me I was so awful for what I did that it was no different from those mothers unaliving them!! Excuse me??? I did that to not only give him a better life BUT to prevent something unthinkable from happening because I was very close to snapping at the time. And my daughter missed out on having a healthy mom. She has me now.