In this episode, Mike Carr speaks with Diana Danu, a mother from Romania, about her journey raising her son Gabi, who was diagnosed with autism at age three. Diana describes the challenges families face in Romania, where limited services, inconsistent data, and a shortage of trained professionals often require parents to coordinate care on their own. She shares how the urgency to help led her family to pursue preschool and therapy quickly, but they later realized that progress depends not just on activity, but on the right structure, qualified guidance, and meaningful engagement. Over time, greater parent involvement, consistency across home and school, and collaboration with therapists and educators became essential to Gabi’s development. Diana also highlights the importance of connecting with other parents and mentors, which helped her family find more effective therapy and build a coordinated support system that integrates learning into daily life. Her experience underscores that early intervention, active family participation, and the right team can make a significant difference in helping children with autism grow and succeed.

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