In episode 445, I chat with Maria Wood about what it's like to be a mom of kids with special needs. She didn't have the easiest upbringing, but she had an aunt who really made her who she was. She met her husband at a young age and knew it was the right person and together they both wanted a better life and to be good parents and raise healthy kids.

She worked in education for awhile because she felt if she could be a great teacher, she could also be a great parent. Her and her husband had a vision of exactly what their family would look like, but after her first son was born, it began a new image of what her family would look like. Maria talks about the variety of development issues all three of her kids had and how after an autism diagnosis for her third son, she said, "There's somebody in there and I'm going to draw him out."

Listen as she talks about how she has not only learned more about her kids and has seen amazing improvement in all of them, but also the value of other moms in the community, her advice for parents with kids with similar concerns and how she still makes time for herself to make sure she stays whole, happy and well.