Ryan opens up about his daughter Monroe's autism journey from early developmental signs his wife spotted before anyone else believed her, to self-harming behaviours at nursery, a brutal fight to get Monroe into a SEND school, and the moment they realised mainstream schooling wasn't right for her anymore. This conversation covers the messy, unfiltered reality of parenting a child with complex needs: sleepless nights, sensory overwhelm, the guilt of feeling "useless" as a dad, and the system that often leaves families to fight alone. 🧩 In this episode: 📝 The early signs everyone dismissed until they couldn't be ignored 😢 Four months of "hell" getting Monroe settled into her SEND school 🚫 Why they made the hard call to pull her out of school entirely 🏡 Their experience with Elective Home Education (EHE) for a child with complex needs 💛 How Monroe is thriving now happier, eating, sleeping, more regulated 👰 Planning a wedding around an autistic child's sensory needs 🗣️ A dad's honest take on grief, guilt, and finally feeling like "the whole world isn't ending" If you're a parent navigating a similar diagnosis, an EHCP battle, or wondering whether school is really the right environment for your child this one's for you. 💬 Got a similar story? Drop it in the comments this community is built on not feeling alone in this. 👉 Join our Patreon for more support, community and behind-the-scenes content: https://patreon.com/NotYourTypical?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink 👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on autism, SEND parenting and real family stories. Sponsored by B and W https://www.blackandwhitebridging.co.uk/ #Autism #SENDParenting #AutismDad #HomeEducation #AutismJourney #ParentingAutism #EHCP #SpecialNeeds #AutismAwareness #NeurodivergentFamily