He ran the whole way down the hospital hallway; I think he was as excited as I was nervous.

If you’ve ever had a child with special needs, you know the officialness of seeing a developmental specialist for the first time can weigh heavy on a mother’s heart.

The appointment was months in the making.

It went well.

We have two specific diagnoses and a plan and a back-up plan and referrals for more therapy services and lots of follow-up appointments down the road.

As we picked up our son’s green sippy cup and all the snacks strewn across the floor, the doctor gave him a high-five.

“You’re one cool dude,” he said.

And then as he was walking out, the doctor stopped, looked at my husband and me and said, “The future is bright for Nick.”

And that diagnosis is perhaps all I ever really need to know about my son.

This post originally appeared on ShelleySkuster.com.

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