10/24/2026
Parental Food for Thought
Entrusting your adult child to an organization—or to someone you haven’t known long—takes a kind of trust that’s hard to explain. As a parent, I know that trust doesn’t come easily. You want to know: Will they accept my child? Will they understand them?Will they help them grow into the strong, kind, caring person I know they can be?
At our open house, a parent began telling me about her son’s “flaws,” then quickly added that his behavior isn’t always like that. I recognized the anxiety behind her words. I’ve had to explain my own son and justify his actions more times than I can count. It can leave you feeling vulnerable, less than, hoping the person in front of you will understand.
So I stopped her gently. “You don’t have to explain your son to me. He’s amazing just as he is. We’ll work together to figure things out.”
She cried and said, “You understand.”
I do. As co/ founder’s of The Difference 2-17, Bayo and I, as well as our entire community knows our role is to support—not judge. When things are challenging, we keep showing up, offering patience and encouragement. That’s what The Difference 2-17 means to us.
Can we be everyone’s safe harbor in every storm? No. We’re human, and we can’t solve every challenge or predict every behavior. Autism is complex, and even after 58 combined years of advocating for autistic people, Bayo and I don’t have all the answers.
A bump, a scratch, a bite, or a punch can leave everyone frustrated and searching for someone to blame. Sometimes we may never know exactly what happened or why. That uncertainty is hard—but not every incident means someone failed or acted carelessly.
Support work is demanding. Many people become direct support professionals because they care, and it takes patience, courage, and skill to build trust and help someone through a difficult moment. Turnover can make things harder: each new staff member means your adult child has to learn another person’s personality, and that person has to learn your child, too. That’s one reason we invest in our staff and keep working to support and educate them.
None of this means families should ignore their instincts or stop asking questions. Trust is built over time, through honest communication, consistency, and seeing how people treat your loved one—not through promises alone.
The takeaway is this: you are amazing. Your adult child is amazing. And the people on your team who show up with care and keep learning deserve appreciation, too.
We have all lived through the bumps, the scratches, the bites, and the punches. We are still grateful for the people willing to welcome our children, understand family dynamics, and stand beside us. That kind of support matters—and so does the trust it takes to let someone in. The remarkable effort that Bayo and his team of colleagues brings to TD 2-17, is nothing short of remarkable! We are proud to be The Difference!
(2-17)
