Welcome to the Board
Suz gave you some great advice.
Knowledge is the key. The more you know, the better equipped you are to handle what comes your way and to help difficult child. You as parents will be difficult child's best advocates. No one knows difficult child like you do.
I think the best thing I ever did was to insist my husband go to every single appointment, and every single IEP meeting. That way he has always had the same information as I had first hand, instead of me trying to remember everything or interpret what the docs said. Plus he could give me his take, or add info for the docs. My husband was a major PITA as far as my difficult children were concerned when they were young. By the time we were a couple of years into the process, he had learned enough that we were finally on the same page and started to see lasting results.
You have to be good to yourself. Raising difficult child's is tough work. If you aren't up to snuff the whole family is going to feel the effects. And taking time for yourselves as a couple is a huge deal. It's not hard for the stress of gfgdom in a house to pour over into every other aspect of your lives. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it, or to take it when offered. Take breaks from time to time even if it is just taking a long walk.
You've found the Board. And that's already a huge help. You'll find support here that can't be found anywhere else. I wish I'd found the board when my kids were little. I think alot of things would have turned out differently.
hugs
