Hi, I'm Marie J. Elliot, author of My Little Outlier - A Mother's Faith Journey. When my son was young, it became clear that he didn't fit into school systems designed for neurotypical individuals. He struggled daily and often didn't want to attend school. At the time, I was working in the tech industry as a solutions architect. Despite professional success, I felt like a failure as a parent, fearing that my child's challenges were due to something I had done. In my culture, cognitive disabilities are highly stigmatized, which left me feeling scared and lost. I fell into depression, resorted to binge-watching TV, and consumed a diet of sweet and salty snacks, all while praying my child would outgrow his problems.