I'm asking for help for my daughter because, as her mum, I just want to see her okay.  
For as long as I can remember, she has struggled with things that I didn't always understand. There were years of missed school that she couldn't explain. Jobs she genuinely loved but lost, through no fault of her own. An entire secondary school experience that seemed to quietly slip away from her.

I've watched her try so incredibly hard to keep up with things that seemed to come naturally to other people. I've watched her become overwhelmed, frustrated and exhausted, and I've spent so much time wondering why things seemed to be so much harder for her than they should be.

This year, she finally found the courage to pursue a formal autism assessment. She has now been told that she meets the criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder, however she still needs the official report and diagnosis.

After a lifetime of wondering what was wrong and why she struggled so much, we finally have an answer. More importantly, we finally have a way forward.

But we're struggling financially as a family, and we're now at the last step of the assessment. We've already managed to put €600 towards it, but we don't have enough to cover what's still needed for her official diagnosis and report.

That report could make such a difference to her. It could help her access the support and understanding she has needed for years, and give her a better chance of getting through her degree and building a life where she can actually thrive instead of constantly struggling just to get by.

I feel awful having to ask for help, but I don't know what else to do.

She's worked so hard to get to this point. I just want her to have the chance to understand herself, to feel supported, and to stop thinking she has to somehow manage everything on her own.

I don't want anything extraordinary for my daughter. I just want her to be okay. I want her to feel that she belongs, that she's understood, and that she has the support she needs to become the person I know she can be.

If you're able to contribute, even a small amount, it would mean more to us than I can properly put into words. And if you can't donate, simply sharing this would help us enormously.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story.

Donate to Help My Daughter Finish Her Life Changing Autism Assessment, organized by V O