To most people, this may look like a simple photograph of a young man sitting happily in a dentist's chair.
To me, this photograph represents 21 years of patience, persistence and never giving up.
Because for Alessio, simply getting into that chair has been an enormous journey.
Due to his autism, Alessio has many fears and phobias, particularly around noise, electrical equipment and medical environments. He has been under a dental consultant since he was around two years old, but for many years he couldn't even enter the dental room.
His consultant would examine his teeth on the floor of her consulting room while he played, because that was the only way he could cope.
When he transferred from children's to adult dental services three years ago, things had to change.
So we started again — very slowly.
First, I helped him enter the dental room.
Then he allowed the dentist to look at his teeth while he sat on an ordinary chair.
Two years ago, we tried the dental chair.
He was petrified.
He would sit for a split second... then run.
But we kept trying.
I let him play with the dental light because he was frightened of that too. Visit after visit, he switched it on and off until this strange piece of equipment gradually became familiar rather than frightening.
This year, he managed a few seconds in the chair.
And then, a few days ago, something extraordinary happened.
As usual, I went first. I sat in the dental chair and let the dentist examine my teeth so Alessio could see that nothing bad happened.
Then I said, "Your turn."
He sat down.
I asked him to switch on the big dental light himself.
And for the FIRST TIME in 21 years, Alessio stayed there while the dentist examined his teeth properly under the light.
No running away.
No panic.
He even sat there afterwards, smiling, and let me take this photograph. 
I cannot adequately describe what that moment meant to me.
Some milestones arrive when our children are babies. Others take months or years.
Ours took 21 years.
And we aren't finished yet. Our next challenges are helping Alessio become comfortable with the electrical equipment used to clean his teeth and, eventually, having a dental X-ray.
We will get there.
So if you're a parent of an autistic child struggling with fears or phobias, please don't measure progress against somebody else's timetable.
Sometimes progress happens in tiny steps that nobody else notices.
Keep introducing.
Keep reassuring.
Keep trying.
Patience and persistence can achieve things that once seemed impossible.
It may take weeks.
It may take years.
It may even take 21 years.
But never underestimate what your child may eventually achieve.
This smile was worth every single year of waiting.
#ynny #autisticboy #phobias #fears #conqueringfears #overcomingphobias #autism #nothingisimpossible #miracledoeshappens #waitingforthismoment #nevergiveup
