One Mom tells us how she copes.

Raising six children is challenging enough, but each of Robin Kirton's six children has been diagnosed with some degree of autism. Here's her side of the story:

Mom•Logic: You've said you receive criticism from others for having so many kids, even after you knew several of them had autism. How do you handle that?
Robin: As a mother, I love my children and totally focus on the positive. If I didn't, life would suck. When I get these negative comments from people, I do respond to most of them. I have heard the most awful things--people have used the term "morons" and even "inbreed." I just politely put them in their place.

Mom•Logic: Did you always want a big family?
Robin: We always wanted a large family, and we both came from large families. We were so used to having all these people around--to us, it's more love. The joy multiplied every time a new child was born. Although I didn't see the autism coming, I felt like it would be the biggest regret of my life if I didn't bring all these children into the world.

Mom•Logic: What are your hopes and fears for the future?
Robin: We will all just do the best we can. If the kids never talk or if they don't potty train, it's OK. We will love them just the same. To us, these children are perfect. They help my husband and I become better people. I think all children are special, and I would feel the same way about them whether they had autism or not. I feel so privileged to have them in our lives, and we just love them.