Kate Gosselin Opens Up About Decision To Enroll Son Collin In Program For Special Needs

Kate Gosselin addressed her son Collin’s absence from a recent family appearance explaining that her son is enrolled in a program away from home designed to help special needs children.

The 12-year-old is one of the sextuplets the Gosselins welcomed in 2004, including Alexis, Leah, Hannah, Joel and Aaden.

“Collin has special needs,” Kate shared with PEOPLE. “[There’s] a fairly fluid diagnosis of what those needs are, but he needs to learn certain strategies to help him deal with things. This has been a struggle we’ve had for a very long time, and it’s one I’ve dealt with on my own. I’ve felt very alone in this. By the same token, it’s not something that has only impacted me or him – our entire family has been impacted.”

The mother of eight admitted that although she knows it is the best place for her son, the family misses him.

He is “enrolled in a program that is helping him learn the skills he needs to be the best him he can be,” she said. “We miss him so much, so it’s been hard because there is a huge hole in our family without him here. But it comforts us to know he’s where he needs to be right now, and I can feel good about that.”

The Dancing with The Stars alum said she stands by her decision to seek outside help for Collin.

“When your kids go to college, do you miss them? Yes, but you reassure yourself that they are getting so much out of it,” she explained. “And that’s the same sort of investment I feel like I’ve made in Collin’s future.

This article first appeared on Womanista.com