Kate Gosselin Reveals Why She Sent Her Son Collin Away, How Her Family Is Coping

Kate Gosselin’s son Collin has been facing some personal challenges, and now he’s getting professional help outside of her Pennsylvania home. The “Kate Plus 8” star hasn’t revealed her 12-year-old boy’s diagnosis, but said the type of care he’s receiving will help him cope better.

“Collin has special needs,” the mother of eight told People magazine. “[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 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,” added the 41-year-old.

Some might say that Kate feeling alone has to do with her ex-husband Jon Gosselin’s strained relationship with his children, especially with his twin girls Mady and Cara. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight earlier this month, Jon said that the 15-year-olds had stopped visiting him as much as they used to before they eventually stopped coming around altogether.

“Everybody used to come to my house,” he said. “You know, it was great and then Madelyn and Cara just stopped coming, around 12-13 [years old]. I didn’t question it. I was just like ‘Hey, do what you want, be with your friends,’ and then it just became they’re not coming.”

Despite everything the Gosselin’s have been through over the years, the twins said they’ll be fine regardless of what people think. “People expect us to be damaged,” Cara told People in 2014.

As far as Collin being away from his mother, the twin girls and his sextuplet siblings Hannah, Alexis, Aaden, Leah and Joel, Kate says it’s difficult but it’ll be worth it. “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.”