(Rachel Bujalski for The Post)

A mother has spent years caring for her special-needs child. The toll quietly grew.

Annie Morgan wrapped her arms around her eldest daughter’s waist and guided her toward the minivan, the two of them moving in a slow, sideways shuffle.

At 13, Ava was nearly as big as Annie, who stands just 5 feet flat, 110 pounds.

The morning in May had started well. Ava was cooperative and calm, and Annie, 34, smiled as her two other children bolted past them and into the car. Then something shifted. As Annie helped Ava into the vehicle, Ava wailed and slammed her body against the seat. The car rocked.

The struggle lasted six minutes: long enough for Annie to tighten one belt, then another. Long enough to block a blow to the head, catch Ava’s hands and dodge them when she couldn’t. Long enough for sweat to gather across Annie’s forehead and beneath her shirt.

When she finally settled into the driver’s seat, the clock read 7:49 a.m. Still on time for school (basically).

In one form or another, scenes like this unfold every morning in millions of American homes.

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