Kate Gosselin Opens Up About Son Collin's 'Special Needs'

— -- It's been nearly 10 years since Kate Gosselin introduced her eight children -- twin girls and sextuplets -- to the world.

Now 41, Gosselin appears on the latest cover of People magazine with her twin daughters, now 15, and all but one of her sextuplets, now 12.

The reality star, who divorced her husband, Jon Gosselin, in 2009, explained to the magazine that the missing sextuplet, Collin, is enrolled in a program away from home to help him reach his full potential.

"Collin has special needs," Gosselin told 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 program, Gosselin explained, is helping Collin learn "the skills he needs to be the best him he can be" and is an "investment" in his future.

She added, "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."