Brittany Cartwright is opening up publicly for the first time about her sonโs autism diagnosis.
The Bravo star, 36, shared in a People interview that her son, Cruz, who turns 4 on April 12, was diagnosed with autism in the fall.ย
She said Cruz, whom she shares with ex Jax Taylor, became mostly nonverbal around his 2nd birthday. Cartwright received her son’s autism diagnosis six months ago from his developmental pediatrician.
โHe crawled early, he walked early,โ Cartwright said. โHe was talking, he was saying, โMommy,โ โDaddy.โ He was saying, โHot Dog!โ from โMickey Mouse Clubhouse.โ Then, as he got closer to 2, we started noticing that he was regressing in his speech. He stopped talking almost completely.โ
Cartwright said just because Cruz is mostly nonverbal, it does not mean he wonโt necessarily always be nonspeaking.
โHe does say Mommy. He will sporadically say different words,โ she said.
โIt can be difficult because Iโve never heard him say, โI love you,โโ she also said, โbut he is so loving, and he shows me he loves me every single day.โ
Cartwright said she hired a therapeutic companion who goes to preschool with Cruz and helps him with his social skills.ย
โHeโs getting better with eye contact, heโs getting more social,” she said. “Itโs been a journey. The spectrum is so broad and so different. Heโs very loving, doesnโt have tantrums (and is) very sweet, very strong.โ
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is a “neurological and developmental disorder” that impacts how people learn, behave and communicate, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The symptoms of autism usually appear within the first two years after birth.
Cartwright said she wants to challenge the misconception that nonverbal kids arenโt as intelligent, or can’t understand certain things.
โCruz is very, very, very smart,โ she said. โHe has almost a photographic memory. He has so much going on.โ
Cartwright and Taylor, who are in the process of divorcing, sought answers for what was going on with their son during Season One of Bravoโs โThe Valley,โ and fans have been speculating online about the toddler, too.
โA lot of people have tried to diagnose my son from social media or sitting on their armchairs and saying, โWhy is he not talking yet?โ And I felt like it was up to me whenever I was ready to talk about his autism,โ Cartwright told People. โBecause itโs something Iโm learning myself. Itโs something brand new weโre going through, and Iโm his voice now, and Iโm doing everything, Iโm fighting for him, Iโm his warrior now.โ
Cartwright also acknowledged that while โlife is going to look a little bit differentโ for her and Cruz, she feels like she was โmeant to be his mom.โ
โHe is my better half. He is my little partner in crime. He is everything to me, and even though he canโt talk, I know everything that he wants, everything that he needs,โ she said. โWeโre just so synced, itโs incredible.โ
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