Brittany Cartwright is ready to talk about her son’s recent diagnosis.
Just six months ago, the three-year-old son of Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright received his official autism diagnosis.
Brittany recalled witnessing Cruz’s developmental milestones before noticing a change.
“He crawled early, he walked early,” she exclusively told People.
“Then, as he got closer to 2, we started noticing that he was regressing in his speech. He stopped talking almost completely.”
They immediately enrolled the toddler in occupational therapy, which we saw during season one of The Valley.
“People have tried to diagnose my son from social media or sitting on their arm chairs.”
“I felt like it was up to me, and whenever I was ready to talk about his autism,” Brittany said.
The diagnosis
The parents “expected” Cruz’s diagnosis, but the pediatrician confirming their suspicions last fall made it all the more “real” for them.
“Our life is going to look a little bit different, but I feel like I was meant to be his mom,” she says. “He is my better half. He is my little partner in crime. He is everything to me, and even though he can’t talk, I know everything that he wants, everything that he needs. We’re just so synced, it’s incredible.”
Right now, Brittany’s focus is on early intervention — equipping their home with a sensory room, as well as a swing set and a pool for him in their backyard.
Cruz also still does speech and occupational therapy several times a week. He has a therapeutic companion that goes with him to preschool every day to help with his social skills.
As someone who has loved ones with autism, and diagnosed around the same age as Cruz, early intervention is paramount.
From my perspective, Britt is doing everything right by him.
