Brittany Cartwright revealed that her and Jax Taylor‘s 3-year-old son, Cruz, was diagnosed with autism.
“He crawled early, he walked early. He was talking, he was saying, ‘Mommy,’ ‘Daddy,’” Cartwright, 36, recalled during an interview with People, which was published on Wednesday, April 9. “Then, as he got closer to 2, we started noticing that he was regressing in his speech. He stopped talking almost completely.”
While Cruz is mostly nonverbal, he will “sporadically say different words,” with Cartwright adding, “It can be difficult because I’ve never heard him say, ‘I love you.’ But he is so loving, and he shows me he loves me every single day. He is such a mommy’s boy.”
Cartwright received Cruz’s diagnosis — which she was “expecting” — from his developmental pediatrician six months prior as filming began to wrap on the second season of The Valley. Now, Cartwright is focused on “early intervention.”
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright’s Quotes About Coparenting Son Cruz
“This is the time he’s building his brain,” she added. “I’m just trying to do everything I possibly can to help him live the happiest life ever. I feel very blessed that I’m able to give him everything that he needs, and that’s why I want to help as many mothers as I can. I have learned so much over the past couple years.”
Cartwright, who filed for divorce from Taylor, 45, last summer, is aware that Cruz’s life “is going to look a little bit different” due to his diagnosis. “But I feel like I was meant to be his mom,” she continued. “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.”
In their Los Angeles home, Cartwright has a sensory room for Cruz, who also gets speech and occupational therapy. Cruz has a therapeutic companion who goes with him to preschool every day to help with social skills.
‘VPR’ Alums Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor’s Family Pics With Son Cruz
“Yes, it might be challenging at times, but I couldn’t imagine my life being different,” she continued. “It can be sad at times because you want them to live life to the fullest, and he does, he just does it in a different way. What I really want people to understand about autism is he sees the world so much more vibrant and amazing than any of us ever will. It doesn’t mean that he’s not going to be the smartest in his class. It doesn’t mean he is not going to work for NASA one day. There aren’t any limitations to what he can do.”
As she adjusts to her family’s new normal, Cartwright’s main priority is taking care of Cruz.
“I just make sure that he never misses a class, never misses a therapy session,” she shared. “If I have to work, I have the most amazing nanny in the entire world, she is literally my family. I don’t know what I would do without her. Sometimes Jax will take him. I want him to learn things as well, but the majority of the time, it’s me. And I feel like I need to be there, I need to be learning what’s going on, so that I can really work with him at home as well.”
