As many of you know when Gianni turned two years old, after noticing developmental regressions he was diagnosed with level two autism.

This has changed our world forever.

***Level 2 autism refers to the middle range of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), where individuals require substantial support to manage social communication, interactions, and repetitive behaviors, often exhibiting noticeable difficulties in daily life compared to those with Level 1 autism, but not as severe as Level 3; this can include challenges with verbal and nonverbal communication, restricted interests, and difficulty adapting to changes in routine.

Now two years into our Autism journey, with countless of hours and thousands of dollars spent on ABA, Speech, OT, Swim, Music and any kind of therapy to better improve the life of our first born. Gianni has made SUCH significant improvements and we are just so proud and hopeful of the kid he is becoming. Thank you to my family, our therapist who feel like family and our friends who have supported Gianni's growth and have learned about autism and have accepted who he is with all of his differences. Your love and acceptance of Gianni has made this journey one filled with peace and hope knowing I can lean on my tribe.

To those who choose to walk with us and / or for those who choose to donate THANK YOU ! Leading up to his evaluation and after his diagnosis was one of the darkest and scariest moments in my life. The uncertainty of what will be of Gianni was more than I could handle at times. If I only knew about Autism Speaks and the services and resources they had I truly believe navigating this world would have been easier.

As you know, this cause is important to us, together we can make a difference.

When you join our team, you become part of an amazing community of the most passionate and committed individuals, families, friends and professionals - all dedicated to helping people with autism reach their full potential. The incredible support of people like YOU over the years has made it possible for Autism Speaks to meet so many milestones - advancing life-enhancing breakthroughs in autism care, providing more free, personalized support, increasing childhood screening and intervention resources and working to create a more accepting, understanding and inclusive world for our broad and diverse community. But with more than 70 million people affected by autism today, there is still much more to be done. Please join the team - set your fundraising goal - and start making a difference today!