‘The Valley’ Star Brittany Cartwright Reveals Reason She Shared Cruz’s Autism Diagnosis

Brittany Cartwright revealed that her four-year-old son, Cruz Cauchi, was diagnosed with autism in an interview with People on April 9.

In the April 18 episode of her podcast, “When Reality Hits,” the “Valley” star opened up about why she decided to speak up about Cruz.

“I just felt like it was time to talk about Cruz because with the show coming out and everything, I knew people would see that he was non-verbal,” she said.

Cartwright continued, “I just felt like it was up to me to address it, and I really want to be a positive advocate for other families and other people that are going through something like that.

The reality star spoke about how she connected to actor Holly Robinson Peete, who has been open about her son’s autism diagnosis.

“I really think that I can learn a lot from her because her son, I think, is 27 now, so she’s been going through this for 25 years,” Cartwright said. “She’s been an amazing, positive advocate for autism.”

On April 13, Cartwright told US Weekly that after learning of Cruz’s autism, she’s been taking steps to give him extra support.

“He’s been in OT [occupational therapy], in speech, and he has a therapeutic companion that goes to class with him every day. He has everything he needs,” she said.

Cartwright gushed about her son, “I wouldn’t change a thing about him. He is the most amazing, special little boy. He is mostly nonverbal right now, but he still [says] things like ‘mommy’ all the time. He was saying ‘mommy’ today … he is just so perfect.”

She added, “There’s so many people [who] think they’re doctors in the comment[s] section … that think they know everything that’s going on. I’m like: ‘No, you don’t. Because even I don’t know.’ We’re learning as we go. And if we can help other families, that’s a dream come true.”

Cartwright Celebrated Cruz’s Pivotal Moment

Although Cruz is mostly non-verbal, Cartwright recalled a moment when he was three and said a full sentence. “He was in his car seat, and all of a sudden, he goes, ‘Mommy, I want to get out,’ plain as day,” she told People on April 9.

“I could have cried because hearing him say a full sentence was heartbreaking in the best way,” Cartwright said.

She continued, “On the show, it’s obvious that he’s nonverbal, and I wanted to be able to talk about this on my own terms instead of people on social media trying to diagnose him. My son is autistic, and he’s incredible. I’m his voice now. I’m his warrior now.”