Jersey Shore star Jenni “JWoww” Farley admittedly “needed help” when her 9-year-old son, Greyson, was first diagnosed with autism.
“When my son got diagnosed with autism by, like, six doctors, and at one point, they really did not want to diagnose him because they were scared s***less [about getting] this wrong because [I was] all over television,” Farley, 40, said on the Thursday, June 26, episode of Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast. “They got it right, but it’s nerve-wracking for everyone.”
She added, “After I got his diagnosis, I did not know what to do besides, ‘He needs ABA [Applied Behavior Analysis therapy] 40 hours a week, [and] he needs speech and OT, and all this stuff.’ Even then, I was still overwhelmed, and [thought], ‘Let me get a second opinion.’”
Farley, who shares Greyson and 10-year-old daughter Meilani with ex-husband Roger Mathews, traveled with her son to Florida to meet with another doctor.
Celebs Who’ve Revealed Their Autism Diagnosis: Tamra Judge and More
“There was a flight delay on the way back,” she recalled. “We were sitting in TSA, and I did not have pre-check at the time. This was eight years ago, and he decided [he didn’t] like that. He tried to run through TSA, and when I tried to stop him, he ripped my glasses off and broke them. He head-butted me, and it was a very emotional and real moment I had with him.”
When Greyson was first diagnosed, Farley was unaware of “sensory issues and sensory processing.”
“I had no idea because he really wasn’t on a flight before that, but he didn’t like lines and he didn’t like waiting,” Farley said. “He hated delays, and because he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t tell that. So, he took his aggression out on me because I was the closest thing to him.”
Farley ended up “crying” over Greyson’s tantrum, which was also recorded by several witnesses.
Jenni Farley and son Greyson. Courtesy of Jenni Farley/Instagram“I remember I finally got through TSA, and I’m balling,” she said. “I have scratches, and my son’s crying, and I can’t get him in his car seat. We’re having this moment, and I just want to get on the plane or hide. I’m asking the gate, and they’re like, ‘There’s nothing we can do, your flight’s delayed.’ I’m begging.”
In the end, Farley ended up locking herself in a bathroom with Greyson to “get him figured out.”
“[I] lock him into his stroller, like, I was hog-tying him at one point, just to calm him down,” Farley said. “We got on the plane, and he passed out. I remember all the looks, and he just got diagnosed, so I was still trying to process that.”
Brittany Cartwright and More Autism Moms Respond to RFK Jr.’s Comments
After Farley expressed her feelings in a personal Facebook plea, a friend got her involved with KultureCity, a nonprofit that trains and certifies venue staff to include sensory-inclusive modifications.
“They remade a whole bedroom of mine into a sensory room for Greyson,” she said. “They explained his diagnosis in a way that the hospitals didn’t [and] that there are going to be challenges with lights and lines and feeling overwhelmed. … The hospitals don’t tell you that when they diagnose.”
Farley is now on the board with KultureCity, helping to make sure that airport workers are equipped to “de-escalate” similar situations for families.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( JWoww Recalls Son's 'Emotional' Airport Incident After Autism Diagnosis )
Also on site :
- Iconic '90s Actress, 55, Flaunts ‘Agelessly Sexy Beauty’ in Itty-Bitty String Bikini
- Legendary '60s Rock Band Drops New Album — But Fans Still Flock to Old Classic
- Uber Eats rival introduces new delivery service in copycat move to Walmart – 100,000 people to get their orders quicker