Jenni Farley is known as JWOWW.
She’s also known for partying hard on Jersey Shore and being close friends with Snooki.
But there’s another side to this reality star, one that she has discussed in depth for the first time with Hollywood Life.
Farley is a mother to a daughter named Meilani and a son named Greyson, the latter of whom started struggling with his speech in the summer of 2018.
Farley now says that Greyson has been diagnosed with Autism — and she’s here to update fans about his situation.
Here’s Greyson!
What an adorable image! Jenni gave birth to Greyson in May of 2016 and often shares photos of her son with curious Instagram followers.
Trouble with Speech
About three months ago, Jenni told followers that her two-year old was having difficulty talking — and she now knows why. “Greyson, he was recently diagnosed with autism,” she tells Hollywood Life.
Can He Talk at All?
Sadly, no. Not yet. Greyson is “non-verbal,†Jenni tells this website, although she emphasizes his “positive, positive†development and explains: He has co-therapies [every] week but we’re going to step it up a notch soon and get him ABA treatments, speech therapy.”
She Remans Hopeful
Continues Farley, speaking candidly about this very personal issue: “He’s made leaps and bounds when it comes to speech.”
Greyson Has Come a Long Way
It wasn’t just that her toddler didn’t talk before; he didn’t comprehend, either. But now? “He’s understanding words better, which was his issue. Not that he couldn’t speak, but he would never know what his shoe is or if you said, ‘Greyson,’ he actually didn’t even know his name at one point until he was a little over two,†she says. “So now that he’s understanding simple words, he’s come so far.”
He’s Hitting Milestones These Days
The goals are different for Greyson than they would be for other kids his age, Jenni explains: He only did ‘blue’ for a year and within the last two weeks he knows green, yellow, red, white and he’s [doing sign language] so much more. I’m like a proud mom over here.”
It’s Been a Huge Challenge
Heck, parenting in general is a huge challenge. But Jenni has been doing it with a child who simply could not understand what his mother was saying. “It was like I was speaking another language to him. That was the frustrating part because it didn’t fill in. He didn’t understand what you were saying.”
How is Meilani Handling It?
As well as can be expected, it sounds like: “It’s just a challenge and it’s getting him to hang in with Meilani which is the biggest challenge. Whenever you have two kids that are on two different wave lengths, it’s always amusing, but Meilani still thinks she’s an only child which is also an issue.”
It’s Okay, Though! Really!
Says JWOWW: “It was really heartbreaking and frustrating as a mom when you see other two-year-olds that are speaking and living their best life. Greyson is living his best life. He just doesn’t know what you are saying!”
The Diagnosis Has Come at a Hard Time
Any time would be hard to learn that you child has Autism, of course, but Jenni and husband Roger Matthews are going through a VERY rough patch these days.
How Rough?
Jenni filed to separate in September 2018, saying in court documents: “The Plaintiff and the Defendant have irreconcilable differences which have caused the breakdown of the marriage for a period of at least six months which make it appear that the marriage should be dissolved and that there is no prospect of reconciliation.”
HOWEVER…
Farley and Matthews did celebrate their anniversary together, meaning hope for reconciliation may remain.
Matthews Certainly Isn’t Giving Up
“I’m going to win my wife back,” he says in the above video, which you can watch right now.
Maybe He Will. Maybe He Won’t.
But we’ll just continue to send our thoughts to the reality stars and pray that they keep Greyson (and his sister) as the priorities at all times, no matter what is transpiring between them.