Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley and More Celebrity Parents Share Inspiring Quotes on Raising Kids With Autism

Credit: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; MediaPunch/Shutterstock

Jenni 'JWoww' Farley and More Celebrity Parents Share Inspiring Quotes on Raising Kids With Autism

Words of wisdom. Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Jenny McCarthy and other celebrities haven't shied away from speaking about the ups and downs of raising their autistic children. The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star revealed her and Roger Mathews’ son Greyson’s diagnosis in November 2018, which “caused a lot of tension” in her relationship with her now-ex-husband. “I took the initiative for getting [Greyson] help,” the Rules According to JWoww author explained to Deena Nicole Cortese in a July 2019 episode of the MTV show. “That was a huge argument between Roger and I. [He said], ‘He’s fine, he’s fine.’ [Roger] had a nervous breakdown in the pediatrician’s [office]. My heart broke for him because he was like, ‘I just want my son to walk down an aisle and have a family of his own.’” The reality star went on to say at the time: “Roger believed that Greyson was a slow learner and he was going to learn on his own. That caused a lot of tension in our household because we have one parent like, ‘I need to get ahead of this and fix it,’ which is me, and then you got another parent like, ‘What are you doing? It’s not a big deal.’” The Snooki & JWoww alum is making sacrifices for her son’s future, she explained to Cortese. “I am going to hold his hand until I can’t and when I can’t hold his hand, my money is gonna hold his hand,” she explained. “I’m preparing not for my retirement, but my kids’ retirement. … This bitch is tired.” [jwplayer EuNIDzvR] Farley and Mathews, who also share their daughter Meilani, split in September 2018. The former couple now coparent their brood. Greyson is now making strides with “the best therapists,” Farley, who got engaged to Zack Carpinello in May 2021, told Us Weekly exclusively in March 2019. The New York native explained to Us at the time: “He’s in four or five different therapies, but he is just kicking ass. Every day gets better. Every day he is learning something new. … It went from, he didn’t know one word or understand a word in September to now, it’s March and he is combining two, three-word sentences. [He does] sign language. He knows his colors, his numbers.” Keep reading to hear what McCarthy, Sylvester Stallone, Nadya Suleman, Kelly Preston and other star parents have had to say about raising their little ones on the spectrum over the years. [podcast_block]

Credit: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; MediaPunch/Shutterstock

Jenni 'JWoww' Farley and More Celebrity Parents Share Inspiring Quotes on Raising Kids With Autism

Words of wisdom. Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Jenny McCarthy and other celebrities haven't shied away from speaking about the ups and downs of raising their autistic children. The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star revealed her and Roger Mathews’ son Greyson’s diagnosis in November 2018, which “caused a lot of tension” in her relationship with her now-ex-husband. “I took the initiative for getting [Greyson] help,” the Rules According to JWoww author explained to Deena Nicole Cortese in a July 2019 episode of the MTV show. “That was a huge argument between Roger and I. [He said], ‘He’s fine, he’s fine.’ [Roger] had a nervous breakdown in the pediatrician’s [office]. My heart broke for him because he was like, ‘I just want my son to walk down an aisle and have a family of his own.’” The reality star went on to say at the time: “Roger believed that Greyson was a slow learner and he was going to learn on his own. That caused a lot of tension in our household because we have one parent like, ‘I need to get ahead of this and fix it,’ which is me, and then you got another parent like, ‘What are you doing? It’s not a big deal.’” The Snooki & JWoww alum is making sacrifices for her son’s future, she explained to Cortese. “I am going to hold his hand until I can’t and when I can’t hold his hand, my money is gonna hold his hand,” she explained. “I’m preparing not for my retirement, but my kids’ retirement. … This bitch is tired.” [jwplayer EuNIDzvR] Farley and Mathews, who also share their daughter Meilani, split in September 2018. The former couple now coparent their brood. Greyson is now making strides with “the best therapists,” Farley, who got engaged to Zack Carpinello in May 2021, told Us Weekly exclusively in March 2019. The New York native explained to Us at the time: “He’s in four or five different therapies, but he is just kicking ass. Every day gets better. Every day he is learning something new. … It went from, he didn’t know one word or understand a word in September to now, it’s March and he is combining two, three-word sentences. [He does] sign language. He knows his colors, his numbers.” Keep reading to hear what McCarthy, Sylvester Stallone, Nadya Suleman, Kelly Preston and other star parents have had to say about raising their little ones on the spectrum over the years. [podcast_block]

Credit: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Jenni “JWoww” Farley

"Watching Greyson’s journey brings me to tears and fills me with so much pride and joy,” the MTV personality captioned an October 2019 YouTube video. “Grey’s progress is nothing short of amazing. I’m the proudest mama out there. Special thank you to his teachers and therapists at We Care Autism for their dedication and patience, and thank YOU for your continued love and support.”

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Jenny McCarthy

"I can’t really tell him anything because he’ll just call me out,” the Masked Singer judge told Us exclusively in March 2020 of her son, Evan. “We went through TSA at the airport and he told them that they needed to look extra special at me. … They kind of gave me a double look, like, ‘Should we listen to this kid, is something wrong?’ But fortunately, [I] got through there.”

The actress added, "He would also rat me out going to the movies because I would bring our own water or chips with us. Going through the ticket guy, he said, ‘My mom has drinks and chips hidden from home that we’re not supposed to bring in the movie theater and they’re in her purse right now.’”

Credit: Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Sylvester Stallone

"Sasha [Czack] does the hard, in-the-trenches warfare,” the actor said of raising their son, Seargeoh. “I use my films to have premieres that raise money for the fund. I believe any success in life is made by going into an area with a blind, furious optimism. I am not the richest, smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeed because I keep going and going and going."

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Jacqueline Laurita

"My heart hurt so bad for the both of us,” the Real Housewives of New Jersey alum wrote via Instagram after her son was asked to leave a library for making noises in April 2018. “The day before he had had such a great experience there. I wish everyone understood #Autism. Time to go back and educate them!”

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Shawn Stockman

The Boyz II Men member started the organization Micah's Voice in honor of his son, telling Everyday Health in 2013: "Our symbol for Micah’s Voice is a smile. In the midst of the things that parents go through with their children, we also want to give them the sense of hope, that everything can be better if you do the right thing by your respective child or children. ... his is our lifelong mission: to help other parents to give their child a shot at just a normal life."

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Toni Braxton

"Coming from a very religious background, I was ashamed that I had an abortion in 2001," the Unbreak My Heart author told Us exclusively in 2014. "When my youngest son was diagnosed with autism I feared that I was being punished for my earlier actions. I have since realized that my son is special and learns in a different way.”

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Gary Cole

"People with autism, I don't like to think of it as a disability, I like to think of it as another way of thinking or perceiving," the actor told Today in 2005. "And I felt my job was to try to perceive everything on some level through [my daughter's] eyes so I could know what it was like to walk in her shoes."

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Nadya Suleman

“This is my adolescent infant Aidan,” the California native captioned a 2019 social media upload. “He is 14 years old, going on one in his head. Aidan is severely autistic and [needs] total care. He requires complete assistance in meeting all needs in activities of daily living. Aidan is non-verbal, requires feeding, changing (he is not potty trained), bathing, and one-to-one supervision, as he has no safety awareness and would walk aimlessly into traffic. I, his mother, am, and always have been, his ONLY care provider. This ‘job’ is my life (other than caring for 13 other children singlehandedly). My children are my LIFE."

Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Kelly Preston

"I send love to all of the beautiful autistic children and the wonderful people who love them," the actress captioned a 2019 Instagram tribute to her and John Travolta's late son, Jett. "May we all shine and grant love and respect to children with special needs.”