Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor’s three-year-old son Cruz Cauchi has been diagnosed with autism after he stopped speaking before his second birthday.
Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor’s son Cruz Cauchi has autism.
The 36-year-old actress, who filed for divorce from her husband in 2024 after four years of marriage, has revealed their three-year-old boy was diagnosed with the neurodevelopmental condition in October 2024.
Brittany added that she acts as “his voice now” because he stopped speaking ahead of his second birthday.
Speaking about Cruz – who will “sporadically say different words” – she told PEOPLE: “Our life is going to look a little bit different, but I feel like I was meant to be his mom.
“He is my better half. He is my little partner in crime. He is everything to me, and even though he can’t talk, I know everything that he wants, everything that he needs.
“We’re just so synced, it’s incredible.”
Autistic people can experience social interaction and communication challenges, as well as repetitive behaviors or interests.
‘The Valley’ star only told her close friends and family before making it public knowledge, but Brittany is hopeful that sharing the news will raise awareness of autism, as well as stress that his and others with the disability will not hold people back in life.
She added: “Yes, it might be challenging at times, but I couldn’t imagine my life being different. It can be sad at times because you want them to live life to the fullest, and he does, he just does it in a different way.
“What I really want people to understand about autism is he sees the world so much more vibrant and amazing than any of us ever will.
“It doesn’t mean that he’s not going to be the smartest in his class. It doesn’t mean he is not going to work for NASA one day. There aren’t any limitations to what he can do.”
Cruz – who does speech and occupational therapy several times a week, and is accompanied at pre-school by a therapeutic pal to help him develop his social skills – has a sensory room, as well as a swing and swimming pool in Brittany’s Los Angeles, California home.
Brittany hopes these new additions will be able to support him, as well as fuel happiness in his life.
She added: “I feel very blessed that I’m able to give him everything that he needs, and that’s why I want to help as many mothers as I can. I have learned so much over the past couple years.”
Speaking about his therapy classes, she added: “I just make sure that he never misses a class, never misses a therapy session. If I have to work, I have the most amazing nanny in the entire world, she is literally my family. I don’t know what I would do without her.
“Sometimes, Jax will take him. I want him to learn things as well, but the majority of the time, it’s me.
“And I feel like I need to be there, I need to be learning what’s going on, so that I can really work with him at home as well.”
Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor’s son diagnosed with autism
