Jenni 'JWoww' Farley: I hope that being open with my son's journey with autism helps to break the stigma for others

• Jenni Farley, better known as JWoww from "Jersey Shore," is a mother of two.
• Her son, Greyson, was diagnosed with autism when he was two years old.

My son, Greyson, is a super-cool little kid. He's five and loves wrestling, the Avengers, Spider-Man — pretty much all the superheroes. Every morning when he wakes up, he tells me, "With great power comes great responsibility." That's his mantra.

At the same time, Greyson isn't a typical 5-year-old.

When he was 2, he was diagnosed with moderate autism. Now, our days are filled with the therapies he desperately needs: applied behavior analysis (ABA) and speech therapy. For seven hours a day, Monday through Friday, and a few hours on the weekends, too, Greyson works with therapists to master social, educational, and life skills. And he's crushing it.

We noticed delays when he was a toddler

Our life didn't always look like this. When Greyson was around 1, his father and I noticed that he wasn't hitting his milestones. He seemed to have trouble hearing us. He wouldn't respond when we talked to him or even when we called his name. We thought he might have a hearing disability, so we took him to specialists. When they said his hearing was fine, we didn't know what to do.

I'd been told that sometimes boys develop slower, and we hoped he would eventually catch up.

We got him into an early-intervention program, and while they did their best to help him, we didn't see much progress. Around his second birthday, he failed the developmental-milestone checklist at the pediatrician's office.

That's when his doctor recommended we take the next steps to have Greyson formally evaluated for autism.

Getting a diagnosis was key

That was a real turning point for us. Once Greyson had that formal diagnosis, we were able to enroll him in therapies that were much better suited to him. There was also a big learning curve for us as parents. We hoped that Greyson's therapies would be covered by our insurance, but our provider at the time denied all of the costs. It didn't cover a thing. I had to take out private insurance to make sure Greyson could get access to the care he needed.

We also didn't understand all the ins and outs of Greyson's condition right away. Just after he was diagnosed, we went to WWE SummerSlam at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. We knew Greyson liked wrestling, so it seemed like it'd be fun. We didn't realize the extent of Greyson's sensory issues until we got there. It was a total overload for him: the lights, sounds, pyrotechnics — everything. It was a disaster, and we left within 20 minutes.

Now, I work with KultureCity, an organization that helps businesses get sensory certified so they can serve children like Greyson and people with other sensory-processing disorders. We train employees to understand social cues. We sell bags that have fidget toys and noise-canceling headphones. And we install sensory rooms, quiet areas where families can go to calm themselves down and self-regulate. Last month, we opened the first sensory room at the Barclays Center. It's dedicated to and named after Greyson.

No one should feel like they're alone in this journey

I want families who have children with autism to know that they're not alone. It can be challenging, but I'm right there with you.

More than that, I want parents to understand that raising a child with autism is one thing, but raising someone who's undiagnosed is much harder. I know there are families out there who delay getting their child tested. Maybe they're hoping it's a phase their child will grow out of. Maybe they're scared of the label or the stigma. But I'm telling you: Greyson is on a path to success because of ABA therapy. I wouldn't have been able to get him the resources he needed without that initial diagnosis. I wouldn't have known how to help.

If you want to give your child the best chance at succeeding in life, it starts with getting tested. If your child is ultimately diagnosed, there's a whole army of doctors, therapists, and other parents, including me, ready and waiting to help.