‘Jersey Shore’ Star Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley Details Progress in Son’s Autism Diagnosis

Jenni “JWoww” Farley’s son Greyson Valor’s progress has been “brilliant” following his autism diagnosis.

Speaking to PEOPLE, the Jersey Shore star opened up about her family’s journey in the months since her 2-year-old son had been clinically diagnosed with the developmental disorder, which impairs the ability to communicate and interact.

“Coming from September when he didn’t even know his name — like, he would not respond to his name once. It was a concern of ours because we actually thought it was his hearing, originally,” she told the outlet, adding that her son, who has been in early intervention therapy and sees four or five specialists on a weekly basis, now “knows all his ABCs.”

Farley had revealed in November that Greyson had been diagnosed with autism and was “non-verbal.”

“Greyson, he was recently diagnosed with autism,” she said at the time. “He didn’t understand words. 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.”

“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 added. “He’s made leaps and bounds when it comes to speech. “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. So now that he’s understanding simple words, he’s come so far.”

In the six months since, the MTV reality star says that she has been flooded with a wave of support, including support from other parents who have children with autism, making her feel less alone.

“When it comes to educating myself so I feel less alone, they help me in that aspect,” she said, adding that “every time I’m feeling down or alone,” she seeks KultureCity, a nonprofit dedicated to building inclusion for people with autism. “I’m like, ‘What can we do to make someone’s life better?’ Because it makes mine better.”

“If you’re ever having problems, help someone else with their problems,” she continued. “That’s where giving back really has helped, because not only do I not feel alone anymore in my struggle, but I get a flood of messages [from families] telling me how I’ve helped them or opened their eyes or showed them things that they weren’t aware of. That’s really what it’s all about.”

Farley has also received support from her Jersey Shore co-stars, including Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, who she says has always been “one of my biggest supporters and sidekicks.”