"He already brings smiles and light to those he touches!"

Adriano was not able to say more than 5 words at the age of 3. His pediatrician recommended that he have speech therapy. After researching the options that were available at the time, I landed on Rochester Hearing and Speech.
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We could not have been more blessed to work with Beth. She came to our house, helped me to understand that Adriano had all the information stored in his head, but just had a loose connection along the way. He was able to point to tell me what he wanted but there were no words to accompany the actions. After learning very basic sign language, and with home visits, Adriano started thriving and after about a year, he had surpassed all of the milestones for a child his age. He is now one of the most talkative people you will ever meet, if he is comfortable with you.
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We tried some group classes, but they seemed overwhelming to Adriano. After some time, he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This explained why those groups were so difficult for him. He was officially diagnosed in 5th grade, although I knew all along that he had challenges in some areas.

I have always called his diagnosis his ‘superpower’ as he is able to see things in a whole different way than I would ever be able to without him pointing it out. He is a remarkable human; with the biggest heart I have ever seen. I am extremely proud of all he has overcome and all that he has achieved.

Adriano has attended McQuaid Jesuit since 6th grade. He is graduating this year and will be attending Nazareth in the fall. He will major in Math with an Italian minor. At this time, he would like to be a statistician.

"I cannot wait to see what wonderful things he will achieve and what he will contribute to society in the future. He already brings smiles and light to those that he touches."

– Melissa, Adriano's Mom