A Teenager Growing Into His Strength

Francesco’s journey with autism has been shaped by partnership from the very beginning. Autism has brought challenges that affect his regulation, independence, and neurological organization — realities that require patience and long-term consistency.

Since he was six years old, Francesco has followed the Doman Method, an intensive neurodevelopmental program that includes daily physical exercises, cognitive work, mobility training, and nutritional support. For seven years, his mother and father have implemented the program together, investing hours each day to help organize his brain and strengthen his independence. Continuing such a demanding routine requires sacrifice, and that is exactly what they have chosen — consistently pouring time, energy, and commitment into their son’s growth.

When Hope Turned Into Visible Change

When Francesco first began the neurodevelopmental therapy, not knowing how much change was possible, his parents describe having “no expectations, but only hopes for improvement.”

Within the first six months of implementing the nutritional, breathing, and crawling components of the program, they saw immediate change. Seizures stopped. Sleep improved. The atmosphere in the home shifted.

That early transformation gave them something steady to build on: confidence.

The neurodevelopment program, Doman Method, focuses on neurological organization through structured mobility, respiratory development, nutrition, and cognitive stimulation. For Francesco, this has meant daily crawling patterns, breathing work, physical strengthening, and academic engagement designed to support autonomy.

Growing Skills, Growing Confidence

Francesco’s life today includes movement, music, and responsibility.

He waters plants at home, building responsibility and fine motor control.

He plays the piano — sometimes independently, sometimes with his mother’s guidance — strengthening coordination, attention, and cognitive processing.

For Francesco, all these activities and physical programs are not just about strength; they help organize language and executive function. Each repetition contributes to long-term independence.

Sustaining the Work

With the added financial responsibility of supporting their older son through university, sustaining Francesco’s program has required careful sacrifice. A YaraStar scholarship has helped relieve some of that pressure, allowing the family to continue the work without interruption.

Their hope has always been steady and practical:

“We hope that Francesco acquires the best possible autonomy, finishes school and can work.”

For them, the goal is not perfection — it is independence, dignity, and a future where Francesco can participate fully in his own life.

They want Francesco to complete his education, develop meaningful independence, and eventually enter the workforce with confidence.

Francesco’s autism progress is not defined by one milestone. It is defined by years of steady, disciplined commitment — by parents who show up every day, and by a teenager who continues to grow into his strength.