We are the Valcho family - Gaile, Matt and Brady. Our story began in March of 2010 when Brady was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 1/2. The behavioral pediatrician, who tested Brady, did give us some encouraging words — “Because of the early diagnosis, with a lot of therapy, Brady will be in General Education classes and have some quirks.” After the initial shock (we didn’t know much about autism), we hit the ground running by bombarding Brady with therapies and educating ourselves about ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Autism became our life and we have spent the last 16 years surrounding ourselves with the best team for Brady (doctors, therapists, schools, etc.). There have been a lot of challenges (and quirks) along the way, but we couldn’t be more proud of Brady.
In 2016 we decided to relocate from South Florida to Holly Springs and we quickly adjusted to our new community. We found therapists, went to autism walks and Brady went to Summer camp at the Autism Society NC - Camp Royall. After six months in the area, however, we had trouble finding some autism resources that Brady needed. And if we were having trouble, that meant other families were struggling to find help for their child as well. As fate would have it, Gaile met some of the Holly Springs Police Department in her running club. She shared with them our struggles with Brady and they offered support, but they were also interested in doing more in the autism community. It was with this collaboration that we brought the autism families in Wake County together with first responders, service providers and recreational programs for special needs. In 2017 the Holly Springs Autism Acceptance Day became a reality - it is an inclusive day of fun, food and music, where children can BE THEMSELVES.