A Little Boy's Journey Back into the World
Jo-Dee and Jerry Frulio of Bayville fight to give their autistic son a normal life; Sept. 3 fundraiser slated
Imagine not being able to hear your child’s voice. Imagine a child who abhorred his mother’s touch, who went unresponsive to his parents’ love. Jo-Dee and Jerry Frulio of Bayville do not have to imagine. They lived it. Their son, Dayton, now 3 and a half, was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old. He was a child who lived life with a blank stare and covered ears, tortured by noise like the singing of Happy Birthday. Imagine, however, the thrill Jo-Dee and Jerry Frulio get these days when Dayton counts to 30, sings "God Bless America" and writes his name. “I remember saying all I wanted to do was hear what his voice sounded like,’’ Jo-Dee Frulio said. “I just wanted to hug him and have him hug me back.’’ Today, Dayton Frulio does that and…
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Jo-Dee Frulio
9:53 pm on Thursday, August 25, 2011
One thing I learned was to never give up. Someone once told me whenever a door closes, a window opens. We went through some very hard times with Dayton, especially when it came to communication. He would get so upset, he would bang his head on the floor because he wasn't able to communicate with us. He started out using the PECS system to communicate...Showing us what he wanted by pointing to … more ›