Meet Santino

Three-year-old Santino is a true mama’s boy who easily captures the hearts of everyone he meets. Santino has Russell Silverman Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, autism, and hyperglycemia. For his parents, finding a program that could not only help him develop skills and meet milestones but that also felt safe seemed an impossible task. That all changed after touring Easterseals; they felt like the school was made for him. Since he began attending the Approved Private School Program in Montgomery County, Santino has gone from nonverbal to speaking in two-word sentences. His increased communication has helped reduce challenging behaviors, and he has become much more attentive. When Santino suffered a medical emergency at school in the fall, his mom, Paige, says that is what truly demonstrated how much the staff loves him. It is the only place she feels 100% comfortable leaving Santino, and she sees Easterseals as true partners in his journey. We think it’s safe to say he loves Easterseals right back. When Santino sees pictures of friends from school he will touch his heart, indicating his love. Whether he’s at school or at home, he loves to dance – famous for his ability to nail the dance moves from the song “Thriller.” He brings the music home when he plays guitar in jam sessions with his dad, Gus. He is always up for a good game of hide and seek with his sister Sophia. And he has found his true partner in crime with his sister Italia’ and they can often be found coloring, dancing, and testing the limits of slime. Clearly, family is everything, so he loves to use his doctor set to keep everyone in good health. We can’t wait for you to meet Santino and see how quickly he captures your heart!