Valerio is the father of two children with a diagnosis of Autism, who are clients of
Redwood Coast Regional Center. Since Valerio learned about the diagnosis for his first son, he started navigating the Regional Center system trying to get his son the services needed for him to start having a better life. Valerio faced many challenges to obtain needed services for his children. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he was able to connect with advocacy and community groups, including Disability Voices United and the Integrated Community Collaborative, where he received valuable training and support. Valerio is motivated and empowered to help improve the I/DD system so that regional center clients and their families do not face barriers in navigating and accessing much needed services.