Roslyn author turns personal journey with neurodiversity into mission to help others

For Claudia Rose Addeo, the road to becoming an award-winning author, educator and advocate began with a childhood filled with challenges that often made her feel different from her peers. Addeo, 30, who grew up in Roslyn, was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), a severe speech and language delay and an auditory processing delay at 2½ years old. She did not begin speaking until she was 4. At 3, she was also diagnosed with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that affects muscle control and movement. Over the next decade, Addeo received speech, occupational and physical therapy, along with additional educational services and classroom accommodations. “I recall feeling confused why everything seems so much more difficult for me compared to the other students,” Addeo said. “It almost made me feel like, no matter what I did, it wasn't good enough.” [caption id="attachment_378388" align="alignnone" width="546"] Claudia Addeo said she struggled to underst