Nick Cannon and Abby De La Rosa's Son Zillion Going From Non-Verbal to Verbal After Autism Diagnosis

Abby De La Rosa had an "ecstatic" reaction when her and Nick Cannon's 3-year-old son Zillion—who has been diagnosed with autism—learned to say a new word: "Going from non-verbal to verbal."

By Gabrielle Chung Oct 24, 2024 2:34 AM
| Updated Oct 24, 2024 2:35 AM
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Watch: Is Nick Cannon Ready for Baby No. 13? He Says..

Nick Cannon and Abby De La Rosa are feeling like a million bucks.

After all, their 3-year-old son Zillion—who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—recently learned to say a new word. As seen in an Oct. 22 Instagram video, the toddler sat in a playroom with his mom and a speech therapist as he said "open" for the first time.

"His therapist and I were ecstatic!!!" Abby wrote in the caption, "We’ve been praying for moments like these and boy is god delivering! Our son is going from Non-verbal to verbal right before our eyes."

She added, "Glory to god."

Indeed, Abby had an emotional reaction to Zillion's milestone. After hearing her son speak, the DJ—who also shares Zillion's twin brother Zion, 3, and daughter Beautiful, 23 months, with Nick—screamed out with joy.

"Baby," she tearfully told her son in the video, "we're so proud of you."

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Autism spectrum disorder is a brain developmental condition that can significantly affect social communication and learning behaviors. ASD begins in childhood and has no cure, though kids "may learn to function well" through early intervention and treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic.

And for Nick, he believes Zillion "experiences life in 4D and teaches us something new everyday."

Instagram/Abby De La Rosa

"His love, strength and brilliance light up every room he enters!" he said in a joint statement with Abby in April. "We are blessed that God had placed such an amazing spirit under our guardianship and we have accepted this assignment wholeheartedly!"

In fact, the Masked Singer host has embarked on a journey to understand brain health since becoming a father. As he put it on the Counsel Culture podcast earlier this year, "Not only am I trying to better my brain, but I want my family's brain to be the best it can possibly be."

"Hopefully, as I raise mentally strong kids," he continued, "I learn a lot about their brains."

Who is in the dad of 12's family tree? Keep reading to meet all of Nick's kids.

Children No. 1 and 2: Moroccan Cannon and Monroe Cannon

Mariah Carey gave birth to her and Nick's twins on April 30, 2011. The two announced their split in 2015 after six years of marriage and finalized their divorce a year later.

Child No. 3: Golden "Sagon" Cannon

Beauty queen Brittany Bell gave birth to her and Nick's first child together, a boy, on Feb. 21, 2017.

Child No. 4: Powerful Queen Cannon

Brittany and Nick welcomed their second baby together, a girl, in December 2020.

Child No. 5 and 6: Zion Mixolydian Cannon and Zillion Heir Cannon

DJ Abby De La Rosa gave birth to her and Nick's twin boys on June 14, 2021.

Child No. 7: Zen Cannon

Model Alyssa Scott welcomed a baby boy with Nick on June 23, 2021. 

However, just five months after the arrival of their son, Nick shared the devastating news that Zen had passed away from brain cancer. "Alyssa was just the strongest woman I have ever seen," he said on the Dec. 7 episode of The Nick Cannon Show. "Never had an argument, never was angry. She was emotional when she needed to be but was always the best mom and continues to be the best mom possible. So I've got to say thank you to my entire family but specifically to Alyssa."

"You never know what someone is going through," he added. "Hug your family. Kiss somebody. Tell them you love them."

Child No. 8: Legendary Love Cannon

Model Bre Tiesi welcomed her first child with Nick on June 28, 2022. The baby boy weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces at birth.

"I did it. An all natural unmedicated home birth," Bre shared in a July 2022 Instagram post. "This was the most humbling / limit pushing yet awakening and completely empowering experience. I can't thank my team enough for delivering my son safely."

Child No. 9: Onyx Ice Cole Cannon

Nick and model LaNisha Cole welcomed a daughter on Sept. 14, 2022. 

Child No. 10: Rise Messiah Cannon

Brittany gave birth to her third child with Nick on Sept. 23, 2022.

Child No. 11: Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon

Abby gave birth to a baby girl, her third child with Nick, in November 2022.

Child No. 12: Halo Marie Cannon

Alyssa gave birth to her and Nick's daughter on Dec. 14, 2022.

The model shared an Instagram video showing the Wild 'n Out star helping to deliver their baby. "Our lives are forever changed," she wrote. "Zen is in every breath I take. I know his spirit was with us in the room that morning. I know he is watching down on us. He shows me signs everyday. I will hold onto this memory forever."

She continued, "I will remember the sound of Nicks voice saying 'it's a girl' and the look of everything we've been through flash across his face. I will remember the sound of her crying out with her first breath and feeling her heartbeat against mine. My sweet girl, I got my surprise!! We love you Halo Marie Cannon!"

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