Dads humbled by response to autism podcast

Two dads who make a podcast about the experience of raising an autistic child have said the response has been "phenomenal" and "humbling".

Andy Williams and Gaz Hitchin from Shropshire released the first episode in May and said they wanted to connect with other dads, share the ups and downs, and tell them everything will be ok.

In its first five weeks the Autism Dadcast Instagram channel has picked up 31,000 followers and had 2.3m views. The pair have been approached by national charities asking for their support with campaigns.

Mr Williams said the feedback from other dads had made the duo "realise that there are so many men out there who were feeling exactly what we were until we opened up".

The pair first met each other at a fundraising marathon in Paris in March.

Mr Williams said: "We did the run, raised some money, and got talking about where are the dads in this journey? Why aren't there any dads openly discussing what it's like to suddenly become a parent to an autistic child?"

They then resolved "just to become the voices and do a podcast".

Both men have young children who are profoundly autistic and non-verbal and the podcast features stories from day-to-day life, from filling in forms to cleaning up poo.

They agreed to "say things as they are" and talk about grief, resentment and isolation, but also include some humour.

Mr Hitchin said a lot of parents of children with autism will have experienced "real deep sadness, like you've lost a child even though [what] we've actually lost is the expectation of a child, not the actual child itself".

He said he wanted to tell other parents "you're going to be ok".

Mr Williams said another important part of the podcast was explaining the experience from a man's perspective.

He said: "Throughout my adult life, if there's a problem around the house or something at work, I'll sit down, I'll think about it and I'll try and find a way to fix it and I think a lot of men could probably relate to that."

He added that he believed men often struggled on receiving an autism diagnosis for their child and found themselves having to make practical adjustments to their lives - which he called a "mental shift of epic proportions".

"Now I need to do the best I possibly can to ensure [my child] reaches her potential, whatever that looks like," he said.

Neither of the men had any background in podcasting before they started and they made clear they were learning about autism as they went along.

Mr Williams said mums had traditionally "shouldered the weight" and added: "It seems to be the case that they're the most vocal, they're the most active out there."

He said he hoped the podcast might encourage more dads to "roll their sleeves up" and get involved in autistic children's lives.

"A tag team of two parents that are completely on the same page and pushing for what's right for their child ultimately has the best results," he said.

That included, he added, getting to grips with the benefits system, schools and Education, Health and Care Plans at a time when all were coming under political scrutiny.

Mr Hitchin said both of them recognised they had to "get stuck in" and Mr Williams admitted he found the work "draining and time consuming".

"You have to almost become a law expert and advocate all rolled into one, as well as trying to be a parent to a neuro diverse child," Mr Williams said.

The two men joked that they thought only their friends and family would listen to their podcasts, but Mr Hitchin said: "It's turning into something we've never imagined."

The podcast has brought them the attention of the Disabled Children's Partnership, which represents national charities such as the National Autistic Society and Mencap.

They have been invited to a lobbying event at parliament in September and Mr Williams said they were starting to feel the "weight of expectation".

But he said they also saw the opportunity to "stand up for fellow parents" and "get some real opinions out there and hopefully influence some decisions that could be made".

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