There is nothing in life more amazing and miraculous than having children. Approximately one eighth of a second after my wife showed me the double blue line on that little white stick, the enormity of what we had done hit me like a freight train into a nitroglycerin plant. The #1 shock in my life was now occurring, I was going to be a father. I was now responsible for two lives.
This one was different. The other life I was ultimately responsible for could hold her own and, truth be told, did not need me to take care of her. She could have lived the rest of her life on her own and been a spectacular success.
This one was different. This one would be completely helpless and dependent upon me and his mother for his every breath. His very existence was the result of actions and planning on the part of his parents. No heartbeat would occur without the blood of his parents pumping through his tiny veins. Years later, we would be given shock #1A…
This one was different. He has autism spectrum disorder. He thinks, acts, smiles, eats, plays, loves, hates, laughs, cries, and poops differently than his typically developing peers (okay, the pooping is basically the exact same). He could very well grow up to cure cancer, be Superbowl MVP, find Waldo, and solve cold fusion like every father envisions his kids to be, but he will do it differently than his typically developing peers.
In the immediate aftermath of life-altering news, the academic in all of us searches for answers. We want to know why our child thinks, acts, lives, breathes, etc. the way they do. This is magnified by a factor of 1,000 for parents who just received an autism diagnosis. Ten seconds ago I was a parent and now I am the parent of a special needs child. These moments are critical and mind-boggling; the decisions you make will have consequences far beyond your own lifetime.
It is an equally challenging time for Moms and Dads, just in different ways. For Dads, we just saw the ability to watch our son carry the Lombardi Trophy go up in smoke. We immediately begin to think about what we did wrong and how we could have prevented this. Our egos tell us this is our fault and we failed our families.
And up to now, help was designed by PhDs, MD’s, and BCBAs for mothers. Good news my friends because now, there is hope for fathers too! I am ecstatic to be part of something that will help so many men who faced the same situation I did not long ago. Autism Hero Academy for Dads fills a massive, gaping hole in the resources available to the autism community – it is specifically designed and intended for Dads. So ladies, if any of this sounds like any of the men in your life, the time to act is now and Autism Hero Academy is the answer you have been seeking.
Autism Hero Academy for Dads will help men understand, discipline, and communicate with their autistic child in order to keep them safe, secure, and give them the tools to live a happy, productive, and rewarding life.
Because… Isn’t that why we became dads in the first place?
