Autism Dadcast: Two Dads, One Very Honest Conversation
We didn’t meet through a business meeting, a networking event, or even properly face to face at first.
I came across Gaz through a few reels he’d shared about life with his son, Thomas. My daughter’s mum had signposted me to them. What struck me straight away was that he was a dad, local to where I live, saying things out loud that I hadn’t really heard other dads say publicly before. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t inspirational. It was just real. And it resonated.
We exchanged a few messages here and there. No grand plan. Just two dads occasionally checking in. Then a few months later, I saw an advert from Ambitious about Autism looking for people to take part in the Paris Half Marathon. I’d run a few before around Manchester and thought Paris might be a slightly nicer backdrop to suffer through. No offence to Manchester.
On a whim, I messaged Gaz and asked if he fancied doing it. His response was immediate and perfectly on brand: “Fuck it, let’s do it.”
The first time we actually met in person was at midnight in Birmingham Airport, sat in Costa Coffee, waiting for a flight. We spent about three hours talking non-stop. About our kids. About autism. About the stuff you don’t always say out loud. It was like an unexpected therapy session. For the first time, I was sitting across from another dad who just got it.
Both our children attend the same special needs school. My daughter Lydia is four. Gaz’s son Thomas is six. Both are profoundly autistic and non-verbal.
The hardest part of this journey, for both of us, has been accepting that the life we thought we were going to have as parents wasn’t the reality we were facing. The hopes, expectations, and future we’d subconsciously mapped out for our children didn’t apply anymore. That grief is real, even if people don’t always talk about it.
Once we got past that initial shock and pain, something shifted. It became less about what we’d lost and more about being pragmatic. What can we do, as parents, to support the child in front of us? How do we help them reach their full potential, whatever that looks like for them?
After Paris, one question kept coming up again and again: where are the dads in all of this?
There is some incredible, valuable, mum-led work out there. There’s great clinical information too. But there was very little space where dads could just talk honestly to other dads. No sugar coating. No toxic positivity. Just someone saying, “This is hard, this is messy, and some days it’s absolute chaos.”
So we decided to start the Autism Dadcast.
What began as a couple of microphones and a lot of swearing has grown into a community of over 100,000 parents from all over the world. People sharing their experiences, their fears, their small wins, and the things they’re too afraid to say in polite company. We’re now involved in advocacy and campaigning work around SEND, fighting for better awareness and better rights — not just for our children, but for the parents holding everything together behind the scenes.
At its heart though, the Dadcast is about connection. It’s a safe, supportive space where dark humour is not just allowed, it’s necessary. Because sometimes your child has smeared poo all over the walls, themselves, and somehow into your own mouth, and if you can’t laugh about that with someone who understands, you’ll cry instead.
We don’t claim to have answers. We’re just two dads talking honestly about a life we didn’t expect, but are fiercely committed to navigating the best we can — together, and alongside a community that knows exactly what it means to live it.
Andy & Gaz
Autism Dadcast
🎙 Honest conversations. Real support. Zero judgement.
You’re not doing this alone.
🌐 autismdadcast.com
📸 Instagram: @autismdadcast
▶️ YouTube: Autism Dadcast
Hi, Kaley here. If you’re able to, you can support these two absolutely incredible humans who are taking on the London Marathon 2026 in aid of Ambitious About Autism. Even a small donation such as 50p, £1, whatever you can spare will genuinely make a difference.
This charity sits very close to my heart. As a mum to a 7‑year‑old who is diagnosed autistic, I know how vital it is to have organisations championing autistic people not only throughout their education, but long after they leave school. Ambitious About Autism gives me hope that Rui will always have people in his corner, opening doors and fighting for the opportunities every child deserves.
If you’d like to cheer them on and support a cause that truly changes lives, their fundraiser is linked here. Thank you for being part of something that matters. And thank you, Gaz and Andy, for advocating so powerfully for our children and encouraging more dads to speak out and support one another. Truly inspiring.