Charles Jones struggled to describe his feelings when his first son, Malik, was born.
But they looked a little something like this:
Love
Pride
Happiness
But soon after Malik’s second birthday, Charles found out that his son was autistic. While his love for his son never changed, his confusion about his diagnosis and feelings that he had about his condition made him feel:
Shame
Hurt
Cheated
So he made this film to get all those feelings out — his love for his son that battled his thoughts about his condition. He wanted to show other fathers that they’re not alone.
FACT CHECK TIME:
While the news report in the video mentions that “1 in 110 kids land somewhere on the autism spectrum,” the latest CDC findings show that 1 in 68 children have autism spectrum disorder. It’s also more common in boys than girls.
These updated numbers mean that now, a lot more families are affected. This is exactly why dads (and moms) need more nonjudgmental groups like the one shown in this video. They need spaces where they can freely express themselves while getting tons of support.
