Two dads from Shropshire, Andy Williams and Gaz Hitchin, recently launched the seventh episode of their podcast, the Autism Dadcast. This podcast builds community between fathers of autistic children and creates community between fathers themselves. Initially, the duo underestimated how far their project would reach, believing only friends and family would be interested in their work. This year the response has been overwhelming!
Since releasing their first episode in May, the Autism Dadcast has quickly jumped to the top of the podcast charts. After only five weeks, their Instagram channel grew to 31,000 followers and received a stunning 2.3 million views. The response from the listening public has been nothing short of fantastic, making both hosts feel “phenomenal” and “humbling.”
The motivation behind the Autism Dadcast stems from a desire to create a supportive space for fathers navigating the challenges of raising children with autism. Andy Williams wrote that historically, mothers have “borne the brunt” of caregiving in these families. He hopes to change that narrative by creating a space where fathers can come together, share their journeys, and uplift each other.
“The response has been something we’ve never imagined.” – Gaz Hitchin
There’s a lot more that Williams and Hitchin cover about with their conversations. They very frequently, perhaps unavoidably, dive into the emotional complications of raising a special-needs child. Gaz Hitchin articulated the emotional burden that fundraising parents frequently carry.
Williams made a similar call, underscoring the complex role fathers need to play.
“There’s real deep sadness, like you’ve lost a child even though we’ve actually lost the expectation of a child, not the actual child itself.” – Gaz Hitchin
Friedan and Pichon, an experienced marathoner, became friends earlier this year at a fundraising marathon. Their shared experiences fueled a desire to produce a podcast of their own. Their goal was to reach other fathers like them and have real conversations about the best and worst parts of being a parent. With a direct message of support to fathers, Gaz Hitchin hopes to tell fellow dads that “you’re going to be alright.”
“You have to almost become a law expert and advocate all rolled into one, as well as trying to be a parent to a neurodiverse child.” – Andy Williams
Williams knew that he owed it to his child to fight so that she could thrive and be her best self.
He further shed light on the difficulty fathers have in managing their aspiring roles.
“Now I need to do the best I possibly can to ensure [my child] reaches her potential, whatever that looks like.” – Andy Williams
Williams and Hitchin have hit the podcasting jackpot. Now, thanks to Junglekees, they’ve gotten an invite to a lobbying day in Parliament this September. This new opportunity will enable them to push for more organized resources and support for families living with autism.
“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.” – Andy Williams
Their experience in Autism Dadcast speaks to the personal struggles they’ve faced. More importantly, it highlights their commitment to creating a welcoming space for other fathers. They soon knew that they needed to go all in to really produce a great podcast. It was tough, grueling and exhausting, but they relished the difficulty.
Their journey with Autism Dadcast reflects not only the personal challenges they have faced but also their commitment to creating a community for other fathers. They recognized early on that they needed to “get stuck in” to make the podcast successful, despite the work being draining and time-consuming.
