issues
Australian dads from all walks of
life have opened up about their
experiences parenting children on
the autism spectrum in a new film
about autism and fatherhood.
Different not less
D
AD is a 36-minute short developmental delay and epilepsy. film produced by Autism Alex has level three autism, meaning of the DAD film to helped other men
Awareness Australia which he needs a great deal of support,” in similar situations, especially those
Greg said. with younger children with autism.
follows the stories of 12 fathers with
children on the autism spectrum as
“Men like to fix things, especially
they discover a new world of parenting with autism, has at times been life for their families, but autism can be
and what it means to be a dad. threatening, resulting in an induced isolating,” he said.
Dads featured in the film include
coma at age nine and on another
“But with effective evidence-
New South Wales farmer Greg occasion inducing a cardiac arrest based treatments it can certainly
Rafferty, who said autism being part requiring CPR. improve. Even with severe autism, life
of his family’s life has been both
“To access the autism services
“extremely challenging yet amazingly Alex needs, my wife and Alex moved
rewarding at times”. to Sydney 13 years ago – I still live out
Greg still lives on the farm where
brings unexpected joys and rewards
you never saw coming.”
Sydney-based Nick Orsatti, who
west and travel between the country runs a national audio-visual systems
he and his wife raised their three and city every week and assist them integration business, hopes his
boys, Tim, Charlie and Alex. where I can. Our boy is our world, involvement in the DAD film will
and we are determined to pursue assist “in some small way to provide a
are now independent adults. The whatever will help Alex achieve his better understanding of what autism
youngest, Alex, has autism along with happiest life possible.” is, and in turn assist in gaining more
“The older boys, Tim and Charlie,
28
“His epilepsy, which often goes
Greg said he wanted to be part
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