His Son Was Only 2 Years Old When His Dad Started To Feel Ashamed, Upset, And Cheated

Sometimes parenting not only means being there for your kid through the rough patches, but also being there for yourself.

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.

"Autistic Like Me, a Father's Perpective," is a documentary by Charles Jones about the journey of five fathers who are raising children with autism. To find out more about the film, check out their website. You can also follow them for updates on the film screening and resources on Facebook.

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