According to an interview with Howard Stern, Brendan Fraser revealed that his 20-year-old oldest child, Griffin, received an autism diagnosis as a young child.
The experience of being a parent of an autistic child is being discussed by Brendan Fraser.
The Whale actor Howard Stern, 54, recently spoke with him for his SiriusXM radio show about his experiences raising his son Griffin, 20, and trying to be more inclusive of people with autism at public events.
There are some people who, for whatever reason, are overjoyed to make your acquaintance, even for a short while. And I find that very satisfying and comforting. There are also people who I can instantly identify as being on the spectrum from across a convention hall, the actor admitted.
“You understand that someone needs more love and attention because they have Asperger’s or autism, and this is their world. It should be right here, he continues.
“I always stop the train to chat with the celebrities, no matter the commotion around them”.
Dramatically, Fraser continued, “Since my oldest son is autistic, I understand how important it is to their families and them. Feeling like you can satisfy someone just by showing up means a lot”.
According to Stern, a lot of parents of autistic kids he’s talked to over the years are worried about how their child will be taken care of in the event that both of their parents pass away.
What else can we do but take a break and muddle through it together, doing what works and doing what works until it doesn’t work any longer, and then finding something new?, Fraser said.
He talked about some of the challenges parents face when advocating for their autistic children. “You will have to battle school boards. Unusual people with goals completely unrelated to sending a child to a special needs school will undoubtedly cross your path”.
You’re going to meet a lot of very interesting people, and how you handle them depends on your level of assurance that everything will turn out okay, according to Fraser. “Despite everything, you have to hold onto that belief”.
Fraser went on to describe how he found it difficult to understand his son’s illness when they first found out about it.
When my son was 22 or 24 months old, I was shocked to learn of his condition. I started thinking, “I want to know how to solve this.”. “What exactly does this mean?” he asked.
“You just took a baseball bat to the back of your head. What do you mean, this is not how things are supposed to go, ” he continued. You begin to blame yourself and consider things like, “My ancestry” or “I used marijuana in college,” and you begin to blame yourself for the causes”.
He remarked that it is challenging for experts to accept that autism occurs “for reasons unknown,” comparing it to trying to get a straight answer”.
You quickly understand that I wouldn’t have it any other way, said Fraser. This child, who I consider to be my son, is the happiest of all the people I know aboard. He can’t stop laughing all day, so I’m curious what makes it so funny. He likes taking trips in the car. Wherever you take him doesn’t matter. “.
He explained, “He’d spend the whole day sitting on a big plane and taking enormous commuter flights from here to Philly because that’s what he enjoys.”.
Fraser responded, “I prioritized my professional life over my personal life,” in response to the question of whether Griffin’s illness contributed to his marital issues with his ex-wife Afton Smith, with whom he shares children Leland, 16, and Holden, 18. That is my viewpoint. “.
Griffin, however, is an entirely different story. He made a point of mentioning our disputes with one another, but who cares about that? We’re doing everything we can to save this kid and his brother while it’s under a white flag. All I could meaningfully give my attention to was that”.
