Griffin, his 20-year-old oldest child, was diagnosed with autism when he was a young child, according to an interview Brendan Fraser gave with Howard Stern.
Brendan Fraser talks about his experience as a parent of an autistic child. In a recent interview for his SiriusXM radio program, The Whale actor Howard Stern, 54, discussed his experiences with raising his son Griffin, 20, and his efforts to be more accepting of people with autism at public events.
Some people, for whatever reason, are overjoyed to meet you and spend some time with you. And I find that to be both very comforting and satisfying. The actor acknowledged that he could spot people on the spectrum right away from across a convention hall. “You realize that someone with Asperger’s or autism lives in a different world and requires more love and care. He continues, “It ought to be right here.”. No matter the commotion around them, I always get off the train to talk to the celebrities.
Fraser continued dramatically, “Since my oldest son is autistic, I understand how crucial it is to their families and them. It means a lot to feel like you can satisfy someone by simply showing up. Many of the parents of autistic children Stern has spoken to over the years are concerned about what will happen to their child if both of their parents pass away, according to Stern. Fraser posed the question, “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.”.
He talked about a few of the difficulties parents encounter when fighting for their autistic kids. “You will face opposition from school boards. Unusual people with objectives wholly unrelated to enrolling a child in a special needs school will undoubtedly come across you.
You’re going to meet a lot of very interesting people, and how you handle them will depend on how confident you are that everything will work out. “Despite everything, you have to cling to that conviction.”. Fraser continued by relating how, when they first learned of his son’s illness, he found it challenging to comprehend it.
I was shocked to discover my son’s illness when he was about 22 or 24 months old. I got to thinking, “I want to know how to fix this. ”. He inquired, “Exactly what does this mean?”. You were recently struck in the back of the head with a baseball bat. What do you mean, this isn’t how it’s supposed to work, ” he continued. You start placing blame on yourself, thinking about issues like “My ancestry” or “I used marijuana in college,” and you start blaming yourself for the causes. Trying to get a straight answer, he said, is similar to how difficult it is for experts to accept that autism occurs “for reasons unknown.”.
It’s obvious to you that I wouldn’t have it any other way, Fraser said. Of all the people I know aboard, this child, whom I consider to be my son, is the happiest. I’m wondering why it’s so funny because he laughs nonstop the entire day. He enjoys traveling by car. Nothing matters where you take him. “. He said, “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 was asked if Griffin’s illness contributed to his marital problems with his ex-wife Afton Smith, with whom he shares children Leland, 16, and Holden, 18, and said, “I prioritized my professional life over my personal life.”. That is what I believe. “. Griffin, on the other hand, is a totally different story. He made a point of bringing up our quarrels, but who cares, we’re doing everything we can to save this kid and his brother while it’s under a white flag. That was the only thing I could genuinely pay attention to.
