Autism Dadcast

An unfiltered, unflinching, and occasionally inappropriate deep dive into the world of autism parenting-from a dad's perspective.

Autism Dadcast is a kids podcast hosted by Gaz and Andrew, with 52 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Gaz and Andrew hosts Autism Dadcast, a kids show with 52 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #46

  #46 | Robbie Williams & Should Autism Be Split Into Levels?

  Aug 19, 202653 min

  Robbie Williams announced at 52 that he is autistic, and said he has "a little bit of autism". Within a day the community had split over the phrasing.Gaz and Andy use it as a way into the question that keeps coming back. If one word covers Robbie Williams, and the same word covers Lydia, who is five, non-verbal and working with Makaton cards, does it still tell anyone anything? And if it doesn't, would splitting autism into levels help, or would it quietly move support away from the families already fighting hardest to get it?Along the way, Lydia brings her mum her shoes and says ""Daddy"" for the first time. Thomas drops his communication card in a packed Aldi, and two strangers know exactly what it is.Timestamps00:00 Robbie Williams, 52, and ""a little bit of autism""07:42 Has the word ""autism"" stopped meaning anything?09:23 ""I have to explain that she's not Robbie Williams""11:25 What levels would do to the families in the middle14:03 ""Mild"" autism, and who gets to decide it's mild16:25 Making profound autism visible enough to change policy18:16 Lydia brings her shoes and says ""Daddy""20:26 A spectrum ""widened to the point of collapse""21:53 Private clinics, and the money behind a diagnosis22:54 Should the diagnosis just be the starting point?25:21 Why is the EHCP process still on paper?26:58 The enemy isn't another autistic family30:11 Does ""autism"" tell you enough about the person?32:12 The autism community police35:04 ""Thomas isn't suffering. I am.""37:23 Aldi, and the stranger who knew what the card was for41:27 Who would be in charge of drawing the lines?44:23 If it's already split where you live, tell us how it works47:21 The autism dads' night out51:07 Country Fest, and two men judging dogsLink tree in bio.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #45

  #45 | "He Doesn't Look Autistic" | 685 Parents On The Words That Stuck

  Jul 31, 202652 min

  Andy put a video up asking one question: which phrase from a professional never left you? His own was a paediatrician who would not answer whether Lydia was autistic, and instead said "we just need to ensure she reaches her potential, whatever that looks like." Around 685 parents answered. It is the only post we have ever done that got more comments than likes. So we sorted the lot and read them back. The denial, the low expectations, the gatekeeping, the ones that were meant kindly and landed like a brick, and the small number that got it exactly right. Over half of the worst of it came from a professional or a school. This one is heavy in places and very funny in others, and if you have ever been told your child does not look autistic, you are going to recognise most of it. Timestamps 00:00 Thomas spells Playbarn on his iPad and reroutes the whole day 02:49 The video Andy posted, and the phrase that never left him 06:26 685 replies, and more comments than likes 07:30 The split: denial, low expectations, cruelty, blame 09:18 Over half of it came from a professional or a school 10:34 "He doesn't look autistic" and what spazzy is actually short for 15:10 The comebacks parents keep ready 15:48 The grandad in the supermarket 18:15 "Your autistic children may never thrive in school" 19:02 Why families actually want a diagnosis 22:35 "She isn't worth the funding" and the iceberg 23:24 "Masking is a skill you should be proud of" 24:38 The tongue tie nobody would treat 25:51 Written off, and proven wrong 32:05 The ones that were meant kindly 34:53 The worst thing anyone said 35:50 The comments about the comments 36:01 What autistic adults asked us to hear 37:38 The professionals who got it right 40:36 A diagnosis doesn't change who your child is 41:10 Hope without a promise 41:25 Eye contact, and who it is really for 45:04 Takiwatanga: in his or her own time 46:01 "So am I. Don't worry. We see each other." 47:20 Lydia's sleep, transitions and the summer holidays Timecodes are taken from the raw recording and need tightening once the cold open is on the front of the final cut. Latest episode in the link tree in bio.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #44

  #44 | Stem Cells & Autism: Hope, Science, or a Very Expensive Gamble?

  Jul 18, 20261h 36m

  Across the world, parents of autistic children are being offered something that sounds almost miraculous. Clinics promise better speech, better eye contact, calmer behaviour, and in some cases claim to repair or reverse autism. The price runs from £10,000 to £40,000, and often more than once. Over the last few months we've been approached by clinic after clinic wanting to come on the show and sell it to you. We said no. Instead we went and read the studies. This one isn't about having a go at parents. Every parent looking at this is acting out of love, and we've both been desperate enough to try anything. But love doesn't mean a clinic gets to make huge claims without evidence. Stem cell therapy is a legitimate area of research. It is not currently a proven treatment for autism, and there's a difference between something being researched and something being proven. We also get into the ITV whistleblower, and the GB News piece asking whether "those people" should have access to children. Timestamps 00:00 Hope, science, or a very expensive gamble 02:21 We are not attacking parents 10:15 What autism actually is 13:18 What stem cells actually are 15:56 The 2017 Duke study, 25 kids and no placebo 18:47 The 2020 Duke study, and what it found 24:38 Claim: a 95% success rate 29:08 Why you'd swear blind it worked 31:45 Thomas and Lydia progressed. Neither had stem cells 35:37 Claim: it repairs the autistic brain 38:12 Claim: most children improve 40:45 Claim: our treatment is evidence based 43:02 The risks nobody puts in the brochure 48:00 What that money could buy instead 50:45 The influencer taking commission 54:02 Have a word with yourself 66:45 "Have you missed the treatment window?" 72:32 Myths and facts 82:55 The ITV whistleblower 86:50 GB News and "those people" Latest episode in the link tree in bio.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #43

  #43 | "Where Will They Be When They're 30?" | Jolanta Lasota, Ambitious about Autism

  Jul 9, 202650 min

  This week Gaz and Andy sit down with Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive of Ambitious about Autism, at their college in Isleworth. 16 years leading the charity and mum to a 21-year-old autistic son, Jolanta has seen the whole picture, from the early years right through to adulthood and employment. We talk about why purpose matters more than exams, the young man who is non-speaking and holds down two jobs, the boy who was allowed to come to school in his pyjamas, and naming the grief nobody warns you about. Jolanta describes raising an autistic child as walking through woods with no path and no torch, and says the job is to be the one who carries the light. Honest, hopeful, and one of our favourite conversations yet. Timestamps - 00:00 Welcome, and where we are today - 00:27 [GUEST]'s journey, 16 years at Ambitious about Autism - 01:07 What's really changed in how we understand autism - 05:57 The sensory pod that blew us away - 06:58 The schools, the age groups, and post-19 provision - 10:36 Why "purpose" matters more than a curriculum - 12:20 "Walking through woods with no torch": what family life feels like - 13:27 The non-speaking young man with two jobs - 15:03 Are employers actually changing? - 15:49 Policy, the white paper, and autism as a political football - 20:06 Being the "happy helper", never enemy-ising people - 22:14 What school looks like at four to seven - 24:40 Focus on strengths, don't drill them on what they can't do - 27:09 Gaz's own school story: six D's and learning differently - 33:03 The weight of GCSEs and "lost leaders" - 38:02 Don't underestimate them: the iPad "daddy" moment - 40:28 Parents' guilt, and why it won't always be okay - 43:47 Grief without a death - 45:06 What's next for Ambitious about Autism - 49:13 Thanks and close

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #42

  #42 | "I Wouldn't Pay A Penny To Change Him" | Paul Mullin On Albi, Autism & Being A Dad

  Jun 26, 202645 min

  Paul Mullin has scored goals in front of millions and become a household name through Welcome to Wrexham. But this one is about the part of his life the cameras rarely catch: being dad to Albi, his autistic son. Gaz and Andy sit down with Paul for an honest, Albi-centric conversation about the regression that stopped his little boy in his tracks, the guilt that kept him up at night, and why he wouldn't change a single thing about his son. Plus the moment Albi found a way to tell him 'you're my best friend' without saying a word. If you have ever felt like the only dad going through this, this one is for you. Timestamps 00:00 Welcome Paul Mullin 01:00 The first signs, and Albi after his 12-month jabs 02:00 Regression: like a click of the fingers 04:00 The guilt, and crying himself to sleep 04:30 I wouldn't pay a penny to change him 05:35 Denial, and getting the diagnosis 07:20 Speaking about it on Welcome to Wrexham 08:24 The hope that kills you 11:38 Why 'he'll be fine' doesn't help 13:00 Did he grieve? The problem-solver dad 16:14 Being a footballer dad: time away and routine 19:12 How Albi communicates now 22:15 Holidays: frozen meals, dry ice and the airport 25:40 Coming home: holidays, holidays, holidays 27:50 Razor-sharp awareness: he just knows 29:20 The crafty negotiator: jet skis and boats 33:40 The best friend clip 35:07 Macho on the pitch, in tears at home 35:48 Autism in Racing and giving back 38:26 Nobody ever asks the dad how he is 43:00 Advice to a dad just starting the journey New episodes of the Autism Dadcast every week. Real talk, real dads, real autism. Listen, follow and find everything in our link tree in bio.

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Autism Dadcast. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.