Autism Fatherhood: When My Son Brought Me to My Knees | Tommy of...

What does autism teach a father about strength? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with Tommy of Spectrum in Camouflage for an honest conversation about autism fatherhood, faith, mental health, and how raising a nonspeaking autistic son completely transformed his understanding of success, purpose, and what truly matters. When Tommy’s son Wyatt began losing language around age two and a half, everything he thought he knew about fatherhood changed. As a construction business owner, husband, and father, he spent years believing strength meant fixing problems. Autism forced him to discover a different kind of strength: presence, surrender, and learning to live one inchstone at a time. Together, Sarah and Tommy explore autism parenting, profound autism, fatherhood, caregiver mental health, marriage, faith, and the quiet transformation that often happens inside parents long before anyone else notices it. This conversation explores: autism fatherhood nonspeaking autism profound autism caregiver mental health autism parenting and marriage faith during difficult seasons living in the present moment autism advocacy parenting beyond societal expectations finding joy in inchstones instead of milestones Tommy also shares his experience navigating anxiety, depression, and the realization that while he could not fix autism, he could become a different father because of it. His story offers encouragement for autism dads, caregivers, and families searching for hope grounded in reality rather than false promises. ⸻ In This Episode 00:00 – Introducing Tommy and Spectrum in Camouflage 02:00 – Becoming a father after years of waiting 04:00 – Wyatt’s autism regression and losing language 06:00 – Anxiety, mental health, and feeling powerless 08:00 – The mountain where everything changed 10:00 – Why autism brought Tommy to his knees 12:00 – Faith, surrender, and finding purpose through autism 15:00 – Success versus significance in fatherhood 17:00 – The hidden expectations parents carry 19:00 – Why inchstones matter more than milestones 21:00 – Learning to see growth differently 23:00 – Autism, communication, and presence beyond words 25:00 – Living where your boots are: staying present today 28:00 – Parenting typical and autistic children differently 31:00 – Mental health, nervous system regulation, and resilience 33:00 – Speaking openly so other autism dads feel less alone Listen to more episodes of the Inchstones Podcast, where Sarah Kernion shares caregiver stories, autism advocacy, profound autism experiences, neurodivergent parenting, and honest conversations that help families feel seen, understood, and less alone. 00:00:00 Inch Jones: June 1, Autism Dad 00:00:44 What Fatherhood Really Means For Me 00:05:28 Autism and Motherhood: Reorientation 00:09:58 Complaints about the World 00:15:44 The Search for Love in Modern Parenting 00:20:58 Autism and the Disability Wars 00:21:25 No One's Thinking About Me 00:27:57 The Importance of Parenthood 00:28:50 Mental Health