EPISODE · May 12, 2026 · 1H 3M
#37 | "The Word That Broke Me in Popeye's"
from Autism Dadcast · host Gaz and Andrew
Adam Parkinson came on this week. One of the Two Mr. Ps. Teaching assistant. Podcaster. Dad of two — a 10-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old autistic son called Max.We talked about Max. We talked about the plane aisle moment his wife filmed without telling him, that went viral and started everything. We talked about siblings, and what it means to watch your daughter try not to look upset when her brother destroys her Barbie Dream House. We talked about online trolls, the dads' WhatsApp group, and the time a stranger told him celebrating his son's diagnosis was "like celebrating your kid having cancer."And we talked about the moment in Popeye's last weekend when Max tried a chicken tender for the first time, looked up, and said one word he'd never said before.Timestamps:0:00 — SATs week, Popeye's, and a school uniform standoff3:00 — Meet Adam and the family4:00 — Spotting it during lockdown5:18 — You're allowed to mourn the life you planned6:23 — The plane aisle video that started everything8:31 — Isla, sibling of the year10:55 — When the Barbie Dream House got destroyed11:53 — You can never relax13:16 — What people don't understand until they live it15:14 — The small wins nobody else sees17:25 — Autism top trumps and 23 hours awake18:30 — Handling violent moments differently after the community20:07 — Verdict. Great. Outstanding.21:25 — Are dads in the SEND world overlooked?24:33 — Permission to talk26:55 — The celebrating cancer comment28:13 — Chubby Tommy Robinson and other DMs31:51 — The dads' WhatsApp army38:33 — Two Mr. Ps and how it started49:17 — Pen licences and getting recognised in your swimming shorts59:55 — Adam's advice to a dad at diagnosis
What this episode covers
Adam Parkinson came on this week. One of the Two Mr. Ps. Teaching assistant. Podcaster. Dad of two — a 10-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old autistic son called Max.We talked about Max. We talked about the plane aisle moment his wife filmed without telling him, that went viral and started everything. We talked about siblings, and what it means to watch your daughter try not to look upset when her brother destroys her Barbie Dream House. We talked about online trolls, the dads' WhatsApp group, and the time a stranger told him celebrating his son's diagnosis was "like celebrating your kid having cancer."And we talked about the moment in Popeye's last weekend when Max tried a chicken tender for the first time, looked up, and said one word he'd never said before.Timestamps:0:00 — SATs week, Popeye's, and a school uniform standoff3:00 — Meet Adam and the family4:00 — Spotting it during lockdown5:18 — You're allowed to mourn the life you planned6:23 — The plane aisle video that started everything8:31 — Isla, sibling of the year10:55 — When the Barbie Dream House got destroyed11:53 — You can never relax13:16 — What people don't understand until they live it15:14 — The small wins nobody else sees17:25 — Autism top trumps and 23 hours awake18:30 — Handling violent moments differently after the community20:07 — Verdict. Great. Outstanding.21:25 — Are dads in the SEND world overlooked?24:33 — Permission to talk26:55 — The celebrating cancer comment28:13 — Chubby Tommy Robinson and other DMs31:51 — The dads' WhatsApp army38:33 — Two Mr. Ps and how it started49:17 — Pen licences and getting recognised in your swimming shorts59:55 — Adam's advice to a dad at diagnosis
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#37 | "The Word That Broke Me in Popeye's"
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