My 14 Year Old Non-Verbal Son

James Gutman shares his journey raising his nonverbal son with autism, Lucas, who is about to turn 14, reflecting on how initial fears have transformed into deep appreciation for their perfectly imperfect life together. He describes the breakthrough moment when he joined Lucas in play rather than trying to correct him, leading to a connection that showed him his son understood more than he realized.• Discussion of James' new book "Hi World, I'm Dad: How Fathers Can Journey to Autism Awareness, Acceptance and Appreciation" coming June 19th and the big news still to come.• Reflections on Lucas turning 14 and how reality has defied early fears about the future• The joy of having a loving, affectionate teenage son who still wants to spend time with his dad• The pivotal "toy phone" moment that changed their relationship• Learning that children don't need to be "fixed" to have a wonderful life• Understanding that love isn't about getting something in return• Recent blog posts about sitting with Lucas during meltdowns and learning to hear him without wordsPre-order "Hi World, I'm Dad" now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Jessica Kingsley Publishing's website, and follow James on social media @HiJamesGutman and at HiPodImDad.com and HiBlogImDad.com for new content every Monday and Wednesday.It's Here! Get the book – “Hi World, I’m Dad: How Fathers Can Journey to Autism Awareness, Acceptance, and Appreciation” on audio, digital, or print.Follow Us On TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Also, be sure to read the blog that started it all - Hi Blog! I'm Dad.