How Brendan Fraser Came To Accept His Autistic Son After Years Of Self-Blame

Griffin Fraser, Brendan Fraser's son, was diagnosed with autism when he was very young, and life for Fraser has never been the same since. The three-time father recently spoke up completely about the ups and downs of parenting a child with a disability. After learning about his touching parenting story, we were even more impressed with Fraser. It's such a difficult journey for both autistic children and their parents. But when adults understand the situation, it's not as challenging as people imagine autism.

#1 He struggled to accept his son’s diagnosis at first.

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The 54-year-old acknowledged that it was extremely difficult to learn of his firstborn's autism, and he likened the experience to being "hit with a baseball bat in the back of the side of the head." He explained, ’’When I found out my kid’s diagnosis at 22 or 24 months, I was crestfallen, to say the least.’’

The actor added that his initial reaction was "self-blame", wondering if his pedigree was to blame for his son's autism. However, he eventually learned that autism happens "for unknown reasons".

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Fraser further explains that, at first, he wondered how to find a cure for his child. He said, ’’I want to know how to fix this. What’s the cure? What does this mean?’’
After all, he struggled to accept reality because he believed ''This isn’t the way it’s supposed to turn out.''

#2 He is fascinated with Griffin.

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Griffin says that what at first came as a shock to Fraser has since developed into an unwavering love and unending devotion, and he now declares,  ’’I wouldn’t have it any other way."

The proud father also shared, "This kid has the most joy onboard of anyone I know, and he happens to be related to me as my son.’’ As he admitted, "I want to know what he thinks is so gut-bustingly amusing all day long in a genuine sense," he continued, "I'm fascinated by his thinking and his bright positivity." He also said that his 20-year-old is a brilliant thinker.

#3 Positivity is what gets him though the tough times.

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Fraser admits that as a parent of a child with autism, he is always faced with challenges. He further explained that “fighting with the school board” was one of these obstacles.
The actor went on to acknowledge that a lot of people will also complicate life for these parents, but the important thing is to maintain optimism. “You’re going to encounter a lot of really colorful people, and how you navigate that comes down to how much you know that everything’s going to be okay,” the actor stated.

#4 His children will always be his priority.

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Fraser and his wife then had two additional kids, who are now 18 and 16 years old. And the actor said that their sons will always come first when asked if Griffin is affected by their divorce.
’’Who cares what our problems are with each other? That doesn’t matter,’’ Fraser said. ’’We do anything and everything in support of this boy’s needs and his brothers’. That’s what I was able to commit to in the most meaningful way.’’

#5 He gives his affection to other kids with disabilities.

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Raising a son with a disability allows Fraser to pay more attention to other children in similar situations because he is aware of 'what that means for the family and for them."

The star added, ’’You know that there’s somebody who needs a little more love, a little more time because they’re autistic or they have Asperger’s [...].’’ Fraser then included, ’’I always, always stop the train to have a moment with them.’’