James reflects on his journey from worried father to advocate for autism appreciation, crediting his quintuple bypass surgery at 35 as a turning point in how he viewed his son Lucas's autism. Rather than focusing on what needed to be "fixed," James began appreciating Lucas's unique perspective and finding joy in moments others might misinterpret as sad.• The podcast grew from James's frustration with not being able to share funny stories about Lucas without receiving sympathy• James explains the difference between autism awareness, acceptance, and his preferred term: appreciation• Shares the memorable "pretzel story" that triggered the blog• Reflects on writing about Lucas from age 5 to 14 and watching him grow through the blog• Talks about his upcoming book "Hi World I'm Dad: How Fathers Can Journey from Autism Awareness to Acceptance to Appreciation"• Expresses gratitude for the supportive community that has made him feel less aloneIt'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.

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