Summary
Celebrity chef Jameson Stocks shares his deeply personal journey as a single father raising his 12-year-old autistic son Jackson, alongside his younger brother Cayden. Having left home at 14 due to domestic problems, Jameson built an internationally acclaimed culinary career, becoming the youngest recipient of national restaurant of the year at 23 and working with renowned chef Marco Pierre White. After stepping away from the public eye following press intrusion and the Levinson inquiry, Jameson dedicated himself to parenting and learning to navigate autism.
This candid conversation with autism advocate Anna Kennedy reveals the challenges and beautiful moments of single parenting an autistic child. Jameson discusses Jackson’s diagnosis at three and a half, the initial fears and misconceptions from googling autism, and how his sons have developed an incredible bond where younger brother Cayden naturally helps Jackson with daily tasks. The interview offers genuine insights into autism acceptance, the reality of parenting without a roadmap, and how one father learned to communicate with his non-verbal son through intuition and patience.