CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A local father with autism is on a mission to be a voice and advocate for others.
3NEWS spoke with 33-year-old Dustin Cronan who is navigating fatherhood and hopes to set an example for other people who are also autistic, but especially for his son.
"I never thought I'd ever get to be a father. That's very rare," he said.
Cronan has a job and drives himself to and from work. He said that he never thought he'd be able to do either, being diagnosed with autism at 4-years-old.
At the time, the news was hard for him and his mother Sheila Marsh.
"And I'm like, 'my kid? Never' and I was really upset for a week or two weeks, and me and my mom started talking about it," he said.
Marsh told 3NEWS that growing up, Cronan sometimes stood out from the crowd.
"He was a pacer, so he got to pacing around his classroom until fifth grade. Same kids, every year," she said.
Cronan told 3NEWS that elementary school was a relatively stable period for him. However, once he got to middle school, things started to change.
"Being bullied a lot in middle school and in high school, I isolated myself, but I saw other people on the spectrum get bullied," he said.
Despite his hardships, Cronan couldn't help but notice that the bullying was even worse for others.
"He had a friend that committed suicide that was on spectrum who was autistic from bullying," he said.
From what he's experienced and overcome, Dustin wants to be a positive example for people who are like him, which includes his son Matthew, who was recently diagnosed with autism.
"I want the best education for him throughout his school days. I want him to be able to feel normal," he said.
Cronan lives with his mom and grandmother and said that his son will also have that support.
"I hope he'll grow up one day to be the same thing too. Where he'll have kids on his own and he'll have a normal life throughout his high school years," he said.
Marsh told 3NEWS that at the end of the day, it all boils down to unconditional love and support.
"Loving your child and accepting them for who they are. Giving them all the love in the world makes all the difference," she said.
Cronan is currently a student at Del Mar College and plans on becoming a public speaker, where he hopes to become more involved with the autistic community.
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