Description: A conversation with Paul Carroll on raising an autistic son, navigating diagnosis, and why fathers need vulnerability, connection, and community more than a playbook.
Host: Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech), Tia Kleckner (CEO at LinkTech)
Summary: Paul Carroll is a talent and leadership development executive, father, and founder of Autism Dadvocate. His son Vaughn's autism diagnosis transformed how he understands parenting, advocacy, empathy, and leadership. Paul shares the uncertainty of pursuing a diagnosis, the instinct many fathers have to fix what cannot—and should not—be fixed, and the fears dads often carry silently. He also explains why he created a community where autism fathers can hear what so many desperately need: you are not alone, and it gets better.
Main Topics:
The early signs that led Paul to pursue an autism diagnosis. Navigating a fragmented healthcare system. The emotions and uncertainty following a diagnosis. Why fathers default to fixing instead of seeking support. Letting go of a predetermined dream for your child's future. How caregiving roles can divide couples. Isolation and mental health among autism dads. Why storytelling helps fathers realize they are not alone. The mission behind Autism Dadvocate. How fatherhood strengthened Paul's empathy at work
Intriguing Quotes:
"We are clouded by love." "You are on your own. You have to navigate this system on your own." "This isn't something you solve for. This isn't something you fix." "Listen, remain curious, remain open, and seek community." "If you can't find it, you have to create it." "That amazing son or daughter you engaged with yesterday is the exact same son or daughter today." "Vulnerability will set us free." "It gets better. It really does."
Key Moments:
[02:40] The first signs: differences in Vaughn's motor skills, careful movement, and fascination with recreating the Arabic alphabet. [05:31] A physician dismisses Paul's concern as sensory processing disorder; a formal diagnosis follows around age 10 or 11. [07:04] The healthcare reality: families must navigate a fragmented system largely on their own. [09:56] The diagnosis lands with relief, sadness, dread, and one urgent question: what does this mean for his future? [13:12] Fatherhood replaces Paul's stereotypes with an understanding of autism's depth, breadth, and individuality. [17:25] The fears dads rarely voice: stigma, friendships, dating, meaningful work, and the future they imagined. [21:33] How rigid caregiving roles can divide parents—and why fathers must step further into care and coordination. [23:30] The isolation crisis among men becomes even more intense inside the autism community.[29:47] Why Paul founded Autism Dadvocate: he found communities for moms, but none centered on fathers. [33:23] A painful workplace response to Paul's vulnerability—and why he kept the story private for years. [34:26] His message to families: your child has not changed, you are not alone, and you must seek community. [36:58] What "it gets better" looks like: Vaughn is studying biomedical engineering, driving, working, and living on campus. [39:01] What fatherhood added to Paul's leadership: an empathy muscle for meeting colleagues inside unseen realities.
Notable Resources:
Autism Dadvocate community and podcast: https://autismdadvocate.org/
Connect with Paul Carroll:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-carroll-autismdadvocate/
Connect with The Human Advantage Podcast: