Happy Father’s Day to all dads, whether old or young, with big children or small, neurotypical or otherwise. Remember, anyone can be a father, but it takes work, dedication and understanding to be a dad.

I spent my first Father’s Day in NICU, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, my little girl in a plastic crate with a tube in her nose. I came in first thing in the morning, bleary-eyed and overwhelmed, to find a mug beside her bed that said, ‘World’s Best Daddy’, and a card from my daughter that contained her footprint in pink paint. To the paediatric nurses and prem baby charity Bliss, I have to say that it made all the difference to me that day. Thank you for your sensitivity and your kindness. Little things make all the difference.

I have written an open letter about this experience to my daughter for Autism Wessex. Feel free to have a read.

All the best, and keep up the good work!

Gillan