Mr G celebrates son Chad Antonio's growing independence one year later

One year after opening up about his journey raising his autistic son, dancehall entertainer Mr G says 20-year-old Chad Antonio continues to make meaningful strides towards greater independence.

The proud father, born Chad Simpson, whose candid reflections on parenting resonated with many last year, shared that behavioural therapy has helped Chad Antonio achieve new milestones that may appear ordinary to some but are monumental for their family.

"Through behaviour therapy, he is doing certain things which might seem small to other people, but to me, it's a big deal. He is now tying his shoelaces, and he is working with computer programmes. He is more advanced on the computer with certain programmes than even myself. I can see he is definitely learning and being way more independent as time goes along," he said.

The update comes a year after Simpson sat down at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel to discuss fatherhood, autism awareness, and the realities of caring for his son, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age two.

At the time, Simpson described parenting Chad Antonio as "a learning process every day" and said raising a child with autism had opened "a more compassionate side [as] it teaches you to have extra patience in order to be with them and around them. It's a nurturing journey".

Last year, he also shared that while Chad Antonio was independent in many ways, there were still areas where he remained hands-on.

"At this stage, although he is very independent with a lot of stuff, there are things that I still help him with. For instance, he will be brushing his teeth and hurrying. I am very big on hygiene, so I ensure that he brushes his teeth properly. As old as he is, sometimes I will go and rub his neck back when he is showering ... . A black neck back is something that I hate, so I ensure he bathes properly,” he said. 

The superattentive dad shared that he frequently helps to cut his son's nails, and in preparation for the meeting, decided to trim his hair. "I said we're coming here, so I am going to make the cut look fresh because he trimmed it two weeks ago," Simpson said. "In the middle of trimming, you know the homeboy just get up and start sweeping the hair [on the ground] together and went for the scoop ... that's the way he is. When he gets up in the morning, nobody have to tell him to spread his bed,” he shared.

During last year's interview, Simpson revealed that Chad Antonio's birth mother was not an active part of his life and spoke candidly about navigating parenthood as his son's primary caregiver, supported by family members and helpers. The dancehall entertainer also spoke about the protective role played by Chad’s younger brother, Tyler.

Outside of fatherhood, Simpson continues to balance his caregiving responsibilities with a busy professional life. As his Mr G persona, he has an album on the way this September. The upcoming 12-track project, to be released by the US-based imprint ONErpm, is titled Tried, Tested and Proven (TTP) and features collaborations with Buju Banton, Tarrus Riley, Pinchers, and Christopher Martin.

And there's more.

"Currently, I have a song Cheat Back, which is one of the most rotated songs on the Hill and Gully Ride Riddim. It is transcending the dance halls and the clubs," he shares.

Beyond music, Simpson is also expanding his business interests.

"I am always looking to add properties to the portfolio," he tells Sunday Entertainment.

His support network for fellow parents of autistic children, a WhatsApp community, currently has 12 members. In his previous interview, he had shared that it would lay the groundwork for a campus that would provide speech and behavioural therapy services with assistance from his sister, who lives in the United States, behaviour analyst and clinician Dr Uzama Price.

Even then, one concern remained at the forefront of his mind: his son's future and ensuring that he would always be there to support him.

"My biggest fear on earth is I always ask God to never let me leave him," Simpson admitted. "I say, 'Father, as long as you have him on the Earth, allow me to be there so I can be his protector, provider, guidance, and comforter, be everything that I need to be for him.' Mi pray and ask God that daily."

entertainment@gleanerjm.com