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What is it like to raise a daughter who is on the autism spectrum?

If you’re curious about the experience from a father’s perspective, you’ll want to listen to this episode with Russell Allen.

Russell is an American singer best known as the vocalist of Symphony X, a band which is universally considered one of the top-tier progressive metal acts in the world. He’s also one of the main vocalists in the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and has collaborated with numerous metal supergroups of international acclaim.

Russell recently released an acoustic song titled “Love Her Like I Do”, about his autistic daughter Ava.

This episode is part one of our conversation, and we discuss:

• What it was like for Russell to receive his daughter’s autism diagnosis
• Ava’s interests and talents
• The importance of early intervention when it comes to autism services
• Controversies around labels like “high-functioning” and “low-functioning”
• Future plans for Ava’s independence as an autistic adult

Listen to the song “Love Her Like I Do” here on Spotify and Apple Music.

You can follow Russell on Instagram @sirrussellallen.

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