Gary Cole spoke with WebMD in 2009 about raising autism awareness. “When my daughter Mary was diagnosed with autism in 1995, all I had to go on was Rain Man.” Helpful information and resources about autism in the ’90s were slim, despite the fairly common diagnosis. Details have been more clearly defined since then, the CDC notes that roughly 1 in 44 children have “been identified with an autism spectrum disorder.”
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The actor explained that he and his wife at the time, Teddi Siddall, could tell something was different about their daughter Mary before she turned 2. “Mary didn’t process information like you or I do, and did not pick up on social cues,” Cole explained. Being firm believers in seeking answers as soon as you notice something going on, he urged parents to do the same, “the earlier the better.”
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The attention that he and Siddall gave the diagnosis benefitted their daughter in the long run. As a child, Mary went through therapy and attended “mainstream elementary and middle schools” with a personal aide, according to People. She attended a special learning facility for later schooling and is now in her late 20s. In a Father’s Day appreciation post on Mary’s Instagram from 2016, she celebrated “the greatest dad a girl could ask for,” adding, “All I have to say is thank you for being you with all your support, patience, and unconditional love.”
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