Kennedy said at the press conference in Washington: “Autism destroys families, and more importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children. These are kids who will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”
However, others in the autism community disagree with those characterizations. Instead, they emphasize that Kennedy’s leadership at HHS will bring much-needed awareness to the scope of the issue and help find solutions.
“Autism is causing severe suffering to most with that diagnosis, to their families and to their communities.” Holland said. “Many people with autism have extraordinary gifts and lead happy fulfilling lives. But there is a critical subset of people having that diagnosis with profound disabilities.”
Like thousands of others suffering from autism, Lyons is unable to speak. According to Holland, people with profound autism often endure seizures, autoimmune disorders, extraordinary sensitivities, anxiety, OCD, and severe gut issues. While autism attacks the brain’s ability to execute fine motor coordination, it often doesn’t impede the ability to think, which can be psychologically challenging.
Elsa added: “It is the responsibility of every member of the autism community to support affected children and adults striving towards healthy, independent and richly textured lives. At the same time, it is the responsibility of the U.S. government to address soaring rates of autism and the realities of people living with it. People with autism defy the odds every day. RFK Jr. wants people to know what the odds are.”
Kennedy contests this is a mindset that needs to be debunked. “One of the things I think we need to move away from today is this ideology that this diagnosis, rather [than] the relentless increases, are simply artifacts of better diagnoses, better recognition,“ he said during his April 16 press conference. “Doctors and therapists in the past weren’t stupid, they weren’t missing all these cases. The epidemic is real.”
While Kennedy’s words may be harsh to some, they are a much-needed truth delivered authentically and compassionately by a man who cares deeply for children and all Americans living with autism. The critics are correct in saying all children are a blessing and that each autistic child faces unique challenges. But if we can uncover what contributes to autism, we will be able to identify potential treatments for all people with autism. This would be a win for families everywhere.
I should know. As the father of two sons with autism—one profoundly impacted, one less so—I can tell you that Kennedy is spot on. Both of my boys are equally loved and loving and they represent the reality of autism in America today. Their lives, and ours, are intertwined in what autism is—a disorder that will impact them for the rest of their lives. There are good days and really bad days. I would never tell you about one son without describing the other. I can also tell you that Kennedy is a champion for both of them, and girls and boys everywhere will benefit from his commitment to tackle the epidemic head on.
Ultimately, Kennedy’s mission is about hope. But we don’t get to hope without being honest: Autism is a national crisis that needs to unite us through compassion, not divide us through fear.
