04/17/2025
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15XMhrJHLH/?mibextid=wwXIfr
As a physician, a proud father to an incredible son with autism, and a lifelong advocate for neurodiversity, I find Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s recent comments deeply offensive, harmful, and fundamentally incorrect.
To say that autism “destroys families” and “destroys our greatest resource” not only perpetuates damaging stereotypes…. it dehumanizes the very children and individuals he claims to care about. Autism is not a tragedy. The real tragedy lies in the stigma, misinformation(as he continue to perpetuate in his talk on this topic), and lack of support that individuals with autism and their families too often face.
My son is not “destroyed.” He is bright, resilient, curious, and full of potential. His diagnosis of lamb Schaefer syndrome nor autism define his potential, despite what RFK may say. He may see and interact with the world differently but different does not mean broken. Autism is a part of who he is, and it does not diminish his value as a person or as a member of our community.
Language like this sets us back. It implies blame, shame, and fear instead of promoting acceptance, understanding, and inclusion. As a society, we should be striving to create environments where every child, with autistism or without, can thrive, be celebrated, and contribute in meaningful ways.
Lastly, I do not want to diminish some of the struggles that families with children with autism go through, because they are present and real, ASD is a spectrum and impact families vastly differently. To the parents who are exhausted, overwhelmed, and may indeed feel like their world has been turned upside down. Your struggles are real. Your pain and grief are valid. This journey can be incredibly hard, and honoring your experience does not contradict our fight for acceptance. But blaming our children or framing their existence as a destruction of potential is not the answer. What we need is more support, more understanding, and a commitment to our community!
We must do better than this. Our children deserve better than this.
