Those with autism need support, not blame, judgment

By Lisa Jarvis / Bloomberg Opinion

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. set the tone back in April when he announced the Trump administration’s plan to find the cause of autism. He declared that “autism destroys families.” He described children “who will never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date.”

On Monday, President Donald Trump carried that message forward, calling autism a “horrible, horrible crisis” and suggesting — without evidence — that Tylenol could be the cause and that leucovorin, a type of folic acid, might be a treatment. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary added, “if you’ve seen a kid with autism, with severe autism, it’s hard to watch.”

Their words left many in the autism community stunned. They’d come expecting answers and action. Instead they were offered suspect causes and unproven cures. They were reminded of a past filled with blame and judgment.

The depictions left many of them feeling hurt and dehumanized, reflecting a fundamental misunderstanding of their lived experience. And ultimately they worry there will be a broad backslide in public attitudes about autism.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-those-with-autism-need-support-not-blame-judgment/