Like RFK Jr, I am not a medical doctor. I am a psychotherapist and the parent of a 30-year-old young man who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three at the UCLA Neuropsych Dept. I felt devastated, scared, and skeptical as I left UCLA that day. Still, I was determined to educate myself about autism so my emotions would not diminish my intervention and advocacy skills needed to help my son. I met and consulted with international experts in the field about my son because he was severely impacted by autism in all the functional domains. I also wanted to learn who the quacks were that were sending vulnerable parents down pointless, expensive rabbit holes in search of the cause and cure for autism. As a parent, the hope was that if a child’s diet, vaccine usage, or environmental exposures explained the developmental delays or abhorrent behaviors, my son could become neurotypical, meet his developmental milestones, and experience life to the fullest like his brother Adam. However, Benny is Benny. He is not Adam, and he lives his life with the challenge of navigating the maze of autism with smiles, frustrations, and progress at his own unique pace.
Adam, Benny’s older brother, has used his talent as a designer to rebrand autism away from the “missing puzzle piece” image to a maze, which signifies a path of unique twists and turns that lead a person with autism to his/ her destination. The puzzle logo speaks to finding out what causes autism or how to cure it. The maze image represents the indirect journey an autistic person may have to take to get where they want to go. The message says that differences in functioning don’t stop progress. Benny was different from Adam at birth. He didn’t seek or enjoy physical contact, such as being held, rocked, or hugged. He slept at night without crying for physical soothing. He never crawled and didn’t utter a word until I discovered a method to teach him representation at 6 years old.
Scientific data suggests 90% of autism cases are linked to genetics. RFK Jr’s proclamation that environmental factors are ignored by medical science is false. Researchers have been studying the effects of environmental factors, parental age, air pollution and the maternal health on the prenatal functioning of fetal gene development for decades. Federal funded studies show how genes develop, interact, and malfunction in utero. Multiple factors are being studied to better understand how genetic variations contribute to the vulnerability of developing autism or autistic- like symptoms.
The causes for developing autism are more complicated than exposure to air pollution, ingesting food toxins or receiving vaccines. How such factors negatively affect gene development which can cause autism continues to be studied. RFK Jr’s approach to understanding the cause of autism disminishes science, believes in debunked theories, and ignores genetic issues and the condition of brain structure and biochemistry.
Adam and Benny as young men today. They are extremely different people who have shared a childhood of challenge and accomplishment. Contrary to RFK’s dehumanizing depiction of a person with autism, Benny can use a toilet, hit a baseball, ride a horse, paint, dance, read, and spend time with people in a variety of environments. Despite the insulting statements RFK Jr’s has made anout autistic people. They are valuable, capable human beings to be loved and respected. RFK Jr is more dangerous to the lives of autistic people than being autistic.
Looking at all occurrences that could influence atypical neurological functioning is valid. However, to dismiss scientific findings made by credible medical research is reckless. Listening to an unqualified, non-medical man who got the job due to his loyalty to Trump is irresponsible and potentially harmful to a child or adult on the autism spectrum. RFK JR. HAS ALREADY PROVEN THAT HE IS UNQUALIFIED TO BE HEALTH SECRETARY. HIS IMCOMPETENCE WILL LEAD TO NEEDLESS DEATHS OF MANY AMERICANS. IF CONGRESS WON’ T IMPEACH HIM, THEY SHOULD BE IMPEACHED.
Leave a Reply