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People in the community called the remarks dehumanizing and warned they could perpetuate harmful stigma.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s remarks this week that autism “destroys” children have prompted outrage among many autistic people, who said they had done things Mr. Kennedy claimed were impossible, like hold a job, write a poem, play baseball and go on dates. They added that the lives of people who did need help performing daily activities were still worthy of respect.
“Autism doesn’t destroy families. It’s the ableism that does,” said Tyla Grant, who was diagnosed with autism at 17. She called Mr. Kennedy’s comments “fear-mongering” and said his “rhetoric flattens our existence into this outdated stereotype.”
Many parents of autistic children said they feared Mr. Kennedy’s remarks would set back efforts to destigmatize autism and connect families with support services.
“How will our children survive if they are considered a tragedy?” said Kim Cristo, whose 17-year-old daughter is “essentially nonverbal” but has a fulfilling social life, loves music and does yoga and karate. “How can we make their lives meaningful if they are being dismissed as lost causes?”
Mr. Kennedy made his remarks at a news conference on Wednesday discussing new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed autism diagnoses among children in the United States have continued to rise. Though the increase is largely thought to be driven by broadened criteria and increased awareness, Mr. Kennedy falsely declared that autism was preventable and called the situation an epidemic.
“These are kids who will never pay taxes,” he said, adding, “Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”