RFK JR. AUTISM. Causes of Autism. Vaccines. The environment. The food. Lots of topics being discussed.
Autism isn’t one story—it’s a spectrum. And that’s what we can’t afford to ignore.
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talks about autism, people listen.
In a recent speech, he referenced the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism—especially those with severe challenges.
He painted a heartbreaking picture: children who are nonverbal, still in diapers at age 9, or unable to function independently. For many families, that picture feels painfully familiar.
But it’s not the whole picture
Autism is a spectrum—and not every child fits the story RFK Jr. is telling.
There are children who can speak, read, and thrive academically, but still struggle with anxiety, sensory overload, or executive functioning. There are teens with straight A’s and no friends.
We see adults with brilliant minds who can’t hold down a job because they “don’t fit in.”
And yes, there are also those with very high support needs who require constant care.
When we only talk about one end of the spectrum, we leave out the voices—and needs—of so many others.
That’s where the autism conversation needs to grow
And that’s why I wrote Untangling Autism: How to Parent Your Neurodiverse Child in a Neurotypical World—to help parents understand the beautiful complexity of the spectrum, and how to support their children wherever they fall on that broad spectrum.
This is the first in a short series unpacking what’s helpful—and what’s harmful—about the way autism is being talked about in public conversations today.
Stay tuned for the next post in this series: “The Autism Spectrum Is Not a Straight Line”
👉 Read more about the book here
I was grateful to Robert F. Kennedy because he mentioned the people on the spectrum who are usually ignored and left out. The ones who have no voices. The ones who the media ignores. The high functioning, very vocal people on that end of the spectrum have TV shows and media interviews and blogs and social media accounts. Frankly, I am tired of hearing about their perspectives. Thank goodness RFK explained the plight of the kids/adults who can't speak, live in pain, have no friends and may never have jobs. They are the forgotten ones. So many people in this country only know about the high functioning kind of autism, not the people on the middle or the lower end. I am just praying his new scientists and Directors can do research to help them and lessen their suffering. I also hope he has the DSM reevaluated – they need to put Asperger's back in the diagnostic manual.
Thank you for your comments. This has become a very emotional topic. Sometimes people forget how wide the SPECTRUM is.