Let’s talk about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s latest claim from his cabinet meeting—because it’s not just absurd, it’s dangerous. He promised that by September, we’ll know the cause of autism. Just like that. A deadline. As if science works on some kind of campaign calendar.
It doesn’t.
There is no scientific study, no credible peer-reviewed process, no global collaboration that can be slapped together between now and September to give you definitive answers on the causes of autism. If that sounds harsh, it’s because it needs to be said plainly: you can’t rush science, and you can’t politicize it for personal gain without consequences.
Here’s the reality: the rates of autism diagnosis have increased not because there’s an “epidemic”—but because science and understanding have evolved. We’ve gotten better at recognizing and supporting neurodivergent people. That’s not a crisis; it’s progress.
The autism spectrum is broad and beautifully diverse. Terms change. Labels shift. Asperger’s isn’t a diagnosis anymore. We now talk about support levels, overlapping diagnoses, sensory profiles, and gestalt language processing. We’re seeing the world more clearly—and many of us are only just realizing we were in it all along.
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my twenties. As a little girl staring out the window in class, no one knew what to call it. I didn’t get the interventions I needed because the science hadn’t caught up yet. Today, kids like me get identified sooner. They get support. And that matters.
Even with all our progress, my daughter Sienna—who has Down syndrome—is still fighting for recognition. She’s eight, and we’ve spent years trying to understand why she isn’t speaking. She’s been evaluated for autism, diagnosed with anxiety, and more recently, we discovered she’s a gestalt language processor—a key insight that only came to us through research coming out of the UK – and the newest research—identifying it outside of autism is groundbreaking work that’s never been done before.
And honestly? I don’t expect to see it reach the U.S. anytime soon. Our scientific community has been so devalued and politicized, real innovation is slipping through our fingers. We’re not leading the world in research anymore. We’re becoming a punchline. And it breaks my heart, because kids like mine can’t wait. They need real answers. Real support. Not hollow promises from someone weaponizing outdated statistics and fear.
Let’s talk vaccines for a minute – Sienna had a scary vaccine reaction as a baby. It was hard. But she recovered. The timing of vaccines often coincides with the developmental window when autism traits begin to show up. That’s why so many parents look for someone to blame. But the idea that vaccines cause autism has been debunked over and over again. And yet, here we are—still fighting the same tired, ableist lies.
Let me say this clearly:
Wanting to “fix” a child because they’re neurodivergent is ableism.
It says more about a parent’s discomfort than the child’s needs. It centers the desire for “normalcy” over the right to be accepted as-is. That’s not advocacy—it’s erasure.
Would I remove the medical risks Sienna faces? In a second. Her heart defect? Terrifying. The comorbidities that threaten her quality of life? Of course I’d wish them away. But Down syndrome isn’t the enemy. It’s a part of her. It’s part of her personality. It’s part of what makes her the funniest, most radiant, soul I’ve ever known.
This morning she was pulling pranks on me. She makes me laugh 55,000 times a day. She’s joy in human form. And so much of that—so much of her—is Down syndrome. I wouldn’t change that for anything.
What I would change is the world around her. A world that keeps cutting her funding. That devalues her education. That debates whether she’s worth the investment. A country that now defines white tears as civil rights. A country that looks at my family and thinks parasite, waste of resources, and money.
And honestly? Some days I just want to pack up my kids and go. Somewhere that sees their worth without question. Somewhere I’m not constantly fighting for scraps while others argue that money spent on my daughter is money “wasted.”
Ableism is everywhere in this country. It’s in our politics, our school closures, our Medicaid cuts, and now—it’s in Cabinet meetings with RFK Jr. making promises about curing neurodivergence like it’s a disease to be eradicated.
My daughter doesn’t need fixing.
She needs support.
She needs her civil rights protections back.
She needs a government that values public education
She needs a world that values her just as she is.
And if that makes some people uncomfortable—maybe it’s time we all get more comfortable with the truth: difference isn’t the problem. Disrespect is.
We can choose a different path. One where we stop trying to “cure” the things that make our children beautifully unique, and start building a world where every child is seen, supported, and celebrated.
Because the goal was never to make Sienna more like everyone else.
The goal is to make the world more ready for her.
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