A letter to all autistics following RFK Jr.’s statements

I want to take a moment to acknowledge that RFK Jr.’s recent statements about autism have deeply impacted many of us, autistic adults, parents, and loved ones alike. His portrayal of autism as something tragic, toxic, and incompatible with love, work, or contribution is not only inaccurate, it’s profoundly dehumanizing.

For those of us who are autistic adults without intellectual disability, these kinds of comments erase our lived experiences, our relationships, and the ways we do contribute meaningfully to our communities.

At the same time, I want to acknowledge that some of you are parenting autistic children who have intellectual disabilities, and your journey may include very real challenges. Wanting support, resources, and better quality of life for your children is valid. That doesn’t make you “anti-autistic.” But seeking a “cure” can also be a painful conversation for autistic adults, because it often feels like people want to erase us rather than support us as we are.

One of the difficulties we face as a community is that “autism” is an umbrella term covering a wide range of needs, strengths, and experiences. The decision to merge all presentations into one diagnosis (after removing Asperger’s syndrome and other subtypes in the DSM-5) had some benefits, but also created confusion and tension, especially when public narratives lean toward extremes: either autism is a “superpower” or it’s a “tragedy.” Neither story is the whole truth.

The reality is: Autistics can have high support needs and rich inner lives. They may need help with daily living and still express joy, love, humour, and presence. Autistics without intellectual disability can struggle deeply with things that aren’t always visible, like sensory overload, trauma, and burnout. We’re all valid.

We don’t need to compete over who has it worse. We need solidarity, not division.

Let’s resist harmful narratives together. Let’s advocate for all autistic people, whether they speak or type or use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), whether they need 24/7 care or live independently, whether they were diagnosed as children or adults. We are all part of the same community.