Actress Holly Robinson Peetetook to Instagram to slamRobert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) after the newly appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services referred to autism as a “preventable disease” that “destroys families” if left untreated. “This is not okay!” said the actress/ HollyRod Foundation Co-Founder.
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Peete Blasted RFK Jr. For Describing Autism As “A Disease”
A visibly frustrated and annoyed Peete uploaded a long Instagram video on April 17 detailing all of the false statements scattered throughout RFK Jr.’s press conference, which aired April 16, and highlighted information about the rising rates of autism in U.S. children. As a mother to an autistic son named R.J., and a longtime advocate in support of autism research, Peete kicked off her lengthy video by slamming RFK Jr.’s characterization of the condition as a “disease” rather than a neurological and developmental disorder.
“I don’t even know where to start. I really don’t even know where to begin. So much to unpack,” the 60-year-old star began. “Let’s start here. Okay. I am not an expert. I’m not a doctor. I’m just somebody’s mama and someone who’s been advocating for the autism community, a community that I care deeply about, for 25 years. And I don’t know everything, but I do know this: autism is not a disease. It is a disorder, a developmental disorder. And it is important to get that right if you are the Secretary of Health and Human Services.”
The Hangin with Mr. Cooper actress said she was also “triggered” when the Trump cabinet member claimed autistic kids would never be able to “pay taxes,” “hold a job,” or “never use a toilet unassisted” because of their neurological and developmental challenges. Peete revealed that she heard the same concerning rhetoric when her son was first diagnosed with autism in 2000. His pediatrician at the time “rolled out a laundry list” of “nevers,” everyday tasks and activities that her son would have trouble doing.
“She said he would never [be] mainstream in school, have friends, have meaningful employment, drive, live on his own, never say ‘I love you,’ never play team sports. I mean, this lady had a long list of things that she said he would never do. And so when the Secretary of Health and Human Services just ran off another never list, it triggered me in ways I can’t even describe.”
Thankfully, Peete’s son R.J. went on to check off multiple goals from that “never list” said Peete. R.J. has full-time employmentwith the LA Dodgers.
The 21 Jump Street star explained that her frustration with RFK Jr.’s remarks wasn’t just personal. It was also rooted in concern for the millions of parents across the country who face harmful stereotypes and shame perpetuated by the medical community about children with autism. In the U.S., an estimated 1 in 31 children and 1 in 45 adults are diagnosedwith autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to Autism Speaks.
“I felt the weight of every parent who’s ever had to fight three times, four times as hard just to prove their child’s worth. And it just plays into every stereotype and stigma that every person with autism has ever had to fight to overcome,” she continued.
“As an advocate, I’ve had to fight against it, as well, and [as] a mom, because what he’s peddling here, it’s not just ignorance, it is institutionalized hopelessness. Lemme say that again. It is institutionalized hopelessness from the very office that’s supposed to protect public health. We’re getting fear, and shame, and blame, and misinformation. This is not okay. Autism didn’t break my family. It made us braver, it made us closer, it made us more compassionate. If anything, I think my son didn’t rob me of having a normal child, he gave me a new lens of what it means to love unconditionally. A new lens on that.”
Unpacking RFK Jr.’s misguided comments about the abilities of autistic children, Peete stressed that autism is a spectrum disorder. She explained that the term “spectrum” reflects the wide range of symptoms and varying levels of severity, noting that while some children may need support, others may be highly independent.
“Now, of course, there are different amounts of support that people on the autism spectrum are gonna need with different tasks in life. And, you know, they’re gonna have different levels of needs, but these are things that they can overcome,” she added. “And any official that’s tasked with leading this nation’s health policies, they should be celebrating the resilience of families that have overcome things, not dismissing them and giving us another ‘never’ day.”
RFK Jr. Made Another Ridiculous Statement About Autism During A Radio Show
That wasn’t the only troubling statement RFK Jr. has made about autism recently.
During an appearance on The Cats Roundtable radio show on April 20, the misinformed Republican claimed that autism “dwarfed” the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in America because COVID killed old people. Autism affects children and affects them at the beginning of their lives, the beginning of their productivity,”PEOPLEreported.
He also claimed that autism will cost the economy “$1 trillion a year” by 2035, though he failed to provide a source for the figure.
Peete shared in a video posted Sunday that she believes the HHS leader has an “agenda” behind his harmful comments.
She also told CNN’s Jake Tapper that RFK’s comments felt like “institutionalized hopelessness.”
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