Public backlash against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s assertions linking autism to vaccine use has been extensive, with health professionals, advocacy groups, and family members voicing strong disapproval. Experts argue that such statements propagate harmful stigmas about autism, framing it as a preventable disease rather than a complex neurodivergent condition. These misrepresentations detract from vital research funding and foster fear rather than understanding. Focusing on the strengths and capacities of autistic individuals is essential, as many experience distress due to societal misunderstanding rather than their innate differences.
Working with children, teens, and adults with autism... I have become acutely aware of the strengths and unique abilities they possess.
The Autism Society of America expressed concern that Kennedy's false claims about vaccines causing autism divert financial resources from much-needed research and fuel stigma.
I have witnessed the relief, self-compassion, and shift from shame to self-love that late-life diagnosed autistic people experience when they start to view the world, not themselves, as the broken component.
Neurodivergence is an umbrella term for a range of individual differences in neurological functioning, including autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, and synesthesia.
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