Two stars from Netflix’s hit show “Love on the Spectrum” are calling out Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over remarks he made about people with autism last week.
During an April 16 news conference, Kennedy discussed a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found autism diagnoses are on the rise in the U.S., to 1 in 31 8-year-olds in 2022, up from 1 in 150 in 2000. Kennedy called autism a “preventable disease” and announced the agency would conduct a series of studies aimed at identifying “environmental toxins” that he claimed, without evidence, are responsible for the increase in diagnoses.
To generalize and say none of us can work, date or contribute to society is completely false.”
dani bowman
The secretary then went on to make sweeping claims about people with autism and the effects of the condition on their families. “Autism destroys families, and more importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children,” Kennedy said. “These are children who should not be suffering like this. These are kids who will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”
His remarks quickly sparked backlash from members of the autism community, including Dani Bowman, one of the cast members of “Love on the Spectrum,” a popular documentary series that follows people on the autism spectrum as they navigate dating and relationships. Bowman said she was “disgusted” by Kennedy’s comments.
“Autistic people have the same hopes, dreams and yes, the same awkward dating moments as anyone else,” she told NewsNation. “To generalize and say none of us can work, date or contribute to society is completely false. I have a job. I do pay taxes. I’ve dated. I have a master’s degree.”
Bowman also took issue with the suggestion that autism needs to be cured or prevented. “Wanting to cure autism implies that our way of being is wrong, and it isn’t,” she continued. “We don’t need to be fixed, we need to be supported. But the answer isn’t erasing autism, it’s building a more inclusive world for all of us.”
Fellow “Love on the Spectrum” star James B. Jones also shared his thoughts on Kennedy’s remarks in a post on TikTok, calling the comments “extremely ignorant” and “downright offensive.”
“I am old enough, I am of sufficient age, that I can remember a time when society did not have a very thorough understanding of autism or similar forms of neurodiversity,” Jones said. “So I am very displeased, very disheartened to hear someone make comments of that nature.” “I am now a 37-year-old grown adult,” Jones continued. “I drive, I have had my driver’s license since I was 17 … I have a permanent, 40-hour-per-week job with benefits, which I have held steadily since 2017. I am responsible for all my own expenses.” “I am a fully functional, productive member of society. And yes, I have autism. I am neurodiverse. But I have proven that I absolutely 100% can function like a ‘normal’ member of society — without any question,” Jones added. Following the backlash, Kennedy said in a post on social media that he was referring to “the more than 25% of people who have severe autism.” Adding, “Under my leadership, [HHS] will be unrelenting in assisting affected individuals in living up to all their potentials.” During an April 16 news conference, Kennedy discussed a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found autism diagnoses are on the rise in the U.S., to 1 in 31 8-year-olds in 2022, up from 1 in 150 in 2000. Kennedy called autism a “preventable disease” and announced the agency would conduct a series of studies aimed at identifying “environmental toxins” that he claimed, without evidence, are responsible for the increase in diagnoses.
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW.
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