"My son is not an epidemic": A father confronts RFK Jr.’s remarks on autism in open letter

A father’s open letter challenges RFK Jr.’s autism comments, defending his son and criticising harmful rhetoric.

A father has published a powerful open letter on Variety defending his 10-year-old autistic son after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described autism as a “preventable disease” at a recent press briefing.

Kennedy’s remarks, which linked autism to unnamed environmental toxins and dismissed genetic and diagnostic explanations, sparked immediate backlash from researchers and families.

In the letter, the father recounts the moment of his son Noah’s diagnosis at age two, not as a devastation, but as the beginning of clarity and support. 

Responding directly to Kennedy’s claims that autistic children will never hold jobs or live independently, the letter paints a vivid picture of Noah’s personality and abilities. It describes him reciting planets backward, sketching mazes, editing videos, and re-enacting scenes from SpongeBob SquarePants. “He’s capable. He’s kind. He’s learning. And he’s already defied every narrow prediction made about him,” the father wrote.

The letter criticises Kennedy’s portrayal of autism as regressive and damaging, and highlights the real impact such rhetoric has on families. “My son is not a tragedy. He’s not a burden. And he’s definitely not your talking point,” the letter states. It also draws attention to the recent police shooting of a 17-year-old autistic boy in Idaho, underscoring the consequences of dehumanising narratives.

The father emphasises that autism is not a single disease but a spectrum of neurological variation shaped by a combination of genetic, biological, and environmental influences. “The rise in diagnoses is due to better awareness, not some invisible toxin,” he adds.

In closing, the father urges policymakers and the public to reject fear-based narratives and embrace inclusion, education, and respect. “He is not an epidemic. He’s Noah,” he writes. “And if I have to sit through one more government official turning my son into a soundbite, I’ll keep writing. Loudly.”