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During a press conference last week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attempted to paint autism as a one-dimensional cartoon villain sent to destroy the lives of once-“fully functional” children who “regressed into autism.” He claimed that autistic people would never pay taxes, be employed, play baseball, write poems, or even go on dates. Now, Dani Bowman and James B. Jones, stars of Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, have responded to let RFK Jr. know just how wrong he is and how dangerous this misinformation can be.
“Autistic people have the same hopes, dreams, and yes, the same awkward dating moments as anyone else,” Bowman 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.” RFK Jr. incorrectly stated that “most cases” of autism are “severe.” Only around 25 percent of people on the autism spectrum have severe limitations, according to a CDC study reported byPolitiFact. An even smaller percentage within that quarter-sized population experiences the “stereotypical features” the Health and Human Services secretary referenced, like being non-verbal or “non-toilet-trained.”
Over on TikTok, Jones slammed RFK Jr.’s remarks as “extremely ignorant” and “downright offensive,” adding: “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. So, I am very displeased, very disheartened to hear someone make comments of that nature … I do not at all appreciate Mr. Kennedy speaking of autism or similar forms of neurodiversity in such a negative manner. Society has made great progress in the past 20 to 30 years, so we certainly do not wish to lose that progress. We do not wish to step backwards. We wish to keep moving forward to the future, rather than looking back to the past.”
Bowman added that RFK Jr.’s recent promise to identify the “cause” of autism by September carries dangers of its own. “Wanting to cure autism implies that our way of being is wrong, and it isn’t. 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,” she said. Jones echoed the benefit of people on the spectrum having continued access to special education programs, which were “immensely helpful” for him and “helped me to grow and develop into the person I am today.”
The Trump administration has recently targeted autism research through cuts related to research services and the Department of Education. RFK Jr. has called autism an “epidemic,” citing recent CDC studies noting an increase in autism diagnoses since 2000. One in 31 eight-year-olds receiving autism diagnoses since 2022 reflects an increased understanding of what autism is, how it presents, and how to identify it. Autism is still underdiagnosed.
“A dangerous and inaccurate narrative is being spun around the Autism community—one rooted in fear, misinformation, and a profound misunderstanding of disability,” the Autism Society of America shared in a statement. “Referring to Autism as a ‘chronic disease’ or an ‘epidemic’ relies on outdated medical-model language that dehumanizes Autistic individuals, perpetuates stigma and stereotypes, and undermines decades of progress in disability rights.”
