The Director of the Department of Health and Human Services, RFK Jr., recently made a series of false statements about autism. He said that autism destroys families. He called autism an individual tragedy. And he offered a list of things that kids would “never do,” beginning with paying taxes.

So first of all, he’s just plain wrong. Plenty of autistic people do all the things he says they never do. 

Second of all, he misunderstands the experience of families affected by disabilities. Yes, families need medical and therapeutic supports. But they also need social support and acceptance of different ways of being in the world and a recognition of the particular contributions autistic kids can make.

Third, he misunderstands what it means to be human. Our suffering or happiness is not measured by our ability to pay taxes. Happiness comes from relationships. Our value as humans does not arise from being able to write a poem. Our value arises out of our belovedness, not our potential to produce. 

Our daughter Penny has Down syndrome, and when she was born I needed to reconsider the ways I valued humans. I wrote something back then that I wish I could say to RFK Jr. now:

“Can Penny live a full life without reading Dostoevsky? Without solving a quadratic equation? I’m pretty sure she can. Can I live a full life without learning to cherish and welcome those in this world who are different from me? I’m pretty sure I can’t.”

Let’s stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and subscribe to my Reimagining the Good Life podcast for conversations with guests centered around disability, faith, and culture.