While not without its challenges, autism isn’t a curse to be cured of, as the likes of the US president and RFK Jr want us to believe
Donald Trump’s claims about autism deserve as little oxygen as possible, but it’s been a depressing, infuriating week for many autistic people and those of us who love them. His administration unveiled contentious claims about the causes of autism – pregnant women taking Tylenol, also known as paracetamol – and pushed for research to find a “cure”. It got me thinking about how to cope psychologically, and my conclusion – and that of many of my friends in the autism community – is that you have to laugh or you’ll cry.
There’s a saying that when you’ve met one autistic child, you’ve met one autistic child. I’ve never loved the “autism as superpower” narrative, and how it erases those with high-support needs and the challenges autistic people can face. Equally, Trump’s framing of autism as a tragedy and a disease in need of curing is deeply problematic, so I feel it’s important to highlight some of the incredible, brilliant things about autism. The fact is that the autistic children I’ve met have more to teach a man like Trump, more than he is ever capable of learning. Things such as:
Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a Guardian columnist and author. Her Republic of Parenthood book is out now.
