AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — As the nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stark comments about children with autism have splintered a community of millions of people who are living with the disorder.
Eileen Lamb knows those struggles well. She was diagnosed with autism after she started noticing signs a decade ago that her first son, Charlie, may have autism.
Days in Austin, Texas, can be daunting with Charlie, younger brother Jude, a 9-year-old who also has autism, and 2-year-old sister Billie.
At 12, Charlie still requires constant supervision, especially with his habit of eating non-food items.
Lamb said it’s unlikely Charlie will ever play baseball or go on a date — as Kennedy said last month when describing autism — but she also doesn’t only view her child’s limitations.
“I see where he was going with his comments,” said Lamb, who is also the director of social media at the national organization Autism Speaks. “But I also think that’s not how you measure the value of our children’s lives. The language we use matters.”
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