Disgusting article

We have moved from viewing disability through a purely medical lens — as something broken to be fixed — to a social lens that puts the onus on society to accommodate it.

Ah yes, viewing disability as a problem to be fixed is very medical and rational and totally not based entirely on how your society is structured. I am very smart. It’s not like someone with disabilities could ever be anything but a burden no matter how much society accommodates them, right? Stephen Hawking? Who’s that?

I consider myself squarely left of center.

And yet, I think his remarks echo the reality and pain of a subset of parents of children with autism who feel left out of much of the conversation around the condition. Many advocacy groups focus so much on acceptance, inclusion and celebrating neurodiversity that it can feel as if they are avoiding uncomfortable truths about children like mine.

Once again we see how poisoning political definitions has created a reality where people believe they can call themselves left while believing textbook harmful right-wing ideology.

A Harvard-affiliated research center halted a panel on autism awareness in 2022, after students claimed that the panel’s language about treating autism was “toxic.” A student petition circulated on Change.org said that autism “is not an illness or disease and, most importantly, it is not inherently negative.”

“I, a NYT writer, know more about Autism than the people who fucking research it for a living. I am very smart and believe in science.”

I understand why Mr. Kennedy is such a polarizing figure. I did not support his cabinet appointment, and I don’t believe his platform will materially help families like mine. I think his policies are likely to harm. I don’t think he was the right person to make those comments. But I was struck by his willingness to speak frankly about the painful parts of my child’s life. I don’t care if my child ever pays taxes — but I do care that she may never have the opportunity to work or live independently. She did not destroy my family, but I live in constant fear for her safety. I care deeply about her quality of life, and the limited options ahead. I appreciated his acknowledgment, because most of the time, families like mine are invisible.

The “center-leftist” siding with a literal Nazi and not realising the only reason he’s acknowledging them is to dehumanise them.

My daughter turns 7 next month. I’ve long accepted that I may never hear her call me mom. I have grieved a million tiny deaths of the things I once assumed would be.

And there we have it, it’s not about her child, it’s about her. She became a parent because she wanted a “normal child” and now selfishly feels entitled to a “normal child” so she can fit in with societal expectations. The child is a mark of social progression to her, like a car or a home. When you have a child you shouldn’t assume they will be anything you expected, they are an independent life that you are devoting yourself to ensuring their best life, not a pet.