logo
Autism is ‘not a superpower, not a curse,' but federal changes raise fears of discrimination, stigma

Autism is ‘not a superpower, not a curse,' but federal changes raise fears of discrimination, stigma

Yahoo06-05-2025

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
Lila Coburn is a college student, activist and autistic Kentuckian. (Photo provided)
As a child, Lila Coburn was considered a 'hard kid.'
She was bullied, found it difficult to make friends and struggled in math while excelling in English classes.
Then, at 11 years old, Coburn found out she had autism.
'I didn't really know what autism was. So it was scary, because … I thought of it as a disease. That's all I had heard it portrayed as, and I didn't know what to think. I thought I might die of a heart attack,' explained Louisville's Coburn, a sophomore majoring in sociology at Centre College in Danville.
She felt 'an immense sense of relief' when a therapist explained autism to her, and life started to make sense.
'It made me understand, once therapists started explaining it to me, that I wasn't alone and that this was who I was, and eventually I understood it to be who I was meant to be as well,' said Coburn, who is a leader and student advocate with her campus' Disabled Students Alliance.
Therapists who work with Kentuckians diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder say there are deep-rooted misconceptions about autism that lead to stigma, including the debunked yet pervasive myth that vaccines cause autism. While there isn't one known cause of autism, it's largely hereditary, according to the UCLA School of Medicine.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's appointee, has also peddled misinformation about autism that experts say further stigmatizes people.
Speaking of children with autism, Kennedy recently said: 'These are kids who will never pay taxes. They'll never hold a job. They'll never play baseball. They'll never write a poem. They'll never go out on a date.'
His comments quickly drew criticism from experts and people whose experiences prove those statements false.
Kennedy has also promised to find 'the environmental toxins … that are causing' autism within months.
'We know, as scientists, you don't do research like that,' said Qusayy Godbolt, who has a doctorate in applied behavior and learning and runs his own practice, Godbolt Behavioral Consulting, in Hopkinsville.
Putting an end date to research, said Godbolt, 'sounds like some confirmation bias might be coming out a little later.'
What is autism — and how does it manifest?
Qusayy Godbolt is a United States Army veteran, who served with the 101st Airborne Division and an applied behaviorist who treats a variety of mental health issues. He's the president and owner of his own practice, Godbolt Behavioral Consulting. (Photo provided)
Godbolt, who is also an Army veteran, has worked with children and adults who have autism for many years. He said the name itself — autism spectrum disorder — should key people in: autism exists on a spectrum and can look very different person to person.
'I got people who live independently. I have married couples who have autism — or one or the other has autism. It depends on the individual,' he explained, and cautioned against generalizing. 'When you've met one person with autism, that's exactly what you've met: one person with autism.'
Some people who have autism may have learning delays, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some may also have trouble in social settings, according to the CDC.
Dataya Hooks, a therapist with Louisville Mental Health Group, said some people may have trouble processing audio in loud environments.
Often, children who have autism will practice 'stimming,' she said — self-stimulating behaviors that may include flapping hands in excitement. The Cleveland Clinic reports stimming can help regulate emotions.
'I've seen so many different cases. And while some (people) might stim this way, some might not stim at all,' Hooks said. 'Or while some are verbal, some aren't verbal. So it just looks different.'
Godbolt said autism-related behaviors can vary greatly.
'You may have somebody with autism who's struggling with being vocal or using the latrine appropriately or … you might have someone that their main problem is socially interacting.'
Coburn, who also has several other diagnoses and is a wheelchair user, requires help with cleaning, cooking and other household tasks. She sometimes has difficulty with auditory processing and executive functioning as well. She cited rigid thinking as another trait of her autism, which leads her to 'ruminate' on conversations she's had.
'It's a really hard thing to live with. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it,' Coburn said. 'And it's something that can be very sugarcoated, especially when people with different support needs aren't highlighted.'
The hardest part, however, is loneliness, she said.
'Frequently in my school, at least … I have been isolated … to the point where people will full-on ignore me, even if I'm talking to them, and it's hard,' Coburn said. 'But also, I will say that I wouldn't change the fact that I'm autistic. I know some people would. I would not. It's made me who I am, and it's given me a chance to advocate for other autistic people and for society to improve conditions. Because a lot of the stuff that autistic people experience could be lessened by improvements to the accessibility of society.'
Godbolt acknowledged people with autism may need a variety of supports — noise-canceling headphones for coping with overstimulation, for example.
But, he said, everyone uses supports in their day-to-day lives — from alarm clocks to calendars — so using aids to access the world shouldn't be stigmatized.
Dataya Hooks is a clinical social worker in Louisville. She holds a master's of science in social work and works with both adults and children who have autism. (Photo provided)
Hooks said this need for resources could be a factor in why autism is often so politicized.
'When you think of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), the need for resources isn't as much as someone with autism may need,' she said . 'Maybe other people feel that they are disrupting society or things like that, when in reality, they're not. I think it just depends on how you view that person and what you're willing to understand and learn and educate yourself on.'
Parents, too, need to learn to recognize behaviors that might indicate autism instead of misinterpreting them as simple misbehavior, Hooks said.
'I think a lot of times it's just seen as, 'Oh, they're a bad child,' rather than: 'They have this diagnosis that's just not even in the open yet, and so it's hard for them to even deal with it because they don't have the tools to do so,'' Hooks said.
'It's not a superpower.'
Lila Coburn and her service dog, Atticus, 6. (Photo provided)
When Coburn found out she had autism, she had to educate herself on the spectrum and defeat misconceptions from television and movies.
'One of the biggest misconceptions out there too, is that it's a superpower. And it's not a superpower. It's not a curse either, but it's a lifelong disability. I didn't understand that at the time, obviously, as I was 11, but it really helped me as I began to age to know what was going on,' she said.
'It's a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability, and a lot of people just … see it as Sheldon Cooper,' Coburn added, referencing a scientist in 'The Big Bang Theory' who some fans of the television show have theorized is autistic. 'The reality is that's not what autism looks like for a lot of people. It is what it looks like for some, but for the vast majority, that is not true.'
Kentuckians who live with autism need more awareness and education about autism, which in turn can decrease stigma, the therapists and Coburn said.
For Coburn, 'the most important thing is, honestly, hands off our Department of Education,' she said.
The Trump administration has signaled it wants to see the U,S, Education Department dismantled, which could upend the government's ability to guard against discrimination through its Office of Civil Rights.
'That's what protects autistic people — and disabled children are able to go to school because of the Department of Education, and because of laws like the ADA and the IDEA and the idea that that would be taken away would be disastrous, because there would be no protections,' Coburn said. 'And if there are no protections, people might think, 'Oh, no one would kick a disabled child out of school because of their disability,' but … the disability community knows that's not true. It would happen. It's only a matter of time.'
For Coburn, no other policy is more pressing. The department ensures that students are not discriminated against based on disability and that schools provide auxiliary aids as needed, such as interpreters and talking calculators.
'I think that we can't worry about anything else until we know that our Department of Education is safe,' Coburn said. 'At least it's very hard to think about other policies until we know that.'
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Lost Colony' of Roanoke may have assimilated into Indigenous society, archaeologist claims — but not everyone is convinced
'Lost Colony' of Roanoke may have assimilated into Indigenous society, archaeologist claims — but not everyone is convinced

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

'Lost Colony' of Roanoke may have assimilated into Indigenous society, archaeologist claims — but not everyone is convinced

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Archaeologists have uncovered two large piles of iron flakes on North Carolina's Hatteras Island that they say are evidence of a 16th-century "Lost Colony" of English settlers who disappeared in 1587. But some experts are unconvinced and say more evidence is needed. "We've been digging there for 10 years off and on," Mark Horton, an archaeology professor at the Royal Agricultural University in the U.K., told Live Science, "and I think the real breakthrough was the hammer scale mixed in with 16th-century artifacts." Hammer scale is a flaky byproduct of traditional blacksmithing. When iron is heated, a thin layer of iron oxide can form, which is then crushed into small pieces as the blacksmith hammers the iron. "The colonists must have been desperate for a type of material that they otherwise didn't have," Horton said. "They're forging new iron artifacts from the material that they've got with them," he said, to make "new nails for building houses or ships." Horton studies the Lost Colony, a group of about 120 English settlers who arrived on Roanoke Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks in 1587. The colonists struggled to survive and sent their leader, John White, back to England for supplies. When White returned in 1590, he couldn't find his compatriots — but he discovered the word "CROATOAN" carved into wood. For centuries, historians and archaeologists have been puzzled by the disappearance of the colony. They've wondered whether the Croatoan tribe killed the settlers or whether the English moved elsewhere, perhaps to live with members of the Croatoan tribe on what is now called Hatteras Island. Related: Jamestown colonists killed and ate the dogs of Indigenous Americans "But then last summer, we did an excavation on Hatteras Island, and we found hammer scale in a pit underneath a thick shell midden that contains virtually no European material in it at all," Horton said, adding that he thinks the English basically assimilated into the Indigenous tribe. Radiocarbon dating of the layer of dirt in which the hammer scale was found suggests its age aligns with the Lost Colony. Since hammer scale is waste and not something that is traded, and because the Indigenous people are not known to have used iron forging technology, this iron trash strongly suggests that the English settlers made it to Hatteras Island in the late 16th century, Horton said. His group's finding has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. The new discovery fits in well with historical and archaeological information, Kathleen DuVal, a history professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Live Science. "It absolutely makes sense that the Lost Colony would have moved to Hatteras Island," DuVal said. "They wrote exactly where they were going: to Croatoan." But not everyone is convinced by the piles of hammer scale. "I would like to see a hearth if we're talking about forging activity," Charles Ewen, a professor emeritus of archaeology at East Carolina University, told Live Science. And even then, the hammer scale may be from Indigenous people's repurposing of the colonists' items for their own use, Ewen said, or it could even be trash from 16th-century explorers and settlers who stopped over while sailing the Gulf Stream up the East Coast. "The hammer scale is just not doing it for me without good context — and without a report, I'm not seeing good context," he said. Horton said that, with archaeological excavations largely complete at the site — which is on private land, with cooperation from the landowner — he and his team plan to move forward with a publication. RELATED STORIES —Bear hair and fish weirs: Meet the Indigenous people combining modern science with ancestral principles to protect the land —Ancient DNA reveals mysterious Indigenous group from Colombia that disappeared 2,000 years ago —Ancient Indigenous lineage of Blackfoot Confederacy goes back 18,000 years to last ice age, DNA reveals "The hammer scale is another piece of really compelling evidence that we've got," Horton said, "but there are still several loose ends." For example, it is still a mystery whether some of the colonists moved elsewhere and whether some of them died at the Roanoke Island or Hatteras Island settlements. Ewen, who co-authored the 2024 book "Becoming the Lost Colony: The History, Lore and Popular Culture of the Roanoke Mystery" (McFarland, 2024), said the archaeological and historical evidence does not clarify what happened to the Lost Colony. But he thinks that someday, the mystery might be solved, particularly "if we could find European burials that we could tie to the 16th century with European materials and not trade items," Ewen said.

Global Healthy Living Foundation Says Vaccine Committee Firings Before Respiratory Virus Season Creates High Risk Of Illness In the Chronic Disease Community
Global Healthy Living Foundation Says Vaccine Committee Firings Before Respiratory Virus Season Creates High Risk Of Illness In the Chronic Disease Community

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Global Healthy Living Foundation Says Vaccine Committee Firings Before Respiratory Virus Season Creates High Risk Of Illness In the Chronic Disease Community

HHS Interrupts "The Most Cost-Beneficial Intervention In Healthcare" UPPER NYACK, N.Y., June 10, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yesterday, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) removed all sitting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine use. While the groups such as the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF) recognize the Secretary's right to do this, the decision made just ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season puts at risk chronically ill patients who rely on vaccines to fight respiratory virus infections. ACIP is often critical in shaping public health strategies with its advisory recommendations. While the FDA-approved label remains the definitive, enforceable standard for how vaccines should be used in clinical practice, ACIP guidance often informs insurance company coverage, determines whether vaccines are free under the Affordable Care Act, provides healthcare provider protocols, and helps ensure vaccination campaign success , especially for vulnerable populations. "Removing the entire committee without immediate replacement or clear guidance creates uncertainty when COVID-19, flu, and RSV are expected to circulate widely in the coming months," said Robert, Popovian, PharmD, MS, GHLF's Chief Science Policy Officer. "Now is the time when the advisory committee makes its recommendations, and disruption in the advisory process could have profound implications for individuals with chronic illnesses who depend on timely vaccine access to protect themselves against these viruses. "We support the need for ACIP to remain independent, and we recognize the Secretary's authority to appoint new members," Dr. Popovian added. "But removing all members without naming successors or offering a timeline to replace them so close to respiratory season could delay essential recommendations. "Vaccines are the most cost-beneficial intervention in healthcare—we should do everything possible to maintain uninterrupted access to expert guidance including ensuring there is no gap in expert advice during this critical period for immunization planning," Dr. Popovian added. About GHLF The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a U.S. based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, international organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses by advocating for improved access to health care through education, patient-centered clinical research, support, advocacy, and economic and policy research. GHLF is also a staunch advocate for vaccines. The Global Healthy Living Foundation is the parent organization of CreakyJoints®, the international, digital community for millions of people living with arthritis and their supporters worldwide who seek education, support, activism, and patient-centered research in English, Spanish, and French. In addition to arthritis and autoimmune disorders, GHLF supports dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, rare disease, and pulmonary patients through a host of different programs and activities which draw more than 700,000 patients a month to GHLF websites and create more than 10 million impressions a month on seven social media platforms. In 2024, GHLF had more than 1 million views and listens with its patient-centered audio-visual content, found on YouTube and podcast platforms. GHLF never asks the public for donations, receiving funding instead through governments, non-governmental organizations, foundations, industry, family foundations, and GHLF Co-Founder Louis Tharp. Visit for more information. View source version on Contacts Louis TharpLTHARP@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Global Healthy Living Foundation Says Vaccine Committee Firings Before Respiratory Virus Season Creates High Risk Of Illness In the Chronic Disease Community
Global Healthy Living Foundation Says Vaccine Committee Firings Before Respiratory Virus Season Creates High Risk Of Illness In the Chronic Disease Community

Business Wire

time4 hours ago

  • Business Wire

Global Healthy Living Foundation Says Vaccine Committee Firings Before Respiratory Virus Season Creates High Risk Of Illness In the Chronic Disease Community

BUSINESS WIRE)--Yesterday, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) removed all sitting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine use. Vaccines are the most cost-beneficial intervention in healthcare While the groups such as the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF) recognize the Secretary's right to do this, the decision made just ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season puts at risk chronically ill patients who rely on vaccines to fight respiratory virus infections. ACIP is often critical in shaping public health strategies with its advisory recommendations. While the FDA-approved label remains the definitive, enforceable standard for how vaccines should be used in clinical practice, ACIP guidance often informs insurance company coverage, determines whether vaccines are free under the Affordable Care Act, provides healthcare provider protocols, and helps ensure vaccination campaign success , especially for vulnerable populations. 'Removing the entire committee without immediate replacement or clear guidance creates uncertainty when COVID-19, flu, and RSV are expected to circulate widely in the coming months,' said Robert, Popovian, PharmD, MS, GHLF's Chief Science Policy Officer. 'Now is the time when the advisory committee makes its recommendations, and disruption in the advisory process could have profound implications for individuals with chronic illnesses who depend on timely vaccine access to protect themselves against these viruses. 'We support the need for ACIP to remain independent, and we recognize the Secretary's authority to appoint new members,' Dr. Popovian added. 'But removing all members without naming successors or offering a timeline to replace them so close to respiratory season could delay essential recommendations. 'Vaccines are the most cost-beneficial intervention in healthcare—we should do everything possible to maintain uninterrupted access to expert guidance including ensuring there is no gap in expert advice during this critical period for immunization planning,' Dr. Popovian added. About GHLF The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a U.S. based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, international organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses by advocating for improved access to health care through education, patient-centered clinical research, support, advocacy, and economic and policy research. GHLF is also a staunch advocate for vaccines. The Global Healthy Living Foundation is the parent organization of CreakyJoints®, the international, digital community for millions of people living with arthritis and their supporters worldwide who seek education, support, activism, and patient-centered research in English, Spanish, and French. In addition to arthritis and autoimmune disorders, GHLF supports dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, rare disease, and pulmonary patients through a host of different programs and activities which draw more than 700,000 patients a month to GHLF websites and create more than 10 million impressions a month on seven social media platforms. In 2024, GHLF had more than 1 million views and listens with its patient-centered audio-visual content, found on YouTube and podcast platforms. GHLF never asks the public for donations, receiving funding instead through governments, non-governmental organizations, foundations, industry, family foundations, and GHLF Co-Founder Louis Tharp. Visit for more information.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store