In a short article, Newsweek's Claudia Kolb addresses the issue of Jett Travolta's diagnosis, and presents an idea as to why it matters. Kolb, like me, holds out a hope that there may be at least some small positive outcome from a tragic event:
Consensus on Jett's diagnosis could inspire some much-needed kindness and support in the autism world, for both the Travolta's and for the entire autism community. Travolta also has star power, of course, and his acknowledgment, no matter how private, could help eliminate the rampaging stigma that too often accompanies the condition.Thanks, Claudia.Something good should come out of Jett Travolta's tragic death. In this case, a public acknowledgment of autism—along with the end of some nasty, speculative, counter-productive infighting—might just be it. It would raise awareness and put a face to the disorder: the face of a young man who was loved not for his diagnosis, but for who he was.
I’m not sure why after death revealing a child had autism would in any way bring any good to that child’s memory or the autism community at all. The Travolta’s on many accounts publicly denied their child had autism, yet no one will accept that. Some portion of a police report is not valid enough for me that this child had autism.
Just because of the Travolta’s ’star power’ doesn’t lead to the expectation they should make anything public that they don’t want to, and I highly doubt one ’star power’ has enough power to at all help remove that rampaging sigma autism carries. If that was the case, McCarthy alone should be enough to help that and if that was the case us plain parents are here for nothing. What this Claudia is saying is that the autism community needs actors and actresses in order to make change.
“It would raise awareness and put a face to the disorder: the face of a young man who was loved not for his diagnosis, but for who he was.”
Think about that statement…. forcing the Travolta’s to make a statement about autism means we of the autism community are demanding to know if he had autism or not, but we cant love him for who he was not knowing if he had autism or not???? How many faces of autism does one need anyway?
The autism community continues to publish things that force this very sad death unto this family, so that they have to make another statement to the public. “along with the end of some nasty, speculative, counter-productive infighting…” The only people who wont leave this family along is those of the autism community. I cant think of any reason why this family would want to join that infighting community, which exactly what this article is, counter-productive infighting.
I wonder who else in Hollywood has a child one suspects of autism that we can pick on.
Has anyone out in the world consider that this boy’s family considered his condition a FAMILY MATTER, and chose not to publicly admit not just out of denial but to protect the boy himself? With the press and all I wouldn’t admit publicaly either. I can imagine the meltdowns now.
Taking into account the frequency of Jett’s seizures (one every fourth day), it is hard to understand how his parents could take him in remote places like this resort in the Bahamas or a safari in Kenya.