While RFK Jr was talking about profoundly autistic people who can't take care of themselves and will never do basic things, while I was never as severe, I wasn't that far above that. Schools told me I was dumb, failed 10th grade, dropped out in 11th grade, GPA of 2.5 in college, jobs all fired me for being slow and socially inept. I'll never be able to have a good paying career job and exist in the normal world. I'm too autistic and not smart enough. I was pushed to find a husband and get married because I had no hope of survival.

I'm literally too autistic to have friends and romantic relationships. All the issues and fights I've ever had in friendships and relationships were caused by my autistic traits. I couldn't handle all the touching from cuddling and affection in dating without getting so easily sensory overwhelmed I'd have a crying rocking hysterical meltdown. Then they'd get mad at me. So I've just said fuck people. RFK says autistic people "will never go on dates" so guess that's accurate for me.

I think about it often how much easier my life would be if I were a smart high functioning autistic. But I'm not.

So hearing RFK Jr call people like me a disease that needs to be cured and that I'm a burden who destroyed my family. I was the kid whose parents resented me because of my autism and how "difficult" I was. So hearing that speech hurt. Really hurt. I cried after watching that speech. I'm not a disease.