00:00William Barnett, a young artistic YouTuber, uses his channel to push back against what he calls a wave of dehumanizing rioting in U.S. politics.
00:11For instance, President Trump and his allies labeled autism a horror show while making unsubstantiated proclamations that the condition stems from vaccines.
00:23I'd like to think that, you know, Trump and RK are doing this because they legitimately want to help us and parents, but I don't know if that's really the case.
00:35Barnett sees the White House language as misinformation that only serves to drum up fear among parents and stigmatize people like himself.
00:46He warns that such claims fuel fear and stigma instead of understanding, especially as new laws threaten to erode the rights of autistic people.
00:55Perhaps something positive for me at least that comes out of all of this negativity coming from the White House is that I have this platform to, you know, fight that.
01:06And it just makes the work more important and also more meaningful to be able to put it out there in this way.
01:13Autism spectrum disorder is a broad neurodevelopment diagnosis that encompasses challenges related to social skills, communication and behavior.
01:25According to the World Health Organization, a combination of genetic and environmental factors is likely involved in this disorder.
01:33The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that one in 31 children were found to have autism in 2022, an increase that's largely attributed to improved, broadened diagnosis methods along with growing awareness.
01:49Barnett received multiple diagnoses related to autism beginning at age three.
01:55The composer doesn't feel that way today.
01:58He has a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from New York University and has found that by embracing his diagnosis, his life has only grown richer.
02:07Barnett said he found a second home through the organization Autistic Adults NYC, an autistic-run non-profit organization.
02:17The group recently took part in New York's annual disability pride parade, a Manhattan march bringing together a diverse crowd of mentally and physically disabled people along with allies and partner.
02:30And it's hard being a neurodivergent person in this world.
02:34But still, it doesn't matter who you are, you still deserve to be treated as a human being.
02:40And it makes me really mad that they want to cure autism instead of trying to find a way to help us and support us.
02:49They want to strip away supports and services for us. And that just is not okay for me.
02:54We also contribute to society and we contribute to society in so many different ways than other people would.
03:00Because we have a different perspective of thinking. We think outside the box.
03:05Barnett says that many people with autism have it harder than he does.
03:10With far more severe symptoms, some parents have voiced feelings seen by Kennedy's descriptions of their struggles.
03:17I found a lot of acceptance coming out of the autistic closet.
03:21Like I used to just kind of hide it, you know, try to present as like normal, whatever that means.
03:27And I've actually found a lot of acceptance, you know, coming out of that closet and people have greater love and understanding for me.
03:35He said he's lucky he received support from his family at school and from specialists to be able to better cope with life in a world that isn't always accepting.
03:45With everything that's coming out of D.C. with like it just becomes even more important and more meaningful to be here and marching alongside each other and just feel the love and the community that we all have for each other.
03:59Both, you know, autistic people, developmentally disabled people.
04:03Barnett worked with experts including Elizabeth Lockson, a UCLA psychiatry professor whose decades of experience include developing social skills, programming for youth and adults.
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