Support for Kennedy

We are finally getting ourselves heard. Secretary Kennedy read our letters, and now he knows that we nonspeakers are behind him. The people who are diagnosed with autism and who can speak, and who don’t want a cure, can shut up. If they want to stay “autistic,” no one is stopping them. But if we don’t, you have a hell of a nerve trying to stop the research that can help us. 

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Letter to Secretary Kennedy

Dear Secretary Kennedy: 
 
I am one of the fortunate few nonspeakers diagnosed with autism who can talk by spelling out my words. My name is Anthony Piccolino, and I am lucky that my parents never gave up on me. I not only cannot speak with my mouth, I am also completely reliant upon my family for care. On top of that I also have hellish OCD that rules our lives. So I not only have to live as a nonspeaker, but I also have horrible compulsions that at times make me aggressive. I have punched my mother and brother more times than I can count. And then I am living with the guilt on top of everything. 
 
I am begging for help. I don’t want to live this way for the rest of my life.  To downplay the suffering we undergo and inflict on our families is a tragedy.  We are the throw-aways of society.  We are shoved into stupid daycare programs when we are 21 or 22 and there we will remain for the rest of our horrendous lives. 
 
I believe that we are the most damaged people on earth. As severe as my symptoms are, I am still incredibly lucky: I can talk by spelling and my family can care for me.  We suffer literally every day of our lives. Those people with the other kind of autism do ot speak for us. My teacher, Judy, says that since most of us cannot spell or type for communication, we who can have a moral and ethical responsibility to speak for them.
 
Please help us. 
 
Sincerely,
Anthony Piccolino