Who Knew

by Craig Wiesner - San Mateo Daily Journal - May 5, 2025

When I was 15 I found a new group of friends, which, looking back now, reminds me of the gang from the movie The Breakfast Club. I’ll call the “Bad Boy” of our group Danny. He was incredibly talented at fixing just about anything and especially good at getting us into places and situations that were supposed to be off limits. Our bikes provided our freedom to get out of our poorer neighborhoods in Rockaway, boisterously heading across the border into wealthier Nassau County where the police were frequently on our tails. When anything went wrong with any of our bikes, Danny had them back doing wheelies quickly. Danny was brilliant, funny, kind, but an absolute failure in school, only doing well in Woodshop and PE. 

Danny’s basement bedroom had its own backyard entrance, and he rarely seemed to interact with his parents. One afternoon in his room I noticed a note on his wall, a reminder to see the movie Deliverance. The odd thing was that several letters were written backwards. “Hey Danny,” I said. “What’s up with Deliverance? Why are those letters backwards?” He said they weren’t. I have no memory of how I had learned about dyslexia but I was pretty sure Danny had it. I took Danny to the really hip school counselor the next day and showed him the note and, yep, it was dyslexia. Dyslexia wasn’t widely recognized until the 1980s. Today we know it affects around 20% of the population. Who knew? 

Fast Forward: A teenager and his mom were browsing through our shop one afternoon a while ago and when I asked if I could help the teenager said “What books do you have about Autism?” I took a few titles off the shelves. He said “No. These are all personal stories or fiction. I want something with statistics. I’m writing a paper for school.” I found the perfect book. I asked “How did you choose this subject?” “I have autism.” He responded with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. His mother was standing behind him, looking quite proud. Having experience with a dear friend’s son, who was more obviously on the spectrum, this boy’s speaking skills, his ability to look right at me, surprised me. Of course that reminded me of a quote in one of the books I had recommended. “If you know one person with autism, you know ONE person with autism.” Yup, it is truly a spectrum! 

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has had a fixation on autism for a long time, recently making some very inflammatory comments about people with it. He has opined that autism didn’t seem to exist until recently, questioning why it has become so prevalent with 1 out of 31 people believed to be somewhere on the spectrum, and said most cases are now “severe,” that “autism destroys families,” and that people with autism “will never pay taxes, never hold a job, never play baseball, never write a poem, never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.” He is so profoundly wrong and what he is saying is profoundly hurtful and dangerous. History has shown us what happens to people a government deems as serving no use to society. 

Yes, in recent decades the number of people diagnosed with autism has increased substantially, but one reason for that increase is that we have a better understanding of autism and better tools for diagnosing the condition. Is it worthwhile to research potential causes for autism? Of course. But Kennedy is among those who promote the debunked theory that vaccines are the cause, though he now seems to be focusing on food color dyes as well. I have no objection to scientific research, but the announcement that Kennedy will create a database of people with autism to “study them” frightens me. Lists like that can be used for very bad purposes. Will Kennedy’s beliefs also result in DOGE style slashing of funding for programs for children and adults with autism? They’ve already started doing just that.

I know people with autism. They are awesome, funny, sometimes annoying, loving, silly, brilliant, goofy, passionate, tall and short. They face challenges, overcome adversity, have tough lives, good lives, good days and bad. Their families ADORE them. They are just like all of us and deserve anything and everything we can do to make their lives as beautiful as possible, because they make our lives beautiful. Please speak out against cuts to programs that support people with autism and when you hear completely false information speak the truth louder. 

We didn’t know about dyslexia or autism until we did. Pluto wasn’t discovered until 1930. They all existed. Who knew?

Craig Wiesner is the co-owner of Reach And Teach, a book, toy and cultural gift shop on San Carlos Avenue in San Carlos. Follow Craig: craigwiesner.bsky.social.