These Celebrity Parents Have Gotten Real About Raising Kids with Autism
Today, autism affects as many as 1 in 36 children. according to the most recent data from the CDC. The increasing prevalence of this disorder over the last several years has encouraged many to speak out, calling for more education and research surrounding the causes and treatment for this disorder. With so many celebrities who have kids with an autism diagnosis, it is hardly surprising to see them using their platform to bring attention to this life-changing diagnosis, raising money and supporting others who are seeking answers and treatment for their own children.
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Continue reading for a look at celebrities with kids on the autism spectrum, and what they’ve done (and are still doing!) to change the world for their kids — and other kids on the spectrum.
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Brendan Fraser
Image Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA Brendan Fraser’s oldest son, Griffin, was diagnosed with autism around age 2. In a 2023 interview with Howard Stern, Fraser talked about his son’s autism, a diagnosis which he said made him feel “crestfallen” at first.
“You’re just hit with a baseball bat in the back of the side of the head. Like what? This isn’t the way it’s supposed to turn out,” he said. “You blame yourself and you think, ‘my genealogy or ‘I smoked weed in college,’ you start blaming yourself over the reasons why.”
Despite his initial reaction to the diagnosis, Fraser spoke at the Greenwich International Film Festival’s Inspiration Talk and Award Ceremony of advocating for his son. “[T]here are so many people who are there to help, and it’s up to us, their parents, their families, their loved ones, to just have the courage to ask for it,” Fraser said. “And we can all do this together.”
Of Griffin, Fraser said, “He doesn’t know what cynicism is. You can’t insult him. He can’t insult you. He’s the happiest person and is, in my life and many others’, also the manifestation of love.”
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Rosie O’Donnell
Image Credit: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images Comedian and actor Rosie O’Donnell’s daughter Dakota was diagnosed with autism at age 2, which O’Donnell admits initially made her feel scared.
“I was worried about how she would make it in this world,” O’Donnell told People. “I worried about my longevity, because as you speak to parents of kids with autism, their main worry is what happens when they die. Who’s going to love their child and understand them the way you do?”
In an essay, O’Donnell wrote of her daughter, whom she calls “a gift”, “You can read as much as possible, but they say when you meet one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. It’s a spectrum. For me — it’s like an angel fell into my life. One who doesn’t function by societal standards. I’m not taking away from the pain and hardship that this diagnosis brings to families. All of a sudden, there’s a child with a lot of needs and you spend a lot of time trying to connect on their level. It’s not easy — but it’s necessary to let them know they are seen.”
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Robert De Niro
Image Credit: Getty Images of North America Robert De Niro has always kept his children mostly out of the spotlight — but in 2016 he revealed that his son Elliot, with ex-wife Grace Hightower, has an autism diagnosis. In 2019, Elliot De Niro was featured today on ESPN as part of the “Special Olympics: 50 Game Changers” series, and the senior De Niro opened up about how playing tennis helped Elliot develop.
“Finding things for kids to do is a hard part of the whole situation with parents of kids with special needs,” De Niro said. “[Playing tennis] helps him. He is more confident when he sees that he is actually good at this. That’s the best self-motivator anyone can have.”
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Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley
Image Credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley’s son Greyson was diagnosed with autism in 2018, and the Jersey Shore alum has been outspoken about her efforts to advocate for him — even when it comes to his dad, ex-husband Roger Mathews.
“Roger believed that Greyson was a slow learner and he was going to learn on his own,” Farley told MTV in 2019. “That caused a lot of tension in our household because we have one parent like, ‘I need to get ahead of this and fix it,’ which is me, and then you got another parent like, ‘What are you doing? It’s not a big deal.’”
After putting her son in “four or five different therapies,” Farley reported seeing a huge improvement. “Watching Greyson’s journey brings me to tears and fills me with so much pride and joy,” she captioned a 2019 YouTube video. “Grey’s progress is nothing short of amazing. I’m the proudest mama out there. Special thank you to his teachers and therapists at We Care Autism for their dedication and patience, and thank YOU for your continued love and support.”
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Sylvester Stallone
Image Credit: Getty Images North America Son of Sylvester Stallone, Seargeoh, was diagnosed with autism in 1982 when he was 3 years old. At the time, Stallone and Seargeoh’s mother, ex-wife Sasha Czack, were told that they should place their son in an institution. Stallone and Czack refused, instead opting to care for their son at home. Through homeschooling and therapy, Seargeoh made progress.
Following his diagnosis, the Stallones launched a research fund under the National Society for Children and Adults with Autism.
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Tisha Campbell
Image Credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA Tisha Campbell’s son Xen was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 months, and since then, Campbell has been dedicated to promoting understanding, awareness, and tolerance — especially among the Black community. Along with D.L. Hughley’s wife Laurie, Campbell founded a nonprofit organization called Colored My Mind, and later teamed up with four other mothers of autistic kids to produce a short film by the same name.
“We made a short film [about autism] called Colored My Mind to address issues like the fact that most African-American children get diagnosed two to three years after their Caucasian counterparts,” Campbell told Essence.
Campbell also co-authored a children’s book, My Brother Doesn’t Want to Play: Autism From a Sibling’s Perspective.
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Holly Robinson Peete
Image Credit: Jeffrey Mayer/JTMPhotos, Int'l. Television actress Holly Robinson Peete and her husband Rodney Peete, former NFL quarterback, have four children together. RJ and Ryan, their oldest children, are twins. Although both twins developed typically, they noticed a big change in RJ around 2 years old.
After RJ’s autism diagnosis, the Peetes expanded their nonprofit organization, the HollyRod Foundation, to include help for families affected by autism (previously, the foundation had focused only on Parkinson’s disease).
Robinson Peete has talked openly about the extensive therapy she and her husband sought for RJ; she felt it was important to advocate for autism awareness on a public platform.
“When I look back and see RJ, this strapping young man who’s 20 and has a job — he’s doing all these things that I was told he would never do,” she told People in 2018. “It really makes you emotional, because I can’t believe he’s come so far, and I’m still so blessed.”
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D.L. Hughley
Image Credit: Getty Images Comedian D.L. Hughley’s son Kyle was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. Hughley opened up about Kyle on the OWN Network, where he talked about his son’s highly-regimented schedule — and Hughley’s emotional reaction when Kyle unexpectedly wanted to divert from it.
“He goes to work at the same time. He eats the same thing,” Hughley said. When Kyle wanted to put gas in his own car, it was a huge step that made Hughley anxious. He broke down as he explained: “I’m a nervous wreck … So he comes back in and he gives me the receipt and the keys … and I could not stop crying, because he did something he was afraid to do … I just didn’t believe he could do it. He did it. And I held him and I said, ‘You’re gonna be all right.’ And I think sometimes I don’t know for sure, but he’s gonna be fine,” Hughley said. “He’ll be fine.”
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Shawn Stockman
Image Credit: Getty Images North America Boyz II Men member Shawn Stockman and his wife Sharhonda name parenting their son Micah, who has autism, as one of the most challenging things they have faced in their lives. Shawn and Sharhonda spend a lot of time advocating for autism awareness and raising funds to support other families facing the same challenge through their organization Micah’s Voice.
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Toni Braxton
Image Credit: KWKC/MEGA Singer-songwriter Toni Braxton has spoken openly about her son Diezel’s autism diagnosis. “It’s been rewarding to see how he’s grown, but I remember when I first found out. I remember blaming myself; I thought it was my fault,” she told OK magazine in 2011. “I wish I knew what triggered it. Still, often, as a mom, I blame myself. I didn’t take my vitamins every day … maybe it was the medications I was on before I got pregnant.”
She added, “They haven’t figured out what triggers it, but whatever it is, I don’t care, find a cure. Help my kid; help all the other kids.”
Diezel has made remarkable progress since first being diagnosed, and Toni largely credits an early diagnosis and intervention along with the resources provided by the Autism Speaks foundation. He has had a modeling contract with Wilhemina and enrolled in Howard University.
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Stephen Stills
Image Credit: Getty Images for The Recording A At 3 years old, Henry Stills, son of Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Stephen and his wife, Kristen, have been an active part of advocating for autism awareness. According to Kristen, Henry did not regress like many parents report. Instead, he had always been different, and some of his first symptoms included compulsively spinning things and lining up toy cars.
The Stills have been active in fundraising and advocating for autism awareness, and Stephen has done performances to benefit Autism Speaks.
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Deron Williams
Image Credit: PGA TOUR/Getty NBA star Deron Williams has been a voice for spreading autism awareness ever since his adopted son was first diagnosed with autism at 18 months. Williams advocates strongly for early diagnosis, as he has seen the benefit of quick intervention in his own son’s life. Williams created a foundation, Point of Hope Foundation, and hosts regular fundraisers to help fund autism education.
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Jenny McCarthy
Image Credit: MEGA Jenny McCarthy’s son Evan was diagnosed with autism in 2007. “It started with hand flapping,” the Louder Than Words author told Us Magazine. She was initially hesitant to believe the diagnosis, but then admitted, “‘This man is right.’ I felt like death.”
Since sharing Evan’s diagnosis with the world in 2007, McCarthy has been vocal about autism awareness, even telling CNBC that advocating for kids with autism has become her calling: “My reason for being famous was to deliver this message.”
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John Travolta and Kelly Preston
Image Credit: FilmMagic/ Getty Images Jett, son of John Travolta and the late Kelly Preston, first began to display symptoms associated with autism after suffering from Kawasaki disease at age 2. Sadly, Jett passed away in 2009 at the age of 16 after experiencing a seizure on a family vacation.
Neither Travolta or Preston opened up about Jett’s autism diagnosis until after Jett’s death. In 2012, Preston said, “I strongly believe as a mother, as does my husband, that there are certain contributing factors that lead to autism.” She (likely incorrectly) theorized that taking antibiotics while pregnant, a prenatal bout with food poisoning, and her “fast and hard” labor contributed to Jett’s autism diagnosis.
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Joe Mantegna
Image Credit: Getty Images North America Mia, daughter to television actor Joe Mantegna, was delivered prematurely via C-section after an infection in the umbilical cord put her life at risk. When Mia was a toddler, they noticed her symptoms had grown more pronounced than those typical to babies born prematurely, and she was struggling to interact with other kids her age. Mia was diagnosed with autism in 1990 and currently lives a full life as a thriving adult.
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Tommy Hilfiger
Image Credit: Ron Adar / M10s / MEGA Designer Tommy Hilfiger and his wife Dee have said that three of their seven children have been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.
“Early intervention is really the key,” Hilfiger told Good Morning America.”If you sense that your child is off in any way … if they’re not responding or if they seem like they’re in their own world, you should get them tested, and the earlier you get them tested, the sooner you can intervene.”
His wife added, “[O]nce the child is diagnosed, I think the most helpful thing for us and for other parents is to seek out other parents. When you receive that diagnosis, it can be quite devastating but I think seeking out the support of friends made a big, big difference for us.”
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Dan Marino
Image Credit: Getty Images North America Michael, son to former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, was diagnosed with autism at age 2 after his parents began to notice significant delays in his development. Michael was able to receive intensive therapy right away and now lives a very rewarding life.
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Doug Flutie
Image Credit: Getty Images Former NFL player and Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, along with his wife Laurie, established their own foundation in honor of their son Dougie, who was diagnosed with autism when he stopped developing normally around age 3. The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism has raised millions of dollars to support families affected by autism spectrum disorders.
Dougie, who is now an adult, is low-functioning and nonverbal and lives with his parents — but attends the Scott Center for Autism during the day and is thriving.
“Dougie has taught us to keep our lives in the right perspective. He has taught us to take it one day at a time, don’t take anything for granted and appreciate everything about life, especially the small things,” Flutie said on the Flutie Foundation’s website. “But most especially he has taught us how to smile and be happy and look at every aspect of life in the most positive way possible.”
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Jacqueline Laurita
Image Credit: WireImage/ Getty Images The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jacqueline Laurita hasn’t shied away from talking about her son Nicholas’ autism diagnosis. Focusing on his treatment, which Jacqueline has reported is going well, and stress were the main reasons Jacqueline cited for taking a step away from the reality show.
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Aidan Quinn
Image Credit: Getty Images North America Elementary star Aidan Quinn has been very vocal about his daughter Mia’s autism diagnosis. He described Mia as a perfectly normal child until she had an adverse reaction to vaccinations she recieved as a baby. Today, Mia has severe autism symptoms and lives as an adult in a special needs treatment facility.
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Gary Cole
Image Credit: WireImage/Getty Images In 1995, The Good Wife star Gary Cole recieved the difficult news that his daughter, Mary, had autism. At the time, he admitted to knowing very little about autism but has been shocked to see the incidents of the disorder grow so quickly over the last 20 years. Cole believes extensive and regular therapy has played to biggest role in allowing his daughter to grow up to live a fairly normal life.
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