Travolta's denial of his son's autism

[DAME]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 6:58pm

Just another thing that unnerves me about Scientology.
Travolta

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 7:59pm

Me too, honey. While it's his right to keep it private, denial is not the way to go about it. Think of how much publicity he could have brought to the disorder. Yes, it's getting out there now, but he could have put a face to it 15 years ago.

[DAME]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 8:20pm

Can you imagine the effort and energy that has been put into keeping this ut of the public eye? And for what?

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 8:46pm

He's an asshole.

[DAME]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:22pm

You know him?

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:35pm

Yep

[DAME]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:37pm

HD?

[Kringas]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:37pm

Were you lovers?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:39pm

His nickname is Johnny Boy, you know.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:40pm

Of course he's denying it; Scientology doesn't believe in mental illness. And it's really sad for his son, because if he'd been diagnosed at the right age, they could have done so much to help him.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:51pm

Off to Clearwater for a rundown for you, SporkG. Why are you such an SP?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:55pm

Lord Xenu's controlling me. As a psychology major, I am one of his minions, after all.

Or maybe we should just blame those damn Thetans.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:56pm

You will never be clear. Do you hear me? YOU WILL NEVER BE CLEAR.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:58pm

Noooo! I'm sorry, L.R. Hubbard!

[mesmerized24601]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:01pm

"Travolta sits there in interviews talking about how Jett loves to read or play sports, but it is clear that the boy can barely do either"

Just because he can "barely do" something doesnt mean he cant love it! I dont believe in the Scientology way of thinking but I dont like this article. I think it is great that he treats his son like any othr child, and recognizes his strengths!

[Elphaba]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:17pm

well then mes it's obvious that you have never had anyone close that was autistic, as if you had, you would know that early treatment changes everything.

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:20pm

i do agree with mesmerized. just beacuse someone isn't good at something doesn't mean they can't love it. i love to dance and i know i'm a spaz. but that doesn't stop me from loving it.

for all any of us know, travolta and his wife discuss it privetly and not with the public. my neighbor is severely autistic and mentally retarded. he's 21 years old and has lived here since he was 6 or 7. it was only a few years ago that his parents would talk about it with people. yes, it was obvious to us that he had something wrong with him, but we didn't treat him like he had anything wrong with him, we treated him like all the other kids in the neighborhood. and there's nothing wrong with that.

no one should have to go into details about their children's health or their own health just to "put a face to something"

and not everyone needs "early treatment"
everyone with autism is different. when i went to OT for the first time at age 20 they were amazed that i had basically taught myself everything that they teach to little kids in their "early treatment"

Updated On: 7/17/07 at 10:20 PM

[mesmerized24601]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:25pm

No, I do not have anyone close to me with the disese and do NOT want to pretend to know anything about it. I do however know that early detection can help in many cases.
I dont think that I was commenting on that though, I just dont like that the author makes it sound as though the child cant love reading and sports. Do you have someone close to you with the disease? Does he or she love things?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:25pm

Given Scientology's views towards mental illness, it is hard to put faith in the idea that Travolta privately accepts his son's disorder.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:29pm

No, that is true, Abba, but they say flat out that the does not have autism. There is a difference in being private about it and claiming that your son had a bad reaction to chemicals used to clean carpets when he was a baby.

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:29pm

I think Scientology would recommend getting more exercise and taking vitamins.

[mesmerized24601]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:32pm

Is there any type of proof that it is Autism his son has?

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:32pm

maybe he doesn't want his son to become "the face of autism".
not everyone with autism or who knows someone with autism buys into that whole "cure autism now" crap.
i dont usually like travolta but i do think he is doing a good thing by not pushing his son into the spotlight beacuse of a disorder he may or may not have.
i personally dont care if he talks about it or not. and i dont see why anyone else does either.
there are plenty of celebrities who talk about autism. it's not that big a loss that one doesn't.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:37pm

What Travolta should have done is gotten his son properly diagnosed, and then treated. You can't cure autism, but you can greatly improve an autistic person's functioning if you catch it early enough.

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:47pm

Indeed you can. A friend's baby showed signs very, very early in infancy. He didn't make eye contact when the mother held him and played with him. She brought it to her physician's attention, and mild autism was the diagnosis.

This child is normal now.