Autism is a complex neurological disorder that affects approximately 1 in 150 children. There are many people in the entertainment industry and the media who have believed for some time that John Travolta’s son, Jett, had autism.
Jett recently died in the Bahamas, and was reported to have had a seizure, something that is frequent with autistic children and with those with Kawasaki syndrome. The Travoltas claimed their son had the latter malady.
Autistic children need to have special education and support that is life-long, according to authorities. Many are able to live relatively satisfactory lives if they have appropriate education, family support and services. The
Autism Society of America points out that it is treatable. The organization, and the medical professionals that treat autism, believe that early identification and treatment are critical to an individual being able to develop and live a productive life. Medical interventions as well as psychological and educational are considered to be part of the spectrum of treatment.
For several years people have been speculating about whether or not John Travolta. The New York post was recently quoted in a
forum that people in the entertainment industry had been concerned about Travolta’s son for some time and worried that the denial that his son Jett had autism might be the result of Scientology teachings. They also were said to be concerned because other film stars have been public about autism and believe, as professionals do, that treatment for it is critical.
Blogs and mainstream news are all taking up the issue about autism, just one day after Travolta’s son died. Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, have stressed that their son Jett had Kawasaki syndrome, a medical condition that can cause seizures, but that according to sources discussing
the subject usually affects only very young children.
An autopsy is to be performed on Travolta’s son to identify the cause of death,
according to reports. That will not, however, give definitive answers about whether or not Jett Travolta had autism.
Scientologists, beginning with its founder L. Ron Hubbard, have been opposed to the fields of
psychiatry and psychology. They don’t believe in either psychoanalytic or biological methods, both areas of human behavior study and counsel that are quite different. Autism falls under the aegis of the behavioral and biological sciences connected with psychiatry.
