Sounds like a severe case of denial. I can't imagine letting religion interfer with my child's well being. My step daughter had Kawasaki Syndrome as a child. It was thought to be caused by carpet cleaner. She has child now and will only use enviromentally friendly cleaner and removes her son when she did have the carpets cleaned, and also said when they buy a house she won't have carpeting. That being said. The syndrome is very rare and has no known lasting neurological side affects. She does have a heard murmur.
You know, we are all anonymous here, so maybe people like the Travoltas actually get online and use support groups like this one. How else can they hook into autism education without anyone knowing? Its not like they can go to a monthly support group meeting.
If they don't want to publicly refute their religious dogma, fine. Maybe they need the emotional support of their congregation - don't any of you need that?
They seem like way too loving a couple not to get their son help...they just need to blame his condition on something else. Jett's probably getting all the speech, OT, PT, ABA that money can buy...and bless his sweet heart, he still has challenges of some sort. This family is in pain (and in joy) like ours. Be nice. Be tolerant. I would want people to treat me that way.
You know, not really defending anyone here, I don't know enough about them to defend, but just tossing up another thought on the other side, since we are all hashing this out. As the mother of a child on the spectrum, I would like to think that if I were a celebrity that I would be doing all that I could for my child and also doing as much as I could for autism awareness. However, with that being said, from what I have learned and realized about celebrities. especially lately, is that they have no private life. Not only no private life, but no respect, no ability to protect their dignity and way to control the media and the hounding of the press and paparatzi (spelling). Just look at the Anna Nichole coverage and Britney Spears and all the others. It's rediculous! And let's face it, you don't really know what is true and what is not. And I have to say, if I were in that position, (know I will never be) I am not so sure what I would make public and what I would not.Good point Ruby. While I applaud Toni Braxton for being so open, I'm not too sure if her breaking down & crying each time she gets on TV is the best PR for Autism. On the flipside, I do think it's great that celebs do come out & are open and honest (wow, they're like the rest of us!!). Also, they can raise awareness, education, & hopefully, acceptance.
I'm not sure if I was in the public eye that I'd tell anyone anything about my family--or perhaps not until my child was older & had a bit more say in it...but it is odd that they would say "kawasaki syndrome" instead of autism, I suppose they had to explain their son in some 'acceptable' manner (as per scientology). Hopefully they treat their son just as their daughter & he feels loved. Being nosy & never having heard any of this, I googled and found some pix. Jett's hands in a lot of the pix look my dd's & he wears a hood a lot (my friend's son w/ Asperger's always has a hood on) & toe-walking...
I read the transcript and Travolta say I want another son. So he is admitting that he has a son already. He then goes on to say his daughter is a perfict princess, and nothing is said about what Jett is like. Sad.[QUOTE=LeAnne C]I don't think the Travolta boy is on the spectrum. He had a sudden, toxic reaction to the repeated carpet cleanings they did in their home while he was a toddler, and it knocked him into some sort of permanent syndrome. That's when she became a spokesperson for "green" households.[/QUOTE]
It is widely believed within the autism community that their explanation of Kawasaki Syndrome is a beard to hide the fact that he is autistic. Scientology does not acknowledge autism as a real disorder, so by publicly admitting that their child is autistic would be going against the beliefs of their "church"John Travolta keeps Jett in seclusion?....He thinks Scientology will cure his child?...Or is this a rumor? If its true-Shame on him...with all his money he can have round the clock therapist working with his child. Im catholic and pray to Jesus and all the saints all the time for my nephew- My prayers are answered when my nephew does well in school, finishes his tasks, listens and communicates in the way he knows how...thats how my prayers are answered...Just my opinion folks..no dis-respect to the scientologists out there.. I was curious how many celebs have autistic kids...I was surprised when I read on www.imdb.com this morning that Jenny McCarthy's 4 year old son, Evan, was autistic. Then Toni Braxton's son is autistic. Gary Cole's daughter... Athlete's for autism - I noticed a LOT of hockey players kids are ASD.
Don't forget Dan Marino.
...and Doug Flutie...I read somewhere that Sly Stallone has a kid w/ autism too. Joe Mantegna and Aidan Quinn - read a rumor that John Travolta's son Jett is autistic but since they are scientologist they don't believe in treating it.
Ed Asner's adult son is Aspberger's. John Schneider from smallville has an autistic child.
I've heard the same rumors about Sly Stallone and John Travolta. In fact I remember one time when Kelly Preston was on Oprah, they only showed clips of her with her daughter Ella.
Angie Dickinson had a daughter with Aspergergers that recently took her own life.
I don't think the Travolta boy is on the spectrum. He had a sudden, toxic reaction to the repeated carpet cleanings they did in their home while he was a toddler, and it knocked him into some sort of permanent syndrome. That's when she became a spokesperson for "green" households.
that was Angie's kid w/ Burt Bacharach...almost forgot Ed Asner too.The actress who plays Frenchy from Grease has an autistic child. Sly Stallone does have an autistic child from his first marriage.
I heard the same thing about Travolta
MommaNiki
If the Travolta family is convinced that their son does not fall under the spectrum and have been reasonably assured that Jett has Kawasaki Syndrome or what ever it is called, and Joey Travolta is a special ed teacher, I am sure that they know what the traits of an ASD are through his brother. If their style of religious belief prevents them from seeking proper treatment to try and cure an incurable disorder, they have the resources to make the world a more comfortable place for their son.Autism in the family may be hard to accept, yet there are a number of well-known people who have chosen to write or speak about members of their family who are autistic.
Movie Actors / TV Personalities:
Richard Burton, deceased actor - oftentimes talked about his daughter by his first wife
William Christopher, Father Mulcahy of the TV show M*A*S*H - speaks about his son, Ned
Myron Cope, Pittsburgh sportscaster - talks about his son
Joe Mantegna, actor - is a father of daughter with autism
Mark McEwen, TV weatherman on CBS Morning News - speaks about his brother, Sean
Tracy Rowlett, Dallas anchorperson - has an autistic son
Jonathan Shestak, movie producer - talks about his son, Dov
Sylvester Stallone, movie actor - speaks about his son, Seargeoh. He hopes that before he dies his son will recognize him as his father.
David Tomlinson, actor who starred in Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, the Love Bug - had an autistic son whose diagnosis and education is mentioned in some detail in Mr Tomlinsons autobiography, Luckier than Most
Athletes:
Will Clark, Baseball player - speaks about his son
Tom Henke, Toronto baseball pitcher - talks about his son
Doug Flutie, football player - speaks about his son, Doug Jr.
Merton Hanks, football player - about his daughter, Milan
Scott Mellanby, hockey player - about his son
BJ Surhoff, Baltimore baseball player (1996) - about his son, Mason
Dan Marino, football player - about his son
Singers / Musicians:
Wynton and Brandford Marsalis, jazz/classical musicians - talks about their brother
Beverly Sills, opera singer - about her son, Bucky
Phoebe Snow, singer - is a mother of daughter with autism
Toni Braxton, singer - has a son recently diagnosed with autism
Authors / Scientists / Photographers:
Paul Collins, writer - about his son
Audrey Flack, scuptor and photographer - mother of an adult with autism
Stephen J. Gould, scientist and writer - about his son, Jesse
Wow!! Its amazing out of all the celebs out there..is this it? I am always hoping that more celebs will come out and spread the word..the have a bigger voice.
But..there are not that many affected by autism
The deal about the Travolta's son supposedly has to do with scientology,
which doesn't recognize psychology or psychiatry as being valid (remember
when Tom Cruise blasted Brooke Shields for using anti-depressants for her
PPD?) DSM diagnostics are not used by scientologists.
Also, I have read in several places that Kawasaki disease DOES NOT have any
long term developmental effects, and could not possibly cause delays. When
John is interviewed I have noticed without fail that when he talks about his
family, it is only about his daughter who he enthusiastically expresses his
adoration for.--he has been suspiciously mute about his son. I don't know
if he has autism, but something seems up there. I even saw them on TV
recently talking about wanting to have another baby. They said they wanted
a boy, since they already had Ella. It was really weird--they didn't even
mention they already had a son...
On Friday, April 7th, Hollywood, Interrupted was treated to the Los Angeles premiere of "Normal People Scare Me" - a feature-length documentary about autism, co-directed by the high functioning autistic teenager Taylor Cross and his mother, Keri Bowers. The event was sponsored by an organization called Cure Autism Now (CAN) and the new magazine, The Autism Perspective (TAP).
This enlightening film was produced by b-movie actor/director/producer and former special education teacher, Joey Travolta. Joey's brother and sister-in-law, "Battlefield Earth" co-stars John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston, were not present. Too bad...
...Had John and Kelly been at the screening, they might have a better understanding of the disorder reportedly affecting their 14 year-old son, Jett. Sadly, the Scientology couple cannot even publicly admit that their son is afflicted with a neurological disorder, lest - according to the incontrovertible doctrine of Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard - he be labeled a "degraded being" that brought his affliction onto himself. Instead, the Travoltas have long blamed their son's disability on Kawasaki Syndrome-related "environmental toxins," specifically carpet cleaning chemicals.
Rumors about Jett Travolta's disability have been floating around for years, but when no less than five sources (including a media rep from the Autism Society of America (ASA), an executive from Cure Autism Now, a major Hollywood producer and parent of an autistic child, and a Hollywood actor-parent) reported that Jett Travolta was afflicted did we decide to deliver this story. Scientology will not even recognize the disability, let alone the myriad therapies for treating it.
John, Kelly & Jett Scientologist Lisa McPherson before her psychiatric problems began affecting her. After Scientology denied her psychiatric care.
sorry for the long copy and paste above.
I did want to give a link to what he (John Tavolta) said about wanting a boy only because it saddens me. The idea of something coming between a child and any form of therapy saddens me.
http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2007/02/john_travolta_i_want_a _son.html