It's not that there aren't cool celebrity autism parents-- see Chris Gorham and C.J. Ramone-- it's that the ones who get into the media the most are the ones specialize in publicizing themselves.

And it's nice that Tommy Hilfiger is being open about the fact that his daughter and stepson both have autism.  It would be even nicer if he wasn't reading from an Autism Speaks approved script while doing so:

“The government is not involved in it. People aren’t donating enough money. There’s not enough research,” he said. “There’s no cure. It needs help, so we’ve become involved.”

Tommy Hilfiger, Odds and Oddity

Autism Speaks has a bizarre new ad campaign which seems to be making the following point: you are much more likely to be related to someone with autism than you are to be a celebrity like Tommy Hilfiger or Jamie McMurray.  And even celebrities like them can be related to people with autism!  So being related to someone with autism is both normal and cool, so you should learn the signs that will help you see autism in a family member.

It's really well-intended and some of the animation is nice.

But it continues two of the central negative messages that Autism Speaks has always promoted.  First, it suggests that all autistic people are unable to speak for ourselves and need family members to speak for us.  That is true for some people, to varying degrees.  But most autistic people can talk.  Most autistic people are not children.  And it is when we talk, not when neurotypical celebrities do, that autism really speaks, even if those NTs stars have autistic relatives.

Click here to keep reading and see the Jamie McMurray ad.