Survivor extensive title Eva Erickson is standing up for her community.

After President Donald Trump’s Neatly being and Human Products and services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made quite loads of controversial claims about autism, including that it “destroys households,” at an April 16 press conference, the CBS competition series' first openly autistic contestant pushed abet.

“I'm Eva from Survivor Forty eight,” the 24-year-inclined, who is competing on the ongoing season Forty eight, began in a selfie video shared on her Instagram April 18. “Let me dispute you how circulate RFK Jr. is about what somebody with autism can produce in their lifestyles.”

In her video, Erickson integrated audio from the click conference in which Kennedy referred to a newly printed Facilities for Illness Retain a watch on and Prevention file that came all over that autism charges in U.S. children has risen. Among his many comments were noting that there are autistic young folks who will “by no methodology hang a job, they'll by no methodology play baseball, they'll by no methodology write a poem, they'll by no methodology creep out on a date.”

Amid Kennedy’s words, Erickson, an engineering Ph.D. candidate at Brown, confirmed photos of herself and her family, including photos of herself at a graduation ceremony and taking half in hockey on her college’s club crew.

“RFK Jr. can kick rocks,” the Minnesota native acknowledged. “I know what I'm able to. Other folks with autism are stronger than he believes, and I'm proud to picture this community.”

E! Files has reached out to Kennedy for comment but has now not heard abet.

Following backlash over his comments, made all over Autism Acceptance Month, the baby-kisser clarified on Hannity April 17 that he became once relating to the “bigger than 25 p.c of those which relish severe autism” in his remarks.

(Whereas the present CDC file does now not reference young folks with profound autism—those that are nonverbal or minimally verbal and/or had an IQ decrease than 50—a 2023 see cofunded by the CDC suggested that 26.7 p.c of children diagnosed with autism had profound autism.)

Erickson brought host Jeff Probst and viewers to tears all around the March 26 episode, when she unfolded about being diagnosed with autism as a 1-year-inclined.

“Doctors told my oldsters that I would by no methodology are living independently,” the truth extensive title acknowledged after getting better from an emotional episode—which adopted a contest field that overwhelmed her—with the support of competitor Joe Hunter. “That I would by no methodology hang a job. That, at most, I might perchance hope to marry one more person with autism.”

And though she has by no methodology viewed her autism as a roadblock to success, she smooth struggles.

“I relish this stuff called 'episodes' where after I salvage extraordinarily overstimulated. I’ll salvage ungrounded and I'll lose control of myself,” she persisted. “Each person who has autism might perchance smooth now not be ashamed to request for relief and ashamed to receive it. So thanks enthusiastic about permitting this to occur.”