Amy Schumer gave a thoughtful response when asked by an Instagram follower about what she would do if her son had autism.
Amy Schumer gave a thoughtful response when asked by an Instagram follower about what she would do if her son had autism.
The 38-year-old comedian recently shared an adorable photo of herself holding her 3-month-old son, Gene, on Instagram, and asked her followers if they would be interested in seeing a documentary series about her pregnancy and birth. Schumer gave birth to Gene -- her first child with her husband, Chris Fischer -- in May. Two months prior, she revealed Fischer is on the autism spectrum in her Netflix special, Amy Schumer: Growing.
Schumer's response to the autism question came when one follower wrote, "Not really, honestly," to her question about a potential documentary series. "I think you're great, I just feel like it's self serving and overdone," the commenter continued. "I'd like to see a documentary of you discovering your mate is diagnosed with autism and how you cope with the possibility that your child will be on the spectrum...."
Schumer replied to the comment, and called out the use of the word "cope."
"How I cope? I don't see being on the spectrum as a negative thing," she wrote back. "My husband is my favorite person I've ever met. He's kind, hilarious, interesting and talented and I admire him. Am I supposed to hope my son isn't like that?"
"I will pay attention and try and provide him with the tools he needs to overcome whatever challenges come up like all parents," she continued. "I'd be disappointed if he liked the Big Bang theory and nascar not if he has ASD."
During her Netflix special that debuted in March, Schumer talked lovingly about her husband, whom she married last February in a surprise ceremony after just three months of dating.
"I knew from the beginning that my husband's brain was a little different than mine," she told the audience at the time. "I have to start this over because I really want to get this right because I love him very much. My husband was diagnosed with what used to be called Asperger's. He has autism spectrum disorder. He's on the spectrum. And there were some signs early on."
"Once he was diagnosed, it dawned on me how funny it was, because all of the characteristics that make it clear that he's on the spectrum are all of the reasons that I fell madly in love with him," she continued. "That's the truth. He says whatever is on his mind. He keeps it so real. He doesn't care about social norms or what you expect him to say or do."
Later that month, she talked about why she wanted to be open about her husband's diagnosis.
"We both wanted to talk about it because it's been totally positive," Schumer noted during her appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers. "I think some people resist getting diagnosed… because of the stigma that comes along with it. But the tools we've been given have made his life so much better and our marriage and our life so much more manageable."
"I just wanted to encourage people to not be afraid of that stigma," she added. "I think a lot of people with autism who go undiagnosed when I think their life could be better if they got those tools."
For more, watch the video below:
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