John Travolta and his actress wife Kelly Preston have refused to address swirling speculation that their son, who died Friday, had autism, instead saying only that he suffered from a childhood ailment that some have linked to carpet-cleaning fumes.

Since Jett Travolta, 16, was found dead at the family’s Bahamas vacation home Friday, apparently after suffering a seizure, autism advocates have urged the family to turn their tragedy into a teaching moment about autism-related seizures, which can affect up to 30 percent of autistic kids, usually during puberty.