A couple in the United States with a popular YouTube channel has come under fire from netizens after rehoming their adopted son with autism, Huxley, with another family, reported BBC.

The four-year-old boy received sponsorship deals and money from their YouTube video after Myka Stauffer and James Stauffer made videos about their experience of adopting Huxley, according to a tweet in a CBS News article.

The couple had adopted Huxley in 2017. Viewers had noticed that Huxley had not been appearing in their vlogs since end-2019. The news of Huxley's "rehoming" was only revealed in this video.

Myka stated that this was to ensure Huxley's privacy and help him adjust to his new home.

Some critics felt that the couple, who has four other children, used the adopted boy to develop their YouTube career.

Couple struggled with adopted son's behaviour

In a video on Tuesday (May 26), the couple shared a video titled "an update on our family", where they explained that Huxley had been rehomed to another family.

Stauffer shared in the video that "after multiple assessments, after multiple evaluations, numerous medical professionals have felt that he needed a different fit in his medical needs, he needed more".

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8pTQEngqhE/

Couple faces backlash on social media

Since posting their update, the couple has been receiving criticism from online users on various social media platforms, such as Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

On Twitter, user Sophie Ross tweeted that the couple asked for followers to fund the adoption and made the adoption her "brand":

Extremely depressed reading about the influencer who raised funds to adopt a son, made this her “brand,” discovered he has special needs, secretly rehomed him, blocked ppl asking about him (after her followers helped fund the adoption) & put out a video making herself the victim https://t.co/ekgeTWBpm5

— Sophie Ross (@SophRossss) May 27, 2020

In another tweet, Hema Mullur commented that while Huxley is with another family, and added that "you don't re-home a child, most people wouldn't even re-home a dog".

I'm glad Huxley is now with a family who will give him appropriate love and care, but he never should have been in this situation-taken across the world, exploited for views. You don't re-home a child, most people wouldn't even re-home a dog #mykastauffer https://t.co/CRcwXuyV17

— Hema Mullur (@HemaMullur) May 28, 2020

However some comments on their video have defended the couple, calling their decision a brave and painful one, and that they were had the best interests of Huxley in mind.

Since the announcement, all video content on the couple's family YouTube channel, The Stauffer Life, has been deleted.

You can watch the couple's full update video here:

Top images via Myka Stauffer's YouTube Channel and Instagram Page