Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent remarks on autism are not just wrong – they’re dangerously reactionary. The Health Secretary has repeatedly called autism a “preventable disease” that “destroys families” and even bragged of a coming “autism registry” to track every autistic person. In doing so, he’s abandoning science, echoing anti-science vaccine myths, and sliding into authoritarian, eugenic rhetoric. Autistic people and their families see this as a frightening replay of dark history – not a legitimate health initiative. We must fact‑check his claims and stand strong against this fascist-style attack on neurodiversity.
RFK Jr’s Baseless Fear-Mongering
In April 2025 Kennedy stunned the public by calling autism a “preventable disease” and warning of an “autism epidemic.” He said autistic children “will never pay taxes, never hold a job, never go out on a date… Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted” . These hurtful comments disparage autistic lives and scapegoat families struggling with disability. But his facts are flat wrong. Leading scientists emphasize that autism is not a disease at all, but a lifelong neurological condition largely rooted in genetics . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did report an autism prevalence of 1 in 31 children in 2022 – up from 1 in 36 in 2020 – but experts attribute this rise to better awareness and broader screening, not a toxic outbreak. NPR quotes researchers noting this “largely [reflects] more comprehensive screening across a broader population,” not a new environmental poison . In short, autism isn’t spreading – we’re simply getting smarter at diagnosing and accepting it.
Kennedy’s insistence that autism is “preventable” or caused by vaccines flies in the face of overwhelming evidence. Decades of rigorous studies find no link between vaccines and autism. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health summarizes: after 16 large population studies in multiple countries, “all have found no relationship between MMR vaccine, thimerosal in vaccines, or the number of vaccines given and autism” . Similarly, a Pediatrics journal study on 624 autistic kids and matched peers found “no relation” between the MMR vaccine and autism . Health authorities from the CDC to the Mayo Clinic confirm that “vaccines do not cause autism” . Yet Kennedy often repeats discredited vaccine claims (the NPR report calls them “conspiratorial, anti-science” rhetoric ). This only stokes fear and confusion.
Even more cynical is how Kennedy pivots from claiming an “epidemic” to demanding invasive data collection. He’s fast-tracking a massive federal database of private health records to hunt for an “environmental” cause of autism . This registry plan has already triggered “backlash from disability and privacy advocates” . Autistic people rightly point out that Kennedy wants to treat them like a disease cluster to be cured, while at the same time he’s cutting support services (slashing education and health programs that autistic people rely on ). It’s a double-bind: less support and more surveillance. As a Washington Post parent columnist put it, “children and adults on the autism spectrum are not destroyed by the condition… they deserve our love, not our disdain .”
Neurodiversity and Real Strengths
Beyond these facts, Kennedy’s comments betray a fundamental misunderstanding of autism. Autistic people are not monolithic victims – they are a diverse community with unique talents. The neurodiversity movement stresses that autism is a difference, not a defect. Autistic individuals contribute immensely to society, especially in creativity and technology. As one Autism Spectrum News article explains, autistic people often excel in STEM fields thanks to “natural cognitive and character strengths” – intense focus, pattern recognition, deep memory, logic – that make them innovative engineers, programmers, artists, and problem-solvers . “Long-gone are the days of centering autism only as a deficit,” that piece reminds us . Modern research with autistic adults confirms they themselves report strengths like pattern recognition, attention to detail, creativity, honesty, and a strong sense of social justice . These qualities fuel real innovation.
Famous innovators often had autistic traits: physicists Einstein and Hawking, inventors Edison, and entrepreneurs like Bill Gates – even Elon Musk – credit autistic thinking (or openly acknowledge being on the spectrum) as key to their successes . In the words of psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen, autistic brains have a “pattern-seeking” advantage that has driven human invention for millennia . Sheri Jay, a neurodiversity coach, stresses that these innovators “didn’t succeed despite their neurodivergence—they succeeded because of the unique cognitive perspective it provided” . In short, autistic people are assets, not burdens.
No matter what Kennedy says, neurodiversity is normal and valuable. People with autism deserve understanding, accommodations, and support – not fear-mongering. The “solutions” lie in embracing strengths and ensuring accessibility, not in tracking or erasing us.
History’s Warning: Registry and Eugenics
That brings us to the scariest part: the idea of an autism registry. This is not a benign database – it’s a direct echo of fascist, eugenic policies. In Nazi Germany (and even in occupied Europe), regimes required entire communities to register based on identity. On February 3, 1941, the Dutch Nazi occupiers ordered “All Jews must register” their ancestry under threat of deportation. Soon after, similar notices mandated Jews wear yellow stars and forced labor; anyone failing to register or comply was sent to concentration camps . Disabled people were also early targets: the Museum of Jewish Heritage notes that “people with mental and physical disabilities were among the first targets of the Nazi regime,” who enforced sterilizations and sent many to be murdered in so-called “Special Children’s Wards” because the Reich had “no place for people who were different.” .
A Dutch Jewish Council notice, Aug. 7 1942: “All Jews must register for expanded labor… or be taken to the concentration camp Mauthausen” .
These are not distant analogies – they are history’s warning. Creating an official list of autistic individuals – hidden in medical data or not – sets up a system to mark a minority as undesirable. Calling autism “preventable” or a blight to be tracked invokes the same toxic logic as eugenics: that some lives are less worthy, can be “snuffed out” or eliminated. In fact, Deborah Bloom’s Guardian op-ed notes Kennedy’s rhetoric literally framed autism as a “tragic aberration that needs to be snuffed out” . This chilling language is straight out of a fascist playbook. Progressives and disability rights activists recognize it for what it is: state-controlled eugenics. We have seen where this leads – to forced sterilizations, murders, and deep trauma – and we will not let it happen again.
RFK Jr’s plan is also at odds with every principle of justice and autonomy. It treats autistic people as a problem to be solved by authority, not individuals with rights. It assumes government power over personal health data in an unprecedented way. As New York legislators warned, it’s deeply disrespectful to the community’s privacy and humanity . This is exactly why autistic activists and doctors are speaking out. We will not sit by while our families and neighbors are forced into a registry that echoes Nazi totalitarian tactics.
Protecting Autistic Lives: Reject the Registry
To all autistic and neurodivergent people reading: you have value and rights. Don’t sign up for any registry or tracking system. Such data could be used to cut services, restrict freedoms, or worse. You do not owe anyone information that targets you. Whether at school, in a hospital, or online, protect your privacy. If anyone pressures you to register or create a “health profile” for autism, remember that NO ONE can make you feel unworthy or define your identity as a disease. You are not alone in this fight.
Autistic lives are worth celebrating, not monitoring. Reach out to supportive communities (like Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a nonprofit run by and for autistic people) and disability justice groups. Share your story, demand respect, and vote against any policies that threaten our rights. We can also challenge misinformation publicly – as parent advocates and journalists have – by calling out RFK Jr’s claims as scientifically baseless and morally bankrupt .
We must replace stigma with solidarity. Instead of an autism registry, we need universal services: healthcare, schools, and employment programs that understand and uplift neurodivergent people. That’s the real solution to supporting families, not scaring them. Autistic people contribute art, code, science, care, and compassion every day. We deserve equity and justice – never a fascist register.
Support and Resources
If you or a loved one feel distressed or unsafe in this environment, please remember there are people who care. You are not alone.
National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988) – 24/7 confidential support for anyone in crisis. Call or text 988 (or chat at 988lifeline.org).
Trevor Project Lifeline (LGBTQ+ youth) – For queer and questioning autistic young people. Call or text 988 (press 1) or chat at thetrevorproject.org.
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) – A disability-led organization devoted to empowering autistic people. ASAN offers resources on rights, self-advocacy, and community support (visit autisticadvocacy.org). Their focus is our protection, policy change, and celebration of autistic lives.
Above all: your identity and body are yours alone. You do not have to prove your worth by “functioning” in neurotypical norms. You deserve love, support, and the freedom to be authentically you. Resist the registry. Stand proud. The fight against this fascist, eugenic rhetoric is on, and we will win it together.
By Gemma Flora Ortwerth
Gemma Ortwerth 
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