HHS Secretary Kennedy Jr.’s Comments on Autism

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by Erin Vallely, Advocacy Specialist

Over the last few weeks, Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s comments about Autism and his concerns about the increased rates of diagnosis have gotten a lot of attention.  While Kennedy’s interest in autism could be positive, his comments regarding the rise in autism diagnoses and belief in disproven science only further harm the community.   

Kennedy Jr.’s Comments on Autism  

On April 16th, 2025, Kennedy Jr. held a press conference to discuss the newest Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network report.  The report, using data collected in 2022, estimates about 1 in 31 children by age 8 have an autism diagnosis.  This has gone up since 2020 when estimates indicated a rate of about 1 in 36.  During his remarks he stated that autism is a “preventable disease,” an “individual tragedy,” and that it “destroys families.”  Kennedy Jr. also made inaccurate generalizations about the impact of autism on individuals by saying that they will never pay taxes, hold a job, play baseball, write a poem, go out on a date, or use a toilet unassisted.  

Kennedy Jr. has classified the increase in autism prevalence as an “epidemic” and believes the increase is attributed to an “environmental toxin” such as something in the air, water, medicines, or food.  He used studies from the 1970’s and 1980’s, and his experience as an elderly individual, to argue his case that autism rates have increased due to environmental factors that can be changed because the diagnosis prevalence used to be much lower. On April 10th, 2025 Kennedy Jr. said during a Cabinet meeting that “by September, we [the HHS] will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures.”  He has repeatedly supported the disproven theory that vaccines cause autism, but stated the HHS will be looking at all environmental factors.   

Beyond these remarks, Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, announced an autism registry system initiative on April 21s, 2025.  He stated it would combine existing public data on autism with new sources of private data such as insurance claims information, health records, pharmacy records, smart device records, and environmental factors.  He stated patient confidentiality would be protected, but gave no explanation of how.  Since then, an HHS official has said a registry will not exist.   

What We Know about Autism 

Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a difference in the way someone’s brain works that is typically characterized by difficulties with communication, social interaction, and behavior.  Decades of credible research has shown that autism is a natural variation in brain development and not a disease, or a preventable disability.  Historically, ASD has been largely misunderstood by health professionals and many people have received inaccurate mental health condition diagnoses.  Researchers attribute the increase in diagnoses to expanded diagnostic criteria, better identification during a child’s early years, and expanded testing efforts and service availability.   

While ASD is a spectrum of experiences, with some people having higher support needs than others, a small percentage of people have the struggles Kennedy Jr. described.  Researchers and service providers have concerns about Kennedy Jr.’s inaccurate statements about autism, and explained that they further stigmatize autistic individuals and do not focus on the importance of service and support accessibility. 

Importance of the Scientific Method  

What we know about autism today is the result of decades of research and work guided by the scientific method.  The scientific method is the basis of modern-day science and provides a system for solving complex problems with accuracy.  Steps to the scientific method include reviewing verified existing information, developing a specific question about a variable, creating an experiment to test the variable, and reviewing the results to see what the data indicates.  A valid experiment and conclusion should be able to be repeated by other scientists with the same results. 

While environmental factors may impact the likelihood someone is born with autism, the timeline Kennedy Jr. has announced for scientifically accurate answers is unrealistic.  Based on the variables that he wants to explore, such as parental health, air, water, food, medication, and parenting styles, hundreds of studies will have to be done over decades to identify the factors that have the biggest impact on the development of autism.  People will have to agree to participate in research and their lives will have to be highly controlled in order to determine how specific environmental factors impact them.  While the idea of having more information about the causes of autism is exciting, we must not abandon the principles of the scientific method in order to ensure our findings are accurate.  The worst thing we could do is follow inaccurate information and potentially miss the truth in our quest for quick answers. 

Get Involved! 

Although the federal government’s approach to Autism research is problematic, it’s important to educate yourself on the diagnosis, understand the facts, and understand your / your child’s legal rights.  Here’s some resources that can help you get started. 

If you have questions about the information above, or have questions about your rights, please contact ATI at 607-753-7363 or by email at info@aticortland.org. 

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