On Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke to journalists about the release of a new survey by the CDC and Prevention’s Autism Developmental Disabilities Monitoring network, which concluded that the cases of diagnosed autism have increased from one in 36 children in 2020 to 1 in 31 presently. During his speech, he said autistic children would be highly limited in what they could achieve. He went as far as to say they couldn’t hold jobs or pay taxes.
His Comments Draw Backlash
His comments have sparked backlash, especially from parents of children with autism. During his speech, he went on to say that autism was a “preventable disease.We know it’s environmental exposure. It has to be. Genes do not cause epidemics. They can provide a vulnerability, but you need an environmental toxin,” RFK Jr. said.
Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost called RFK Jr’s comments a “flat out lie” and “further stigmatizes autism.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s wife, Gwen, also used X to call RFK Jr. out for his comments.
“This is deeply upsetting, especially coming from our nation’s highest-ranking health official,” Gwen Walz said in her post Thursday on X. “Individuals with autism are family, neighbors, students, and coworkers, and they contribute more to this nation than this man ever will.”
Medical Experts Respond
Several medical experts also spoke up to reject RFK Jr’s comments. The experts suggested that greater awareness and an increase in the number of children being tested are responsible for the increase in the number of documented cases.
Autistic Kids Won’t Write Poems
On Wednesday, RFK Jr. said during his speech: “Autism destroys families and, more importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children. These are children who should not be suffering like this,” RFK Jr. also said during his speech.
He then added, “These are kids who, many of them were fully functional, and regressed because of some environmental exposure into autism when they’re two years old. These are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date — many of them will never use a toilet unassisted. And we have to recognize we are doing this to our children.”
Rep. Frost Responds To Comments
Rep. Maxwell Frost responded to RFK Jr’s comments on X: “This is disrespectful and a flat-out lie that further stigmatizes autism. It’s not a virus or a disease — it’s a neurological condition with a wide spectrum. Many Americans with autism work, pay taxes, and are living happy and healthy lives.”
Actress Speaks Out About Autistic Son
Actress Holly Robinson Peete, who has become an outspoken advocate for children with autism, posted to X: “My 27-year-old son with autism didn’t ‘destroy our family’ — he gave us purpose and unity… oh, and he pays taxes.”
Jemele Hill Speaks Out
Soon after, writer Jemele Hill responded to Peele’s X post with her own: “Thinking of my friend Holly Robinson Peete, who has raised a productive, amazing autistic son, who is fearless, gainfully employed, and pays taxes. These were disgusting, irresponsible comments by someone who is charged with overseeing public health for hundreds of millions of people. He is not qualified for this.”
As a journalist, I do not make it a habit of adding my personal feelings to my work, but this story just hit too close to home. My middle child is autistic. She is also a president’s list student at FSU, holds down a job, is a talented artist, and an advocate for others with autism. It’s time we stopped looking at autism as something that holds a child back and instead inspired them to reach their dreams because they are fully capable of doing just that.
