This week, the CDC published an updated report of prevalence and early identification of Autism among children aged 4 to 8. They found that according to data in 2022, autism prevalence in the United States has increased from 1 in 36 to 1 in 31 children. In an article published in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) yesterday, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said, “The autism epidemic is running rampant.” He continues, “President Trump has tasked me with identifying the root causes of the childhood chronic disease epidemic – including autism.” 

I wish you could hear the emotions in my head right now. There is a mix of sadness and rage. Mostly frustration. I think this is genuinely a bit humorous. If I’m going to be blunt, the first immediate red flag is his use of the word “epidemic.” Are we seriously doing this again? Are we regressing back to the 1900s when we are trying to find a “cure” for autism? What happened to embracing neurodiverse voices? Sounds like to me we are stepping in the wrong direction. 

Let’s be clear that autism is not an “epidemic.” Oxford Languages defines “epidemic” to be a “widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time.” Autism is not a disease. It isn’t contagious or something to be feared. His use of the word epidemic implies urgency and danger, positioning individuals with autism as threats rather than human beings with valid experiences. 

RFK Jr. didn’t stop there. He continued, “The risks and costs of this crisis are a thousand times more threatening to our country than COVID-19.” Give me a break. A thousand times more threatening than COVID-19? A pandemic that killed millions and upended all aspects of society.  It is incredibly appalling. 

What is the whole point of Autism Awareness month if the leaders of our nations are ultimately reversing progress? We are supposed to be celebrating how different we are. We are embracing the strengths-based approach to autism where society has benefited from the talents and perspectives of neurodiverse voices, but US politicians are just pushing back to the medical model of disease which is so dangerous. Autism doesn’t need a cure. You are just robbing people of their agency and humanity with these words.