Stop the spread of misinformation from HHS about autism - no registry!

Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s tenure as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been disastrous for public health and safety. He has made despicable statements about autism spectrum disorder, claiming it is a preventable disease and suggesting people with autism cannot lead meaningful lives. I am appalled at the possibility of using private and public health data to create an autism registry. Kennedy threatens scientific integrity, public health, and those served by HHS research and programs. Congress must hold him accountable for his careless statements and actions. The Autism Society of America finds the Administration’s claim—that “we will know what has caused the Autism epidemic and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures”—to be harmful, misleading, and unrealistic. Autism is a complex developmental disability shaped by genetic, biological, and environmental factors. It is neither a chronic illness nor a contagion. Harmful language like “epidemic” is both inaccurate and stigmatizing. Autistic individuals are human beings who deserve dignity, respect, and equitable civil rights. Leading disability organizations, the scientific community, and medical experts agree: more rigorous, science-based research is necessary, not speculation, oversimplified timelines, or diminished transparency. RFK Jr’s rhetoric echoes the harmful eugenics narratives we’ve seen throughout history. Painting neurodivergent people as “damaged” or “preventable” has led in the past to their institutionalization, exclusion, and erasure. We cannot allow that to happen again under the banner of public health. I urge you to stop the spread of misinformation from the HHS and hold RFK Jr. accountable.