RFK Jr. Faces Backlash for Autism Blame, Research Claims

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has sparked widespread controversy by describing autism as a "preventable disease" caused by environmental toxins and implying blame on parents for their children's condition. Despite his planned research effort to identify causes by September, experts emphasize that autism is a complex neurological disorder with strong genetic components, and increases in diagnosis are mainly due to better screening and awareness, not an actual epidemic. Kennedy's framing of autism as a tragedy that "destroys families" and his promotion of debunked vaccine links have drawn sharp criticism from autism advocates, researchers, and affected individuals, who call his rhetoric harmful, inaccurate, and eugenic in nature. Advocacy groups highlight that Kennedy's portrayal perpetuates damaging stereotypes, fueling misinformation and fear, and exploitative alternative medicine practices. Additionally, Kennedy's comments about vaccines containing fetal DNA and his defense of vaccine refusal on moral grounds have added to the backlash. Overall, experts and advocates reject Kennedy's claims and stress that autism is not caused by vaccines or parental actions but results from complex genetic and diagnostic factors.