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Autism Awareness: A Response to RFK Jr.’s Claims Regarding ASD Research

Updated: Jul 21

In a recent statement, RFK Jr. pledged that his administration would identify the causes of the so-called “autism epidemic” by September (that’s THIS September, in 5 months…) and take measures to eliminate them. Kennedy’s hiring of David Greier as head of the study—who many regard as a conspiracy theorist and proponent of unfounded anti-vaccination rhetoric—has sparked widespread concern among public health experts, who fear the move signals a departure from evidence-based policy and could further erode public trust in immunization programs.


Neurodiversity Paradigm

As Kennedy states: ”Everything is on the table, our food system, our water, our air, different ways of parenting, all the kind of changes that may have triggered this epidemic” (Wendling, 2025).


This rhetoric not only perpetuates scientifically discredited theories but also echoes outdated, ableist ideologies that treat autism and other forms of neurodivergence as conditions to be cured or eradicated.

This view is not only scientifically inaccurate—it’s deeply harmful.


Key Takeaways

  1. There is no credible scientific evidence linking vaccines or heavy metals to autism.


  2. Autism is a form of neurodivergence, a neurocognitive difference, not a disease or epidemic. Efforts to “eliminate” it pathologize difference and harm neurodivergent communities.


  3. Policies should center on proper early assessment, support, inclusion, and accommodation—not eugenics-rooted eradication narratives.


The Science Is Clear: No Link Between Autism and Vaccines or Mercury

Numerous high-quality studies and meta-analyses have thoroughly investigated and debunked claims that vaccines or heavy metals cause autism. These findings have been replicated globally and affirmed by public health institutions.


Meta-Analyses and Large-Scale Studies

  • Taylor et al. (2014) conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of over 1.2 million children across multiple studies. It found no relationship between vaccination (including MMR, thimerosal, or mercury) and the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

“Findings of this meta-analysis suggest that vaccinations are not associated with the development of autism or autism spectrum disorder.”

  • Schechter & Grether (2008) examined autism rates in California after thimerosal was removed from vaccines in 2001. Rather than declining, autism diagnoses continued to rise. 

“The data do not support the hypothesis that mercury exposure from thimerosal in vaccines is a primary cause of autism.”

  • Madsen et al. (2002) conducted a Danish cohort study that included 537,000 children and found no increase in autism rates after the introduction of the MMR vaccine.

  • Honda et al. (2005) followed autism rates in Japan after the withdrawal of the MMR vaccine. Autism rates continued to climb.


Neurodivergence

The Real Harm of Eradication Language

Calling autism an “epidemic” implies pathology, contagion, and tragedy. It alienates autistic people from their own identities and invites efforts to suppress or eliminate their existence. Statements like RFK Jr.’s are not only factually incorrect—they invite harmful policy.

“The Administration’s claim… is harmful, misleading, and unrealistic.”

Such language resurrects eugenics-era narratives that sought to eliminate difference, not understand or accommodate it. It is particularly dangerous when paired with defunding of disability services, privatization of healthcare, and distrust of science.


Autism Is an Innate, Neurodivergent Identity—Not a Defect

Neurodivergence encompasses a range of natural variations in human cognition, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. For many, these differences are not pathologies to be fixed but essential parts of their identity.


Key Voices in Neurodiversity

The neurodiversity paradigm, coined by sociologist Judy Singer in the 1990s, asserts that neurological differences should be recognized and respected as social categories—just like ethnicity or sexual orientation—not treated as disorders.


In this view:

  • Autistic people don’t need to be “healed” of their autism.

  • They need access, respect, and support to thrive in a world not built for them.


Gaslighting the Community While Silencing Science

RFK Jr.’s statements arrive at a time when scientific research is being both politicized and defunded. Rushing to “solve” autism without engaging with decades of peer-reviewed data is not just scientifically reckless—it’s an audacious form of gaslighting for the neurodivergent community.

Misinformation about autism origins has already:

  • Reduced vaccine uptake, endangering public health

  • Siphoned funding from services that actually help autistic individuals

  • Worsened stigma, leading to isolation, poor mental health, and discrimination


What Inclusion Really Looks Like

True public health is not about eliminating difference—it’s about supporting all individuals to live healthy, empowered lives. For autistic people and others with neurodivergent experiences, that includes:

  • Sensory-friendly spaces

  • Communication accommodations

  • Inclusive education

  • Accessible healthcare

  • Respect for self-determined identity

“Diversity is not a sickness. Let’s build a society based on respect and understanding for the innate diversity present in the human population.resent in the human population.”

Autism is not a puzzle to solve or a disease to eradicate. It is part of the rich spectrum of human diversity. The idea that we must hunt down its causes and eliminate them—especially when tied to long-debunked vaccine myths—is not only unscientific, it’s dehumanizing.


While research on neurodivergence is needed, Instead of pouring resources into false cures, we must invest in inclusion, access, and respect. Let’s build a world where neurodivergent people are not feared or fixed—but affirmed, empowered, and celebrated.


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