RFK Jr.'s Dangerous Words on Autism Set Disability Rights Back Decades

Typically I don’t write about political issues or politicians, but in this case-and forgive the double negative-I can’t not!

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has united parents, advocates, medical professionals, and disabled people across the spectrum in shared outrage. His recent press conference at which he made statements about autism weren’t just ignorant—they were grotesquely offensive, factually wrong, and deeply damaging to every person living with a disability.

At a time when society is finally beginning to recognize the value, dignity, and potential of autistic individuals with disabilities, RFK Jr. chose to stand on a podium and declare to the world that people with autism “will never pay taxes, hold a job, go on a date,” use the toilet without assistance, and that their existence “destroys families.” These aren’t just words. They’re knives—sharp, dismissive, and cruel.

Let’s be very clear: this rhetoric is not only factually incorrect—it is an unbelievable insult to an entire community.

The truth RFK Jr. won’t acknowledge is that autistic people do pay taxes. They do hold jobs. They do love, date, marry, raise families, win awards, create art, teach classes, run businesses, and—perhaps most importantly—live meaningful, fulfilling lives.

Autism is a spectrum disorder. That means there’s a wide range of experiences, abilities, and needs among autistic individuals. Some are more profoundly impacted and may never hold a job or play baseball—but they are still deeply loved by their families. They are not viewed as burdens. They are sons, daughters, siblings, and friends. They are human beings entitled to dignity, respect, and to be valued for who they are—not just for what they can do.

Others may require less support, and some may need little to none. Many autistic people live independently, build lasting relationships, and contribute to their communities in countless ways. But no matter where someone falls on the spectrum, every person has the right to a life of value, dignity, and meaning.

This is the truth RFK Jr. refuses to see.

I know this not just from studies or statistics, but from personal experience. In my over 45 years as a disability advocate, I have had the honor and privilege of meeting, supporting, and working alongside countless autistic individuals. People who live full, vibrant, independent lives—people who work, who pay taxes, who maintain meaningful relationships, and yes, who use the toilet independently, and some who don’t, but still have joy in their lives. RFK Jr.’s characterization of people with autism is so egregiously gross, I honestly don't have words strong enough to express my outrage.

Let me also say this clearly: Parents of autistic children do not see their children as burdens. They see them as beloved sons and daughters—with unique personalities, strengths, humor, brilliance, and love. Yes, parenting any child comes with challenges, and parenting an autistic child may present greater challenges, but it also comes with joy, pride, and deep connection. To suggest that these children “destroy families” is not only false, it’s a direct attack on the very heart of millions of loving families who celebrate their children exactly as they are.

RFK Jr.'s framing of autism as a tragedy that leaves people broken and unlovable is not only patently false—it’s ableist to its core. It reflects a worldview that sees disability not as a natural part of human diversity, but as a defect to be feared, pitied, and eliminated.

What Kennedy is doing isn’t just spreading misinformation—he’s reviving a dark, outdated vision of disability that disability rights activists have been fighting to bury for decades.

It’s no coincidence that Kennedy’s rhetoric smells a lot like the long-discredited myth that vaccines cause autism—a lie he’s been pushing for years despite mountains of scientific evidence to the contrary. Now, from his position as Secretary of Health and Human Services, he’s using his platform to peddle fear and pseudoscience under the guise of “environmental health.”

He’s even appointed David Geier—yes, the same man who lost his medical license over unethical autism treatments—to lead a task force supposedly hunting for autism’s environmental “causes.” It would be laughable if it weren’t so dangerous and scary.

This isn’t public health. It’s a witch hunt, and autistic people are being burned at the stake in the name of it.

This Matters for All of Us because When someone in power declares that people with one kind of disability can’t work, love, or live full lives, he’s not just talking about autism. He’s laying the groundwork for stripping away rights, access, and dignity from all disabled people. The stigma RFK Jr. reinforces today will be used to justify exclusion in schools, discrimination in hiring, and denial of services tomorrow.

We’ve seen this playbook before—label a group as broken beyond repair, and suddenly, segregation seems like kindness. Institutionalization sounds like safety. Eugenics masquerades as science.

To every autistic person reading this: You are not broken. You are not a burden. You are not what RFK Jr. says you are. You are human, and you are enough—exactly as you are.

To every parent or ally who feels enraged or heartbroken by Kennedy’s words: channel that fury. Call it out. Share the truth.

And to RFK Jr., let this be clear: Your ignorance is not leadership. Your rhetoric is not revolutionary. And your legacy will not be one of health and healing, but of harm. You will not destroy the progress we the disabled community have made over the last many decades.

What You Can Do

• Speak up. Share this article, speak to your neighbors, write to your local media. Truth travels faster when more of us carry it.

• Support autistic voices. Read their books, follow their work, invite them to speak. Nothing about us without us.

• Vote for leaders who respect disability rights. Make disability rights a litmus test issue—because it should be.

• Push for accountability. Demand that RFK Jr. publicly retract his statements and take responsibility for the harm caused.

• Donate or volunteer. Support organizations led by and for autistic individuals. Help amplify the work already being done in the community.

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Our community is strong. Our history is long. And our future will not be defined by people who try to erase us.

To hear the full press conference, watch here: youtu.be

Written By Michelle Friedman

Michelle Friedman is the board chair of Keshet in Chicago, a member of Disability Lead and has been a disability advocate for 40 years. She has written two children’s books and is a frequent speaker for elementary and high school-age students.