By The Editorial Board
The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has gained attention in recent weeks for his remarks about autism, a topic that has caused him to butt heads with scientists over its cause and curability.
Kennedy held a press conference on April 16 to address a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that found the prevalence of autism rising, specifically in 8-year-olds, the latest in a series of increased autism diagnoses in recent decades. Kennedy responded to the report by saying, “autism destroys families and is an individual tragedy as well.”
Kennedy also said many autistic children are incapable of doing everyday tasks, that they will never pay taxes, hold a job, play baseball, write a poem, go out on a date or even use a toilet unassisted.
“Most cases now are severe,” Kennedy said. “Twenty-five percent of the kids who are diagnosed with autism are nonverbal, non-toilet-trained and have other stereotypical features.”
Medical experts told PolitiFact that Kennedy’s portrayal of autism is warped. A 2023 study conducted by CDC officials and university researchers found that one out of four people on the autism spectrum have severe limitations — but not the same limitations Kennedy mentioned during his press conference.
The stereotypes and stigma-induced comments from Kennedy about those who have autism are irresponsible and, quite frankly, dangerous for the public perception of this disorder.
A National Library of Medicine article, “Understanding Stigma in Autism: A Narrative Review and Theoretical Model,” explores the impact of the stigma around autism and those who have it, and how these ideas can hurt the public’s perception surrounding it.
According to the article, the potential effect of stigma on autistic people and their families is “wide-ranging and has an overarching impact on well-being.”
The article defines “well-being” as a multidimensional construct, with stable well-being occurring when individuals have the psychological, social and physical resources to meet a particular psychological, social or physical challenge. The effects of stigma may erode some of their resources, resulting in severe consequences for their well-being.
Knowing someone with autism is associated with more positive attitudes toward autism and less stigma, the article finds. However, creating a relationship with an autistic person could be partly achieved by better media representation, meaning ignoring the misinformation that spews out of press conferences. Negative reporting of autism is correlated with negative attitudes, but the media representation of autistic people is, unfortunately, often a negative portrayal.
Recently, there has been a call for more accuracy in portrayals of autism in the media. At this point, there seems to be an increase in false information and misconceptions surrounding the disorder.
Due to the current stigma around autism, positive autistic role models and representation of the diversity of autistic experiences are likely to improve understanding and reduce negative attitudes, ultimately reducing autism stigma. Positive media representations may also support autistic people in expressing themselves.
While controlling what stigma is in the media regarding autism is usually out of most people’s control, creating autism-friendly spaces is something everyone can contribute to.
The article suggests that autism-friendly spaces can improve understanding of autism by enabling autistic people to better integrate with the wider community. Autism-friendly spaces will enhance the quality of interactions with autistic people and consequently reduce stigma.
The next time a politicized press conference discusses the nature of autism, take it with a grain of salt and look at the reports yourself before coming to conclusions.
