U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent comments on what it’s like to live with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have provoked strong reactions.
“These are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date,” RFK Jr. said during a press conference on April 16, where he vowed to identify the underlying causes of what he called the autism epidemic. “Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted, and we have to recognize we are doing this to our children.”
Kennedy later said in an appearance on Fox News that he was talking only about “severe” autism. His comments have resonated with some parents of children on the far end of the spectrum.
But the response from autism advocacy organizations and researchers has been negative. “Comments from HHS Secretary Kennedy’s news conference about autistic people are extremely disappointing and damaging, and we join many others in their concern with how the autistic community is being misportrayed,” says Andy Shih, PhD, chief science officer of Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization.
Psychologists, researchers, and advocates in the autism community want to debunk misconceptions about the condition, like the ones below.
Misconception No. 1: Autism Is a Disease
“Autism is not a disease: It’s a different way of thinking and experiencing the world,” says Elizabeth Laugeson, PsyD, clinical professor and licensed clinical psychologist at the Center for Autism Research and Treatment at UCLA in Los Angeles.
Researchers define autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a developmental disability that can have symptoms like difficulties reading social cues, sensory sensitivities, intense and highly focused interests, and repetitive behaviors.
Describing autism as a disease can spread fear and make life harder for autistic people and their families, says Dr. Laugeson.
Misconception No. 2: There’s an Autism Epidemic
The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that autism diagnoses are on the rise. In 2022 an estimated 1 in 31 8-year-olds (3.2 percent) received an autism diagnosis, up from 1 in 36 in 2020.
But that doesn’t mean there’s an epidemic, experts say.
An epidemic is an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in a specific area.
“Referring to autism as an epidemic is not only scientifically inaccurate, it also risks reinforcing stigma. Autism is not a disease, but rather a lifelong developmental condition that affects people in diverse ways,” says Dr. Shih.
Research suggests the rise in autism diagnoses reflects improved awareness, broader diagnostic criteria, and better access to services, says Laugeson.
“Rather than focusing on autism as an epidemic, which is factually incorrect, it would be more helpful to understand autism through the lens of neurodiversity. Neurodiversity is the idea that differences in how people think, learn, and process the world, including those on the autism spectrum, are natural and valuable parts of human diversity,” she says.
Misconception No. 3: People With Autism Can Never Contribute to Society
Autism is a heterogeneous disorder, meaning it manifests or looks different in the various people who have it.
“People say if you’ve met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person — there is a wide spectrum of autism,” says Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, researcher and director of the Neurodiversity Clinic at Stanford Health Care in California.
“We do not want the public to be confused into thinking that every single autistic individual will have a poor prognosis. In fact, some of the most successful people who have shaped our society, like Bill Gates, are autistic people,” says Dr. Fung.
Misconception No. 4: Vaccines Can Cause Autism
The belief that autism is caused by childhood vaccines — specifically the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine — started because of a British study published in the 1990s by a physician named Andrew Wakefield that was later found to use falsified data. Not a single study before or since has found a link between vaccines and autism.
Ironically, a growing body of research suggests a possible association between viral infections like measles, mumps, and rubella and an increased risk of autism.
“If people are choosing not to have their child vaccinated for the measles because they are worried about autism, that’s the opposite of what the actual facts are. It’s tragic and somewhat ironic,” says Peter J. Smith, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago, whose specialties include autism spectrum disorder.
Misconception No. 5: People With Autism Always Have Intellectual Disabilities
The latest data shows that 40 percent or less of people on the autism spectrum also experience intellectual disability.
“Many people on the autism spectrum are highly competent,” Fung says.
Misconception No. 6: People With Autism Are Incapable of Joy and Human Connection
“Framing autism as a personal or societal tragedy, and implying that autistic people are incapable of joy, growth, or fulfillment, is deeply hurtful,” says Shih.
Suggesting that autistic children will never contribute, connect, or thrive erases the full humanity of millions of people, and ignores the many ways autistic people enrich the world every day, he says.
“People with autism can have meaningful relationships with others and even have families. Many autistic individuals consider autism part of their identity. It’s important to respect autistic individuals for who they are and consider autism a condition instead of a disease,” says Fung.
Misconception No. 7: Only Boys Develop Autism
While it is true that boys are more likely to have ASD than girls, autism isn’t a sex-specific condition. Research suggests that about 4 percent of boys will be diagnosed with ASD compared with about 1 percent of girls.
Experts believe that the disparity may be partially due to underdiagnosis in girls and women. Compared with males, females may show fewer symptoms like aggression or hyperactivity and may be more likely to camouflage their difficulties in social interactions, which is called “masking.”
In addition to classic repetitive behaviors (“stimming”) like rocking that can be a feature of autism for either gender, girls and women with autism may also exhibit behaviors not traditionally associated with the condition, such as perfectionist tendencies.
While clinicians considering an autism diagnosis are trained to look for stereotypically male-associated restricted interests, like transportation, girls and women with autism may develop restricted interests more in line with expected social norms, such as animals or celebrities.
Because of those factors, autism in women can often go unnoticed, leading to delays in appropriate support.
Misconception No. 8: Autism Is Always Caused by Environmental Toxins
Right now, it isn’t clear what causes autism. “When I speak with my patients or parents of my patients about their autism diagnosis, I will tell them that the most recent studies have suggested that about half of the cases are due to genetic causes, and the other half could be related to nongenetic causes,” says Fung.
Some known risk factors include advanced paternal age, advanced maternal age, taking the anti-epileptic medication valproate during pregnancy, and preterm birth, he says.
This national nonprofit focuses on a range of initiatives including research, advocacy, and awareness campaigns. Its Autism Response Team answers questions, connects people with tools and resources, and helps identify autism services and supports in communities across the US.
Run by and for autistic people, this national grassroots organization fights for disability and civil rights and works to make sure people with autism have a say in policy-making efforts that affect them.
NAA aims to provide help and hope to people with autism in all 50 states. Among its many projects is a free Big Red Safety Box toolkit for families and others concerned about an autistic person’s tendency to wander or bolt from safe spaces into potentially dangerous situations.
The Autism Society works with a wide network of local and state affiliates to provide services and support to individuals and families in the autism community. Look for information and resources on everything from housing and education to therapies and health issues.
By supporting autism-related research this organization seeks evidence-based information aimed at better understanding autism and finding new treatments that can improve the lives of people living with this condition and their families.
This national organization advocates for and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Working with over 600 state and local chapters, The Arc aims to help people with IDD find supports and services needed to become fully engaged in their communities.
AWN aims to provide community resources and support for autistic women, girls, transfeminine and transmasculine nonbinary people, Two Spirit people, and all people of marginalized genders or of no gender. Downloadable welcome packets provide information for newly diagnosed adults and parents of newly diagnosed children.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
RFK Jr.’s Comments on Autism Draw Reactions from Parents and Experts. ABC News. April 17, 2025.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. HHS Secretary Kennedy Responds to Misinformation About His Speech on Autism. X and Fox News. April 18, 2025.
Emily May. Kennedy Described My Daughter’s Reality. The New York Times. April 25, 2025.
Debunking 8 Autism Myths and Misconceptions. Cleveland Clinic. May 29, 2024.
Shaw, KA et al. Prevalence and Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 and 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 Sites, United States, 2022. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). April 17, 2025.
Endemic vs. Epidemic vs. Pandemic: What You Need to Know. Mayo Clinic Health System. March 10, 2022.
Bill Gates Opens Up About Deciding to ‘Explicitly’ Mention Autism in Memoir, and Why Only in the Epilogue (Exclusive). People. February 27, 2025.
Angela D. Harper, MD, is in private practice at Columbia Psychiatric Associates in South Carolina, where she provides evaluations, medication management, and psychotherapy for adults.
A distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Harper has worked as a psychiatrist throughout her career, serving a large number of patients in various settings, including a psychiatric hospital on the inpatient psychiatric and addiction units, a community mental health center, and a 350-bed nursing home and rehab facility. She has provided legal case consultation for a number of attorneys.
Harper graduated magna cum laude from Furman University with a bachelor's degree and cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, where she also completed her residency in adult psychiatry. During residency, she won numerous awards, including the Laughlin Fellowship from the American College of Psychiatrists, the Ginsberg Fellowship from the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training, and resident of the year and resident medical student teacher of the year. She was also the member-in-training trustee to the American Psychiatric Association board of trustees during her last two years of residency training.
Harper volunteered for a five-year term on her medical school's admission committee, has given numerous presentations, and has taught medical students and residents. She currently supervises a nurse practitioner. She is passionate about volunteering for the state medical board's medical disciplinary commission, on which she has served since 2015.
She and her husband are avid travelers and have been to over 55 countries and territories.
Becky Upham has worked throughout the health and wellness world for over 25 years. She's been a race director, a team recruiter for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a salesperson for a major pharmaceutical company, a blogger for Moogfest, a communications manager for Mission Health, a fitness instructor, and a health coach.
Upham majored in English at the University of North Carolina and has a master's in English writing from Hollins University.
Upham enjoys teaching cycling classes, running, reading fiction, and making playlists.
