In a society increasingly shaped by science and medicine, our ability to identify and understand neurological differences should be considered a triumph of progress, especially in relation to self-understanding, acceptance and empowerment. Still, it must be reiterated that neurodivergence is not a disease to cure but a natural variation in the human experience tied to genetics — merely meaning a person has a different way of thinking, processing and existing.
Donald Trump’s administration has hijacked this conversation, spreading misinformation and fear about autism in particular. By promoting debunked theories and casting neurodivergent individuals as broken products of a “woke” society, the administration is fueling a stigma that undermines science and inflicts lasting harm on millions of Americans simply trying to live authentic lives.
Throughout the 1900s, children with autism had access to few modes of success in education or work after many were labeled with childhood schizophrenia or “mental retardation,” which in some cases forced them into mental institutions. Clinicians who did not yet have an understanding of the autism spectrum claimed that autism stemmed from unloving mothers and psychotic disorders.
This widespread belief that autism is a mental illness, a sign of lower intelligence or the result of childhood trauma paints a narrow and damaging picture of neurodivergent individuals as inherently incapable of success and reduces their potential to a false narrative of deficiency. It was not until institutions for “mental defectives” began closing and speech therapy grew that new models for understanding autism were promoted.
It has only been 50 years since the diagnosis of classic autistic syndrome was created and the definition has evolved over time, so statements regarding the prevalence and age range of those with autism are dramatically skewed. In the first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, autism was only mentioned once. By the time the fifth DSM edition was published in 2013, clinicians’ understanding of the spectrum had grown to one that was intricate and distinct from schizophrenia, providing multiple methods of pinpointing interplaying symptoms of autism and leading to more accurate, classifiable diagnoses.
Knowing that autism used to be categorized among other very different diagnoses helps understand why those of older generations, like Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., refuse to accept that autism is not a rare occurrence and deny the ability of those with autism to succeed to the same extent as others.
Active misinformation and fear-mongering could consequently take away progress by discouraging the diagnosis of autism based on historical beliefs. For example, Trump claims that autism was almost “nonexistent” 25 years ago. However, there are no more cases now than in the past — just more diagnoses. In the last 25 years, we have become more knowledgeable about and accepting of neurological conditions like autism. These progressions have enabled activism and true reform of social and health care processes that have, for centuries, held back the livelihood of individuals with them. More people exist, more people have access to health care, more people know about these neurological conditions and fewer people feel shame or fear about diagnosing and expressing them — it’s common sense.
Additionally, Kennedy states he does not know any adults with “full-blown autism,” rejecting the possibility of historical stigma preventing adults from accepting their autism and that autism is a spectrum with a wide range of attributes. He has said, “This is a preventable disease. We know it’s an environmental exposure. It has to be. Genes do not cause epidemics.” His overconfidence in these statements is what is most worrisome; confidence can efficiently gain support even without evidence alongside the claim.
A 1998 paper, which was later retracted for incorrect information and unethical conduct, concluded that when certain vaccines were given to a set of children, there was an “onset of behavioural problems.” Even though the study was retracted, the damage was done. Parents had become worried about the effects of vaccines on their children, and people began to believe that autism was contracted, not already present. The administration is currently attempting to reconstruct these debunked studies and prove that autism is in fact linked to vaccination and unnamed environmental exposures, resurfacing the fear surrounding autism diagnoses while spending money on unsuccessful research.
Instead, we should be putting effort toward inclusive solutions, preventing systemic failures to include those with neurological differences. These could include universal insurance-covered screenings, sensory-safe environments that uphold the needs of students, strengthening of the Americans with Disabilities Act, accessible infrastructure and inclusion of those with autism in policy making.
Kennedy also says that those with autism “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 on a date … Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.” These dehumanizing statements show a lack of understanding of the “spectrum” aspect of autism and foster fear and division, portraying neurological conditions as byproducts of modern liberal values rather than a natural variation in human development.
In dangerously linking autism to issues like vaccination and environmental health concerns, distrust in science is fueled while neurodivergent individuals are painted as symptoms of a cultural decline in America, where its citizens are not as resilient as they once were. This inaccurate narrative not only stigmatizes those with autism but also frames their existence as a political consequence, subsequently allowing supporters to scapegoat progressive policies and shift blame for a medical condition onto the very communities advocating for inclusion and care.
By declaring autism as preventable, caused by exposure and an epidemic, Kennedy upholds inaccurate, wrongly defined and dangerous ideas about what autism is and how it affects people. Overall, Trump being under the impression that autism was almost nonexistent and Kenendy’s position on vaccines and the origin of autism all demonstrate the true setbacks those with autism and neurodivergence currently face. To ensure that all individuals can live with dignity and access the care they need, we must demand evidence-based policymaking, inclusive leadership and a health care system that values people over profit. Combating stigma begins with truth for the American people, and it must end with justice for all, not just some, of its citizens.
Merrigan Butcher is a freshman majoring in anthropology.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.