RFK JR’s Autism Crusade is a Maryland Issue

Commentary by: Courtney Hart

If it didn’t get buried under the (seemingly) millions of news stories, you’ve probably heard that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now Secretary of Health and Human Services, has launched a crusade to find the “root cause” of Autism, promising answers by September. This month, he also said he wanted to “build the first national autism registry,” although a couple days later, HHS issued a written statement that there “is not” a registry being developed. 

As a Clinical Social Worker specializing in neurodiversity-affirming practice, my work focuses on individuals, families, and the larger systems that shape our experiences. Rather than asking “What’s wrong and how do we fix it?”, social workers are trained in the social model of disability and ask “What barriers exist, and how can we build upon your strengths to navigate them?” Across nearly 15 years, I’ve watched an important shift in the understanding of Autism and a movement toward supporting autistic people and their loved ones rather than finding a “cure.” 

Please note, I intentionally use “Autistic,” the preference of many Autistic self-advocates who see their neurotype as integral to who they are, rather than “person with Autism.” 

The Trouble with (Early) Autism Research

Autism didn’t begin to be studied until Leo Kanner described “early infantile autism” in the 1940s. Research is so young that Donald Triplett, Kanner’s first identified case, died just last summer. (For comparison: we started studying diabetes at least 1,500 years ago.)

Kanner’s work influenced Hans Asperger, a Nazi-adjacent Viennese pediatrician who studied “little professors”, who he described as verbally precocious but socially aloof kids. Asperger sorted disabled children into "useful" (educable) or disposable (needing “curative care”) groups for the Nazi regime, sending many to their deaths.

Since then, explanations for Autism have ricocheted harmfully from “refrigerator” moms who were “too cold” to their infants, childhood schizophrenia, food additives, WiFi, and of course, vaccines. While researchers searched for a cause and a cure, Autistic children and adults faced sterilization, institutionalization, misdiagnosis, and harmful “treatments” like electroshock therapy, compliance-driven behavior modification, and unethical medical procedures.

Speaking of vaccines, the only peer-reviewed paper ever written linking vaccines and Autism was fully retracted by 2010, originally published in 1998 by Andrew Wakefield. The results have never been replicated and the most recent attempt to reanalyze the data and prove a link was also retracted, three weeks after it was published by Brian Hooker in 2014. 

Today, there is a general global consensus in the research community that genetics are the primary factor explaining Autism with heritability rates somewhere between 50-90%. 

There is no single "autism gene" but rather hundreds of variants that combine together, interacting with the prenatal environment, and resulting in an individual born with an Autistic neurotype, with an experience that falls somewhere on the non-linear, non-static spectrum of Autism. Autistic children come from Autistic parents and vaccines have nothing to do with it, per current, validated, independent research across the globe.

Autism Isn’t a Trend

Donald Trump and RFK Jr. both share concerns about the rise in Autism prevalence. In December 2024, Trump stated that “30 years ago [the prevalence was] one in 200,000… Now, I’m hearing numbers of one in 100, so something is wrong.” Then, this month, RFK Jr. warned children are being diagnosed at an “alarming rate” and that a “preventable disease,” “Autism destroys families…destroys our greatest resource, which is our children…who should not be suffering like this.” However, early prevalence studies estimated rates around 0.5 to 4.5 per 10,000 children (1 in 2,222 to 1 in 20,000) in the 1960-70s. CDC data shows an increase from 1 in 150 in 2000 (children born in 1992) to 1 in 31 in 2022 (children born in 2014). 

To be Autistic is to have a uniquely wired mind and experiences related to sensory responses that vary by context; deeply immersive interests that offer joy and emotional regulation; patterned routines and rituals; and nervous systems requiring repetitive self-regulation through movement or thought. Autistic social communication differs notably from “neurotypical” styles, often favoring direct, authentic expression, information-sharing, differences in using and interpreting non-spoken communication, and using cognitive effort to navigate social relationships. Some Autistic people require minimal support, often masking to navigate society. Others require substantial support with communication, sensory management, or daily routines.

Support and access needs for Autistic people vary widely and by context, and–despite the medical community requiring “functioning” levels and a rating of “mild to severe” when it comes to Autism diagnoses–the spectrum of Autistic experience is non-linear and non-static, influenced by sensory demands, environment, and co-occurring conditions like intellectual disability or mental health challenges. 

Contrary to what RFK Jr. might have you believe, as fact checked by PBS, most Autistic people do grow up to have their own careers, families, and deeply fulfilling lives, if they get the support they need. And, because adults, including Autistic adults, often have children, Autistic adults (who because of assortative mating may self-select another Autistic person to procreate with) are more likely to have more Autistic children. 

Another Alarm to Sound? 

Between assaults on due process, dredging of deep sea minerals, and  the rolling back of protections of disabled students, it’s overwhelming and nearly impossible to decide on a priority. But those who have minds that are naturally attuned to notice patterns, sensitive to the subtle shifts in environment, and perceptive to injustices can see what could be coming next, and quite frankly, it’s a bit terrifying. 

This IS a Maryland issue, and we can’t let the progress we’ve made in the last several years to support Autistic people and their families slide back to a darker era. 

In 2022, we banned seclusion in schools, a practice where students are locked involuntarily into a room by themselves, which disproportionately impacts disabled students. In 2023, Maryland officially designated April as Autism Acceptance Month, choosing the affirming-language amplified by self-advocates over an “Awareness” Month which frames neurotype as disease or disorder. In 2024, we established an Autistic Strategy Task Force, chaired by self-advocate Victoria M. Rodríguez-Roldán. And just this month, Maryland published a Five-Year Strategic Plan for Autism-Related Needs, centering Autistic voices.

But our history also includes reminders of how quickly “good intentions” can turn to surveillance, coercion, and harm when civil rights aren’t prioritized.

Legitimizing discredited figures like Mark Geier, who lost his Maryland medical license in 2012 for prescribing Lupron, a chemical castration drug, to Autistic youth, and potentially working with his son David Geier, who was also sued by the State in 2011 alongside his father for practicing without a license–and is rumored to be working on another federal study of vaccines and autism–fuels harmful conspiracy theories, gives false hope to grieving "autism moms," emboldens the righteous who have plans to “eradicate” the “disorder.” 

The harmful return of rhetoric about Autism "cures" could revive harmful interventions like Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), which despite continual warnings from Autistic self-advocates about ABA’s potential trauma and mixed research and implementation quality, remains widely promoted as the “gold-standard” of intervention. 

And, when RFK Jr. talks about national registries to “track” Autistic people and “wellness farms” where people can be sent to “heal” through “reparenting", he’s just rebranding harmful interventions, institutionalization, or worse. Marylanders know the cost of institutions like The Rosewood Center, which closed in 2009 after decades of abuse, forced sterilizations, and systemic neglect.

The mission of RFK Jr. and those on this newly revived Autism crusade is counter to exactly everything that Marylanders are moving toward. And now we all have a responsibility to protect our neighbors, loved ones, selves, and future children by maintaining recent changes and advocating for more affirming research and approaches to support all Autistic people.

So, how can community members and constituents meaningfully support Autistic Marylanders while pushing back against outdated “cure” rhetoric, vaccine myths, and any hint of an autism registry?

- Learn from Autistic voices. Websites such as Neurodivergent Insights and Neuroclastic publish first-person perspectives, with the latter intentionally amplifying the voices of non-speaking Autistic people. Podcasts like Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint Live and Divergent Conversations center lived experiences and provide neurodiversity-affirming education on Autism and other disabilities. For book readers, you can pick up books by Autistic authors including Sincerely, Your Autistic Child, which includes a chapter by Victoria M. Rodríguez-Roldán, Maryland’s State Coordinator for Autism Strategy,  Unmasking Autism by Devon Price or We’re Not Broken by Eric Garcia. Read them yourself, start a neighborhood book club, or simply recommend a title or article to a friend or colleague. 

- Advocate for respect of the dignity and worth of Autistic people by clearly and consistently speaking out against harmful misinformation and outdated rhetoric. Encourage others to learn about autism from a lived-experience informed perspective, where research is conducted alongside or led by Autistic individuals, highlighting their experiences and support needs over the predetermined hypotheses of medical professionals and psychologists. And when public figures like RFK Jr. spread falsehoods such as claiming Autistic individuals “will never pay taxes, never write a poem, never use a toilet unassisted” it’s important to push back forcefully. Maryland itself stands as proof against these harmful stereotypes: thousands of Autistic Marylanders contribute meaningfully to their communities every day. 

- Engage politically at the local level. Contact your state legislators and express your concerns about the rhetoric of RFK Jr. and Company. Oppose any registry tracking Autistic residents without explicit, informed consent. Urge them to fully fund and implement Maryland’s 2025-2030 Autism State Plan and to follow the guidance of the Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism-Related Needs (ASGARN). 

- Support Autistic-led, neurodiversity-affirming organizations like The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, headquartered in DC, the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint, based in southern Maryland, or The Autistic Women and Non-Binary Network, a larger organization. 

- Push for true inclusivity in classrooms, in employment, in higher education and training. Become an ally, or a self-advocate if it’s safe enough for you to do so, and fight the Maryland that we’re already building, with Autistic voices from “across the spectrum” of varied support needs, political beliefs, internal experiences, external appearance, etc. being heard. 

Maryland doesn’t need an autism registry. Maryland doesn’t need a cure. Maryland needs to continue to lead with Strong Deeds and Gentle Words to create a future where the inherent dignity and worth of all Autistic people is respected and valued and where they and their loved ones are given the support they need and deserve.

Imagine you get a call in the middle of your day. Someone you love has been detained. You get no explanation, no details. Hours pass. Days pass. No information arrives. No matter how hard you try, you can’t get answers. They’re just gone. 

You probably knew where this was headed before you finished the second sentence. But before you dismiss me as a bleeding-heart martyr who cares more about opening borders than protecting national security, hear me out. 

I’m not here to argue whether Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia–a Maryland resident legally in this country under a "withhold from removal” order active since 2019 who was deported to an El Salvadorian prison and has not been returned despite a clear judicial ruling that he needs to be–is a member of MS-13, or even if he should be back on American soil. 

This isn’t an immigration debate. 

If due process, constitutional rights, and judicial oversight can vanish based on the policies of people in power, what keeps you safe? If over 200 people can be flown overnight to a foreign prison known for human rights violations, disappeared without concrete evidence or governmental accountability, what protects you? 

Maybe you think it’s your citizenship, your politics, or your personal innocence that will shield you. Maybe you are already reading this as alarmist, reactionary, or over-the-top. But the stripping of rights is a slow, methodical process. It’s subtle, with loud rhetoric that divides us and splits our power while policies shift in the shadows, reshaping our rights and protections until suddenly, all at once, democratic protections disappear. 

It starts with factions, with “us versus them.” It hides behind claims of national security, demanding that you blindly follow those in power for your own protection. If you question it or fight against it, you are siding with “them,” the “enemy of the people.” Because if you cared, you’d keep quiet and comply. 

Besides, they ask, who are these “people” you’re so concerned about, anyway? Public figures label them “terrorists,” “criminals,” “thugs,” “illegals,” and “aliens,” often with no concrete evidence. The media then repeats the claims until the words alone are accepted as proof. You don’t know the names or stories of the people to challenge the stories they tell. What else do you have to go on? Why question the powerful people trying to protect you? You must not value national security. You must align with the “enemies of the state.” Maybe, just maybe, you yourself are a threat. 

We’re taught that the truth will set us free, that it will protect us. But the thing about the truth is that it’s subjective. We’re more susceptible to propaganda than we want to admit. And contrary to popular belief, memory does not typically serve us well. Once we accept dangerous rhetoric and sound bites as factual history, it becomes easy for our rights to be quietly chipped away. 

We’re already divided as the American people. We’re already in factions. We’re already started down the slippery slope. 

Turn on the TV, YouTube, or log on to any social media app and you’ll see it: Right versus left. MAGA cultist versus woke snowflake. Democratic versus Republican. Us versus them. And we’re already dehumanizing ourselves. Before we learn their names, we’re guessing which faction a person belongs to. Symbols become more important to us than stories. We have to know who is like “us” and who is like “them.” We can’t even listen to the “thems” because they’re “all” hateful, and that could never be us. 

So when an “other” gets deported overnight and “oops,” the plane was already airborne, or they’re already imprisoned abroad, who cares, right? 

Administrative error? Oh well. 

Wrong identity? They were probably guilty anyway. 

The Supreme Court demands their return? Well…

You’ve likely heard on the news that The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Abrego Garcia’s case. The United States government was ordered to “facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia. and, in a 2024 decision, voting 6-3, they also ruled that presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution related to acts within their “core powers,” which includes foreign relations.

So, the same court that can grant rights and then revoke them is unable to enforce rulings once someone leaves US soil, even if that person had legal protection from our government, even if there was no due process, and even if they admit his deportation was an error.

The checks of the government don’t actually seem to balance. 

Once the “others” are no longer a “problem,” how long until American citizenship can’t protect you? With how our current system is changing, your rights–or you–could vanish overnight, and our courts would be powerless to protect you. 

I’d worry this was alarmist if we didn’t have historical (and present day) examples of authoritarian regimes around the world using the same playbook. 

The most powerful people in our country literally laughed out loud when the President of the United States said that “homegrown criminals,” “the homegrowns” were next and asked the President of a foreign country to build more prisons. Trump and Bondi have openly shared with the press that they are looking for ways to expand this practice. 

And when political activism, journalism, and even peaceful forms of dissent get labeled “terrorism,” when they tell the public repeatedly that certain Americans are connected to dangerous groups from abroad, when they make a strong enough case with no evidence at all, what stops them from flying you to your new permanent residence? 

Not due process. It might still exist on paper, maybe. But it won’t be the practice any longer. Your rights will have been interpreted, manipulated, and likely just flat out ignored. It will be bent to the will of the powerful, if we don’t fight for factual history, Constitutional rights, and the laws of our land, to be remembered, to be spoken about, to be enforced. 

Maybe the media will protect you. Run your story, humanize you, rally the American people on your behalf–if your story stays visible in a flooded news cycle, of course. But will they even be allowed to speak freely by then? 

The only reason we know about the giggling in the Oval Office is because El Salvadorian media live streamed the conversation. The American press was not in the room when that conversation occurred. And when they did join, and they asked unfavorable questions (as journalists should), they were told they have “no credibility. When the public hears about “fake news” repeatedly how long until it’s accepted as the truth that the press are the “enemy of the people,” “corrupt,” or even “illegal”?

This isn’t a new playbook. 

Maybe you thought this was alarmist rhetoric in 2016, in 2020, and in 2024. Maybe you still think it is. But history proves again and again how rights slowly disappear. It doesn’t happen all at once. There’d be too much public outcry, too much spotlight. It happens gradually, quietly. Over time, though, people become tired, distracted, or apathetic. Divisions deepen as we continue to dehumanize others and algorithms promote angry rhetoric. 

And once they are done with the “outsiders,” they slowly expand inward. Suddenly, activists, journalists, political opponents, or anyone inconvenient becomes the target. And the silent consent of citizens quickens the fall of democratic values. 

Because “not us,” right? They’d never do this to “us.”

Is the stripping of the rights of all people inevitable? I can't see the future, but I’d like to believe that it’s not. 

I’d like to believe that this is our next lesson as the American people: that we can’t stay complicit as freedoms and rights disappear. Instead, we have to protect those in our communities who cannot protect themselves. We have to use our power to reclaim the duty bestowed upon us by our founding fathers. The ones who, as flawed as they may have been, separated power to prevent abuse and warned us that factions are a threat to democracy. 

I’m not a big fan of telling other people what they need to do, especially people I don’t know. I’m a big fan of my rights though, and of yours, even when we disagree on how to use them. I’m also a fan of my values, which include respecting the dignity and worth of every single human being, even those labeled as “the worst of the worst.” Because sometimes we get it wrong. And even when we don’t, to meet dehumanizing actions with more dehumanization will eventually erase the humanity in us all. 

And should we quietly comply, should we not raise our voices and assert our power, we will certainly have “no one left to speak for [us]” when the moment arrives. 

So, if you want and are able to do so, here’s something’s that I’m trying to do that you might consider, too:

• Learn your Constitutional rights. Teach them in accessible ways to the ones that you love, young and old, your coworkers, your neighbors, your friends. 
• Challenge harmful rhetoric. Reject language that labels and divides us. Fight back against an “us and them” mentality. 
• Hold your elected officials accountable. Vote. Advocate. Write letters. Speak up online and in person. Protest in whatever way feels safe and just to you. Run for office. 
• Build community. For starters, you want someone to notice if you’re disappeared. I’m not joking. But, it’s important for more reasons than that. Community is probably the most important thing we need right now, if I’m being honest. We need people to share the weight with, to remind us of our humanity, to protest alongside of, to help us remember facts and history. Create spaces where you can connect, not just online but in person, too, away from government surveillance and the reach of big tech. 
• Breathe. Deeply. Seriously, stop chest-breathing and learn to take slow, deep breaths. Snipers are trained to do it for a reason. You’ll need to stay regulated for the long-term, and it helps. 
• Take care of yourself in sustainable ways. You don’t need to run a bubble bath nightly to practice self-care. Take breaks from the news and stop scrolling in your bed at 3am. Touch grass. Seriously. Go outside. Hug your mom. Or your dog. Or don’t hug anyone if that’s not your thing. Remember to find good news, too. Hold on to your hope, your faith, your connection to the moment. 
• Be mindfully proactive. Think about your digital footprint, your language, your surroundings. Check in regularly with your loved ones so you both know each other is well, not just physically but mentally, too. 

It’s easy to feel powerless when the highest court in our nation can’t enforce its own decisions, when the media seems less likely to resist each month, and when our congress people seem to be along for the ride. But we can’t wait until we become the “other” because by then, it’ll be too late. 

It’s going to be a long fight, and we need each other. All of us.