Robert F Kennedy Jr. posted the following statement on ‘X’ on 6 July 2025:
“In 1970, Autism was rare: fewer than 1 in 10,000 children. Today, it’s 1 in every 31. We owe it to our children to find out why.”
To understan this, it is worth considering the history of autism. Here are 5 milestones:
- 1911: Eugen Bleuler introduces the term “autism” to describe symptoms related to schizophrenia.
- 1926: Grunya Sukhareva writes about six children with autistic traits in a scientific German psychiatry and neurology journal.
- 1943: Leo Kanner publishes his paper on “early infantile autism,” describing 11 children with unique characteristics.
- 1944: Hans Asperger describes Asperger’s syndrome, a variant of autism.
- 1980: Autism is officially recognized as a separate disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III).
So, can anyone be surprised that, in 1970, autism was a relatively rare diagnosis?
No, not really!
But perhaps Kennedy has a point when he is concerned about the cause of autism?
No, not really!
- Changes in diagnostic criteria and tools: Broader definitions and improved diagnostic methods have led to more frequent diagnoses.
- Increased awareness and recognition: Greater awareness on all levels has resulted in more children being diagnosed.
- Growing population and demographic changes: Increased parental age may be a contributory factor.
- Genetic factors: Genetic mutations may play a role in the development of autism.
- A combination of the phenomena listed above as well as other factors that are as yet not known.
What is fairly sure – also based on tons of research – is that the increase of of autism is not caused by vaccinations.
So, why does Kennedy contine to pronounce dangerous BS on the subject?
I am not sure – perhaps it has something to do with the worm that has apparently eaten part of his brain (evidently the part that deals with the comprehension of science).
And when will he stop acting as a slinger of BS?
That, I’m afraid, is up to you, my American friends!
6 Responses to Robert F Kennedy Jr. and his dangerous BS about autism
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Two reasons:
1. People find it very difficult to admit that they were wrong, and
2. People find it very difficult to abandon something the more they have invested in it in terms of time, money and above all emotions.
This is also borne out by the fact that in one of their recent reports, Kennedy’s entourage is still going on about the harms of the mercury-based preservative thimerosal in vaccines – even though thimerosal was banned from almost all childhood vaccines already in 2001, without any noticeable effects on children’s health at all.
Once people believe something, it is virtually impossible to make them abandon that belief, even if there is overwhelming evidence that they are wrong. Which of course does not mean that we shouldn’t try and fight those beliefs and the flood of misinformation that they cause.
“why does Kennedy contine to pronounce dangerous BS on the subject?
“Two reasons:
1. People find it very difficult to admit that they were wrong, and
2. People find it very difficult to abandon something the more they have invested in it in terms of time, money and above all emotions.”
—
With respect to Richard, I believe he’s missing the point. In RFK’s case, I think the problem is that he’s simply too stupid to understand. Yes, tenacity may be a factor but the main point is lack of intelligence.
if your brain had been eaten by a worm, you also lacked intelligence.
@Kurt Youngmann
You are of course correct – otherwise he wouldn’t have been picked by Trump).
Then again, unwillingness to admit one’s mistakes is also a sign of stupidity.
Being a lawyer was primarily about winning, not about truth.
1976 – Lorna Wing coins the term “Asperger’s Syndrome” and introduces Asperger’s work to the English speaking world.
1990 – Asperger’s is recognised as a diagnosis in ICD-10.
1989 -the orginal ADI comes out. Used mainly as a research tool. The same team, led by Michael Rutter, also bring out the companion ADOS
2003 – Rutter, Le Couteur and Lord publish the ADI-R and it becomes a clinical mainstay.
From around 2000 on CAMHS staff are getting better training in things ASD (when I trained in the ’80s autism was seen more as a learning disability, so none of us in MH knew anything about it), so even folk like me, who had other main professional interests, became at least competent at assessment.
RFK is an eejit.