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Autism, strong criticism of Robert Kennedy Jr: ‘Offensive and unsubstantiated words’

The US Health Secretary speaks of a preventable disease and triggers the reaction of families and experts. In Italy, Burioni also intervenes

The US Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., ended up at the centre of a harsh controversy after some statements he made about autism, which he called a ‘preventable disease’ that ‘destroys families’. During a press conference, Kennedy announced the launch of federal studies to identify alleged ‘environmental toxins’ responsible, according to him, for the increase in cases among US children.

Among the phrases that raised outrage: ‘These are kids who will never pay taxes. They will never get a job. They will never play baseball. They will never write a poem. They will never go out on a date. Many will never use a toilet without help. And we have to recognise that we are doing this to our children’.

The reactions: families and the scientific community against Kennedy

Kennedy’s words were strongly rejected by family associations and the scientific community. On social media, many people with autism spectrum disorders – or their families – shared personal stories, photos in work uniforms or on the baseball field, or testimonies of full autonomy, including paying taxes.

Even from Italy came a clear stance. Roberto Burioni, professor of Microbiology and Virology at the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan, wrote on X: ‘It is very serious that the US Minister of Health talks about people with autism spectrum disorders as people who “won’t know how to use a toilet by themselves”, demonstrating abysmal ignorance on the matter.

Claims about the causes of autism

Kennedy also reiterated, without bringing scientific evidence, that the increase in autism rates would be due to environmental factors such as moulds, pesticides, food additives, drugs, ultrasound, obesity and water quality. ‘Genes do not cause epidemics. They can create vulnerabilities. You need an environmental toxin,’ he said.

However, experts counter with data and studies. Alison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation, told Nbc News that in about 20 per cent of cases autism can be traced to specific genetic variants, while in many other cases the disorder appears to depend on a complex interaction between genetics and environmental factors. Some studies, for example, indicate a possible correlation between air pollution and increased risk, but no substance has been identified as a direct cause.

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