‘An epidemic’: How the autistic community is responding to RFK Jr.‘s controversial comments

In just over three months as the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Junior has continued to voice opinions that are both controversial and often at odds with scientific and medical research. 

He has called autism an "epidemic" that "destroys families." The health secretary has also attributed a rise in diagnoses to debunked ideas about vaccines. We’ll talk about the effect that rhetoric is having in Illinois with autisim adovcates, the parent of an autistic child, and an expert in developmental psychology. 

GUESTS

Molly Losh
Jo Ann G. and Peter F. Dolle Professor of Learning Disabilities, Associate Dean for Research, Northwestern University School of Communication

Taylor Sweeting 
Autism self-advocate and disability self-advocate

Zoe Gross 
Director of advocacy, Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Hannah Epker
Parent of an autistic child in Lake County