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Autistic adults push back on fear-based Trump rhetoric
It feels like we are treated as 'nothing' in society
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By Peter Clark (Senior Editor, Autism Info Center) Wednesday 5th November 2025 |
Autistic adults in the US are pushing back against what they describe as "fear-based" rhetoric from President Donald Trump and his health secretary, Robert F.
Kennedy Jr.
The article details how Trump and Kennedy have referred to autism as a "horror show" and "crisis", while making unproven claims about its causes.
Composer William Barnett, an autistic adult, uses his platform to counter this, stating the language is misinformation that stigmatises autistic people.
Members of the nonprofit group Autistic Adults NYC echo this, feeling frustrated and angry.
They argue the White House focus is "dangerous" and dehumanising.
Instead of portraying their lives as diminished, autistic advocates and allies urge the administration to focus on funding services and asking autistic people what support they actually need.
Experts quoted in the article, such as UCLA professor Elizabeth Laugeson, describe the rhetoric as a return to an "ugly past" and emphasise that autism is a "neurodevelopmental difference" and a part of human diversity, not a tragedy to be fixed.
Source: AFP (USA)
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/autistic-adults-push-back-fear-013351624.html
Further reading, listening and viewing...
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