We have seen a wave of dangerous proposals and policy changes coming from President Trump, RFK Jr., Elon Musk, and others that threaten the rights, freedom, and safety of disabled people. From dangerous misinformation about autism, to attempts to shut down the Department of Education, to attacks on Medicaid and SNAP, these policies put all of us at risk.
That’s why we’ve put together this resource breaking down many of the harmful myths and attacks on our community. All disabled people deserve support, accessible education, and the freedom to live in our communities.
Disinformation is untrue or misleading information that people spread on purpose to trick others. It is different from misinformation, which is untrue information shared by accident. People use disinformation to control what other people think and do, often to hurt a person or a group of people.
Disinformation is dangerous because it can make people believe things that are not true. Disinformation is especially dangerous when it is spread by people we should be able to trust, like the President and elected officials. When we talk about the President spreading disinformation, it’s important to understand that it means knowingly sharing lies to push a certain idea. This is harmful because it makes it harder for people to find the truth and make good choices for their health and their communities. This can hurt people in a lot of ways.
For example, even though we know vaccines are safe and effective, vaccine disinformation makes some people afraid to get vaccinated. This can cause more illness and disease. The lie that vaccines cause autism is especially harmful. Not only do vaccines help everyone, but the lie makes people think being autistic is bad or something to be prevented. We cannot and should not stop autistic people from existing. We should support autistic people and make sure our voices are heard and we have the supports we need. We should make sure everyone knows that vaccines are safe and effective and has access to them.
Vaccines save lives — including those of autistic people. Vaccines have to be (and are) tested repeatedly for safety before they are used in people. They are studied by professionals who went to school specifically to understand public health, healthcare, and sciences related to medicine and disease.
There is a myth connecting the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy, has pushed this lie. The top vaccine official at HHS quit in protest of Kennedy’s lies and the harm he will cause. Kennedy has said that he intends to do a study showing the link between autism and vaccines. This study is already biased, because Kennedy hired a man named David Geier to lead the study. Geier is not a doctor — in fact, his father had his medical license taken away after David and his father did a harmful study on autistic children to try to show a link between vaccines and autism. The study failed, and they hurt many autistic children during it. Scientists have studied the MMR vaccine repeatedly over decades. They have proven that the vaccine and autism are unconnected. This was the case at the time the original myth was published as well. This lie was created by Andrew Wakefield.
Wakefield had money to gain by making people afraid of the MMR vaccine. He made a badly designed study to try to spread a lie. Other scientists were able to prove that his study was a lie. He lost his medical license because of it.
In the decades since, we’ve had study after study prove that there is no causation between any vaccine and autism. Vaccines make sure people stay alive instead of catching expensive and painful diseases.
Not getting vaccinated when it is medically possible can cause major problems. A decrease in the amount of people vaccinating against measles has led to the first outbreak of it in the US in years. People have already died because of it, and more will.
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What you need to know about vaccines (Plain Language)
In addition to blaming vaccines, Secretary Kennedy shared the myth that taking acetaminophen during pregnancy will make the child autistic. This is not true. Acetaminophen is a painkiller. It is the active ingredient in Tylenol and several other over-the-counter medications. This has been thoroughly researched, and we know from strong scientific evidence that acetaminophen does not cause autism. In fact, the truth is that autism is overwhelmingly caused by genetics.
Reliable expert sources like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists immediately condemned the administration’s claims. They reaffirmed that taking acetaminophen during pregnancy is safe and that there is no evidence that it causes autism. Meanwhile, Secretary Kennedy himself has admitted that he does not have proof that it causes autism, but that he is “doing the studies to make the proof.” That is not how science works, and it is a terrible foundation for government health policy.
At the same press conference where he blamed acetaminophen for autism, Secretary Kennedy also claimed that leucovorin is an effective treatment for autism. This announcement was incredibly irresponsible and premature. Leucovorin, also known as folinic acid, is a form of folic acid, The few leucovorin studies on autistic children included less than a hundred participants — usually just a few dozen. The ones with more participants showed the weakest effects. That means the more autistic children they looked at, the more they saw that leucovorin did not work like they thought.
When we do larger, better-designed trials, benefits from the preliminary studies often disappear. That’s why we have a thorough process for approving prescription drugs, and bypassing that process to encourage people to take a totally unproven drug is dangerous. That’s also why multiple medical authorities have debunked Secretary Kennedy’s claims and discouraged people from taking leucovorin for autism.
There is a long history of autistic people and their families being sold supposed “miracle cures” for autism. None of them have worked, and many of them – like high doses of Lupron and chelation – have had dangerous and even deadly consequences for autistic people. RFK Jr. has even supported some of these so-called “treatments” in the past. Now he is pushing yet another one. Leucovorin does not seem to be as dangerous as those, but all drugs have side effects, and it can cause seizures in some people. We urge our government to stop hyping up supposed treatments based on little to no evidence, and to stop trying to find a “cure” for autism in the first place. Autism is a part of human neurodiversity, and it has always existed. We want our government to support autistic people, not try to stop us from existing.
Some people say there is an “autism epidemic,” but that is not true. An epidemic is when a disease spreads very fast to a lot of people. Autism is not a disease. More people are being diagnosed now because we understand autism better — not because more people are “getting” autism. That’s why calling autism an epidemic is wrong and misleading.
Autism has always existed, but for a long time, many autistic people were overlooked or misdiagnosed. Over the past few decades, doctors and researchers have gotten better at recognizing autism, especially groups that went undiagnosed or misdiagnosed before, like autistic women and autistic people of color. This has led to more people being correctly diagnosed, which is why it seems like autism rates have increased. But this does not mean more people are “becoming” autistic — it just means we’re getting better at identifying autism and making sure people get the resources we need. Making sure that everyone who wants a diagnosis can get one is good and important.
Autism is not a disease, and it is not something that needs to be cured or prevented. The Make America Healthy Again executive order wrongly calls autism a “chronic disease.” This kind of language isn’t just untrue, it’s harmful. It treats autism like a problem, rather than recognizing autistic people as a part of the natural diversity of people. Instead of trying to “fix” or reduce the number of autistic people, we should focus on better and more accessible resources that allow autistic people to thrive in our communities.
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There is a lot of research about autism and autistic people. Recently, some people from the administration have said they want to research why people are autistic. This research does not help autistic people. It takes money and resources away from research that could actually improve our lives. There has been a lot of research on what causes autism. In fact, the bulk of autism research is focused on finding out what “causes” autism. This administration is not only pushing research that doesn’t help autistic people, it is also ignoring all the research that has been done. They are ignoring it because they do not like that it doesn’t prove what they think is true.
Autism research should focus on things that make a real difference for autistic people, like understanding and addressing co-occurring conditions. It should also prioritize research on services and supports like communication tools, health care access, and community living. These are the things autistic people actually need to thrive — not a focus on bunk causation research.
Spending time and money on trying to find a “cause” or “cure” for autism is not just a waste of resources — it is actively harmful. It makes up a large amount of the research that has been done historically. It still makes up most of the budget for autism research now.
Causation research, research that looks at why people are autistic, and cure research, research that looks at how we can make autistic people stop being autistic, are rooted in ableist and eugenicist ideas that treat autism as a problem to be solved rather than a natural part of human diversity. Worse, this kind of research has historically led to efforts to eliminate or “prevent” autistic people, rather than working to make the world more accessible for us.
Autistic people must be included in autistic research, not just as the focus of studies, but as researchers, decision makers, and leaders. We know best what challenges we face and what kinds of research would actually help us. Instead of pouring money into bunk causation studies, we should prioritize research that improves autistic people’s lives. Autistic people deserve research that respects and values us — not studies that treat our existence as a mistake to fix.
Autistic people do not want or need a cure. Autism is not a disease — it is a natural part of human diversity. The idea of “curing” autism is rooted in ableism, the belief that disabled people are broken or less valuable than non-disabled people. Instead of trying to get rid of autism, we should focus on making sure autistic people have the resources and support we need to thrive in our communities.
We need access to health care, communication supports, education, employment, and community living. We need policies that protect our rights, and research that supports our communities needs — not studies aimed at preventing future autistic people from existing. When resources are spent on “cure” research, they are taken away from things that actually improve our lives.
The Trump administration has repeatedly implied that disabled people are better off dead, and that our existence is a threat. This kind of rhetoric is horrifying coming from the government, and it is also part of a larger societal problem. Far too many people think that disabled lives aren’t worth living.
But autistic people do want to live. We want research that helps us, not plans for a world where we no longer exist. We want accessible health care that recognizes all of our experiences, not resources going to already debunked studies. We deserve a world that values us, not one that sees us as burdens or mistakes. Instead of wasting time and money on trying to “cure” us, we should be working to make sure disabled people have access to the resources and opportunities. Our lives have value. We deserve respect, support, and to exist as we are.
Since taking office, President Trump has taken several actions to attack diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), largely through executive orders. These attacks are harmful to everyone, but they are especially dangerous for disabled people, including autistic people.
Some people have argued that disability rights and accessibility won’t be affected by these attacks on DEIA, but that is simply not true. Disability cannot be separated from DEIA. The federal government is the largest employer of disabled people, and many federal programs that support disabled people — including people who don’t work for the government — rely on DEIA initiatives to ensure fair treatment, accessibility, and inclusion. Gutting DEIA programs means fewer protections, fewer opportunities, and more barriers for disabled people. DEIA programs exist because workplaces, schools, and public services have historically excluded people based on their disability, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other identities. These programs aren’t discriminatory — they help create an environment where everyone has a fair chance to succeed and offer the best public services possible.
Despite what the Trump administration claims, DEIA is not a new concept. Efforts to improve workplace fairness and accessibility date back to at least 1918. These programs have helped countless people, including disabled people, get jobs, receive an accessible education, and access public services.
The Trump administration has released numerous executive orders aimed at dismantling DEIA initiatives with no regard to the impact. These orders tell federal agencies to get rid of programs that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. They have also overturned an executive order that protected workers from discrimination by federal contractors, including workers with disabilities. Some of these orders even target agencies and staff for talking about these issues — going so far as to ban words like “disability,” “barriers,” “racism,” and more. This makes it much harder to address systemic discrimination — and that is the goal.
It is important to remember that executive orders do not overrule the laws passed by Congress. The US Constitution and federal civil rights laws protect equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination, no matter what the administration claims. While the Trump administration believes that DEIA is wrong, that is just an opinion — it is not the law.
These attacks will hurt all marginalized people, but people with disabilities, especially people of color and LGBT+ people with disabilities, will be hit the hardest. Many disabled people work for the federal government, for federal contractors, or in federally funded programs. By their nature, these programs focus on or incorporate DEIA and are therefore being targeted by the administration. When DEIA programs are eliminated and initiatives are banned, disabled workers lose job protections, and disabled people across the country lose access to the resources that help us live safely in our communities.
This is also deeply connected to how autism is understood and diagnosed. The history of autism diagnosis is not separate from the increase in access to screening and diagnostic tools for underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed groups like autistic women, autistic people of color, and autistic LGBT+ people. Efforts to ensure marginalized people are included in autism research and services fall under DEIA. Despite what some members of the Trump administration believe, more people knowing they are autistic is not a flaw or cause for concern — it is a reflection of decades of work and progress. When these programs are attacked, autistic people — especially autistic people of color — are the ones who lose access to the care, support, and recognition we need.
No matter what executive orders come out, we know the truth: diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility matter. These programs ensure that disabled people, including autistic people, and all marginalized communities are treated fairly and have the opportunity to thrive. We must push back against these attacks on DEIA and fight for a future where every member of our communities has the support and access they need.
On February 13, President Trump issued an executive order announcing plans to create a commission aimed at lowering the prevalence of autism and chronic health conditions in the US. This proposal is deeply concerning. Instead of focusing on supporting disabled people, the administration is prioritizing efforts to prevent disability — an approach rooted in ableist and eugenicist ideas. The EO is full of attempts to rehash thoroughly debunked science, states goals that contradict the administration’s actions, and spreads misinformation about autism.
This focus on eliminating disability, rather than providing the services and supports we need to thrive, is even more disturbing given President Trump’s history of blaming disabled people and other marginalized groups for national tragedies — such as the airplane crash in Washington, DC earlier this year. Reports have also surfaced that he allegedly said disabled people, “should just die,” in reference to his own family member. These statements are not just cruel rhetoric; they reflect the administration’s broader attacks on the rights and dignity of disabled people.
President Trump’s statements about disabled workers mirrors his executive orders encouraging discrimination within the federal workforce. His administration has directed federal agencies, including the FAA, to sideline and discriminate against disabled employees and other marginalized groups. He has stripped away or suspended programs that protect against workplace discrimination, making it harder for people with disabilities to get and keep jobs. Disabled workers face discrimination and barriers created by employers, hiring practices, and policies. This makes it harder for disabled people, including autistic people, to find jobs. The ideas that the Trump administration has pushed recently will make it harder for people with disabilities to find jobs. And all the while, several Congresspeople are pushing for things like work requirements for Medicaid. Spouting lies about disabled workers that make it harder for us to get jobs while simultaneously requiring disabled people to work to receive necessary services is eugenics.
Instead of trying to prevent autism and disability, the government should be investing in policies that allow disabled people to thrive — including strong workplace protections, fair wages, and access to accommodations. The Trump administration’s actions show a disregard for disabled workers, but we must continue to fight for real jobs, fair pay, and the right to be included in society. Autistic people who can and want to work deserve a system that empowers us to do so, and that work should not be tied to getting the services we need to live safely in our communities.
Every student deserves access to an education that meets their needs, respects their rights, and allows them to succeed. However, the Trump administration has taken extreme and dangerous steps that threaten the education and rights of disabled students.
On March 20, President Trump released an executive order directing the Secretary of Education to take steps to close the Department of Education and withhold federal funding from schools that support diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. This is an incredibly disturbing attack on students’ rights, particularly disabled students, students of color, LGBT+ students, and other marginalized groups.
On October 10th, the Trump administration announced that over 400 people at the US Department of Education would lose their jobs. These layoffs gutted the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). These layoffs practically eliminate all federal workers who oversee special education programs in the country. That means there is no one working to enforce federal laws that ensure disabled students get the services and supports they need and have a right to.
The Department of Education (ED) is responsible for enforcing laws passed by Congress that protect students and ensure they receive the support they need. These laws require the government to provide special education services for disabled students, ensure schools follow civil rights protections, and enforce federal anti-discrimination laws. Eliminating the ED would not erase these laws — but it would make them much harder to enforce. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the ED is responsible for enforcing civil rights protections in school. However, under the Trump administration, half of OCR’s staff was eliminated after massive layoffs in the ED. Without the experts at ED and especially OCR, enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and investigation of violations would become much weaker. In many cases, schools and states might stop following the law completely, even though disabled students still have these rights.
The cuts to ED have already severely weakened federal civil rights enforcement, leaving millions of students without crucial protections. When OCR is gutted, students lose access to justice when their rights are violated. Schools are less likely to follow anti-discrimination laws if they know there are no consequences for breaking them. OCR not only investigates complaints of discrimination in schools that receive federal funding, they also ensure schools comply with major civil rights laws.
One of the laws the Department of Education enforces requires the government to provide special education services for disabled students. The Trump administration has recently suggested that, instead of protecting special education through ED, it could be moved to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This is not a real solution. At the same time that the administration claims to care about the future of special education, Trump and Elon Musk has slashed funding for HHS and allow it to be led by anti-vax quack Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A department that is being actively gutted cannot properly oversee special education, let alone enforce students’ rights.
Education is not just about academics — it is about ensuring that all students, including disabled students, have the tools they need to succeed. Without strong civil rights protections, special education services, and federal oversight, disabled students will face more discrimination, fewer resources, and greater barriers to accessing education. The Trump administration’s efforts to defund education and civil rights protections harm all students, but disabled students will be among the hardest hit. Every student deserves a high quality education in a safe, accessible, and equitable environment. Our community fought hard for these rights, and we will not allow this administration to strip them away. We must stand against these attacks and demand an education system that protects and supports all students.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides vital benefits to millions of people with disabilities, including many autistic people. It helps us pay for food, rent, medical care, and other basic needs. But recent actions by the Trump administration and Elon Musk — under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency — have put this lifeline in danger, putting our lives and livelihoods at risk.
Under Musk’s proposed plan for Social Security, an estimated 67,000 Americans could die waiting for disability benefits. This is unacceptable. The system is already under enormous strain due to years of underfunding, and new cuts make things even worse. So far, 7,000 jobs at the SSA have been lost due to aggressive cost-cutting. These cuts are being pushed by Trump and Musk, who claim they won’t reduce benefits — but they don’t need to reduce benefits to cause harm. When there aren’t enough staff members to process applications, answer questions, or run local offices, disabled people can’t access the benefits they’re entitled to.
These changes aren’t just harmful — they may also be illegal. A federal lawsuit was filed by the the American Association of People with Disabilities, National Federation of the Blind, Deaf Equality, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and the Massachusetts Senior Action Council. It challenges the so-called “reforms,” claiming that they aren’t reforming SSA, but “gutting the very infrastructure designed to ensure fairness, accessibility, and timely delivery of benefits.”
We need to protect and strengthen SSA — not dismantle it. Autistic people and other disabled people need Social Security now more than ever. These reckless changes don’t ust slow down paperwork — they put lives at risk. Cutting staff, closing offices, and forcing in-person appointments doesn’t make the government more efficient, it makes it more dangerous for the people who need it most. Social Security belongs to the people — not politicians or billionaires. We won’t stand by while our lives and our futures are treated as disposable.
Autistic people are a diverse group. There is a saying: when you meet one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person. We have different support needs, different ways of communicating, and different life experiences — but no matter how we communicate or what kinds of support we need, all autistic people are autistic, and all autistic people have rights.
For years, self-advocates with intellectual disabilities and those who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) have spoken out against harmful labels like “low-functioning” and “severe autism.” These labels have been widely criticized by autistic people, parents of autistic people with high support needs, and disability rights advocates. In recent years, we’ve seen a push for “profound autism.” But this is just a rebranded version of the same and misleading ideas. The reality is that autistic people have a wide range of abilities and support needs for many different reasons.
Autistic people need and deserve better services, especially those of us with the highest support needs. But the term “profound autism” doesn’t help anyone. It does not provide useful information about why a person needs support or what supports they need. It doesn’t tell us if someone has speech apraxia and needs AAC, has complex medical needs, or if they need specific mental health supports. Instead of giving us real, actionable information, this label only serves to divide autistic people — pitting those with higher support needs against those with lower support needs. But all autistic people deserve support, respect and the ability to make decisions about our own lives.
Rights are not a choice. No one can be “too disabled” or “too autistic” to have rights. Every single autistic person has the right to live in the community, make their own choices, and receive the supports we need to thrive. Similarly, science is not a choice. Ignoring decades of research doesn’t change the facts.
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Vaccines do not cause autism. This has been thoroughly debunked over and over again by scientists and medical experts. Continuing to spread this myth is harmful and dangerous.
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Disabled people deserve real jobs for real pay. Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to pay disabled people less than minimum wage — this is wrong and must end. Autistic and other disabled people deserve to be paid fairly for our work.
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Disabled people deserve to live in the community, not in institutions. Some people push for “intentional communities” that claim to be better than institutions — but no matter how nice they look, they are still institutions. Disabled people have the right to live safely in our communities, with access to home and community-based services (HCBS) and other necessary supports.
Autistic people don’t need new labels, eugenicist rhetoric, or institutions disguised as homes — we need real rights, real support, and real respect.