What’s the truth about autism, vaccines, and how we support students in our schools?
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July 22, 2025
Public health leaders are concerned about the public losing trust in vaccines due to false claims from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the cause of autism
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In a moment when science and public health are under siege, the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary raises serious concerns within the scientific community about the potential amplification of anti-vaccine views at the federal level. For a long time, Kennedy has spread misinformation linking vaccines to autism, a claim that has been repeatedly debunked by medical and scientific experts. As AFT President Randi Weingarten rightly says, “truth matters.”
The persistence of false narratives, like debunked theories on the harmful inclusion of preservatives in vaccines, has eroded trust in science and medicine. These myths also ignore the complex and well-established science behind autism, a brain-based neurodevelopmental condition that begins developing during fetal brain development. Leading public health experts like Dr. Vin Gupta and Dr. Peter Hotez, along with advocates like Danielle Hall of the Autism Society, have continued to challenge these harmful beliefs with facts.
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is a brain-based developmental disability that affects how the brain processes and uses information. This often impacts an individual’s communication skills, social behavior and emotional regulation. You can’t usually see all of the signs of autism until a child is about 2 years old—often between 19 and 24 months—which is when children are inoculated from life-threatening or life-altering illnesses like polio, measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis A. In reality, though, autism is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including potential interactions during pregnancy such as anti-seizure medications—not vaccinations.
Similarly, autism rates aren’t rising, as Kennedy claims. Rather, screening and subsequent services are becoming more easily accessible and recommended. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends universal autism screening between 18 and 24 months to support early detection—especially in girls, who are frequently underdiagnosed. Early diagnosis plays a vital role in guiding evaluation, care and developmental planning, offering meaningful support throughout the life of an individual with autism.
As we look to the future, genomic sequencing is increasingly opening new doors in autism research. Lower costs of sequencing have enabled insights into four genetic subtypes of autism, reinforcing that autism doesn’t have a single cause or expression. Social communication differences, sensory processing and cognitive variability are just a few differences in the way autism can present.
Organizations like the Autism Society emphasize support and self-advocacy, offering resources such as job coaching, vocational rehabilitation and life transition planning, beginning at age 14. Early and ongoing interventions empower autistic individuals to advocate for themselves in healthcare, employment and beyond.
Yet, many autistic adults, especially those with intellectual disabilities or physical comorbidities, remain underdiagnosed and underserved, particularly in mental health. Insurance coverage and access to care are critical issues. On top of that, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provides federal funding for special education and related services for children with disabilities, has faced funding cuts that impact vital programming. Communication from the Department of Education to families and educators has also declined, as the agency continues to reduce program funding, staff and functions in an effort to cut government spending.
Where do we go from here? We educate, we listen, and we dismantle myths. We acknowledge the genetic and environmental complexity of autism and shift public conversations toward acceptance, not fear. Prevention, where appropriate, must reflect multimodal risk—not misguided panic.
Above all, the conversation must be grounded in facts, compassion and respect for autistic voices.
For more information, please refer to AFT’s July Webinar on Autism, Education and Public Trust.
Join Dr. Vin Gupta—pulmonologist, public health expert, and professor—for a yearlong series offering expert-led webinars, blogs, resources, and Q&A sessions on pressing health issues to help AFT members and communities stay informed and healthy. Access all on-demand town halls and register for the next one.
This curated Share My Lesson collection features some of our favorite prek-12 lesson plans, resources and professional development webinars for working with students and colleagues in the field of special needs education.
