Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s New Autism Panel Includes Advocates for Bizarre Theories and Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric
A recent move by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly appointed US Secretary of Health and Human Services, has left many experts and autism advocates bewildered. Kennedy announced a new lineup for the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), which is meant to provide guidance on research funding and services for individuals with autism. However, the panel includes members who are known for promoting pseudoscientific treatments and conspiracy theories surrounding vaccines.
At least one member of the panel has been sued by a family after allegedly subjecting their child to chelation therapy, a debunked treatment that involves removing heavy metals from the body. Another member, Tracy Slepcevic, organizes an annual Autism Health Summit where pseudoscientific "cures" for autism are promoted.
The inclusion of such members on the panel has raised concerns among experts and advocates, who fear that Kennedy's appointment will lead to fewer resources for people with autism and their families. Some have also expressed worry that the new panel may promote debunked treatments that can put autistic individuals' lives at risk.
"This is essentially creating an ideological echo chamber," said Kayla Hancock of Protect Our Care. "We've fought so hard to protect our community, but they want to experiment on us."
The appointment has been widely criticized by autism advocacy groups, who have condemned Kennedy's actions as a threat to the autistic community.
In response to concerns about his appointments, Andrew Nixon, director of communication at the Department of Health and Human Services, stated that "families deserve more than reports and meetings, they deserve measurable progress." However, many experts argue that Kennedy's actions are precisely what will hinder progress in understanding and treating autism.
A recent move by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly appointed US Secretary of Health and Human Services, has left many experts and autism advocates bewildered. Kennedy announced a new lineup for the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), which is meant to provide guidance on research funding and services for individuals with autism. However, the panel includes members who are known for promoting pseudoscientific treatments and conspiracy theories surrounding vaccines.
At least one member of the panel has been sued by a family after allegedly subjecting their child to chelation therapy, a debunked treatment that involves removing heavy metals from the body. Another member, Tracy Slepcevic, organizes an annual Autism Health Summit where pseudoscientific "cures" for autism are promoted.
The inclusion of such members on the panel has raised concerns among experts and advocates, who fear that Kennedy's appointment will lead to fewer resources for people with autism and their families. Some have also expressed worry that the new panel may promote debunked treatments that can put autistic individuals' lives at risk.
"This is essentially creating an ideological echo chamber," said Kayla Hancock of Protect Our Care. "We've fought so hard to protect our community, but they want to experiment on us."
The appointment has been widely criticized by autism advocacy groups, who have condemned Kennedy's actions as a threat to the autistic community.
In response to concerns about his appointments, Andrew Nixon, director of communication at the Department of Health and Human Services, stated that "families deserve more than reports and meetings, they deserve measurable progress." However, many experts argue that Kennedy's actions are precisely what will hinder progress in understanding and treating autism.
come on robert f kennedy jr... you're supposed to be a leading voice for autistic rights and now you're assembling a team of loony tunes who think vaxxers are out to get us? 
it's like you took a step back in time and forgot everything we've learned about science and medicine. chelation therapy is a joke, dude... it's been debunked for years! what about all the people with autism who can't even get the help they need because of your team's pseudoscientific nonsense? 
this is a disaster waiting to happen...
it don't make sense 
and what's w/ the whole chelation therapy thing? that's some conspiracy theory nonsense 
and now ppl w/ autism are gonna get hurt cuz of this 
and the people who care about them r all like "what are you doin'?" 
! Who does RFK Jr think he is, assembling a team of pseudoscience peddlers to shape US policy on autism? 
I mean, what about all the families who are already struggling with autism? Do they really need to be put at risk by these "experts"? 
And what's up with this panel being seen as an ideological echo chamber? 
It just doesn't feel right...
... can't believe Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running the show now. Autism advocacy groups are literally going to have to fight for their lives over here 
, it's not even worth mentioning. And an annual summit promoting "cures" that don't exist? That's just heartbreaking 
. This whole thing feels like a nightmare come true 
...
I've seen some ridiculous stuff on this forum, but this takes the cake. The fact that Kennedy thinks he can just surround himself with people who spread misinformation and expect it to be okay is just mind-boggling. It's like they're trying to take away any real progress we might have made in understanding autism and treating individuals with autism effectively 
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is like putting a bunch of conspiracy theorists in charge 
His appointment is a huge red flag 
️ and I'm not sure how families with autistic kids can trust the new panel 
. It's like they're trying to promote unproven treatments that could harm these kids 
. Let's remember, we're all in this together, and it's up to us to make sure we're supporting each other with facts, not theories 
.
Have these people even done any actual research on autism? 
What's the point of having a committee if you're just gonna promote debunked ideas? 
. And now we're gonna put experts who think it'll "cure" autism in charge of funding?! 
that's literally a death sentence for some autistic kids. I'm so worried about the future of autism research and treatment with Kennedy at the helm 
We can't have experts promoting debunked treatments that could harm autistic kids 
.
.