Kennedy Comments On Autism Slammed as Offensive, Harmful

By Christina Lorey

May 15, 2025

An Eau Claire native is among the parents nationwide expressing outrage over Robert Kennedy, Jr.’s recent remarks about autism.

Kennedy, President Trump’s secretary of health and human services, that implied autistic children and members of the neuro-divergent community could not be contributing members of society.

Sarah Driever, who said she is also on what’s commonly called the autism spectrum, described her twin 5-year-old sons as medically complex, but capable of learning, thinking, communicating, and participating.

Driever said she is, like others, alarmed at Kennedy’s claim that an “environmental toxin” must be the cause of autism and that he wants to build a registry of people with autism, using personal medical records.

Decades of research has found no single cause—and Driever said if Kennedy and Trump want to be helpful, they can start by reversing all of the cuts they’ve made to medical research.

Video created: 2025-04-27T17:01:43.324Z

Author

Christina Lorey

Christina Lorey is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and former UpNorthNews newsletter editor. She previously worked as a producer, reporter, and TV anchor for stations in Madison and Moline. When she’s not writing or asking questions, Christina volunteers with Girls on the Run, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and several mental health organizations.

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CATEGORIES: Politics Video

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