RFK Jr.’s warning about skyrocketing autism rates has drawn sharp criticism from advocates who insist that “kids with autism are not broken” and can lead full lives. Yet their rebuttals often support his point.
They highlight students graduating only with extensive assistance from multiple social workers and lowered academic standards, and adults employed just a few hours a week in heavily accommodated roles, sometimes unpaid.
Rutgers University’s Center for Adult Autism Services reports that in New Jersey, 1 in 20 boys and 1 in 85 girls are diagnosed with autism.
Nationwide, data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows prevalence rising from 1 in 36 children to 1 in 31, nearly five times higher than when the CDC began tracking children born in 1992.
The National Center for Special Abilities cites a 6,000% increase, overwhelming schools, healthcare systems, and social services.
Current CDC figures place autism rates at 23 per 1,000, compared with just 0.5 per 1,000 in the 1960s and 1970s and about 1 per 1,000 in the 1980s.