New analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that rates of autism have risen in the last 20 years.

The analysis, based on medical records from 2022, showed that an average of one in 31 children are diagnosed with autism by the time they turn eight years old. In 2000, the rate was 1 in 150 children.

The report’s authors attributed the increases to improvements in detection and awareness.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reacted to the report this week, holding a press conference on Wednesday.

“This is an individual tragedy as well,” RFK Jr. who has claimed vaccines cause autism, without scientific evidence, said. “It destroys families and more importantly it destroys our greatest resources, which are children. These are children who should not be suffering like this. These are kids who, many of them were fully functional and regressed because of some environmental exposure into autism when they are two years old. And these are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on date, many of them will never use a toilet unassisted. And we have to recognize, we are doing this to our children and we need to put an end to it.”

The autism community reacted to Kennedy Jr.’s remarks, national organizations releasing a joint statement in response, saying in part:

“While our organizations reflect a broad range of perspectives and experiences, we are aligned in the following principles:

Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism. Decades of scientific research confirm there is no causal link. Public health messaging must be grounded in science and protect all communities.

Autistic Individuals Deserve Respect and Support. Public dialogue and policy must reflect the inherent value, rights, and diverse needs of Autistic people.

Evidence-Based Policy Is Essential. We call on policymakers to work in collaboration with Autistic individuals, families, researchers, clinicians, and disability organizations to ensure policy is grounded in science and responsive to community needs.

We are deeply concerned by growing public rhetoric and policy decisions that challenge these shared principles. Claims that Autism is “preventable” is not supported by scientific consensus and perpetuate stigma. Language framing Autism as a “chronic disease,” a “childhood disease” or “epidemic” distorts public understanding and undermines respect for Autistic people.

At the same time, federal proposals to reduce funding for programs like Medicaid, the Department of Education, and the Administration for Community Living threaten the very services that Autistic individuals and their families rely on. Research must be guided by credentialed experts and inclusive of the complexity and diversity of the lived experiences of the Autism community—not redirected by misinformation or ideology. As leaders in the fields of Autism and public health, we are committed to contributing meaningfully to the ongoing dialogue and initiatives led by HHS.”

In New York State’s legislature, Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara (D-Rotterdam), recently hosted his annual Autism Action Day at the State Capitol, also putting on a sensory sensitive basketball game at the Schenectady Armory on Thursday evening.

“I think those comments are hurtful,” Santabarbara, whose son is on the autism spectrum, said. “I think the the idea that individuals on the autism spectrum cannot contribute to society in meaningful ways is simply false. This has been my life’s work. I chair the Committee on People with Disabilities in the State Assembly, and I have met countless individuals that are talented people that have contributed in so many ways, authors, people that have gone on to get master’s degrees and become professors…These are individuals that contribute in their own way. Everybody on the spectrum is a little bit different, but they all deserve to be respected and valued, and that’s the message that we need to send. And, you know, dehumanizing statements like that just represent just outdated views on what, on what people with autism can and cannot do, and from for me as a father, my son Michael. He’s 23 years old. He is my angel. He can light up a room without saying a word, and he has an incredible personality. He contributes so much to our family, to our lives. He’s a wonderful cook, he’s he’s an artist. He enjoys music and so many things. I have seen the challenges, but also the incredible strengths that of individuals. And he has been up at the State Capitol many times with countless other self advocates. And they want to be included, and they want to shape policy, and they come up to the Capitol for my autism Action Day, and they speak beautifully, wonderfully. And these are people that don’t deserve these type of statements coming from anywhere. These are dehumanizing statements, and it sets us back, and it’s not right.”