Jeremiah Dickerson, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and director of the Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families autism assessment clinic, along with other organizations like Autism Advocacy and Intervention, believes misinformation around the disorder can be harmful to efforts to de-stigmatize it.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made comments on autism at a Wednesday press conference that health experts say were false. Among them: that autism is “preventable” and that those with the disorder are not able to date, work, or use bathrooms without assistance.

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of 31 children is diagnosed with autism. Dickerson says that is an increased rate, but not “rapid” like RFK Jr. has claimed. “It’s likely due to a range of factors, one of which is probably increased awareness and acceptance,” Dickerson said.

Health experts say there is no specific cause for autism and that parents should speak with their child’s pediatrician if they have concerns.

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