Trump puts autistic kids in the spotlight and cuts agencies built to protect them

In Winter Haven, Florida, 9-year-old Ethan Smith, who has autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, faces challenges in his elementary school. Despite being diagnosed in kindergarten and requiring a trained paraprofessional to help him, the school repeatedly removed him from class and suspended him when he was in third grade.

Ethan's mother, Josette Smith, a science teacher, filed complaints with the school district, state authorities, and the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. The agency is investigating several of her allegations, alleging discrimination based on Ethan's disability and race. However, the White House has cut back the Office for Civil Rights, weakened its ability to follow up on cases, and slashed funding for research on disparities faced by people of color in obtaining autism diagnoses and resources.

According to a 2022 study, race, gender, and socioeconomic gaps persist in autism diagnoses among U.S. children. As the administration pushes an executive order to limit routine childhood immunizations, falsely linking vaccines to autism, autism has become a focal point. Critics argue that the administration is taking steps backward, with one autism foundation's leader calling for increased research into environmental factors contributing to the rise in autism diagnoses, rather than stigmatizing individuals or their families.