More dangerous anti-science from the US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy, now linking autism with circumcision. This is not based on any form of rigorous, robust research and could put lives at risk.

This incessant focus on pseudo-scientific causes of autism means autistic people are forced to listen to the suggestion that they need to be cured, as though it’s not ok to be autistic and someone should be ‘blamed’. This is wrong and dangerous.

These myths are a distraction from the real, urgent issues autistic people face. In England, waiting lists for autism diagnosis are growing, with average waits of over 17 months. The special educational needs system in schools is crumbling because of insufficient funding and only three in 10 autistic people are in work, one of the lowest of any disability.