Overview
- The overhaul replaces all eligible incumbents and reduces self-advocate seats to the three required by law, down from seven, according to former member Sam Crane.
- Notable appointees include John Gilmore, Honey Rinicella, Ginger Taylor, and Toby Rogers, while longtime groups such as Autism Speaks and the Simons Foundation are not represented.
- Researchers and advocacy leaders, including David Mandell and Alison Singer, warn the new slate lacks scientific expertise and may elevate disproven ideas about autism.
- Transparency concerns mounted after many appointees disclosed their selection on social media before HHS published the roster, and an orientation was held before a public announcement.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised the appointees as pursuing rigorous science, and the move comes as federal agencies advance autism initiatives, including NIH grants and a CDC-planned study on vaccines and autism.