Idiocracy

What happened and "changed our children?" The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990s that and included autism as a covered disabilities. Schools had to report how many autistic students their served. https://t.co/GtW3PRh7lI

— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) August 11, 2026

 Yup:

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines autism as a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and social interaction. Other characteristics often associated with autism are: engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements; resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines; and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The characteristics of autism are generally evident before age three, but a child who manifests the characteristics after age three could be identified as having autism if the eligibility criteria are satisfied. Texas has also published Commissioner’s Rules regarding autism eligibility (§ 89.1040).

In the 2025-2026 school year, 160,218 Texas students received special education services due to the disability condition of autism (TEA 2025-2026 Special Education Reports).

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was passed under Ford in 1975, and amended in 1990 to include autism as a covered condition. It literally became a diagnosed condition rather than “difficult child,” or the reprehensible “mentally retarded.”

Maybe someone should remind RFK that “idiot” and “moron” were once legal terms of art, tied to IQ scores or, in the case of Carrie Buck (and others), simple social opprobrium. Maybe someone should ask the Secretary why we don’t have any “idiots” and “morons” around anymore.

When your argument is that weak (“We didn’t have them before!”), you don’t have an argument.