The echoes of Nazi policies in the modern quest to “cure” and “eradicate” Autism

By Timothy Page

In the shadow of the 20th century’s darkest chapters, the pseudoscience of eugenics—aimed at “improving” humanity through selective breeding and elimination of the “unfit”—laid the groundwork for unimaginable atrocities. This ideology, born in the late 19th century and embraced by scientists, policymakers, and even progressives in the United States and Europe, directly fueled the Nazi regime’s racial hygiene programs, culminating in the Holocaust.^1,2,3 Today, as genetic technologies advance, a renewed push to “cure” autism through prenatal screening, gene editing, and elimination of “defective” embryos evokes chilling parallels. While the Nazis selectively spared some individuals with autistic traits for their perceived utility, contemporary society in so-called “free” democracies appears intent on eradicating autism entirely—before birth or through aggressive interventions—under the guise of compassion and progress.^4,5,6

Why Should You Care What I Say?

I myself am on the Autistic Spectrum. As a child I grew up blindly wishing that I could be “normal,” conflating the abuse by my birthfather with my Autism to despise what I viewed was something “wrong with me.” Every time I struggled in my course through school, social interactions, and more, I viewed it as more and more proof of my own “defect”. At the time, in the late 80s through to the early 2000s, Autism in general, let alone Asperger’s Syndrome, was much less widely recognized. My intellect hid my other neurological differences, and over time I bounced from diagnosis to diagnosis

Even worse than being different in some way I was told was “wrong” was no one even being able to accurately identify what I actually was. Even when properly diagnosed, continued claims echoing the Nazis’, that it meant I had no empathy or was even akin to a psychopath, followed after me and made hate myself and isolate even more.

If I could tell anything to my younger self, it’s that I was not “defective.” It’s that I was designed by my creator to do what others could not, or would not. It is to see the patterns and the tapestry of the world around me. It’s to learn the hard way to express myself as precisely as possible learning to bridge the gap between people who would never listen to each other directly. It is to be exactly who God has made me to be. We are not a defect to be corrected, a glitch to be debugged, a disease to be eradicated. The real handicap we suffer from is when expected to be something else by a society who views anyone different as a threat.

The Roots of Eugenics: A Global Ideology with Deadly Consequences

Eugenics emerged in the 1880s, coined by British scientist Francis Galton, who advocated for encouraging reproduction among the “fit” while discouraging or preventing it among the “unfit”—categories often defined by race, class, disability, or mental traits.^1,2 By the early 20th century, the movement had taken root worldwide. In the United States, over 60,000 people were forcibly sterilized under eugenics laws, targeting the poor, immigrants, and those with disabilities.^2,7 These policies inspired Adolf Hitler, who praised American eugenicists in Mein Kampf and modeled Nazi laws on U.S. sterilization statutes.⁷

Once in power, the Nazis transformed eugenics into state policy. The 1933 Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring mandated sterilization for those with “genetic” conditions, including schizophrenia, epilepsy, and what was then termed “feeble-mindedness.”^7,8,9 This escalated to the Aktion T4 program in 1939, a systematic euthanasia operation that murdered over 200,000 disabled children and adults in gas chambers—serving as a grim prototype for the Holocaust’s extermination camps.^10,11,12 Physicians, including prominent psychiatrists, played central roles, using “medical” criteria to select victims based on productivity and racial purity.¹³ The program’s architects justified it as mercy killing to alleviate suffering and economic burdens, rhetoric that persists in modern debates.¹³

Postwar revelations discredited eugenics globally, with the Nuremberg Trials condemning Nazi doctors for crimes against humanity.^13,14 Yet, as historian Edith Sheffer notes in Asperger’s Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna, the ideology’s tentacles extended into child psychiatry, shaping early understandings of autism amid Vienna’s “Red Vienna” welfare reforms that morphed into Nazi killing machines.^15,16

Autism Under the Nazi Gaze: Selective Value in a Regime of Death

Autism, as a distinct diagnosis, was nascent in the 1930s and 1940s, described by Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger in 1944. But its precursors—terms like “autistic psychopaths” or “feeble-minded”—fell under Nazi scrutiny as potential hereditary defects.^17,18 Recent archival research reveals Asperger’s deep entanglement with the regime: he joined Nazi organizations, praised racial hygiene in publications, and referred “unfit” children—those with severe impairments—to the Am Spiegelgrund clinic, where over 700 were euthanized for research.^17,19,20

Crucially, Asperger and his Nazi-aligned colleagues distinguished between “valuable” and “unvaluable” cases. Children deemed “autistic psychopaths” with high intelligence, verbal skills, or potential for social integration were spared euthanasia and funneled into reeducation programs, as they could contribute to the war effort or Aryan society.^17,21 Asperger argued these children possessed “original talents” useful for innovation, echoing broader Nazi pragmatism: the regime exempted skilled workers, including some with disabilities, from extermination if they bolstered the Reich’s economy or military.^17,22 Historian Herwig Czech’s analysis of Asperger’s records shows he “protected” about a dozen such children while condemning others, framing his work as aligning with “race hygiene” to safeguard the “useful” spectrum.^19,20

This selective valuation starkly contrasts with the totalizing approach today. As one X user reflected, echoing survivor testimonies, the Nazis’ “mercy” was conditional on utility—yet even that regime found room for some autistic minds, unlike the modern imperative to excise autism root and branch.^6,23

The Modern “Cure”: Prenatal Screening and the New Eugenics

Fast-forward to 2025: Autism diagnoses have surged, prompting urgent calls for a “cure.”^24,25 Organizations like Autism Speaks have evolved their stance, disavowing explicit eugenics while funding genetic research that critics argue enables it.^4,26 Prenatal testing for autism risk—via noninvasive methods detecting genetic markers—is advancing rapidly, with companies offering embryo screening for polygenic traits like autism susceptibility.^27,28,29 In the UK, such tests are routine for Down syndrome, leading to near-100% termination rates—a model now eyed for autism.^28,30

Autistic self-advocates decry this as “eugenics 2.0,” arguing it devalues neurodiversity and echoes Nazi registries of the disabled.^5,6,26,31,32 The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) warns that genetic data collection risks “slippery slopes” to elimination, citing historical precedents like Aktion T4.^5,31 Recent U.S. proposals for a national autism database, floated by figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have drawn comparisons to Nazi tracking systems, with advocates fearing it enables targeted interventions or worse.^5,31

On X, the discourse rages: Users label “cure” advocacy as veiled eugenics, pointing to Tylenol-autism links or environmental causes as distractions from genetic culling.^33,34 One post equates it to “Holocaust 2.0,” underscoring fears of repeating history through “trust the science” mandates.⁶

Even pharmacological “treatments,” like the FDA’s recent approval of leucovorin for autism symptoms, raise alarms when framed as steps toward eradication rather than support.^35,36 As a BBC analysis warns, with eugenic misuse of genetic data becoming “much more real,” the line between therapy and selection blurs.²⁸

The Superior Strengths of Autistic Individuals: Productivity and Beyond

Far from being a uniform deficit, autism often confers distinct advantages over neurotypical cognition, particularly in areas requiring deep focus, precision, and innovation. Autistic individuals frequently exhibit superior abilities in hyperfocus, attention to detail, and memory retention, enabling them to excel in tasks that demand sustained concentration.^37,38,39 For instance, research highlights a creative edge in linguistic originality among autistic adults, where they outperform neurotypicals in generating novel ideas.⁴⁰ In cognitive assessments, such as adapted versions of the Reading the Mind in Films Test, autistic participants have demonstrated superior performance compared to neurotypicals, showcasing enhanced perceptual and analytical skills.⁴¹ These strengths extend to building profound expertise in areas of interest, turning personal passions into professional assets.^39,42

Moreover, when placed in suitable environments, autistic individuals are not only as productive as their neurotypical counterparts but often surpass them. Studies indicate that autistic professionals can be up to 140% more productive when roles align with their strengths, such as detail-oriented tasks or innovative problem-solving.^43,44,45 Employers report positive outcomes, including higher work quality and cost efficiencies, when hiring autistic adults.⁴⁶ Autism-friendly workplaces—with clear structures, reduced sensory overload, and flexible arrangements like remote work—further amplify this productivity, allowing autistic employees to thrive without the barriers of traditional settings.^{47,48,49,50,51} These adaptations not only mitigate challenges but reveal autism’s potential as a societal advantage, underscoring the folly of eradication efforts that ignore such contributions. When the “typical” has led to a broken world, a different paradigm is obviously required.

A Stark Irony: Nazi Pragmatism vs. Modern Total Eradication

The Nazis’ approach to autism was brutally utilitarian: Severely impaired children were gassed as “life unworthy of life,” but those like Asperger’s “high-functioning” cases—potentially innovative or productive—were rehabilitated.^{17,21,22,52,53} Asperger himself navigated this by emphasizing their “Aryan” potential, sparing lives that aligned with regime goals.¹⁷

In contrast, today’s “free” societies reject such nuance. Prenatal tests and IVF embryo selection aim to prevent all autism, regardless of function—high, low, or anywhere in between.^{5,6,26,28,31,32} Neurodiversity advocates argue this total elimination—via abortion or editing—dehumanizes autistic lives as inherently burdensome, surpassing even Nazi selectivity in its scope.³¹ As one X post laments, “The Nazis also went after the disabled… You freaks are so desperate to find a cure for autism. Which is actually Eugenics btw.”³⁴ Another ties it to broader patterns: “Eugenics is present in society… From tax policies, to child benefits… All of it is eugenics.”⁶

This irony underscores a regression: A totalitarian regime found pragmatic value in diversity’s edges; liberal democracies, armed with CRISPR and algorithms, seek uniformity at any cost.^26,31,32

A Call to Vigilance: Learning from History’s Ghosts

The links between eugenics, the Holocaust, and autism’s “cure” are not abstract—they are woven from the same thread of valuing lives by productivity metrics. As the Wiener Holocaust Library’s exhibition “We Are Not Alone” reminds us, eugenics didn’t vanish with Nuremberg; it adapted.¹⁴ In 2025, with autism affecting 1 in 31 children, the stakes are existential.²⁵ Autistic voices demand acceptance over annihilation, research into support rather than prevention.^26,31,32 To ignore these echoes risks repeating the past, not as farce, but as policy. As survivor Alfred Fox told UK MP Angela Rayner at Bergen-Belsen, remembrance is the bulwark against recurrence.¹⁴ In a world quick to “cure” difference, we must ask: Who defines worth, and at what cost?

In a world brought to the brink by what is “normal,” maybe a change in how we think is our greatest hope.

Footnotes:

1. Galton, F. (1883). Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development. Macmillan. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19602363/
2. Facing History & Ourselves. “The Origins of Eugenics.” https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/origins-eugenics
3. Harvard Countway Library. “Sir Francis Galton.” https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/exhibits/show/galtonschildren/sir-francis-galton
4. Autism Speaks. “Research and Eugenics.” https://www.autismspeaks.org/research-and-eugenics
5. Proto.life. “Prenatal Screening for Autism is an Ethical Dilemma.” https://proto.life/2023/04/prenatal-screening-for-autism-is-an-ethical-dilemma/
6. American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law. “Eugenics Today: Autism and Ableists.” https://jgspl.org/eugenics-today-autism-and-ableists/
7. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “The Biological State: Nazi Racial Hygiene, 1933–1939.” https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-biological-state-nazi-racial-hygiene-1933-1939
8. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Eugenics.” https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/eugenics
9. Wikipedia. “Nazi Eugenics.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_eugenics
10. Wikipedia. “Aktion T4.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aktion_T4
11. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Euthanasia Program and Aktion T4.” https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/euthanasia-program
12. Britannica. “T4 Program.” https://www.britannica.com/event/T4-Program
13. Weindling, P. (2017). “The Nazi Physicians as Leaders in Eugenics and ‘Euthanasia’: Lessons for Today.” PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5719686/
14. EBSCO Research Starters. “Action T4.” https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/action-t4
15. Sheffer, E. (2018). Asperger’s Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna. W.W. Norton. Cited in Tidsskrift: https://tidsskriftet.no/en/2019/05/essay/asperger-nazis-and-children-history-birth-diagnosis
16. Stanford FSI. “Asperger’s Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna.” https://tec.fsi.stanford.edu/publication/aspergers-children-origins-autism-nazi-vienna
17. Czech, H. (2018). “Hans Asperger, National Socialism, and ‘Race Hygiene’ in Nazi-era Vienna.” Molecular Autism. https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-018-0208-6
18. Czech, H. (2018). “Did Hans Asperger Actively Assist the Nazi Euthanasia Program?” Molecular Autism. https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-018-0209-5
19. The Transmitter. “New Evidence Ties Hans Asperger to Nazi Eugenics Program.” https://www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/new-evidence-ties-hans-asperger-nazi-eugenics-program/
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21. Museum of Jewish Heritage. “Autism and Disability in Nazi Vienna.” https://mjhnyc.org/blog/autism-and-disability-in-nazi-vienna/
22. Disability Studies Quarterly. “Review of Asperger’s Children.” https://dsq-sds.org/index.php/dsq/article/view/7862/5906
23. Autistic Self Advocacy Network. “Autism and the Disability Community: The Politics of Neurodiversity, Causation and Cure.” https://autisticadvocacy.org/2017/02/autism-and-the-disability-community-the-politics-of-neurodiversity-causation-and-cure/
24. CDC. “Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder.” https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/index.html
25. HHS.gov. “‘Autism Epidemic Runs Rampant,’ New Data Shows 1 in 31 Children Afflicted.” https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/autism-epidemic-runs-rampant-new-data-shows-grants.html
26. Wikipedia. “Controversies in Autism.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_in_autism
27. PubMed. “Prenatal Environmental Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorder.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39278907/
28. Wikipedia. “Prenatal Screening for Autism.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prenatal_screening_for_autism
29. Reddit. “r/aspergers: What is your opinion on prenatal screening for autism?” https://www.reddit.com/r/aspergers/comments/11izz3q/what_is_your_opinion_on_prenatal_screening_for/
30. Proto.life. “Prenatal Screening for Autism is an Ethical Dilemma.” https://proto.life/2023/04/prenatal-screening-for-autism-is-an-ethical-dilemma/
31. ResearchGate. “Autism: Juggling the Dueling Paradigms of Neurodiversity, Vaccines, Eugenics, and Cure.” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266897499_Autism_Juggling_the_dueling_paradigms_of_neurodiversity_vaccines_eugenics_and_cure
32. Autistic Self Advocacy Network. “Autism and the Disability Community: The Politics of Neurodiversity, Causation and Cure.” https://autisticadvocacy.org/2017/02/autism-and-the-disability-community-the-politics-of-neurodiversity-causation-and-cure/
33. Reddit. “r/aspergers: What is your opinion on prenatal screening for autism?” https://www.reddit.com/r/aspergers/comments/11izz3q/what_is_your_opinion_on_prenatal_screening_for/
34. American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law. “Eugenics Today: Autism and Ableists.” https://jgspl.org/eugenics-today-autism-and-ableists/
35. POLITICO. “FDA to Approve Drug to Treat Autism Symptoms.” https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/22/fda-to-approve-prescription-drug-to-treat-certain-children-with-symptoms-of-autism-00575580
36. FDA. “FDA Takes Action to Make a Treatment Available for Autism Symptoms.” https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-action-make-treatment-available-autism-symptoms
37. Understanding strengths and challenges of people with autism. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10916907/
38. Full article: Considering the Autistic advantage in qualitative research. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21582041.2021.1998589
39. Neurodiversity in Practice: a Conceptual Model of Autistic Strengths. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41252-023-00348-z
40. Creative performance and attitudes toward creativity in adults with. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946723002088
41. Autistic people outperform neurotypicals in a cartoon version of the. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aur.2782
42. Interests and Strengths in Autism, Useful but Misunderstood. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.569339/full
43. The Strengths and Abilities of Autistic People in the Workplace. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8992926/
44. Autistic People Are An Underutilized Talent Pool. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferpalumbo/2025/01/23/autistic-people-are-an-underutilized-talent-pool/
45. Can Autistic People Work? | Autism Therapy Services. https://www.hiddengemsaba.com/articles/can-autistic-people-work
46. Critical Reflections on Employment Among Autistic Adults. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8992865/
47. Sources and impact of occupational demands for autistic employees. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1750946720300611
48. The Importance of Autism-Friendly Workplaces. https://linksaba.com/importance-of-autism-friendly-workplaces/
49. Working from home boosts productivity and well-being for autistic. https://www.curtin.edu.au/news/media-release/working-from-home-boosts-productivity-and-well-being-for-autistic-workers/
50. Creating Inclusive Work Environments: Autism in The Workplace. https://www.prosperhealth.io/blog/autism-in-the-workplace
51. Are autistic staff really more productive than neurotypical staff? Why? https://www.quora.com/Are-autistic-staff-really-more-productive-than-neurotypical-staff-Why
52. Museum of Jewish Heritage. “Autism and Disability in Nazi Vienna.” https://mjhnyc.org/blog/autism-and-disability-in-nazi-vienna/
53. Disability Studies Quarterly. “Review of Asperger’s Children.” https://dsq-sds.org/index.php/dsq/article/view/7862/5906