SPEAKER DETAILS
toby rogers
Dr. Toby Rogers has a PhD in political economy from the University of Sydney in Australia. His doctoral thesis, "The Political Economy of Autism," explores the regulatory history of five classes of toxicants that increase autism risk. He also has a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Rogers writes, speaks and teaches about the rise in chronic illness in children and does grassroots political organizing with medical freedom groups across the country. You can find his essays at tobyrogers.substack.com.
PRESENTATION
THE SOCIETAL COST OF AUTISM
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23
By 2025, the U.S. will spend over $1 trillion a year on autism (3.6% of Gross Domestic Product). As a point of comparison, U.S. Defense Department spending is projected to be $807 billion (3.1% of GDP). Autism costs will continue to rise for the foreseeable future as the parents of the "1986 Generation" eventually die and expenses formerly absorbed by families are transferred to the state. This is not sustainable. We know how to stop this epidemic right now (keep toxic chemicals out of kids' bodies). But at the moment, almost no politicians are talking about this. Why? I'll present the latest scientific information on the toxicants that increase autism risk, economic data on the costs of autism and I'll share my thoughts on how we build the political movement necessary to protect kids from toxic harms.