Are there any autistic Amish people?

Let’s tackle the myth that “the Amish” don’t vaccinate. It’s important to begin by understanding that “the Amish” are not a monolithic group.

The Amish are made up of individuals who make choices that work best for themselves and their families. While it is accurate to say that, on the whole, vaccination rates amongst Amish people tend to be lower than the general population, the vaccination rates are not zero. In one study, it was found that 68% of respondents vaccinated all their children, and only 14% said they did not vaccinate at all.

Beyond Amish communities, it is easy to find unvaccinated autistic people. A number of studies include autistic children that have received no vaccines. There is no difference in autism rates between those that have been vaccinated and those that haven’t.

Whether or not Amish children have autism is a verifiable question. One study sent screeners into an Amish community to assess children and, indeed, found children who met an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. We may not hear about them because of the privacy inherent in the communities, the lack of resources to support autism, and the unavailability of screening.