Trump may finally make it illegal to shock autistic kids as punishment – after kicking the issue down the road

NewsWorldAmericasUS politicsTrump may finally make it illegal to shock autistic kids as punishment – after kicking the issue down the roadUse of electrical stimulation devices to prevent ‘self-injurious or aggressive behaviors’ widely opposed, with experts expressing concern over long-term physical and mental consequencesJoe Sommerlad Tuesday 28 April 2026 17:22 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2966489","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/autism-electro-shock-ban-fda-b2966489.html","title":"Trump may finally make it illegal to shock autistic kids as punishment"}}CloseRelated: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr says he can ‘tell’ if a child is sick by looking at their faceSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailGet our free Inside Washington emailEmail*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice{"className":"sc-1ge0fwe-0","newsletterData":{"regSourceNewsletter":"IND_INSIDE_WASHINGTON","regTitle":"Inside Washington","subscriptionGroup":"inside_washington","subscriptionGroupId":"af764e04-87eb-45e6-a84b-a7455ba70a1e","type":"inside_washington","pathPrefix":"/news/world/americas/us-politics","associatedAuthors":["Eric Garcia","John Bowden"],"title":"Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox","mobileTitle":"Get our free Inside Washington email","imageSrc":"https://static.independent.co.uk/static-assets/images/newsletters/insideWashington1_1.png","label":"I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts...