Autism diagnoses are rising, and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’ll soon reveal specific environmental factors that he believes are driving the trend.
Joseph Choi reports for The Hill.
In short:
- During a Cabinet meeting with President Trump, Kennedy said HHS will announce in September specific “interventions” he believes are “certainly causing autism.”
- Kennedy has long promoted the view that environmental exposures, and possibly vaccines, are behind autism, claiming federal agencies have suppressed relevant research. The link between vaccines and autism has long since been debunked.
- Experts caution that increased autism rates are more likely due to changes in diagnostic criteria and awareness.
Why this matters:
Public concern about autism has surged alongside its rising diagnosis rate, but much of the increase is believed to be linked to broader diagnostic criteria. While the extent to which environmental exposures contribute to autism remain under investigation, scientists have identified a wide range of chemicals — especially endocrine-disrupting compounds like phthalates and bisphenols — that can interfere with brain development when exposure occurs in utero or during early childhood. Although many of these chemicals have never been thoroughly tested for safety, children continue to face chronic low-level exposure. The consequences may extend beyond autism to broader developmental issues, including reduced IQ, behavioral disorders, and learning disabilities.
Read more: Kennedy cuts funding for autism research related to chemical exposure
