“RFK Jr. Announces Federal Research into Environmental Links to Autism”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Wednesday that the department will launch a series of studies to examine six environmental factors that may be associated with the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The announcement follows a reported increase in autism diagnoses among U.S. children, as outlined in a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study.
“We’re going to announce a series of new studies to identify precisely what the environmental toxins are that are causing [autism],” Kennedy said at a press conference at the Department of Health and Human Services. “This has not been done before.”
The proposed research will investigate potential links between autism and six environmental factors: prenatal ultrasound exposure, mold, pesticides, food-related chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and air and water contaminants. Kennedy emphasized the need to explore environmental contributors to autism and indicated that the department’s findings would begin to be released by September.
The initiative comes amid new data from the CDC showing that approximately one in 31 children under the age of eight are now diagnosed with autism, a marked rise from previous years. The CDC report attributes the increase largely to improved early detection methods and heightened public awareness. In contrast, Kennedy described the trend as a public health crisis and attributed the rise primarily to environmental exposures.
“This is catastrophic for our country,” Kennedy stated. “Autism destroys families and, more importantly, it destroys our greatest resource — our children.”
During a recent cabinet meeting, Kennedy informed President Trump that hundreds of scientists from around the world will contribute to the research effort. “By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic, and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures,” he said.
In his remarks, Kennedy also criticized what he described as a reluctance within the media and scientific community to investigate environmental causes of autism. “There is a taboo around this issue,” he said. “We want to make it clear that people should feel free to pursue research and follow the science wherever it leads — without fear of censorship.”
He further suggested that some environmental toxins may have entered public circulation due to commercial interests. “Clearly there are industries involved,” he said. “Somebody profited from putting these toxins into our air, water, medicines, or food.”
Reactions to Kennedy’s remarks and the CDC study were mixed. Autism Speaks, a non-profit advocacy organization, called for increased federal investment in autism research and services. “We need deeper, sustained investment not only to understand autism’s causes but also to meet the growing support needs of individuals diagnosed today,” the group said in a statement.
The Autism Society of America, however, pushed back against the notion of an autism “epidemic,” stating that the CDC’s findings reflect progress in diagnostic capabilities. “This does not signal an ‘epidemic’ as some narratives are suggesting — it reflects diagnostic progress, and an urgent need for policy decisions rooted in science and the immediate needs of the autism community,” the organization said.
Rewritten. Source article originally posted here: https://nypost.com/2025/04/16/us-news/rfk-jr-says-hhs-will-research-six-environmental-factors-for-potential-link-to-autism/
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