What to know about RFK Jr.’s plan to research autism
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What is RFK Jr.'s plan for autism research?
Good morning. It's Thursday, April 17th. I'm Gideon Resnick in for Shamit Tabassu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, how a group of Democratic governors are navigating Trump's second term, the legal hurdles facing a U.S. hostage freed from Russia, and why Paris is breathing easier these days. But first, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making research into autism one of his major initiatives. But he's also making proclamations about the disorder that scientists who study autism say is in direct contradiction to the research.
What scientific perspectives exist on the causes of autism?
We know it's an environmental exposure. It has to be. Genes do not cause epidemics. They can provide a vulnerability. You need an environmental toxin.
Scientists say genetic factors play a critical role in whether a child will develop autism, though they acknowledge that not every case can be explained by genetics alone. Kennedy says that the HHS will launch a new series of studies to look at whether autism can possibly be connected to things like mold, pesticides, as well as certain medications and even food. And he's promised to move quickly.
We're going to follow this science no matter what it says, and we will have some of the answers by September.
Kennedy made those comments at a press conference yesterday. That followed a new study released this week from the CDC, an agency that falls under HHS, that concluded that among 8-year-olds, 1 in 31 were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in 2022. In 2020, that figure was 1 in 36. While scientists have not ruled out the notion that both genes and environmental factors can contribute to the development of autism, there is still no evidence it can be prevented. One longtime autism researcher told the New York Times, quote, autism is not an infectious disease, so there aren't preventive measures that we can take. It's also important to recognize that more people are aware of autism symptoms today than before, and our screening systems have vastly improved. Meaning more people may be seeking diagnoses than before, and we're better positioned to make diagnoses. In other words, the CDC says its findings don't necessarily mean that more people are autistic than before.
Researchers also say that Kennedy declaring we'll have answers by September or any arbitrary date runs counter to how science works. Recently, many people who are skeptical of what mainstream scientists have to say about autism attended what's known as the Annual Autism Health Summit. The summit promotes treatments that are not proven to work, like water filters or fecal transplants. NBC News reporter Brandi Zadrosny told us about a pre-recorded video message from RFK Jr. that was played for attendees.
In this video recording, he promised them that he would be finding out the cause of autism. And in the room, everybody that I talked to sort of took that as, you know, he already knew, just like they already knew the causes of autism. And for them, that has always been and continues to be falsely vaccines.
Zadrozny says that RFK Jr. 's remarks were met with excitement and applause.
For these guys, the anti-vaxxers, they've been in this space for so long that finally they feel redeemed by this widening of the community. And so at this point, it's a moment of validation for them.
But as the health publication Stat reports, the alleged connection between vaccines and autism has been thoroughly researched and debunked. Autism usually presents during childhood, which happens to be when routine immunizations are administered. Something that researchers say is a coincidental overlap, not a causal connection. But with Kennedy at the helm of health and human services, the anti-vax movement is now picking up renewed steam.
How is the anti-vaccine movement reacting to RFK Jr.'s initiatives?
They refuse to let this go. And so at the same time that we are doing mass firings at our public health agency, at the same time that we are decimating HIV research and infant and maternal mortality groups inside the CDC, we're going to pour money now, apparently, into finding out the cause of autism.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is RFK Jr.'s plan for autism research?
0:05–0:49
2
What scientific perspectives exist on the causes of autism?
0:49–3:59
3
How is the anti-vaccine movement reacting to RFK Jr.'s initiatives?
3:59–5:50
4
What controversies surround autism research funding under RFK Jr.?
5:50–7:32
5
How are Democratic governors responding to the Trump administration?
7:32–8:48
6
What legal actions has Governor Gavin Newsom taken against Trump’s tariffs?
8:48–10:40
7
How does Governor Gretchen Whitmer view Trump's tariff policies and photo ops?
10:40–14:11
Speakers
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