HHS Chief Kennedy Plans September Reveal on Suspected Autism Triggers

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the department has identified “certain interventions” it believes are “almost certainly” driving the steep rise in autism diagnoses and will detail the evidence at a press conference in September. President Donald Trump, appearing alongside Kennedy at an event on Monday, endorsed the effort, saying “there has to be something artificially causing this,” and added that he looked forward to the forthcoming briefing. Kennedy has made tackling autism a signature issue, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that show prevalence among eight-year-olds climbing from one in 150 in 2000 to one in 31 in 2022. In April he launched the Autism Data Science Initiative, offering up to $50 million for studies into environmental and other potential causes. Many researchers welcomed the additional funding but cautioned that Kennedy’s focus risks overlooking decades of evidence indicating genetics as the dominant factor and vaccines as unrelated. Several scientists told Nature that the apparent surge in cases is largely explained by broader diagnostic criteria and heightened awareness, not a new environmental toxin. They urged HHS to ensure peer-reviewed methods guide any policy changes once the department releases its findings in September.