The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has initiated what Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calls a “massive testing and research effort” with the involvement of hundreds of scientists globally to understand the causes behind increasing autism rates, with findings anticipated by September.
Kennedy disclosed this initiative during a Cabinet meeting attended by President Donald Trump on Thursday, April 10, asserting that this extensive project aims to deliver conclusive answers regarding the origins of autism within a few months.
In the meeting, Kennedy indicated that by September, the cause of the autism epidemic would be identified, allowing for the elimination of the responsible exposures.
President Trump expressed optimism, stating, “there will be no bigger news conference than that” and speculated that “there’s got to be something artificial out there that’s doing this.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes a significant rise in autism rates over the past two decades, with approximately one in 36 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in 2020, compared to one in 150 in 2000. Kennedy suggested during the meeting that newer data might reveal rates increasing to about one in 31 children.
Discussing potential causes, the president speculated with Kennedy, “If you can come up with that answer, where you stop taking something, you stop eating something, or maybe it’s a shot. But something’s causing it.”
Autism researchers attribute the rising rates to several factors, including heightened awareness, broader diagnostic criteria, improved screening tools, and earlier detection. Genetic factors, advanced parental age, prenatal exposure to air pollution or certain pesticides, and other environmental influences are considered contributors, but scientific consensus has repeatedly found no association between vaccines and autism.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, has asserted that “no link has been found between autism and vaccines, including those containing thimerosal, a mercury-based compound.”
Kennedy’s announcement has sparked concern among public health officials and autism advocacy groups due to his previous questions regarding vaccine safety. Despite assurances to Senator Bill Cassidy that he wouldn’t dismantle the U.S. system for approving and monitoring vaccine safety, Kennedy’s actions as HHS Secretary have raised skepticism about his current projects.
Last month, Kennedy directed the CDC to examine vaccines and autism, despite the agency’s extensive research showing no connection. Under his leadership, Dr. Peter Marks, the top vaccine regulator at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, resigned. In his resignation letter, Marks stated that Kennedy “wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.”
The department has appointed David Geier as a senior data analyst, a controversial figure whose past research suggesting links between vaccines and autism was retracted. Geier and his father, Mark Geier, have faced disciplinary actions from several state medical boards. The Maryland Board of Physicians disciplined the younger Geier in 2011 for practicing medicine without a license and revoked his father’s medical license that year, stating he “endangers autistic children and exploits their parents.”
In response to Kennedy’s announcement, the Autism Society of America released a statement calling his claim “both unrealistic and misleading.”
The society emphasized that leading disability organizations, the scientific community, and credible medical experts agree on the need for more rigorous, science-based research instead of speculation, reduced transparency, or simplified timelines.
Zoe Gross, director of advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, expressed concern over Kennedy’s mention of eliminating “exposures” causing autism, saying it “really is giving the game away.”
Gross explained that researchers are not approaching the topic with an open mind, wondering about the potential causes of autism. Instead, they are proceeding with the intention of proving that it is caused by a specific factor.
Health researchers have also questioned the feasibility of Kennedy’s September deadline. Dr. Lisa Settles, director of Tulane’s Center for Autism and Related Disorders, remarked that developing a research program alone would take longer than five months. She questioned the feasibility of creating a program, collecting data, and analyzing it within such a short timeframe, stating that it simply isn’t practical.
Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and author of “Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel’s Autism,” explained that the causes of autism have been extensively studied by the NIH and its academic grantees, providing significant information on the subject. He questioned what new insights Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could possibly uncover by September, expressing skepticism about the claim.
Hotez suggested that the conclusion might already be predetermined, stating that Kennedy operates within a fixed framework regarding his claims about the causes of autism. According to Hotez, these claims are inaccurate, as autism originates during early fetal brain development, long before children are ever exposed to vaccines.
The research initiative comes amid a significant restructuring at HHS, which recently cut its staff by 25% and eliminated entire departments. This has prompted questions about how the administration could coordinate an expansive global study while reducing federal staff and costs.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, expressed skepticism about the logistics of the plan, questioning how it could be accomplished amidst budget cuts to the NIH. He pointed out the challenges of securing funding and coordinating a global study, especially given the decision to distance from the World Health Organization and the strained relationships with researchers worldwide.
In a statement on Thursday, Andrew Nixon, the HHS Director of Communications, emphasized that the NIH is thoroughly investigating the underlying causes of autism, as mandated by the Presidential Commission to Make America Healthy Again. He stated that with autism rates increasing at an alarming rate, identifying its causes has become a critical national priority. Millions of American families are desperately seeking answers, and the NIH is fully dedicated to addressing this growing crisis by utilizing only rigorous, evidence-based scientific methods.
Meanwhile, House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee have launched a probe into Geier’s involvement in the HHS autism study, adding another layer of scrutiny to the controversial research effort.
