Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to launch studies aimed at identifying autism causes

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed an increase from one in 150 children diagnosed with autism in 2000 to one in 31 children in 2022. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the data during a Wednesday press conference and said the chances of a boy being diagnosed with autism was now one in 20. Kennedy vowed to identify the root causes behind the spike in autism. He blamed unidentified environmental toxins industriously circulated for causing the spike in autism. Somebody made a profit by putting a toxin into the air, water, medicines, or food for their benefit, he said.

The Department of Health and Human Services released a statement about the new data on Tuesday ahead of the press conference. Kennedy described autism as preventable and insisted that the causes of the disability should have been identified decades ago. The autism epidemic is at an unprecedented level in human history, and the risks are 1,000 times more threatening to our country than COVID-19, he added.

When can the public expect answers? Kennedy planned to launch the new studies on possible environmental toxins within two or three weeks. He promised thorough and comprehensive methods to get swift answers for Americans. Health officials plan to follow the science and have some answers by September, Kennedy said.