RFK Jr. promises autism answers by September. Prominent researchers and advocates have heard little
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to find the root causes of autism by September. Researchers and patient groups say they haven't yet been asked to contribute.
WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the country will soon know what is causing a rise in autism rates, but there is little sign he has a team in place yet. Nearly two dozen prominent voices from mainstream autism research and in the anti-vaccine world said they have not been approached by Kennedy, and have no details about the proposed studies.
On Wednesday, the health secretary appeared in a press conference alongside Walter Zahorodny, director of a New Jersey autism surveillance study. They highlighted a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that suggests autism prevalence rose to 1 in 31 among 8-year-olds — a benchmark Kennedy used to justify more research.
