RFK Jr. claims new research initiative aims to identify cause of ‘autism epidemic’ by September

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a major new research project aimed at figuring out why autism diagnoses are increasing in the U.S. The goal is to have answers by September. This large-scale effort, ordered by President Donald Trump, is said to involve hundreds of scientists from around the world and will look into many possible causes.

Kennedy claims this study will finally pinpoint and remove the environmental factors behind what he calls an “autism epidemic.” However, ABC reports that many scientists and autism advocacy groups doubt the study’s credibility. Their biggest worry is Kennedy’s long history of pushing the false idea that vaccines cause autism, per CNN. Due to this, they fear the research will be biased—designed to support Kennedy’s beliefs rather than follow real science.

The National Institute of Health (NIH), which is running the study, has already confirmed that vaccines do not cause autism. Decades of research back this up.

RFK Jr. is trying to identify the cause of autism

Trump hinted that the solution might involve stopping the use of certain things, including vaccines, showing he already has a bias against established science. This matches Kennedy’s past claims about vaccines, even though the head of the NIH has repeatedly said vaccines are safe and don’t cause autism.

Autism rates have gone up significantly—from about 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 in 2020, according to the CDC. Kennedy claims the rate is now as high as 1 in 31. But experts say this increase is mostly due to better diagnosis, broader definitions of autism, more awareness, and earlier detection—not because more children are suddenly developing autism.

The exact cause of autism is still unknown, but research suggests it’s a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Possible influences include family history, older parents, exposure to air pollution or pesticides during pregnancy, and other unknown environmental triggers.

Another big issue is the extremely short deadline—just five months to get a final answer by September. Experts say it’s impossible to properly design a study, gather worldwide data, and analyze it in such a short time. Rushing could lead to sloppy research, wrong conclusions, and more misinformation. The hiring of David Geier, a well-known vaccine skeptic who has published retracted studies linking vaccines to autism, makes things worse. Geier has even been in trouble for practicing medicine without a license, which raises serious doubts about his trustworthiness and the study’s credibility.

There’s also fear that this study could make more people hesitant about vaccines. A recent measles outbreak in West Texas, where two unvaccinated children died (per ABC), shows how dangerous vaccine misinformation can be. Kennedy’s dismissive comments about the outbreak and his promotion of unproven measles treatments only add to these worries. Even though he says he supports measles vaccines, his past statements make people question whether he really cares about public health.

Autism Self Advocacy Network is also upset about the lack of transparency in the study. They don’t know who’s leading it, how it will be done, or whether it will follow real scientific standards. They stress that autism research should be based on facts, not guesses driven by personal beliefs. On top of that, recent staff cuts at the HHS—about 25% of employees—make it even harder to run a huge global study. It’s also unclear where the funding is coming from and how international teams will work together.

In the end, while finding the causes of rising autism rates is important, this study has too many problems to trust. The rushed timeline, clear biases, and questionable people involved make it likely the results won’t be reliable.