Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Politics

RFK Jr attributes rise in autism to environmental factors, while CDC points to improved diagnostic practices

by April 16, 2025
April 16, 2025
RFK Jr attributes rise in autism to environmental factors, while CDC points to improved diagnostic practices

While autism experts claim that the rise in cases stems from greater awareness and improved diagnostic testing, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shut down that idea Wednesday and, instead, attributed the rise in cases to environmental factors.

Those who discount that environmental exposure is a factor in rising autism cases are engaging in ‘epidemic denial,’ Kennedy told reporters Wednesday. 

Kennedy appeared at HHS’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., to discuss the latest findings on autism included in a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey released Tuesday. 

‘This is coming from an environmental toxin, and somebody made a profit by putting that environmental toxin into our air, our water, our medicines, our food,’ Kennedy said. ‘And it’s to their benefit to say ‘Oh, to normalize it, to say all this is all normal, it’s always been here.’ That’s not good for our country.’

Even so, the CDC’s own new survey Kennedy addressed found that autism prevalence is on the rise and said the increase ‘might be due to differences in availability of services for early detection and evaluation and diagnostic practices.’

Specifically, the survey found that one in 31 8-year-old children were diagnosed with autism in 2022 – up from one in 36 in 2000.

Additionally, the survey determined that autism rates were far more common for boys than girls. While one in 20 boys is diagnosed with autism, those numbers go down to one in 70 for girls. 

While Kennedy acknowledged Wednesday there may be some genetic vulnerabilities that could contribute to increased odds of an autism diagnosis, he said the autism rates spiked starting in 1989 and that some new environmental toxin must have been introduced around that time. 

‘Why are we not seeing it in older people? Why is this only happening in young people?’ Kennedy said. ‘Have you ever seen anybody our age – I’m 71 years old – with full blown autism? Head-banging, non-verbal, non-toilet-trained.’ 

As a result, Kennedy said HHS’ studies would examine toxins including mold, pesticides, air, water, different medications, as well as the age and obesity rates of parents, among other things. 

‘We’re going to look at all the potential culprits,’ Kennedy said. 

HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding the apparent discrepancy between Kennedy’s remarks and the CDC survey. 

Kennedy signaled Thursday in a Cabinet meeting at the White House that the administration would kick off a massive research initiative to understand the cause of autism by September. 

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to policy and legal advocacy on behalf of those with autism, pushed back against Kennedy’s statements in the Cabinet meeting and claimed Kennedy refused to acknowledge studies that point to genes as the underlying cause of autism. 

‘There is no evidence that autism is actually becoming more common (rather, we as a society are getting better at identifying it, and diagnostic standards have appropriately been widened),’ the network said in a Thursday statement. ‘Even if it were, however, autistic and other disabled people belong in our society. To claim otherwise, and to speak as though our existence is some kind of calamity that must be eliminated, is a form of eugenics.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
TAKE IT DOWN Act Shows That Noble Intentions Can Make Bad Tech Policy
next post
Trade Pullbacks Like a Pro: Simple Moving Average Strategy That Works

You may also like

Longtime Joe Biden aide appears under House subpoena...

July 18, 2025

‘Zuck Bucks 2.0’: Zuckerberg-funded group pushing millions to...

January 21, 2023

JUST IN: Joe Biden’s “Pup Handler” Sam Brinton...

December 13, 2022

Arizona Senate candidate says ‘weapons,’ ‘little cow nuts’...

August 17, 2023

Machete fight leads to arrest of three Guatemalan...

July 22, 2023

Gabbard says Biden admin ignored ‘highly inappropriate’ chats...

February 28, 2025

Georgia Republican says GOP speaker holdouts have ‘slowed’...

January 5, 2023

PETER BOGHOSSIAN: Affirmative action in college admissions is...

January 16, 2023

House GOP lawmaker rejects committee assignments to dedicate...

December 17, 2024

Pennsylvania certifies election results following delay over recounts

December 28, 2022

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Trump 1.0 alums share chilling Google message from before second-term return: ‘LAWFARE at its finest’

      August 2, 2025
    • Trump closes week with plans to reposition subs amid heightened Russia tension, new tariffs

      August 2, 2025
    • Inside the Biden cover-up probe: 8 aides questioned, more on the way

      August 2, 2025
    • BROADCAST BIAS: ABC compares Sydney Sweeney ad to Nazis as networks go nuts about her ‘genes’

      August 2, 2025
    • Jeremy Hunt: ‘We’re over-medicalising anxiety and depression with sick notes’

      August 2, 2025
    • Cambodia to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize for role in ending country’s conflict with Thailand

      August 2, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,652)
    • Investing (2,168)
    • Politics (16,286)
    • Stocks (3,228)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved