Members of the autism community are pushing back against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pledge to find the cause for autism by September, calling the plan harmful.

Kennedy announced last week that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will launch a “massive testing and research effort” to find the cause of autism spectrum disorder in the next five months. He then followed up earlier this week by stating in a press conference that the agency would have “some answers” by then.

During the Wednesday press conference, Kennedy stressed that HHS would investigate an “environmental toxin” he believes is causing rising rates of autism spectrum disorder, contradicting what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes is contributing to the increased prevalence of the condition.

The Autism Society of America’s Chief Marketing Officer Kristyn Roth described Kennedy’s focus on an environmental toxin as “incredibly misleading” and his commitment to finding a definitive cause of autism spectrum disorder as harmful to the autism community.

“While more research is needed, there has been no discussion about actually serving this community to be better supported, included and to have services that reflect the diversity across the spectrum,” Roth told The Hill.

The CDC published a report earlier........

© The Hill