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RFK Jr. promised answers on autism, but HHS is ending studies looking into environmental causes

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a news conference at the Department of Health and Human Services on April 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a news conference at the Department of Health and Human Services on April 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised “a massive testing and research effort” to determine what he says are the environmental causes of autism.

The causes of autism spectrum disorders are complex, experts say, and include a mix of genetics and environmental factors. Under Kennedy’s direction, however, the government recently ended funding for studies looking into some of those environmental factors.

ProPublica’s Sharon Lerner has been looking into the science and shares some of her reporting with Here & Now‘s Scott Tong.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom