Overview

• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has launched an NIH-led initiative to consolidate private health records into a national autism registry for research purposes.
• Kennedy has controversially characterized autism as an 'epidemic' caused by environmental toxins and pledged to identify its causes by September, a stance at odds with scientific consensus.
• Experts attribute rising autism diagnoses to improved screening and broader diagnostic criteria, rejecting Kennedy's claims of a singular environmental cause.
• Comments by Kennedy, suggesting many autistic individuals will never contribute to society, have been widely condemned by advocates, families, and celebrities as harmful and inaccurate.
• Disability rights groups have raised concerns over privacy risks and are urging resources to be redirected toward support services rather than surveillance-focused research.