HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Revises Autism Cause Timeline to 2026

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has softened his initial promise to identify the cause of autism spectrum disorder by September 2025, now projecting the timeline to extend to at least March 2026. Initially, in April during a Trump administration cabinet meeting, Kennedy pledged a "massive testing and research effort" involving numerous scientists to pinpoint the cause and eliminate exposures by September. However, in a recent CNN interview, he clarified that by September, only replication studies of existing research would be completed, with new studies beginning soon thereafter, emphasizing that replication is crucial for scientific validity. Kennedy stated that definitive and "most solid" information would require additional months beyond September to ensure accuracy and inform public policy effectively. His comments have faced criticism from organizations like the Autism Society of America, which labeled the original timeline "harmful, misleading, and unrealistic," and his stance continues to draw scrutiny given his history of vaccine skepticism. President Donald Trump also echoed controversial views by asserting that autism must be caused by external, artificially induced factors, a position that medical experts have largely disputed.