RFK Jr. orders HHS to determine the cause of autism by September

px_eliezer_

As the title says.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during a Cabinet meeting with Trump that he is undertaking a “massive testing and research effort” to determine the cause of autism.

Autism is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain that presents with a wide range of symptoms that may include delays in language, learning, social and emotional skills.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/rfk-jr-orders-hhs-to-determine-the-cause-of-autism-by-september

Folks, this man is an idiot.

There are multiple causes to autism (being that it comes in many sizes, shapes, flavors).

RFK is in the process being so smug and insulting to the many scientists and physicians who have been involved with autism research and autism patients for many years.

By the way, ONE major cause (at least statistically) is relatively older people having kids.

Anyway, RFK Junior is the ultimate nepo baby, and what a maroon.

Let’s see what crap he produces by “September”.

ugly95

px_eliezer_ Let’s see what crap he produces by “September”.

Considering he has already tapped David Geier, it is clear that this is a matter of policy-based evidence making.

David Geier “treated” children with autism because he believed they had mercury toxicity. He experimented on them with leuprolide, which is not used to treat mercury toxicity, for the mercury toxicity that they didn’t actually have. All in order to make the desired connection as to the cause of autism.

DrStrange

px_eliezer_ Autism is caused by heredity. What’s his kind of crazy caused by? Can we figure that out, and maybe cure it?

GrumpyCanadian

px_eliezer_ We knew he was unfit for the job, and now he is proclaiming it from the rooftops. Science has only a modest understanding of the brain as it is, and after decades of research, we don’t even have any credible hypotheses about the causes of any variant of autism. In fact, there isn’t even complete agreement on the diagnostic criteria or how/whether the “spectrum” should be sub-divided.

Thinking about it now, other than by subjective observation by a “qualified” doctor, there isn’t even a test that can irrefutably and consistently “diagnose” autism. How can we find the cause of something we can barely even identify? There isn’t an ice cube’s chance in hell that he will find anyone to produce anything credible before his mandate ends, much less by September.

real_aurgathor

px_eliezer_ There are multiple causes to autism (being that it comes in many sizes, shapes, flavors).

That is not correct. It is not known what exactly is causing autism – only a number of factors that are associated with autism. It is believed that genetic and environmental factors play a significant role, and there are a bunch of risk factors such as older parents, low birth weight, etc.

The precise causes of autism are unknown in most individual cases. Research shows that the disorder is highly heritable and polygenic, and neurobiological risks from the environment are also relevant. Boys are also diagnosed with autism at a significantly higher rate than girls. Autism frequently co-occurs with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, and intellectual disability.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism

It’s been investigated for decades and there is still no cure or exact cause, so determining the cause by September is in the “even if it’s true I don’t believe it” category.

wdunwoody

Why doesn’t RFKjr just demand that a cure for cancer be produced by September…

real_aurgathor

wdunwoody Why doesn’t RFKjr just demand that a cure for cancer be produced by September…

Or measles.

egeezer

Based on his past assertions, Mr. Kennedy has already reached his conclusion on this question.

However, if he allows independent peer reviewed research we may get a good answer, but not within the ordered time frame.

px_eliezer_

egeezer However, if he allows independent peer reviewed research we may get a good answer, but not within the ordered time frame.

Timing aside, the game is rigged.

As honest as the day is long, as the fellow said in “Casablanca”.

Rook

egeezer However, if he allows independent peer reviewed research we may get a good answer…

You mean if the brain worm allows it? 🪱

As you said, it looks more like he already has an answer and is looking for others to “confirm” it.

real_aurgathor

egeezer

egeezer However, if he allows independent peer reviewed research we may get a good answer, but not within the ordered time frame.

I don’t know what the official result will be – if anything. This may be just some virtue signaling that they’re doing something important, but there won’t be a published cause by September.

However, if they find “a cause”, I have that gut feeling that it’s either:
A) just the restating of what we already know (see wikipedia on it)
B) if it’s something new, it won’t stand up to peer review and scientific scrutiny.
C) just some recycled, old rubbish

vaxvms

And do it in 6 months, eh? What color is the sky in his world?

px_eliezer_

vaxvms And do it in 6 months, eh? What color is the sky in his world?

Historically, “Blue Sky laws” were used to combat fraud.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_sky_law

px_eliezer_

GrumpyCanadian There isn’t an ice cube’s chance in hell that he will find anyone to produce anything credible before his mandate ends, much less by September.

This administration promises LOTS of quick things.

The only quickness they achieve however, is how quickly they break things.

px_eliezer_

urbanriot The first question I ask is why single mothers statistically have more autistic kids than any other demographic on the planet…?

If so (I have not seen clear data on this…)

There are so many factors.

For one thing, maybe the child being autistic is what LED TO the father splitting—hence the mother becomes a single mother left with the kid.

But as said, there is a lot of statistical correlation relating to older moms (and even older dads) with their children being on the spectrum.

THAT parental age factor is a big part of things.

The DNA in eggs, and even in sperm, to some point gets transcription errors over the years.

I do agree (and can tell you personally) that there is over diagnosis.

As well, purported therapies such as ABA are controversial (even cruel), and are bitterly opposed by many in the autism community.

px_eliezer_

urbanriot It’s kind of weird that you get your panties in a bunch with all this “idiot” and “maroon” antics considering that they’re directing funds towards medical research, why do you discount one group of specialists over another? What’s the difference?

For one thing, there is a big difference.

It is NOT a case of “there are good researchers on both sides”. 🙁

RFK Junior himself right now has FINALLY come out in support of Measles vaccine, after downplaying the epidemic for weeks, and pushing Cod Liver Oil as the fix for Measles.

He’s highly biased, as will be ANY team that he assembles on ANY subject.

urbanriot It’s kind of weird that you get your panties in a bunch with all this “idiot” and “maroon” antics considering that they’re directing funds towards medical research, why do you discount one group of specialists over another? What’s the difference?

And another thing.

It’s absurd on its face, to say that in 6 months there will be a solution (a magic answer) for something that people have been working on for decades.

But this whole administration promises QUICK FIXES (such as promising to end the Ukraine war on the first day, how did that work out?!)

Anybody who does not have “huge” cynicism is ignoring the obvious.

The Apollo project took 8 years to get men to the moon, and even that was with a big head start from the German rocket men.

The Manhattan Project took 3 years to produce the atomic bomb.

People have been working on cancer research for years, and there has been big progress, but it’s far from over.

This autism effort is a farce to think that they’ll have a magic answer in 6 months,

TL/DR: There are lots of charlatans.

GrumpyCanadian

px_eliezer_ and pushing Cod Liver Oil as the fix for Measles.

Not to mention vitamin A, to the point that there were reports of children presenting with vitamin A toxicity. Listening to these dolts, some parents would rather risk poisoning their children with (too much) vitamin A, than get them vaccinated; it’s astonishing!

px_eliezer_ But this whole administration promises QUICK FIXES (such as promising to end the Ukraine war on the first day, how did that work out?!)

You just don’t want to give them the credit they deserve. Credit where it’s due for delivering on their promises:

Eggs are cheaper, since he intervened just after the inauguration.
Vladimir left all Ukrainian territory.
Grocery prices are under control, interest rates and inflation are low. Everything is suddenly affordable again, thanks to that inimitable Donald magic.
There is peace in Israel, the Palestinians have finally been left alone on their territory, and all of the hostages have been released.
The United States is swimming in tariff money, industry is booming and there are so many manufacturing jobs, they can’t find people to fill them; unemployment would have to be negative to be any lower.
Those nasty terrorists and their fentanyl have been kept out or deported; problem solved.

In case it wasn’t clear, a big </s>.

Heat84

Where are you guys citing causes or the number of causes of autism getting your information from? Nobody knows what causes it yet. That’s really surprising, but it’s true. Of course one conspiracy is that it’s caused by vaccines. That’s how my mother thinks I got mine, but of course there’s no science to back that up. And my father has autistic tendencies but was never diagnosed with it, so maybe I inherited it, but that’s not a cause. Heredity doesn’t actually cause anything. It just perpetuates something through the family line.

I’m wondering if more kids are being diagnosed with autism these days because autism is understood alot better than it used to be, or because of armchair psychologists(like armchair quarterbacks). I was misdiagnosed as a kid back in the 80’s with having hyperactive disorder and put on Ritalin. I was only on it for a year or so when I was around 10 years old, and it was my decision to stop using it. I saw a report on the news that said Ritalin stunted your growth. I didn’t realize it at the time, but heredity had already stunted my growth. My father is a little Italian guy and my mother is under 5 feet tall. I was misdiagnosed because autism was just a theory that most psychologists weren’t familiar with back in the 80’s.

px_eliezer_

Heat84 Heredity doesn’t actually cause anything. It just perpetuates something through the family line.

Respectfully, I think that is splitting hairs.

real_aurgathor

Heat84 Heredity doesn’t actually cause anything.

Well, it can, but that would be another discussion. In case of autism, the role of ‘genetics’ is the one thing that is proven beyond reasonable doubt. Whether that’s just predisposition or something more – that is not known for certain.

Rook

Heat84 I’m wondering if more kids are being diagnosed with autism these days because autism is understood alot better than it used to be…

👍️ Sounds reasonable.

Heat84

px_eliezer_ Respectfully, I think that is splitting hairs.

If you mean heredity causes somebody to get something but doesn’t cause the something, or maybe somebody inherits more than one thing which combine to give somebody something, then ok. But I’m interested in the root cause of Autism. Even if you removed it from a gene pool, you still have to stop the root cause. But if the root cause doesn’t exist anymore, you could just keep removing it from gene pools until it’s eradicated. But finding the root cause and curing it is probably easier.

GrumpyCanadian

Heat84 But finding the root cause and curing it is probably easier.

As pointed out, that’s not even what they’re looking for, but…

Easier? We have precious little understanding of the brain as it is; how do you realistically expect them to not only discover the root cause, but “cure” it? At best, if they were ever to come up with any useful information, some profiteering pharmaceutical monstrosity might introduce something that they think adequately masks the symptoms, which, of course, affected individuals would have to take forever. Also, “autism” isn’t a one-size-fits-all diagnosis; a “high-functioning” individual has dramatically different needs from one who is non-verbal.

Temple Grandin’s hypothesis was that it is a combination of pre-disposition and subsequent development that determine a person’s outcome. She clearly thinks that there is evidence proving that there are structural differences in the brain of affected individuals and, critically, that one size does not fit all. Furthermore, differences don’t necessarily mean that a person is defective or in need of a “cure”. That viewpoint likely stems from humans being intolerant, and expecting everyone to behave and think in the same way. We might make far more progress by not treating them as defective or “weird”, and instead being accepting and supportive; working to ensure that they are able to develop to their full potential and giving opportunities worthy of the abilities that they do have. It is at least as much of a failing on the part of “everyone” else. Of course, those in power now don’t seem to believe in supporting others or offering opportunities.