‘So much fringe science’: RFK Jr’s advisers are pushing an extreme makeover in autism research
Experts warn the 336-page plan from RFK Jr’s advisers deflects federal dollars into unreliable alternative therapies Autism groups and researchers have reacted with alarm to a federal research roadmap drawn up by advisers handpicked by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, fearing it will promote unproven fringe therapies at the expense of promising genetic research. A slew of scientific…
Autism advocacy groups and researchers are expressing alarm at a federal research roadmap created by advisers appointed by the U.S. Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The 336-page plan, which the committee formally adopted last week, is seen as a potential shift in federal spending on autism services. The plan aims to nearly double federal spending on autism services to $760 million annually, with a specific $15 million allocation towards research on folate biology.
This follows a surge in interest in leucovorin, a derivative of vitamin B9, as a potential therapy for autism. However, experts warn that many of the proposed treatments lack evidence and could divert funds away from promising genetic research. The plan also proposes "supported-living models" such as farmstead or campus-based communities, which some fear could revive forms of institutional confinement.
The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), responsible for advising U.S. health secretaries on autism-related federal efforts, revamped its panel in January, replacing prominent experts with anti-vaccine advocates. Some of the federal agency representatives on the panel abstained from formally adopting the roadmap, citing the need for more time to review the details.
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