Trump Administration Policies Hampering Autism Research, Scientists Say

President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have stated their department would release a report in September addressing the rise in autism spectrum disorder diagnoses. However, scientists researching the causes and treatments of autism express concerns that Trump's policies are hindering their work.

Kennedy and Trump share the belief that external factors, such as vaccines or environmental influences, have contributed to the increase in autism diagnoses since the 1990s. This viewpoint was reiterated during a recent cabinet meeting.

Autism researchers at leading universities have noted that the Trump administration's efforts to reduce the federal budget, coupled with vaccine skepticism, have led to the freezing of federal grants. These grants were intended to support research aimed at better understanding this developmental disability, a condition that still faces social stigma.

The administration has implemented significant budget cuts, including the elimination of federal grants for autism research. Kennedy has characterized the rise in autism cases as an epidemic, despite the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, which falls under his jurisdiction, attributing much of the increase to improved detection methods.

The Trump administration has also targeted numerous universities for funding cuts due to their actions during the pro-Palestine movement and for enrolling foreign or migrant students. This has made it more difficult to conduct research on various conditions, including autism.

In May, the National Institutes of Health announced it would not issue awards to entities that include subawards to foreign entities. This decision has significantly impacted research projects, including one that aimed to study social language abilities and neural markers in autism across different language groups.

Researchers emphasize the lengthy and challenging process of obtaining NIH grants. The uncertainty surrounding funding and the potential for cuts have created significant obstacles for ongoing research projects.

The administration's stance on vaccines and its impact on research is another concern. Kennedy's skepticism has brought research under scrutiny.

Researchers fear that Kennedy’s time as HHS Secretary will cause a regression in years of progress. During his cabinet meeting with Trump, the president called autism a “horror show.” The administration's position could potentially undermine years of work.

Concerns have also been raised about the potential for a registry of autistic people. While HHS denied plans for such a registry, Kennedy later announced a plan to build a data system to research autism using information from Medicare and Medicaid. This has led to concerns among parents about the security and use of their children's data.