RFK Jr promises to find “the” cause of autism

We’ve known for decades that the risk for autism is mostly heritable, i.e., genetics. Certain environmental inputs can enhance the expression of autistic traits, but the cause lies in genetics.

“The rise in prevalence, many researchers say, is predominantly caused by an increase in diagnoses rather than a true rise in the underlying symptoms and traits. “We don’t see an epidemic of autism, but we see an ‘epidemic’ of diagnoses,” says Sven Bölte, a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatric science at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.”

There you have it. The cause of autism is autism diagnosis, just like the cause of dawn is roosters crowing. If physicians just stop diagnosing autism, it will go away, right?

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02636-1?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=01bdf7753f-nature-briefing-daily-20250827&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b27a691814-01bdf7753f-49589024

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