Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
What Is Causing Rising Autism Rates? RFK Jr. Vows To Find Out By September
ABC News: RFK Jr. Pledges An Answer To The 'Autism Epidemic' By September
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a significant commitment at Thursday's Cabinet meeting at the White House, saying that his agency will "know what has caused the autism epidemic" by September. Kennedy said that HHS had launched, at President Donald Trump's direction, a large research effort involving "hundreds of scientists from around the world" to look into the rising rates of autism diagnoses. (Haslett, 4/11)
More about autism —
The New York Times: ‘Where’s Alex?’ A Beloved Caregiver Is Swept Up in Trump’s Green Card Crackdown
An autistic young man loses his caretaker as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown expands to permanent U.S. residents convicted of minor crimes years ago. (Jordan, 4/9)
SciTechDaily: New Research Challenges Long-Held Beliefs About Autism And Eye Contact
Using an innovative AI-driven observation method, a groundbreaking study reveals that avoiding eye contact may not be exclusive to individuals with autism. (4/9)
Fox News: Service Dogs Helpful For Kids With Autism, Research Shows
A recent study from the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine evaluated the impact of service dogs on autistic children and their caregivers in 75 families. Working with nonprofit service dog provider Canine Companions, the researchers found that having a service dog was associated with "significantly better child sleep behaviors," including less sleep anxiety and better sleep initiation and duration. (Stabile, 4/9)
The Conversation: Why The Autism Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Is Such A Problematic Symbol
For decades, a jigsaw puzzle piece has been used to symbolise autism across the world. It has been used for charity logos and awareness ribbons, and even tattooed on to the bodies of well-meaning parents. But for many autistic adults, the puzzle piece isn’t just outdated – it’s offensive. Some consider it a hate symbol: a reminder of how autistic people have long been misunderstood, pathologised and excluded from conversations about their own lives. (Grant, 4/10)
AP: Outrage Builds As Video Shows Idaho Police Shooting A Knife-Wielding Autistic Teenager
A teenage boy described by his family as autistic, nonverbal and intellectually disabled remains in critical condition after being shot in his backyard by Idaho police last weekend. (Johnson, Lauer and Thiessen, 4/8)
