Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced every member of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee on January 28. The 21 new appointments mark the first time in the committee’s 20-year history that no previous members were retained. Five major genetic studies—Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, Simons Simplex Collection, Autism Sequencing Consortium, MSSNG, and SPARK—produced 501 papers costing $2.3 billion. No gene or combination of genes was identified as causing autism.
The committee advises HHS on approximately $2 billion in annual federal autism research spending. Autism prevalence was 1 in 10,000 children in 1970. It reached 1 in 150 children in 2000. It reached 1 in 31 children in 2022 according to CDC data. The committee’s 2017-2023 strategic plans stated improved screening and diagnostic criteria explained rising prevalence. Two California epidemiological studies found diagnostic changes explain 10-20% of the increase.
The new committee will investigate environmental factors including vaccines, pesticides, maternal medications, and medical conditions in autistic children. Kennedy stated in September 2025 that federal research would examine “all potential causes—including vaccines—to help prevent future cases of autism.” Multiple appointees treat autistic children with medical approaches focused on gastrointestinal problems, immune system issues, and metabolic conditions.
Daniel Rossignol, a board-certified family physician, published 80 papers on autism treatments including mitochondrial dysfunction and immune system issues. Elizabeth Mumper investigated environmental triggers and metabolic conditions. Sylvia Fogel, a Harvard Medical School instructor, applies biology systems to autism care. Lisa Ackerman founded The Autism Community in Action after her son’s autism diagnosis at age two. Her son is now a college graduate and employed musician. John Gilmore’s 25-year-old son is non-speaking. Walter Zahorodny directs the New Jersey Autism Study, a 20-year CDC-funded prevalence tracking effort.
Zahorodny appeared with Kennedy in April 2025. He stated that better awareness cannot explain a 300% increase in autism prevalence over 20 years. Toby Rogers holds a Ph.D. in political economy from University of Sydney. His doctoral thesis examined autism prevalence patterns and environmental exposures. Autism Speaks, Autism Science Foundation, and Simons Foundation have no representation on the new committee. Researchers from major university autism centers were not reappointed.
The previous committee allocated $143 million to genetics research in 2017 and $164 million in 2018. Lifespan issues—adult employment, housing, aging—received the smallest funding allocation. The committee identified lifespan issues as high priority. Research into co-occurring medical conditions in autism received minimal funding. No FDA-approved treatments for core autism symptoms were developed during the committee’s tenure. The committee’s strategic plans noted services and supports research remained “consistently less well funded than other research areas.”
Many autistic children experience gastrointestinal problems, immune system dysfunction, chronic inflammation, metabolic issues, and seizures. Previous research treated these conditions as separate from autism. The new committee includes practitioners who treat these conditions. Four large epigenetic projects—CHARGE, MARBLES, SEED, EARLI—studied air pollutants, pesticides, and flame retardants. They produced 437 papers. None examined vaccines as a variable.
Kennedy stated vaccines will be examined along with other environmental exposures. This represents the first federal investigation into whether vaccine timing, combinations, or ingredients contribute to autism risk. A 2025 survey found 70% of mothers with autistic children believe their child was injured by a vaccine. Twenty-two studies examined the vaccine-autism connection. None used completely unvaccinated control groups. The studies compared children receiving one vaccine schedule against children receiving a different schedule.
Alison Singer served on the IACC for 12 years as Autism Science Foundation president. She called the new appointments harmful. Helen Tager-Flusberg directed Boston University’s autism research center. She stated the committee was chosen for ideology rather than scientific credentials. The Autism Society called Kennedy’s characterization of autism as an epidemic “harmful and misleading.”
Rossignol promoted chelation therapy as a potential autism treatment. He graded the evidence as weak. Chelation removes heavy metals from the body. An autistic child died during chelation therapy in 2005. NIH suspended a chelation clinical trial following the death. A father sued Rossignol in 2010 alleging unnecessary chelation treatments.
Rogers co-authored a 2021 paper projecting autism prevalence and costs. The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders retracted it in June 2023. The retraction cited methodological issues and undisclosed conflicts of interest. The journal noted the authors “misrepresented the rise in autism diagnoses” and used “higher estimates and assumptions that inflated costs.”
The IACC will develop a new strategic plan for autism research. The plan guides how $2 billion in annual federal spending gets allocated. NIH announced a $50 million Autism Data Science Initiative in September 2025. The initiative funds 13 projects examining gene-environment interactions, environmental exposures, and treatment outcomes. The previous committee asked which genes cause autism. The new committee will ask what environmental exposures trigger it.
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