Factchecking the Trump administration鈥檚 Autism claims
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to find out why the rate of autism risen so dramatically in the last 30 years?
Picking Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine sceptic, as the Secretary for Public Health might not be the most 鈥榦ut there鈥� thing the Trump administration has done but it certainly raised some eyebrows.
Since his appointment Kennedy has been on a mission to 鈥楳ake America Healthy again鈥� and has set his sights on finding 鈥榯he cure鈥� for Autism.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that can affect how someone communicates, socialises, learns and behaves. In the 1980鈥檚 one study estimated that 4 in 10,000 (1 in 2500) children in Wisconsin had an Autism diagnosis. Recent data from the Centres for Disease control states that 1 in 31 eight year olds in the US have the condition.
Why have the numbers gone up? Is it due to environmental toxins as Robert Kennedy suggests or does the answer lie in the counting?
Presenter/Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Studio Manager: Andrew Mills
Editor: Richard Vadon
Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU
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