Latest status as of this record (October 2026): speaking at a Children's Health Defense conference, Kennedy announced an ARPA-H-administered program seeking tools to speed autism assessment and improve quality of life. No results of the HHS/Geier vaccine-autism study announced in March 2025 have been published; the federal autism agenda as of September 2026 centers on diagnosis tools, leucovorin, and the ADSI research portfolio.
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday a new effort to improve autism diagnoses, arguing that the current model is outdated, too time-intensive, and overreliant on professionals with limited availability.
Latest status as of this record (October 2026): speaking at a Children's Health Defense conference, Kennedy announced an ARPA-H-administered program seeking tools to speed autism assessment and improve quality of life. No results of the HHS/Geier vaccine-autism study announced in March 2025 have been published; the federal autism agenda as of September 2026 centers on diagnosis tools, leucovorin, and the ADSI research portfolio. Boston University's Helen Tager-Flusberg cautiously welcomed ARPA-H involvement while hoping for 'an unbiased selection of projects.'