RFK Jr. Launches SPECTRA to Speed Autism Diagnoses — SkimNews
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- RFK Jr. announced SPECTRA, a new federal effort to speed autism diagnoses, arguing current assessment models are outdated, too slow, and overreliant on specialists with limited availability
- The program, administered by ARPA-H, will solicit "solutions"—tools and technologies for faster assessment and improved quality of life—from outside organizations, though Kennedy provided no funding details
- Kennedy made the announcement at a Children's Health Defense conference, the anti-vaccine organization he previously led, where he called autistic children "damaged"
- He continues to assert—without evidence—that vaccines cause autism, and has joined President Trump in claiming Tylenol use during pregnancy is linked to the condition
- SPECTRA will be overseen by ARPA-H Program Manager Russell Shilling, a father of two autistic children and former Autism Speaks advisory committee member
- Boston University's Helen Tager-Flusberg called the technology focus "timely" but expressed hope for an "unbiased" project selection process
- Autism assessment wait times already stretch months to years, and insurers are pulling back from covering ABA therapy after fraud allegations roiled the field; a separate NIH Autism Data Science Initiative awarded $50 million to 13 projects in June
Why it matters: Families waiting months or years for autism diagnoses could benefit if SPECTRA delivers faster, more accessible assessment tools—but the program's placement under Kennedy, who has repeatedly used dehumanizing language and promoted debunked vaccine-autism links, means researchers will be watching closely for whether project selection is driven by evidence or ideology.
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