Minnesota Fraud Update

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.   Scams plague the world of autism. Some involve shady or abusive providers.

Conor Wright at CBS Minnesota:

The five autism service centers raided by federal law enforcement on Tuesday as part of an apparent series of fraud investigations all utilize money from the same state program that two other providers have already pleaded guilty to stealing from.

For at least one expert in the field, it's a program that became unexpectedly popular to try to defraud. The Early Intensive Development and Behavioral Intervention program is designed to provide reimbursements to agencies that provide medical assistance to people with autism under the age of 21. On Tuesday, during the raids, state officials announced that the investigations at the autism service centers were directly related to EIDBI.

"This is an important action for families who rely on autism services and for Minnesota taxpayers fed up, as I am, with criminals taking advantage of the systems we have in place to deliver social services," Department of Human Services Commissioner Shireen Gandhi said, in part, in a statement.

EIDBI has been under a spotlight now for several years. According to the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor, the number of provider agencies went from nearly 150 in 2020 to more than 500 in 2024. The total annual cost went from $38.1 million to $324.9 million in the same time period.

Dr. Eric Larsson, executive director of clinical services at the Lovaas Institute Midwest, said that he initially believed the program was effectively protected by the mountain of bureaucratic red tape required to get a child to qualify for the program. He began to see red flags, however, when he directed his team to start contacting providers in 2024 to help fill gaps after some agencies began to stop seeing new clients in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There were 200 that you just couldn't call them, couldn't email them, they didn't have a website. How did they get on the DHS rolls?" Larsson said.

1,814 Measles Cases in 2026

 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.  A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

From CDC:

As of April 30, 2026, 1,814 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. Among these, 1,803 measles cases were reported by 37 jurisdictions: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. A total of 11 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the United States.

There have been 24 new outbreaks** reported in 2026, and 93% of confirmed cases (1,688 of 1,814) are outbreak-associated (415 from outbreaks starting in 2026 and 1,273 from outbreaks that started in 2025).

For the full year of 2025, a total of 2,288 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States. Among these, 2,263 measles cases were reported by 45 jurisdictions: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. A total of 25 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the United States.

There were 48 outbreaks** reported in 2025, and 90% of confirmed cases (2,065 of 2,288) were outbreak-associated. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024 and 69% of cases (198 of 285) were outbreak-associated.

Sen. Murray v. Secretary McMahon

 In The Politics of Autism, I write about social services, special education, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 

An April 28 release from Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA):

Today,—at a Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget request for the Department of Education (ED)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary Linda McMahon on how her efforts to dismantle the Department of Education are hurting students...Senator Murray began by noting grave concern that ED is ignoring parents who don’t want management of programs to protect the rights of students with disabilities to be transferred from ED to other agencies with little to no relevant expertise or experience.

MURRAY: Let me just start with this: look I am really concerned you’re not listening to parents of children with disabilities and their profound objections to moving IDEA and Rehabilitation Act programs out of the Department of Education.

I’ve gotten a petition from thousands of parents, educators, advocates who are concerned that will really undermine 50 years of progress in making sure the rights of children and students with disabilities are met.

So, I wanted to ask you today, what is the status of moving programs for children and students with disabilities out of the Department of Education?

MCMAHON: Well, currently, we are still evaluating of where those programs would best be located. We have not made that determination yet. We are looking at the Department of Labor for some of its programs and we are also looking at HHS for a potential home for some of those programs. I can assure you that the intent of this administration is not to put these students at risk in any way whatsoever. I have met—I have not received thousands of applications as you have but I have met with parent groups all over the country who have children with disabilities. We have talked about what they need. And, I have said to each of them, who is better positioned to know what your children need then you working with them and then working with your local school board—

MURRAY: That is exactly why these parents and advocates are spitting mad because what they want to make sure is that their child with a disability has an education. And moving it out of the Department of Education is not only undermining that … But [parents] want their kids to get a good education and that is why I am hearing from so many parents. So, I am deeply concerned that your answer sounds like you’re still moving ahead. Just—let’s make it clear: that will break the law, and it will make it a lot harder for these students with disabilities to get the education and the understanding that their country will stand behind them with that.

MCMAHON: Well, I just have to object to your framing of this. First of all, it is not against the law. And, secondly, these parents need to understand that regardless of which department these programs are located, they will still get the same treatment, the same funding.

MURRAY: Well, are you under the Department of Education which says that your education is the priority—that’s their concern. But let me move on. Because I have several other questions and my time is limited.

[Dismantling ED Decimates Protection of Students Civil Rights]

Senator Murray continued by pressing Secretary McMahon about how her efforts to dismantle the Department of Education have led to a precipitous drop off in resolution of students’ cases managed by the Office for Civil Rights.

MURRAY: Let me ask you, a little over a year ago, you made the decision to eliminate more than half the staff in the Office for Civil Rights and close half of the regional field offices.

Now, you’ve testified repeatedly that students won’t even notice your efforts to abolish the Department—but I’d like to hear you tell that to the students and parents who have yet to hear anything about their case, let alone have it be fully investigated and resolved.

Because you know—in President Trump’s first year of his first term, OCR resolved about 60 sexual harassment cases and 15 sexual assault cases.

Can you tell me how many of these cases were resolved in the first year of this term?

MCMAHON: Well, I can tell you what we are doing with our OCR program. We are definitely moving forward. We inherited—

MURRAY: No, I asked how many—

MCMAHON: We inherited about 19,000 backlog of cases from the Biden administration—

MURRAY: How many of those were resolved last year?

MCMAHON: So, what we have done, and I have hired into the Department of Education, Kim Richey, who was the director of that department—

MURRAY: I had a quick question, and I have more questions, so I want you to answer the question I asked [which] is how many of those cases were resolved last year?

MCMAHON: We are moving to resolve as many cases as we can, we are bringing back many of those lawyers which were part of that RIF. And there was a time when we were not processing cases as quickly as we should, but we are now focused on that and moving forward with the expertise—

MURRAY: For the record, the answer to my question is zero.

MCMAHON: We are moving forward to resolve those cases today.

MURRAY: Okay, as of this morning, 1% of all cases last year were resolved. 78% fewer cases were resolved than the year before. And really, we have to understand what that means is that kids are being denied equal access to education they are entitled to under law are now also being denied the justice they deserve.

And that is really wrong. So, you said you’re hiring people back, I want to see what those numbers are, I want to see what cases are being resolved because I think it’s really our responsibility to make sure those kids get the education they are promised.

MCMAHON: Well, I’d be anxious to share those with you because—

MURRAY: Well, right now, it’s zero.

MCMAHON: What we’re putting in place is to move forward, and so I’ll be happy to share that with you—

MURRAY: Happy to hear that but just telling this committee that it’s going to happen someday, to me, is not making sure those kids get an education.

MCMAHON: Well, I’ve hired the person and brought them back who made all of those things work in the first Trump administration, left office with 4,500 backloaded cases, and inherited again 19,000 from the Biden administration and has a full on attack now to resolve those cases, and we’re moving forward to make sure that gets handled.

MURRAY: Just for the record, we expect to see progress.

MCMAHON: So, do I.

MURRAY: Okay, I’m glad to hear that.

IACC Endorses the Term "Profound Autism"

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and research priorities.

RFK Jr. has stacked it with his own type of people.

Robin Respaut at Reuters:

A U.S. advisory committee appointed by Health ​Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recommended on Tuesday that the government adopt the term "profound autism” for those with the ‌highest support needs, and improve gaps in medical care for people with autism.

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee helps guide federal autism research spending, worth about $2 billion annually, and coordinates efforts among government agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

...

The ​spotlight on high needs has been welcomed by some advocates who say those with profound autism were left behind as the definition and ​diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder expanded in recent years to include many high-functioning individuals. Others in the autism community oppose the designation as unnecessary and stigmatizing.

 The committee also prioritized improving medical care ​for autistic patients who suffer from ​other health conditions, such as ⁠gastrointestinal, sleep, neurological, autoimmune and metabolic disorders. Such illnesses are sometimes undiagnosed by medical providers or assumed to be symptoms of autism, leaving patients without critical care, they said.

...

The public members of the committee, ⁠those appointed ​by Kennedy to represent the autism community, voted on Tuesday largely in support of ​making recommendations to him. Many of the federal members, those who represent relevant government bodies, voted to abstain, arguing that the agencies needed more time to review the proposals.

The ​panel's recommendations passed and will be sent to Kennedy.

.

Cutting SSI Benefits

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families. According to the Social Security Administration: "Many parents and caretakers of children with disabilities lose work hours and income because of their children’s care needs. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides monthly financial support to low-income families with children who have developmental and behavioral disabilities. This includes ASD – and physical impairments."

Eli Hager at Pro Publica:

Now, President Donald Trump’s administration is poised to penalize people ... simply for living in the same home as their families, according to four federal officials, internal emails and a federal regulatory listing. The administration is working on a rule change that would deduct the value of a disabled adult’s bedroom from their SSI allotment, even if the family members they live with are poor enough to qualify for food stamps. This would mean slashing the benefits of some of the most low-income SSI recipients by up to a third — about $330 a month in Burton’s case — or ending their support altogether.

The effort to cut SSI for families who also rely on food stamps, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, was initiated by top White House and Department of Government Efficiency officials last year, multiple Social Security officials said. It marks a second attempt by the Trump administration to quietly but dramatically downsize disability benefit programs overseen by the Social Security Administration, despite those programs’ strict eligibility standards and minimal instances of fraud. White House Budget Director Russell Vought and Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano abandoned a different proposed regulation involving disability payments last year after ProPublica and other news outlets reported on the harm that the plan would cause to hundreds of thousands of largely blue-collar workers in red states. (The disability programs are administered by the Social Security Administration but separate from the retirement program for which the agency is named. The Trump administration has promised not to cut Social Security retirement payments.)

The likely SSI cut will affect not just younger adults with disabilities such as Down syndrome and severe autism who are still living at home with their low-income parents, but also older people with health or financial problems who have had to move in with their adult children on tight budgets. All told, as many as 400,000 poor and disabled people and indigent older people across the United States could have their support cut or eliminated, according to a ProPublica analysis of actuarial figures from the Social Security Administration.

Variation in Autism Diagnosis of Medicaid-Enrolled Children

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss evaluation, diagnosis, and early intervention.

A release from the Pediatric Academic Societies:

 A new study examined geographic patterns in autism diagnosis by primary care providers among Medicaid-enrolled children in 29 states. The study found that Nevada, South Carolina and Connecticut had the highest rates of autism diagnosis by primary care providers. Findings from the study will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2026 Meeting, taking place April 24-27 in Boston. This study is part of a larger research project, Addressing Structural Disparities in Autism Spectrum Disorder through Analysis of Secondary Data (ASD3), which is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

An autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis by a medical provider is often required for disability and therapy services access. Given long wait times and limited access to specialty care providers who typically diagnose ASD, some states have expanded primary care provider ASD diagnostic training. Yet little research has examined geographic patterns in primary care providers ASD diagnosis.

"Autism is typically diagnosed by specialists, but various factors such as long wait times can delay this process,” said the ASD3 investigative team. “Primary care providers can offer an additional pathway to early diagnosis, which is important for improving access to needed autism services and supports. Our study looked at Medicaid-enrolled children ages 1-5 in 29 states between 2017-2019, and found that 29% were diagnosed by primary care providers rather than specialists. Rates of autism diagnosis by primary care providers varied significantly between counties, states and regions. We believe that local practice patterns and specialist availability may contribute to this geographic variation."

The sample included 36,263 children across 933 county-sets in 29 states. Overall, 29% of children were diagnosed with ASD by a primary care provider. Regional percentages varied from a median of 20.0% among county-sets in the Midwest to 36.4% in the West. Within-region variation was also high, with interquartile ranges (IQRs) varying from 23.8% in the Midwest to 27.5% in the West. Within-region variation was also high when grouping county-sets by state. For example, the Northeast had both the third highest state (Connecticut, 53.1%) and the third lowest state (New Hampshire, 14.3%) as measured by their median county-set. The neighboring states of South Carolina (60.4%) and Georgia (17.9%), both in the South region, ranked second highest and fifth lowest, respectively. Within-state heterogeneity (IQR) was as low as 6.2% (Connecticut), 9.6% (New Hampshire), and 12.7% (Georgia) and as high as 35.7% (Colorado), 37.6% (Illinois), and 42.3% (Wyoming). Population density showed a slight trend with the densest quartile of county-sets having a median primary care provider diagnosis rate of 24.2%, and 28.6% for the least dense quartile.

Academic Benefits of Early Intervention

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss evaluation, diagnosis, and early intervention.

Stingone JA, McVeigh KH, Lednyak L. Early Intervention Developmental Programming and Childhood Academic Outcomes. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(2):e2555890. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.55890 

Key Points

Question Is receipt of early intervention (EI) services before 3 years of age associated with performance on standardized testing among children in third grade?

Findings In this cohort study including 13 022 children who received EI, receipt of EI services before 3 years of age was associated with greater test z scores in English language arts and increased incidence of meeting curricula-based test standards in both math and English language arts in third grade.

Meaning These findings suggest that an EI program may have tangible academic benefits for children who have moderate to severe developmental delays or disabilities and are living in a large urban center.

Abstract

Importance National monitoring surveys indicate that developmental disabilities among US children constitute a substantial public health issue. While scientific literature documents the benefits of targeted, developmental interventions, there has been less study of formal early intervention (EI) services provided through Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

Objective To assess the population-level utilization of the New York City EI program and estimate the association between receipt of EI services before 3 years of age and academic achievement later in childhood.

Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study was performed within an administrative data linkage of public health and educational data systems in New York City, with records from January 1, 1994, to December 31, 2007. Participants included children born in New York City between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 1998, who attended public elementary school for third grade. Analyses were conducted from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024.

Exposure Any use of EI services from birth through 3 years of age.

Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes were standardized test scores in math and English language arts (ELA) in third grade. After propensity score matching, linear and log-binomial regression were used to estimate differences in standardized test scores and incidence ratios of meeting test-based standards, comparing individuals who did and did not receive EI services.

Results The study population consisted of 214 370 children with records through third grade. Of the 13 022 children who had received EI services (6.1%) before 3 years of age, 8516 (65.4%) were male (mean [SD] gestational age, 37.5 [3.8] weeks). When examining third grade standardized test scores, higher absolute test scores were observed among children who received EI in ELA (estimate, 0.045; 95% CI, 0.021-0.069) and greater incidence of meeting test-based standards in both math (incidence ratio, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.06-1.10) and ELA (incidence ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.07-1.12) when comparing propensity score–matched samples. Evidence of heterogeneity was observed, as individuals who required special education, those from households with lower socioeconomic status, and those born to immigrant mothers had greater test score benefits associated with EI.

Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this cohort study suggest that EI services for children younger than 3 years with moderate to severe developmental delays or disabilities had tangible academic benefits later in childhood. Future research should investigate the implementation of EI services among individuals with different diagnoses and developmental delays to determine the most beneficial service plans for children with differing needs.

1,792 Measles cases

 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.  A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

From CDC:

As of April 23, 2026, 1,792 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. Among these, 1,782 measles cases were reported by 37 jurisdictions: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. A total of 10 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the United States.

There have been 22 new outbreaks** reported in 2026, and 93% of confirmed cases (1,668 of 1,792) are outbreak-associated (401 from outbreaks starting in 2026 and 1,267 from outbreaks that started in 2025).

RFK Jr. v. HCBS

The Politics of Autism includes an extensive discussion of insurance and Medicaid services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are particularly important. 

 Mike Hixenbaugh at NBC:

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sparked outrage among disability rights advocates with recent comments alleging widespread fraud in Medicaid programs that pay people to care for elderly or disabled family members — a system millions of Americans rely on to survive.

During testimony before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee last week, Kennedy criticized Medicaid-funded programs that pay relatives to serve as caregivers, alleging they compensate people for tasks they “used to do as family members for free.” That includes paying them “for balancing the checkbook, for picking up the groceries, for driving somebody to a doctor’s appointment,” he said.

“And this is rife with fraud,” Kennedy said, because the federal government has no way “to determine if they actually performed that duty or not.”

Video of the remarks quickly spread across social media, drawing a wave of angry responses from caregivers and disability rights advocates who said Kennedy trivialized the reality of caring for medically complex loved ones while conflating legitimate caregiving with illegal activity.

“That’s insulting,” said Kim Musheno, senior director of Medicaid policy at The Arc of the United States, a national disability rights organization. “It’s insulting to the families, and it’s insulting to the work that direct support professionals do for people.”

That work, advocates say, is far more complex than shuttling loved ones to doctor appointments.

...

More than 11 million Americans are paid through government programs to care for elderly or disabled family members, according to a recent study. Many are reimbursed through a suite of state-administered Medicaid programs known as home- and community-based services, which compensate both family members and professional caregivers to help people live safely at home.

 ...

[C]aregivers say Kennedy’s comments paint with too broad a brush and risk undermining services that millions depend on. Advocates also dispute the claim that there are no checks to ensure family caregivers are legitimate, noting that states typically require training, documentation of care and other oversight.

Medicaid home-care programs are already under strain. More than 600,000 disabled or elderly people are estimated to be on waitlists for services nationwide, and advocates say low pay and difficult working conditions have led to a chronic shortage of home-care workers.

In response to these pressures, which were amplified during the Covid pandemic, many states have expanded programs allowing family members to be paid caregivers — a shift backed by both Republicans and Democrats. In many parts of the country, especially rural areas, families say they cannot find workers with the skills to care for people with complex medical needs.

Robert "Blood on His Hands" Kennedy

In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.  A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

As of last week, there were 1,748 measles cases in 2026, more than in all of 2024.

And now he claimed, "I have never been anti-vaccine."

Christina Jewett and Sheryl Gay Stolberg at NYT:

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday refused to commit to supporting the vaccine recommendations of President Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The nominee, Dr. Erica Schwartz, has publicly supported immunizations and drawn applause from mainstream public health leaders.

“If Dr. Schwartz is confirmed, will you commit on the record today to implement whatever vaccine guidance she issues without interference?” Representative Raul Ruiz, Democrat of California, asked Mr. Kennedy during a tense hearing on Capitol Hill, the secretary’s fourth congressional hearing since last Thursday.

“I’m not going to make that kind of commitment,” Mr. Kennedy replied. In response to other questions from Dr. Ruiz, a physician, Mr. Kennedy said that he approved of Dr. Schwartz’s nomination and had spoken to her multiple times, but had not spoken directly to Mr. Trump about her selection.

During the hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Kennedy pushed back on Democrats’ assertions that he bore some responsibility for the measles outbreak in the United States, the worst the country has experienced in decades. He told members of the panel that the outbreak is global, that it started before he took office and that those who were sick were mostly 5 or older, which meant their parents had decided against vaccination before he was in office.

The back-and-forth highlighted the challenges Mr. Kennedy faces in trying to sidestep the unpopular vaccine skepticism he has espoused in office, as the White House pressures him to focus on more popular topics, such as healthier eating and fighting fraud. By defending himself on his measles record and his failure to support a mainstream C.D.C. director, he gave congressional Democrats the fodder they were seeking.

“It’s real life, Mr. Secretary, and you have blood on your hands,” said Representative Marc Veasey, Democrat of Texas. He noted that Mr. Kennedy’s lengthy opening statement had made no mention of vaccines, “which is odd, because you’ve basically spent your entire career and life trying to shatter American trust in vaccines.”

Sterol Biosynthesis–Inhibiting Medications (SBIMs)

  In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the condition.  Dozens of potential causes and correlates have been the subject of scientific and medical research.

A release from the University of Nebraska Medical Center:

A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

Analyzing 6.14 million maternal-child health records from the Epic Cosmos database—representing nearly one-third of all U.S. births between 2014 and 2023—the team found that prescription of medications known to inhibit the cholesterol synthesis pathway were consistently associated with higher rates of ASD in offspring.

While previous studies grouped medications by their indications, the UNMC team grouped prescribed medications together based on common effects and side effects on sterol biosynthesis.

These sterol biosynthesis–inhibiting medications (SBIMs) include certain antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, beta-blockers and statins. These are the generic names of the 14 medications studied: aripiprazole, atorvastatin, bupropion, buspirone, fluoxetine, haloperidol, metoprolol, nebivolol, pravastatin, propranolol, rosuvastatin, sertraline, simvastatin and trazodone. Many of these are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States, accounting for more than 400 million annual prescriptions.

... 

Publication details

Eric S. Peeples et al, Sterol pathway disruption in pregnancy: a link to autism, Molecular Psychiatry (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41380-026-03610-7 Journal information: Molecular Psychiatry

A partial list of other potential causes and correlates: 

1. Inflammatory bowel disease
2. Pesticides
3. Air pollution and proximity to freeways
4. Maternal thyroid issues
5. Autoimmune disorders
6. Induced labor
7. Preterm birth
8. Fever  
9. Birth by cesarean section;
10. Anesthesia during cesarean sections
11. Maternal and paternal obesity
12. Maternal diabetes
13. Maternal and paternal age
14. Grandparental age
15. Maternal post-traumatic stress disorder
16. Maternal anorexia
17. Smoking during pregnancy
18. Cannabis use during pregnancy
19. Antidepressant use during pregnancy
20. Polycystic ovary syndrome
21. Infant opioid withdrawal
22. Zinc deficiency
23. Sulfate deficiency
24. Processed foods
25. Maternal occupational exposure to solvents
26. Congenital heart disease
27. Insufficient placental allopregnanolone
28. Estrogen in the womb
29. Morning sickness;
30. Paternal family history
31. Parental preterm birth
32. Antiseizure meds
33. Location of forebears
34. Lithium
35. Aspartame
36. BPA
37. Brain inflammation
38. Maternal asthma
39. Infertility
40. Ultraprocessed foods
41. Household chemicals
42. Parental psychiatric disorders
43. Fluoride
44. Fatty acids in umbilical cord blood
45. Maternal inflammation during pregnancy
46. COVID-19
47. Wildfire smoke

 

Vaccination Green Shoots

In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.  A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

As of last week, there were 1,748 measles cases in 2026, more than in all of 2024.

At Bloomberg, Jessica Nix reports that measles outbreaks have persuaded some antivax parents to have second thoughts.

The health department in South Carolina saw a nearly 170% increase in MMR immunizations at free clinics in January from the year prior and is close to declaring its outbreak over. MMR vaccines jumped 15% in Texas last year before the state declared its outbreak over in August. Utah’s health department also has recorded a bump in immunizations since last summer, a hopeful sign for the country’s most active current outbreak.

...

The backslide in childhood immunization rates accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, helping to create the conditions for measles to come raging back. Some people simply skipped vaccinations for their kids because the lockdowns halted routine pediatrician visits. But rates also dropped as anti-vax influencers peddling distrust of science and misinformation linking the MMR to autism swayed more parents to opt out of the shots.

Heather Simpson, 35, used to be one of those influencers. She turned against immunizations after she started “absorbing the wrong things” online, including interviews with Kennedy. Later, she struggled to get doctors to diagnose her daughter’s sleep apnea, solidifying her anti-medical establishment views.

The influencer part happened by accident in 2019 when she decided to post her own takes on vaccines in a Facebook group of like-minded moms. Almost instantly, thousands of followers offered her community, which she said was lacking in her life. They also amplified her posts, including one of her dressed as the measles for Halloween that made national news.

Her opinions started to diverge during the pandemic, however, when she found it tough to rail against what she considered common-sense measures to protect others, such as masking. She started to second-guess the authority of anti-vax leaders on other health issues, too. As she began opening up online in 2021 about her changing perspective, her support system crumbled.


“We lost real life friends,” Simpson said. She suffered from panic attacks, worried that maybe her old community was right on vaccines. Doctors who patiently walked her through concerns — instead of throwing data at her — helped affirm her decision to start catching up on immunizations for her daughter.

Her experience led her to help create Back to the Vax, a small online support group for anti-vaxxers who are slowly unlearning what many of them have been told their whole lives.

RFK Jr Refuses to Apologize

In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.  A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

Yesterday, Kennedy testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Arthur Jones II at ABC:

Much of the nearly three-hour hearing seized on Kennedy's previous comments about autism that Democrats believe are harmful to the community.

Lucy McBath, D-Ga., asked Kennedy to apologize for saying that "autism destroys families" at a presser last year.

"I was talking about people with profound autism," Kennedy told McBath. "People ... who have lowering impact autism. I'm talking about people who are nonverbal, non-toilet trained, head banging."

"I find that very, very sad. It should be very easy for you to apologize if that's not, in fact, what you meant," McBath said.

"Those are crocodile tears, Congresswoman," Kennedy replied.

Kennedy had a rare exchange with a Republican lawmaker over largely unfounded claims about the link between Tylenol use among pregnant mothers and the increased risk of their unborn children being diagnosed with autism and other health disorders.

Virginia Foxx, R-N. Car., asked Kennedy about a recent study suggesting there's "no connection" between Tylenol usage in pregnancy and autism in babies.

"The study is a garbage study," Kennedy told Foxx. "It should be retracted."

The study analyzed 1.5 million children in Denmark and found no link between Tylenol during pregnancy and autism later in life.

Kennedy claimed the study needed to be retracted because it determined whether women took Tylenol during pregnancy by prescription, and Tylenol is a well-known over-the-counter medication.