Autism diagnoses have exploded in recent years. Now, an estimated 1 in 31 U.S. children have autism—up from 1 in 59 in 2014—according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. A 2024 study, meanwhile, showed that the number of children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has increased by 175% over a decade.
Leading the current conversation about autism rates is Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who in a press conference on Wednesday brought even more urgency to the rise in diagnoses—claiming the surge is caused by “an environmental toxin.”
