What do we actually know about autism? Not enough according to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – the Health and Human Services Secretary. He’s promised an initial 50 million dollars for his plan to find out what exactly causes autism. With an unusually short turnaround for research proposals . Remember Kennedy first promised he’d have all the answers by September but then extended that to March and now it appears by the funding guidelines it will be a year or more. Still much faster than research norms.
Many health experts fear HHS will just cherry pick the answers RFK Jr. has pushed for years - including the long-debunked idea vaccines cause autism. The reality is there is already a solid base of data about autism’s cause. And some very successful methods to greatly improve a child’s ability to overcome it.
When I decided to do this episode on autism – i didn’t have to look far to find one of the top experts in the country – Amy Wetherby, PhD. She just happens to be my cousin. Amy is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences and Director of the Autism Institute in the College of Medicine at Florida State University. She’s also a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association with over 45 years of clinical experience and the Executive Director of the FSU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. Amy has served on the National Academy of Sciences Committee for Educational Interventions for Children with Autism and her list of credits and activities goes on and on. She is also co-developer of the websites Autism Navigator and Baby Navigator for parents and teachers which we discuss extensively on the podcast.
This interview was recorded in early June of 2025; if there are major updates from RFK Jr. – I’ll add them to the show notes also. I learned so much from my conversation with Amy Wetherby – I hope you will also.
The podcast is also available on YouTube:
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.