We're sunsetting PodQuest on 2025-07-28. Thank you for your support!
Export Podcast Subscriptions
cover of episode Factchecking the Trump administration’s Autism claims

Factchecking the Trump administration’s Autism claims

2025/5/31
logo of podcast More or Less: Behind the Stats

More or Less: Behind the Stats
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
F
Francesca Happé
L
Lizzie McNeill
M
Mehdi
M
Mitty Hornig
Topics
Lizzie McNeill: 作为主持人，我主要提出了关于自闭症诊断率上升的问题，以及特朗普政府任命疫苗怀疑论者小罗伯特·肯尼迪担任卫生部长这一事件的背景。我引用了美国自闭症患病率的数据，并质疑患病率是否真的发生了如此大的变化。我希望通过专家的分析，能够更深入地了解自闭症诊断率上升的原因，以及如何更客观地看待自闭症患者。 Mitty Hornig: 作为一名医生科学家，我解释了自闭症的核心特征，包括社交沟通障碍和重复行为。我强调了自闭症是一种神经和发育障碍，可能对患者的生活产生重大影响。同时，我也指出，自闭症的诊断标准在不断演变，这可能是导致诊断率上升的原因之一。我希望通过我的专业知识，能够帮助大家更准确地理解自闭症。 Francesca Happé: 作为认知神经科学教授，我详细解释了自闭症诊断标准在过去几十年中的变化。我指出，最初的诊断标准只关注最高级别的自闭症，而后来引入的阿斯伯格综合症和广泛性发育障碍未另行说明（PDD-NOS）扩大了诊断范围，导致诊断率显著上升。我强调，诊断标准的改变并不意味着自闭症患者人数的实际增加，而是更多的人被纳入了诊断范围。我希望通过我的研究，能够帮助大家更清晰地了解自闭症诊断率上升的真正原因。 Mehdi: 我主要从遗传和环境两个方面分析了自闭症的病因。我指出，自闭症大约80%是遗传因素导致的，但也受到环境因素的影响，如基因突变和孕妇发烧等。同时，我也强调，罗伯特·肯尼迪对自闭症患者的描述过于极端，自闭症患者也可以是社会中有生产力的一员，拥有有价值的生活。我希望通过我的分析，能够帮助大家更全面地了解自闭症，并对自闭症患者持有更客观和尊重的态度。

Deep Dive

Shownotes Transcript

Picking Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine sceptic, as the Secretary for Public Health might not be the most ‘out there’ thing the Trump administration has done but it certainly raised some eyebrows.

Since his appointment Kennedy has been on a mission to ‘Make America Healthy again’ and has set his sights on finding ‘the cure’ for Autism.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that can affect how someone communicates, socialises, learns and behaves. In the 1980’s one study estimated that 4 in 10,000 (1 in 2500) children in Wisconsin had an Autism diagnosis. Recent data from the Centres for Disease control states that 1 in 31 eight year olds in the US have the condition.

Why have the numbers gone up? Is it due to environmental toxins as Robert Kennedy suggests or does the answer lie in the counting?

Presenter/Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Studio Manager: Andrew Mills Editor: Richard Vadon