Yesterday, Trump announced that “we’re going to have one of the biggest announcements, really medically, I think, in the history of our country…I think we found an answer to autism.” An answer like – increased awareness, understanding, support and adjustments? A way to make society more inclusive? No, of course not. Instead, Trump officials are set to tie Tylenol (a.k.a Paracetamol) use during pregnancy to autism ‘risk’. Despite there being no credible link between Tylenol and autism. Furthermore, folinic acid (Leucovorin) will be offered as a ‘treatment’ (Charlton-Dailey, 2025). There is no surprise there, considering a government health official (Dr. Oz) is tied to the company that will benefit from this supposed cure.
We’ve been here before. Like in 1998, when former doctor Andrew Wakefield falsely linked the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine to autism. Or earlier, in the 1950s when the ‘refrigerator mother’ theory (referring to a mother’s lack of emotional warmth) was offered by US physicians Leo Kanner and Bruno Bettelheim as the cause of autism. Or when it was suspected that mercury, particularly within vaccines containing thiomersal, caused autism. All of these theories have been debunked (Davidson, 2017).
The thing that ‘causes’ autism is procreation. Not paracetamol, not vaccines, not mercury, not parenting, but basically just reproduction. Autism is highly heritable, largely influenced by genetic factors with hundreds of genes involved (Rylaarsdam & Guemez-Gamboa, 2019). Autistic people have always existed and will always exist.
Furthermore, the Trump Administration are set to advise pregnant women against using Tylenol in early pregnancy unless they have a fever. Despite extensive research finding that this is the only safe painkiller during pregnancy. This will undoubtedly cause extra guilt and confusion for mother’s, leaving them less likely to seek pain relief during pregnancy. As well as this, it looks that they will announce 13 teams have been given grants to research causes and treatments for autism.
Why are people so obsessed with identifying the ‘cause’ of autism? Autism isn’t a disease or an illness. It’s a neurotype. Certainly, some autistic people have high levels of need that require high levels of support. Many also have co-occurring conditions that require appropriate treatment or management whilst taking into account their autism. But to seek a ‘cure’ for autism is to seek to eradicate a large percentage of the population who think differently, see the world differently and experience life differently. Quite simply, this is eugenics.
Yes, the number of people diagnosed with autism has increased considerably in recent years. Since it was first introduced into the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1980, there have been a number of changes made to the criteria which has allowed more autistic people to be recognised. The increase in understanding of autistic traits and recognition of these across groups which have, for a long time, been massively under-diagnosed has also played into this. There are still huge numbers of undiagnosed autistic adults coming forward for assessment, so the numbers are bound to increase.
If only the people in power were as motivated to research ways to support autistic people to thrive. If only they were willing to talk to a range of autistic people and see what would benefit their lives. If only they were willing to accept that autism isn’t the ‘epidemic’ it’s being painted out to be, but a different way of experiencing the world that does not need eradicating.
This misinformation spread by Trump and the Trump administration is deeply harmful to autistic people and their families. I am standing in solidarity with those in the US most impacted by this misleading rhetoric. Information perpetuated by governments should be evidence-based and it should champion acceptance, inclusion and the rights and dignity of autistic people.
Autism is not a disease nor a tragedy. Autistic people deserve better than this being perpetuated by government organisations and the media. Autistic people deserve to live in a world where they are fully accepted and supported to thrive.
References:
Charlton-Dailey, R. (2025). Surprise! Trump’s autism announcement is actually eugenics, again. The Canary. https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/09/22/surprise-trumps-autism-announcement-is-actually-eugenics-again/
Davidson, M. (2017). Vaccination as a cause of autism—myths and controversies. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 19(4), 403-407. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.4/mdavidson
Rylaarsdam, L. & Guemez-Gamboa, A. (2019). Genetic causes and modifiers of autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 13, 385. https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2019.00385
