Trump said his administration will reveal how autism occurs.
ASD Description: What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental state that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior.
In his remarks at the public memorial of Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump teased future announcements about the administration’s discovery regarding autism.
“You’re going to think that’s amazing,” Trump told the crowd in Glendale, Arizona, in memory of conservative activists. “I think we’ve found the answer to autism.”
Calling one of the biggest announcements in “The History of the Country,” the president said he would hold a press conference on September 22 with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The Trump administration is planning to announce that the use of Tylenol during pregnancy could contribute to the development of autism in children, according to Politico and the Washington Post. The president and his advisors are also expected to discuss potential treatments for autism, the news organization reported.
The administration will discuss how autism occurs. So we don’t let it happen anymore and how it gets at least somewhat better when you have it,” Trump said.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s report on autism
In late August, Kennedy said that autism research, which led in April, discovered “interventions” that could cause neurodevelopmental disorders. He announced that the results of the study will be published in September.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Kennedy’s autism report linked the use of popular over-the-counter painkillers by pregnant women to autism. Acetaminophen, a common form of tylenol, is commonly used by pregnant women. Pregnant women have already been advised by the Food and Drug Administration to avoid using ibuprofen 20 weeks after pregnancy.
Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic who linked the vaccine to autism, claims that the US has grasped the “autism epidemic” that has been fuelled by “environmental toxins.” Decades of research have not provided a solid answer on what contributes to autism, but many scientists believe that genetics plays a potential role in combination with environmental influences.
Kennedy’s rhetoric about autism is embraced by some corners of the autism community, and others have malicious intentions. The idea that vaccines cause autism has been challenged by many scientific research, which has been rejected as a cause by all major scientific organizations.
Increased diagnosis of autism
The US autism diagnosis has increased significantly since 2000, increasing public concern.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2022, one in 31 people were diagnosed with autism by the age of eight in the United States, up from 36 children in 2020. The prevalence of autism among juveniles was 1 in 20 cases, with a proportion of five times that in 2022 than in 2000.
Kennedy characterizes the increase in autism rate as “a ramp ramp running through the epidemic,” but CDC researchers attribute it to “increased identification” of very young children and groups that were not previously identified.
Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is the clinical name of what most people call autism, and is diagnosed based on challenges that involve social skills, communication, and repetitive behavior. It is a spectrum, meaning symptoms vary widely. Percentages can’t communicate at all, and others are very successful in some areas of life.
Contributions: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Daryl Austin, and Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today; Reuters
