The Problem with Autism Rhetoric in US Politics

When the Trump administration fixates on autism, whether through debunked claims about vaccines causing it, or now with the latest scare about Tylenol use during pregnancy, it reveals something unsettling. Neither of these claims have any credible scientific basis. There is no causal link between vaccines and autism, nor between Tylenol use and autism. So why the obsession?

The uncomfortable truth is that, for many, autism is portrayed as something worse than death. That’s why vaccine hesitancy often comes from the fear of autism. But here’s the reality: autism is not a disease. It’s a neurodevelopmental difference, a different way of thinking, perceiving, and engaging with the world. The real issue isn’t autistic people. It’s a neurotypical society that can’t tolerate differences and insists on conformity.

As a neurodivergent person, I can’t rightfully stand back and say nothing while all of these disturbing claims are being made. Being neurodivergent is not the problem here. So what is the obsession with treating it like it is? For me, being neurodiverse is something I love about myself. Yes, it has brought trauma, and yes, there have been challenges but those challenges are not because of my brain. They come from the way society poorly tolerates difference. The real issue isn’t autism or neurodivergence itself, it’s the structures and attitudes of a world that demands everyone fit a narrow mold.

Think about it. Neurotypicals thrive on confusing social conventions: saying one thing but meaning another, glorifying small talk, and reading hidden meanings into everything. Meanwhile, autistic and other neurodiverse folks often communicate directly, saying what they mean without layers of subtext. Yet somehow, it’s the autistic people who are labeled as the problem. In truth, the issue lies with a society that demands sameness and struggles to accept authenticity.

I know why this kind of rhetoric starts: autism has been weaponized before. It was an anchor pulled from the 90s anti-vaxxer movement, and now it’s being recycled as a way to blame and control women during pregnancy. It becomes just another element of women’s bodies and pregnancies that society seeks to regulate. But what worries me most are the unintended consequences. Where does this end? Will autistic people be ostracized further? Will autistic people be barred from entering the US? Will we be framed as existing in opposition to “neuronormal” people? These questions are terrifying, and they show why this rhetoric is so dangerous.

The claim that Tylenol during pregnancy “causes autism” doesn’t just stigmatize autism, it places blame squarely on women. In a country where women’s bodily autonomy has already been gutted in recent years, this is a chilling reminder of how women are held responsible for every possible outcome in pregnancy. This narrative reinforces medical gaslighting, where women are disbelieved or dismissed, and risks restricting access to basic treatments or pain relief they may need.

By pushing these narratives, what we’re really seeing is the continued policing of women’s bodies and the demonization of neurodiversity. Both are deeply harmful. It’s 2025, and yet we are still battling rhetoric that undermines women’s rights, stigmatizes autistic people, and weaponizes misinformation. We need to be clear: autism is not a tragedy, women deserve autonomy, and science, not fearmongering, should guide public health conversations.