The United States (US) White House made headlines on 23 September 2025 with a statement that it had achieved “major progress in understanding the root causes of autism.” The announcement pointed the finger at acetaminophen (commonly known as Panadol or Tylenol) during pregnancy and, once again, raised insinuations about vaccines. These claims are not only misleading, but they also risk fuelling stigma, confusion, and public health harm.

At face value, the argument seems to carry weight. The White House cited research from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai, and other respected institutions, highlighting studies that observed associations between prenatal acetaminophen use and increased risks of autism. Some of these findings come from large-scale cohort studies, such as the Boston Birth Cohort and the Nurses’ Health Study II, while an international consensus statement in 2021 recommended “precautionary” use of acetaminophen during pregnancy.

But here’s the crucial point – an association does not equal causation.

When you take a closer look at the evidence, the story becomes far less convincing.

The research the White House leaned on does suggest that children exposed to higher levels of acetaminophen metabolites in the womb may show elevated risks of developmental conditions. However, these studies share critical weaknesses.

They rely on self-reported medication use, often lack data on timing or dosage, and cannot rule out confounding factors such as maternal illness, genetics, or other environmental influences.

Take the Nurses’ Health Study II, for instance. It found a modest increase in ADHD odds when mothers reported frequent acetaminophen use during pregnancy. But because this was based on recall and lacked precise timing data, it left major questions unanswered. Similarly, the Boston Birth Cohort linked higher acetaminophen metabolites in cord blood to autism and ADHD but again, the sample size was limited, and causation could not be established.

Even the 2021 consensus statement calling for “precaution” stressed that these were observational signals, not proof of harm.

A systematic review undertaken by Prada, D., et al (2025) reinforced this by analysing dozens of studies and concluding that, while patterns existed, the evidence was not strong enough to declare a causal link.

When you turn to higher-quality research, the picture changes dramatically. A landmark study from Sweden, by Ahlqvist, V.H., et al (2024) tracked more than 2.48 million children. At first glance, the data seemed to echo earlier findings of a small increased risk. But when the researchers used sibling comparisons to control for genetics and family environment, the apparent risk disappeared completely. The hazard ratio for both autism and ADHD settled at 0.98, in other words, no statistically significant effect.

The story is even clearer with vaccines. Across multiple countries, involving more than 1.2 million children, meta-analyses consistently show no link between vaccines and autism. These results have been replicated time and again and are supported by leading bodies such as the World Health Organization, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins, and the Autism Science Foundation.

Some political voices have gone further, suggesting that Autism does not exist in communities with little or no access to Tylenol, such as the Amish Community in the United States and the island nation of the Republic of Cuba. This is simply not true. Autism is present in both communities.

Among the Amish, lower reported rates stem from limited engagement with mainstream healthcare and differences in diagnostic practices, not an absence of Autistic people.

In Cuba, Autism is also recognised, with national programs supporting children with neurodevelopmental differences. Lower prevalence numbers are largely explained by healthcare systems, reporting structures, and cultural attitudes, not by the absence of Panadol or Tylenol.

The White House’s statement is not just a scientific misstep, it carries real-world consequences. By presenting correlations as though they are proof of causation, public trust in science is undermined. Worse still, these claims breathe new life into myths about vaccines, myths that have already fuelled outbreaks of preventable diseases across the globe.

Equally damaging is the way Autism and ADHD continue to be framed. Describing these neurodevelopmental differences as an “epidemic” to be tackled, feeds stigma and reinforces the harmful notion that Autistic people and those with ADHD are somehow broken and in need of fixing. This rhetoric distracts from what truly matters which is building inclusive environments in schools, workplaces, and communities that allow neurodivergent individuals to achieve their best.

The focus on supposed “causes” of autism and ADHD also misdirects energy and funding away from meaningful supports, things like tailored education programs, access to healthcare, and workplace accommodations. And when political leaders amplify fringe or flawed science, they risk politicising public health in ways that erode trust and foster division.

Perhaps the most dangerous part of the White House’s announcement is the way it quietly reinforces the long-discredited idea that vaccines might play a role in autism. While this claim has been thoroughly debunked by decades of research, even a subtle nod in that direction can have devastating consequences for public health.

When parents begin to doubt the safety of vaccines, vaccination rates drop. And when vaccination rates fall below critical thresholds, we lose what’s known as “herd immunity”, the collective protection that keeps infectious diseases from spreading, particularly to the more vulnerable members of the population. The results can be deadly.

We’ve already seen the consequences. In the United States and Europe, unfounded fears about vaccines have fuelled resurgences of measles, whooping cough, and other preventable diseases. These outbreaks don’t just affect unvaccinated children, they put vulnerable people at risk, including babies too young to be immunised, people with compromised immune systems, and the elderly.

Beyond the immediate health risks, vaccine hesitancy also places enormous strain on healthcare systems, diverts resources, and undermines decades of public health progress. Once trust in vaccines is eroded, it can take years, even generations to rebuild.

This is why careless statements from positions of power are so dangerous. They don’t just distort the science on autism. They actively sow seeds of doubt that threaten the health and safety of entire communities.

Autism/ADHD is not a “tragedy” nor is it caused by Panadol or vaccines. They are natural variations in the human brain that lead to differences in how we all think and function. Autism and ADHD have deep genetic roots and immense potential. What we need is not fearmongering but a commitment to evidence-based messaging, policies that support neurodivergent people and their families, and leadership that values inclusion over misinformation.

The conversation should not be about hunting for blame but about ensuring that Autistic individuals and those with ADHD have the opportunities and supports they need to live their lives to their full potential. That means funding education, healthcare, and workplace programs that focus on strengths, not deficits. It means promoting acceptance, not suspicion. And it means holding those in power accountable when they distort science to serve a narrative.

The White House’s attempt to connect Autism and ADHD to Tylenol and vaccines is not only scientifically unfounded but potentially catastrophic to public health. And claims that Autism does not exist in Amish or Cuban communities are equally inaccurate.

Autism is a natural part of human diversity. What the world needs now is not more baseless speculation but a stronger commitment to acceptance, inclusion, and evidence-based policy.

For families, educators, and workplaces, the real progress will come from embracing neurodiversity and ensuring that misinformation does not stand in the way of a fairer, healthier, and more inclusive society.