Fearmongering Hurts People More Than Tylenol Ever Could

About the Author

Brenda Dater, MSW, MPH, is the executive director at AANE and the author of “Parenting Without Panic.” Brenda is a mom of three, and her eldest is an Autistic woman. Brenda has facilitated parent support groups for over 20 years and thoroughly enjoys creating an environment where parents can find the support, information, and the community they need.

The White House recently suggested that Tylenol use during pregnancy might cause autism. That is not true. A massive Swedish study involving nearly 2.5 million children found no link between acetaminophen and autism. Yet the administration’s baseless claim does more than mislead. It stigmatizes Autistic people, frightens pregnant people, and drags us back to an era we thought we had left behind.

I have spent decades working alongside Autistic individuals and their families. I also speak as the parent of an Autistic adult daughter. I know firsthand the strengths, creativity, and insight Autistic people bring to our communities. I also know the pain families feel when misinformation tells them their child is broken—or worse, that they are to blame.

This is not the first time mothers have been targeted. In the mid-20th century, autism was blamed on so-called “refrigerator mothers,” accused of being too cold to bond with their children. That cruel theory left parents feeling ashamed and children misunderstood. Today’s rhetoric, pointing fingers at pregnant people for taking a common, safe medication, echoes the same blame. We cannot go back there.

The real crisis is not rising “autism rates”—which reflect better awareness and broader diagnostic criteria—but the erosion of services and protections that help Autistic people thrive. Cuts to Medicaid and weakening the Department of Education are stripping away supports for those who need them most. Families across the country are left fighting for school accommodations, healthcare, and community inclusion. These are the issues that deserve national attention.

Misinformation about autism is not harmless. It shapes policy, stigmatizes people, and distracts from urgent needs. When leaders claim that autism is caused by Tylenol, vaccines, or parenting, they give cover to policies that slash services, ignore accessibility, and sidelines Autistic voices, autonomy, and self-advocacy. They also drive wedges between families and the very systems that should support them, and between doctors and their patients, threatening public health.

Autistic people and their families need understanding, not scapegoating. They need investment in education, healthcare, and employment pathways, not fearmongering about causes long disproven. They need inclusion and belonging, not outdated rhetoric that stirs panic and blames mothers.

As a community, we can resist this harmful narrative. We can elevate Autistic voices and self-determination, demand adequate funding for services, and push back against disinformation that threatens both science and dignity. Most of all, we can remind parents and families: your child is not broken, and you are not to blame.

Autism is not an epidemic. Disinformation is—and the cure is accurate and verifiable information, compassion, and support.