I wasn’t looking for a diagnosis in April of 2004 when I began reading a New York Times article on Asperger’s syndrome — then psychiatry’s label for a less-disabling form of autism. But soon after reading it, I had a whole new way of understanding myself.
Learning to read on my own at age 3? That was hyperlexia, which is commonly associated with autism. Being overwhelmed by loud noises, clothing and food textures, smells, hugs and other people? That is why being autistic is sometimes described as living in an “intense world.” Using repetition and routines to manage these sensations; talking obsessively about my unusual interests; taking everything literally; and missing social cues … yep, all me.
I realized I wasn’t the only one whose life had been molded by this collection of seemingly disparate traits. Many others were on the same journey: The more we learn about autism, the more prevalent it seems to be. Recent statistics show that autism rates have risen from 0.7 percent of 8-year-olds in 2000 to 3 percent in 2022.
Experts disagree on the causes of that increase, but for President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., it’s a clear sign that autism has become a “crisis” that must be eradicated.
On Monday, Mr. Trump introduced new government efforts to identify the roots of the condition and potential treatments. During a stunning press conference, he claimed that the use of acetaminophen — a.k.a. Tylenol — during pregnancy is linked with a “very increased” risk of autism and is “not good.” (Studies find that the link between autism and Tylenol, if not entirely an artifact of data gathering issues, is weak.) Mr. Trump encouraged pregnant women to “tough it out” and not use the medication, even though untreated fever can harm development.
Mr. Kennedy also announced that the administration would fast-track access to a drug called leucovorin, a form of the B vitamin folate, to treat autism, and he said that we should “believe all women” when they claim that their children have been injured by vaccines.
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