Autism support groups in Canada are responding after the U.S. President Donald Trump made unproven remarks linking the condition to the use of Tylenol, explaining why the comments are problematic.
On Monday, Trump announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates drug safety in the country, will be advising doctors that the use of Tylenol during pregnancy “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.”
In the announcement, the White House cites studies, including by Harvard University and Nurses’ Health Study, that supposedly reveal a correlation between the use of Tylenol (also known as acetaminophen or paracetamol) by pregnant women and later diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“Taking Tylenol is not good. I’ll say it, it’s not good. For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. That’s, for instance, in cases of extremely high fever, that you feel you can’t tough it out, you can’t do it, I guess there’s that,” he said.
According to the president, the U.S. is currently facing an unprecedented “meteoric rise” in autism cases, with a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published in 2025 suggesting that three years ago approximately one in 31 children have been diagnosed with autism in the country, compared to one in 150 in 2000.
Autism Alliance of Canada’s Scientific Director Deepa Singal explains that the increase in autism diagnoses does not signal that it has become an “epidemic,” and that there is now more information and resources available about the condition, which allow more people to receive diagnoses and access treatments.
“First of all, autism is not an epidemic. It’s not a disease. It’s a diverse neurodevelopmental condition that is part of human diversity. And so, framing it as an epidemic or some sort of an emergency is incredibly destigmatizing to the Autistic community,” she said to Now Toronto on Tuesday.
“The rise in prevalence that we’re seeing is not a crisis. It reflects progress in awareness, progress in screening, progress and inclusion. It reflects broader diagnostic criteria, as many of my colleagues have stated, it reflects awareness and recognition. We’re identifying people who are long-overlooked, girls, gender diverse people, racialized communities.”
Moreover, since Trump’s announcement, multiple researchers across the U.S. and Canada have reportedly been pushing back against his comments.
Singal tells Now Toronto that several accredited organizations are currently reaffirming that Tylenol is safe for pregnant women, and there are currently no credible studies that suggest it can lead to autism.
“When you look at the guidance that’s being provided in the organizations here at home…none of these societies or organizations are recommending a change in medical practice, right? So, what is really, really important for pregnant women and families to know is that there is no change in medical practice. Tylenol is safe to use during pregnancy and [does not cause] autism,” she said on Tuesday.
One of the organizations cited by the expert, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), had already published a study in 2021 recommending the use of Tylenol as a first-line option for pregnant women in case of pain or fever. In light of Trump’s comments, the organization re-affirmed its position, explaining that recent studies confirm that the medicine does not increase risks during pregnancy.
The study also affirms that Tylenol is recognized as one of the safer alternatives to treat fever and pain for women during pregnancy, explaining that untreated fevers could lead to miscarriage, organ malformations, cardiovascular complications and Atrial Septal Defect. Moreover, untreated pain is also said to lead to anxiety, depression and high blood pressure for the pregnant women, which can also lead to pregnancy complications.
“Access to effective pain management is considered a human right, which women should not be denied just because they are pregnant,” the study affirms.
AUTISM SUPPORT GROUPS SPEAK OUT AGAINST TRUMP’S REMARKS
Besides getting pushbacks from researchers, Trump’s remarks are also being criticized by autism support professionals and people with ASD, who have been speaking out about the detrimental effects of these comments on the community.
Mitch Pencharz, who is a group ambassador for Full Spectrum Social, a Canadian, autistic-led community group that connects and supports adults on the spectrum, explains that framing ASD as a disease that needs to be cured is harmful.
Although the leader, who is also on the spectrum, says that he doesn’t give much importance to the president’s comments himself, these kinds of remarks can leave many people on the spectrum feeling uncomfortable or stressed. In addition, linking the condition to the use of Tylenol can also leave many parents of diagnosed children feeling guilty.
“I think that people feel uncomfortable thinking that the world thinks that they have a disease that needs to be cured,” he said.
“There are people who are recently diagnosed as autistic, who maybe…don’t know so much about it, and they get emotionally distressed, because all of a sudden they think, ‘Oh, I have this terrible disease that the president’s talking about,’ rather than, ‘Oh, my brain is wired differently than other people, and that’s OK.’”
In addition to the psychological effects of hearing comments like these, Singal also adds that the spread of misinformation about autism also pushes back on years of efforts from advocates and researchers who try to educate the public about the condition.
According to her, inaccurate claims about ASD, including that certain medication or vaccines can lead to the condition, can scare parents into keeping their children from accessing healthcare and push back against efforts to study and accommodate individuals on the spectrum.
“It is so dehumanizing and so stigmatizing towards the community that has advocated for their rights and for their dignity for so long, and so it’s really reversing decades of advocacy efforts and reframing autism as a burden, as something to be feared,” she said.
Meanwhile, the expert explains that increased awareness and access to accurate information helps people on the spectrum get appropriate accommodations, including inclusive school programs or employment supports.
Similarly, Pencharz reinforces that more information can help against stigmatization and misleading representations of people with ASD.
“I just think that the more people understand the differences in human beings, the less judgmental, the less misconceptions we have about each other, and the more people can get along and not be afraid of each other,” he said.
“We’re underrepresented in the workforce, it’s harder to find full-time employment. Sometimes, people are able to live independent lives, they just need certain supports, and they don’t always know how to ask for them, and people don’t always know how to offer them. So, I think it’s just important to know what autistic people need to be able to live independent and happy lives.”
