Leanne Maskell is a national specialist coach of the year, the founder of coaching company ADHD Works, and bestselling author of "AuDHD: Blooming Differently" and "ADHD Works at Work." She lives in London.

As an autistic woman living in the United Kingdom, I find something deeply chilling about the most powerful men in America instructing women on what to do with their bodies and babies. This is even more so when their statements directly contravene all reputable evidence, causing immense confusion and chaos worldwide for highly vulnerable people.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, “President Trump believes that we should be listening to these mothers instead of gaslighting and marginalizing them like prior administrations.”

Freed from what Kennedy called their “silencing and demonizing,” these women are now center stage.

However, they now have a new responsibility, according to the clear instructions of President Donald Trump – even if that means rejecting scientific evidence.

“Don't take Tylenol if you're pregnant. … Fight like hell not to take it," the president of America passionately declared. "There's no downside."

Fevers in pregnancy can harm both mother and child. Migraines and infections can make everyday life unbearable. Shaming women for accessing safe, widely used pain relief is not noble – it’s dangerous.

Leading U.K. autism charities issued a joint statement warning that such claims are "stigmatizing," as well as a "distraction" and "act as an impediment to progress."

The science backs this up. The review cited by Trump’s team found only an association between prenatal Tylenol use and autism, not causation. Its senior author, Andrea Baccarelli, had previously testified in lawsuits against Tylenol manufacturers – which were thrown out because of inaccurate evidence.

As Judge Denise Cote ruled, "The unstructured approach adopted by the plaintiffs’ experts permitted cherry-picking, allowed a results-driven analysis, and obscured the complexities, inconsistencies, and weaknesses in the underlying data."

Large-scale studies tell a different story. As U.K. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting highlighted, a major Swedish study involving nearly 2.5 million births found that once sibling-control factors were applied, even small associations disappeared. Amid the confusion and public panic, Streeting stressed the truth: that there is currently no reliable evidence linking the use of paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) during pregnancy to autism in children.

What Kennedy misunderstands about autism

This fits the broader consensus – autism is primarily genetic, with heritability estimates of 70-90%, not the result of a simple environmental exposure, such as taking Tylenol during pregnancy.

Kennedy dismissed the idea that autism’s rise reflects better awareness and screening, contrasting with numerous studies. The "common sense" he cited behind this was the lack of 70-year-old men head-banging or toe-walking in public.

Given that 97% of autistic people aged more than 60 years old are undiagnosed, it’s reasonable to assume that they have simply learned their limits within a neurotypical society, believing themselves to be "broken."

If they are still alive, that is. Autistic adults face an average life expectancy of just 39-58 years, and it's known that those without learning disabilities are up to nine times more likely to die by suicide than the general population.

Neurodiversity is as natural as biodiversity. However, our man-made society can often create distress for people who think differently. As a child, I was labeled "difficult" – running away from home, screaming in public and banging my head against the wall. Spending eight hours a day in classrooms where I was misunderstood and shamed for my differences left me feeling as though I didn’t belong, resulting in severe suicidal ideation that continued into adulthood.

It is only when we can "name it to tame it" that we can understand, support and harness these differences. For me, seeking an autism assessment after a screaming meltdown in an airport at the age of 31 finally unlocked support for my severe anxiety through targeted medication ‒ but most important, understanding.

Today, as an autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder coach, I’ve helped countless families, adults and children reframe their own approach. And they all have one thing in common, regardless of neurodivergence: blaming themselves.

But instead of shaming themselves, we work on acceptance. That can provide a gateway to understanding our needs and taking personal responsibility, contributing our unique talents and skills to society.

Autism is a spectrum, not a problem to be erased

Trump’s proposed "cure," leucovorin, misunderstands autism. It’s a spectrum – not a problem to be erased. Until now, medication hasn’t typically been prescribed for autism, because this neurodevelopmental condition affects brain structure, as opposed to neurotransmitters that can be targeted, as with ADHD.

We simply run on a different operating system, like Google vs. Apple. A MacBook remains a MacBook even if you try to load Google software. Likewise, even if taking medication eased some challenges, autistic people would still be autistic.

This reality presents a challenge for Trump. His stated aim of sharply reducing autism prevalence numbers raises profound ethical concerns, particularly for the millions of people already living with a diagnosis.

Instead of attempting to control the uncontrollable, the administration could try a new approach: acceptance. This is unlikely to happen anytime soon, but every single person has the freedom to make this bold change.

Ultimately, this starts from within. Being different is not your fault. Trusting the widely proven medical advice from doctors and global health organizations was not a mistake. If you took Tylenol while pregnant, you did nothing wrong. If your child is autistic, it is not because you are weak – it’s because that’s simply how their brain works.

Being different can be incredibly lonely, but you are not alone. It is highly likely that if you’re a parent of an autistic child, or autistic yourself, that you have been dismissed and invalidated for years by those deemed experts – but this isn’t because of a great conspiracy.

It’s because they were doing the best they could within a broken system. This is what really needs fixing – not you, but you are not powerless. You have a choice, and in a world where trust is becoming a scarce resource, it’s best to start from within. Ultimately, you are the expert in your own life.

Leanne Maskell is a national specialist coach of the year, the founder of coaching company ADHD Works, and bestselling author of "AuDHD: Blooming Differently" and "ADHD Works at Work." She lives in London.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump, RFK Jr. blame mothers for autism. And want to control women because of it. | Opinion

Reporting by Leanne Maskell / USA TODAY

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