We need to be united in the fight to call out misinformation. These baseless conversations about autism are exhausting, harmful, and a distraction from what we really need to talk about – how to create a society that works for autistic people.
Trump’s claims about autism are dangerous, anti-science, and irresponsible. Baseless and offensive claims lead to judgement and harm towards autistic people and their families who are just trying to live their lives.
Paracetamol does not cause autism and vaccines do not cause autism.
Sign the open letter.
"To anybody who has ever made a false claim about autism,
Misinformation and stigma makes life unnecessarily hard for autistic people and their families.
- Nine in ten autistic people have experienced poor mental health due to other people’s attitudes or perceptions of autism.
- 55% of autistic people say they have avoided going out because they are worried about how people will treat them.
- One in four autistic people say that when they tell a member of the public they are autistic, they usually get a negative reaction.
"Standing with my autistic son this morning waiting for his school bus, I feel I’m being judged by everyone. My mind is totally over-exaggerating everything. I feel to blame. This is how many of us mums will feel..." - Thea
Every time we have to spend time unpicking and debunking another baseless claim about autism, that’s less time to focus on the reality:
- Only 26% of autistic pupils say they feel happy at school.
- As of June 2025, 236,225 people are waiting for an autism assessment in England. This is a 53% increase in two years.
- Only 3 in 10 autistic adults are in work, among the lowest for any disability.
We can’t afford these distractions. Together we are ready to fight back and stand up for the truth. The truth matters, so let’s call out nonsense and get back to working on what we actually need to deal with: the real issues autistic people face."
