President made baseles claims about non-existent links to paracetamol and vaccines
A charity has registered a huge outpouring of anger about the horrendous misinformation about autism being peddled by US President Donald Trump.
The National Autistic Society (NAS) has launched an open letter in response to his lies and is calling for the public to join it in the fight for the truth.
This comes after Trump made the baseless claims that taking paracetamol and vaccines cause autism.
Thousands have joined the charity’s Truth. It Matters campaign, with nearly 20,000 people signing up in the first 48 hours.
The campaign was launched to fight back against the dangerous misinformation about the causes of autism from Trump that sparked anger amongst autistic people and families.
Autistic people and family members of autistic children have shared concern on social media, with messages such as “I feel to blame”, “my autistic life is already difficult at times”, “such a depressing step backward” and “I’m frightened for my SEND children”.
Trump’s announcement is the latest in a relentless rise in baseless and offensive claims about autism. The NAS said it is important to be very clear - paracetamol does not cause autism and vaccines do not cause autism.
These claims lead to increased stigma for autistic people who already fight every day for appropriate school places, healthcare, mental health and employment support, and timely diagnosis.
Mel Merritt, head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “The strong reaction to our campaign shows the unity in our fight to call out horrendous misinformation. These lies about autism are having a huge impact on the lives of autistic people and their families. Implying autistic people are a problem to be eradicated is inhumane and we won’t stand for it. Instead of wasting time fighting lies, we should be focusing on creating a society that works for autistic people.
“Trump’s claims about autism are dangerous, anti-science and irresponsible, and lead to judgement and harm towards autistic people and their families who are just trying to live their lives. Join our campaign to be part of creating a society that truly works for autistic people.”
Sign the National Autistic Society’s open letter here: https://act.autism.org.uk/page/178427/petition/1
Read the full 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."
