Trump Is Wrong About Autism: Why Acceptance, Not Cure, Is the Future
Donald Trump’s administration is linking pregnant women’s use of Tylenol (paracetamol) to autism, despite being contrary to current medical guidelines.
Let’s be absolutely clear: this is not only scientifically unsound, it is also deeply insulting to autistic people and their families. To frame autism as something caused by a pill, as a tragedy to be prevented or a disease to be cured, is to completely misunderstand what autism is.
The Heart of Neurodivergence
One of the first things I learned on my journey to an autism diagnosis was this: there is a worldwide community of autistic people and allies who share a simple but profound belief — that a neurodiverse world must be a world built on acceptance. At the very heart of being a neurodivergent person is acceptance. We are people who, by necessity, have had to wrestle with difference — our own and others’ — and in doing so often become more open to the differences that define all human beings.
From the moment I realised that there were lifelong reasons behind my quirks and so-called “shortcomings,” I was empowered to explain myself to others. But more importantly, I had to really begin to accept others — even when their behaviour seemed unusual or confusing to me. That, to me, is the beautiful thing about autism. It’s not just about accepting people with a neurodevelopmental condition. It’s about recognising that those of us who have had to work hard to understand ourselves often emerge with an amazing by-product: unconditional tolerance for the ‘differences’ of others, whether they are neurodivergent or not.
Autism Is Not an Illness
Of course, it is also true that autism is not all sunshine and superpowers. Parts of the spectrum can involve frustration, pain, distress, and enormous challenges — both for autistic people and for their families. That reality cannot be dismissed. But this is not the whole picture. Autism is not, and never has been, an illness. To suggest it needs to be cured is to reject what the medical establishment itself says: autism is a condition, not a disease.
When I was first diagnosed, I shared the news with Stephen Fry. He is someone who speaks honestly, lovingly and supportively about issues such as these. His response stayed with me: autism is not an illness. That reassurance mattered — but more importantly, it remains true.
Care, Not Cure
Living with autism has taught me that wellbeing doesn’t come from enforcing rules, “fixing” people, or correcting every perceived error in reality. It comes from love. If you’ve ever cared for an elderly person with dementia, you’ll know what I mean. They may tell you you’re somebody else, but you don’t rush to correct them. You go with the flow, because wellbeing in that moment is more important than accuracy.
Autism acceptance works the same way. It isn’t about “curing” what makes people different. It’s about walking alongside them, with kindness.
This is why the Trump administration’s stance is not just wrong but dangerous. To treat autism as something to be eliminated is to miss what autism actually is: a different way of thinking. Across the spectrum and across the neurodivergent community, the one common thread is that we think differently from the majority. That difference is not inherently better or worse — but it does offer alternatives, new perspectives and creative choices. To call that an illness tells you everything you need to know about the Trump worldview.
The Left-Brain Trap
The philosopher and psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist describes how our left and right brain hemispheres attend to the world differently. The right brain sees context, meaning, relationships, and the whole. The left brain narrows in, categorises, and tries to control. Both are necessary, but our modern world is dominated by the left: obsessed with systems, rules, efficiency and “fixing.” Trump’s attitude to autism fits this perfectly. It is left-brain thinking at its worst: reduce difference to a problem, blame it on a pill, and promise a cure.
The Temptation of Quick Fixes
And when we are living through what feels like the hardest, most frustrating, and sometimes loneliest times of our lives, it is so tempting to rush towards what feels like a quick fix. What is harder is to just hold on and go along with the crippling uncertainty of the world we live in. Trump, and others like him, are offering those quick fixes to society for one reason and one reason only: they know it’s what we really crave. We want a solution to the madness we are living in. But there are no quick fixes in life. The true response is to accept, to be brave, stoic, and above all, loving to one another as we walk through it together. It is not to jump to the most convenient ship offering the quickest fix. This is not a solution I am offering; it isn’t going to fix things. But some of us need to realise that we’re not here to witness the solutions to the problems we see in our own lifetime. We are here to contribute the bricks that build futures we will not see.
The Evolution of Consciousness
Our evolution depends on something else entirely. It depends on our capacity to embrace difference, to work with things as they are, and to recognise meaning beyond control. Neurodiversity is not an obstacle to be removed — it is part of our collective growth in consciousness. The autistic community, through its struggles and insights, is showing the world what acceptance can look like.
It is time to embrace acceptance and conversation instead of barriers and condemnation.
So no, Mr. Trump, autism is not a disease. It is not something to be “banished” or “cured.” It is a condition that millions of people live with, many of them thriving, all of them human. To try to erase us is not only cruel — it is futile.
We are human beings, capable of love and empathy, even — and especially — when things are difficult. Autism teaches us this. Neurodiversity teaches us this. The question is whether our leaders are willing to learn.
Tim Arnold, 22nd September 2025