Autism Advocates Respond to Trump Management’s Autism Focus
Recent announcements from the Trump administration regarding autism,including potential new treatments and increased focus on research,have been met with a mixed response from the autism community. While welcoming increased attention and investment, manny advocates express caution and a desire for research priorities to shift towards improving the lives of those currently living with autism.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted statistics showing a notable rise in autism diagnoses, with 3% of children born in 2014 now identified as autistic – a considerable increase sence 2000. Experts, including Toronto-based educator and puzzle designer who started Creative Beginning, believe this rise is largely due to increased awareness and improved diagnostic testing within the medical community. She notes observing changes in children over her 20-year teaching career,recalling one student who barely spoke at age six now being a highly verbal 12-year-old. She advocates for a shift in perspective, suggesting autism isn’t necessarily a negative condition, but rather a different way of experiencing the world.
the administration’s plans include requiring safety warnings on paracetamol (acetaminophen) labels and advising doctors to “exercise their best judgment” when prescribing it for pain and fever during pregnancy. Furthermore, the administration has opened the possibility of using folinic acid (leucovorin), typically used to mitigate chemotherapy side effects, to treat autism symptoms, acknowledging the need for further research.
This focus on potential treatments has prompted concern from some within the community. Autism Speaks, while welcoming the increased investment, urged the administration to prioritize “new and innovative areas of research” and avoid revisiting previously studied areas, specifically mentioning the debunked link between vaccines and autism.
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), represented by Ms. Gross, emphasized the need for research focused on improving quality of life for autistic individuals. She suggests investigations into alternative dialog devices, improved training in their use, and better service delivery models would be more beneficial than pursuing a “cure.” Ms. Gross frames the issue as a choice between accepting autism as a lifelong condition requiring accommodation and support, or attempting to eradicate it – arguing the latter approach hinders the provision of necessary services and acceptance.
She points out that with an estimated 3% of children now diagnosed with autism, it is not a rare or new phenomenon, but one that is increasingly recognized. Some advocates have expressed concern that the administration’s announcements are a “mind game,” diverting attention from crucial support services and focusing instead on unproven treatments.
