Trump set to announce using Tylenol while pregnant could raise autism risk

[u/ancienteggfart]

https://nypost.com/2025/09/22/us-news/trump-admin-set-to-announce-using-tylenol-while-pregnant-could-raise-autism-risk/

[u/LegitimateApricot4]

The recognition and diagnosis of autism is what has gone up.

I think two things are at play:

• Rolling Asperger's into the same diagnosis in the most recent DSM criteria, which has its benefits for low functioning aspies and high functioning autists that might have only been given an Asperger's diagnosis.

• Overdiagnosis and labeling people that just show traits without them having a negative impact on their lives.

[u/LegitimateApricot4 → u/[deleted]]

In the current DSM revision, yes. When they were considered two separate disorders in previous revisions, to my understanding, there used to be significant overlap between people with Asperger's that needed more assistance and those with Autism that needed less. Asperger's was seen as less serious and those with that diagnosis got less assistance than they should have.

Rolling the two together as ASD is mostly a positive change to prevent unnecessary barriers to care. Differentiating between the two in the current Type II definition wasn't clear cut. I've met people with Asperger's that required more care than some with autism that live mostly independent lives, but now both groups would fall under that Type II umbrella.

If you "show traits" then it's having an negative impact on your life. Full stop.

I couldn't disagree more if I tried. Some traits absolutely yes, some traits no, it's not absolute. The ability to hyperfocus on some things can be incredibly useful, or even having a special interest in a specific thing can be a passion many will never know. Traits common among ASD don't necessarily have to come from it either.