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NJ autism experts push back on claims

Say condition can't be reduced to single cause

By: Gene Myers
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... A day after President Donald Trump issued an autism warning dispute by many medical authorities, New Jersey's leading advocacy group for people on the autism spectrum said it was flooded with phone calls and Online questions September 23. [2025]
.. ... While Autism New Jersey joined doctors around the U.S. in questioning Trump's claims about acetaminophen, the group said some in the autism community especially families of those with profound conditions, did welcome the additional national attention. They hope it means more research funding and services for the thousands on the spectrum in New Jersey, which has one of the highest rates in the country.
..... Many in the community may feel "heard for the first time,: Cassidy Grom, autism New Jersey's communication director said in an interview.
..... Still, the claims by Trump and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also stirred concern among autism advocates and families, she added.
..... "People while it;s good to see the federal government focus on autism, it;s also incredibly important that what gets said is accurate, responsible and supported by science."
..... At the September 22 [2025] White House event, Trump said the use of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and other painkillers, during pregnancy was linked to autism. The president said new warning labels were coming and advised pregnant women to "fight like hell" to avoid using the drug unless absolutely necessary.
..... The administration also promoted a cancer drug, leucovorin, as a possible treatment for autism and connected vaccines with rising diagnosis rates - a connection that has not been supported by medical research.
..... The Trump administration alls announced 450 million in funding for 13 new studies as part of a federal autism initiative.
..... Austin New Jersey's executive director, Suzanne Buchanan, said many of the administration's claims oversimplify a highly complex condition. autism researchers say there is no one cause for the condition, and Buchanan cited growing awareness of early signs and better access to evaluations as two factors hat have led to increased diagnoses
..... "Over the last 20 years, we've seen an increase in prevalence at the same time that the diagnostic criteria have broadened," she said. "We're identifying more age intelligence, more girls and women, and more people in minority communities. That accounts for a lot of what some are calling a boom."
..... New Jersey had the fifth-highest prevalence of autism in the nation in 2022, at 34 cases per 1,000 children, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.
..... "We know there's a strong genetic component, and we also know there's not a single cause of autism," Grom said. "And any effort to reduce it to a single answer is both misleading and harmful."
..... The interaction between genetics and the prenatal environment that leads to neurodiverrgence is complex and often misunderstood, Buchanan added. She disagreed with the White House's warning about acetaminophen and said it could do more harm than good.

Leucovorin, vaccines

..... "We know from large, well-controlled studies helaht acetaminophen in pregnancy is safe," Buchanan said. "And we also know that high fever and prolonged illness during pregnancy can cause complications. With so few safe medications during pregnancy, we strongly encourage people to talk to their doctors, not classic media.
..... The organization also weighed in on the administration's promotion of leucovorin, a drug traditionally used to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.
..... "This is a drug FDA-approved for certain cancer patients," Groom said. "It's ow being promoted for autism, but we believe that's premature. There simply haven't been enough rigorous studies to determine whether it works or for whom."
..... As for vaccines, Grom, offered a brief but direct statement: "Large bodies of research and multiple studies have shown that vaccines have no connections to autism."
..... The Autism New Jersey leaders said prosing research that examines genetic and environmental complexity can be found closer to home, such as a recent analysis from Princeton University that looked at data from more than 5,000 children and identities distinct autism subtypes that shared genetic pattern and development trajectories.
..... "We' like to see more studies like this," Grom said. "The spectrum is broad, and what's true for one person may not be true for another. This kind of large-scale, subtype-based analysis gets us closer to meaningful answers."
..... She and Buchanan emphasized the importance of "gold standard" research. Students that are independently verifiable and peer-reviewed, they said, are more useful than overly simplified or premature conclusions.
..... Grom said Autism New Jersey - which counts almost 19,000 followers on its e-mailing list and 25,000 social media - is ready to support families.
..... "We're seen these waves before,," she said. "families hear something at day care pickup or on the news and wonder if it's worth trying. Our helpline helps walk them through that, how treatments are tested, what's vetted, and what's right for their individual child."
..... Although much of the recent attention has focused on autism's causes and prevention, Buchanan and Grom stressed the need to support the large number of New Jerseyans living with the condition.

Autism resources in NJ

..... "We need more group homes, more day programs, more job training programs," Grom said. "That's what will help individuals with autism live fulfilling lives in autism-friendly communities,"
..... Autism New Jersey encourage anyone with questions, including doctors, educators and parents, to get in contact via its website or its tool-free helpline.
..... "We're not here to panic people or shame anyone," Buchanan said. "We're here to help families understand what's real, what's not, and what services are available to help their loved ones thrive."
..... Autism New Jersey runs a helpline at 800-4-AUTISm and provides more information at autismnj.org .

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