Careless and damaging talk about autism | Letters

Noting the lack of evidence for linking paracetamol to autism, James Watson-O’Neill warns against describing the condition as a tragedy or something to fear, while the mother of an autistic child says pigeonholing autistic people is deeply damaging

This week the Trump administration linked paracetamol use in pregnancy to autism (Trump attacks Tylenol as officials unveil highly contentious conclusions on autism, 22 September). We support the position of leading autism organisations – Ambitious about Autism, Autism Alliance, Autistica and the National Autistic Society – which have rightly highlighted that the evidence for such a link is extremely weak, based on poorly conducted studies, and contradicted by high-quality research.

But beyond the question of evidence, we are deeply concerned by the language used. When powerful figures describe autism as a tragedy or something to fear, it reinforces damaging stereotypes. It risks making autistic people feel that their existence is a problem, rather than recognising them as valued members of our communities who bring talent, perspective and diversity.