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What (actually) causes autism? episode artwork

Apr 28, 2025 58 min

What (actually) causes autism?

from It’s just AuDHD Hosted by John Blanco-Slingerland, Tarah Peltz

Could a painkiller like Tylenol (also known as acetaminophen or paracetamol) cause autism and ADHD? Some compelling studies seem to prove this link, but there's more to the story than meets the eye. In this episode, we explore the cornerstone of good research - correlation does not equal causation - as we deep dive into the studies and lawsuits surrounding Tylenol and AuDHD. We also discuss the recent disparaging comments about autism from American Health Secretary RFK Jr. and his plan for David Geier, a man who injected hundreds of autistic children with a dangerous chemical used for castration, to create a database of all autistic Americans. This chilling turn of events doesn't just threaten the safety of autistic Americans. It also undermines the global body of scientific knowledge as the US government prepares to invest significant funding into intentionally misleading research. But we all know, the best antidote to misinformation is skepticism. In this episode, we'll show you how subtle aspects of experiment design can significantly influence the outcomes of study results, so you can arm yourself for all the weird and wild AuDHD studies released now and in the future. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 01:25 RFK Jr.'s Controversial Comments on Autism 03:05 The Task Force and Its Dubious Leadership 05:25 Public Outcry and Expert Opinions 08:34 Correlation vs. Causation: A Deep Dive 14:59 Legal Drama: The Tylenol Lawsuit 28:08 Analyzing the Tylenol Study 38:44 Personal Experiences with Migraines and Autism 39:06 Exploring the Genetic Links Between Autism and Autoimmune Disorders 39:53 The Role of mTOR Pathway in Autism and Autoimmune Conditions 42:08 Vitamin D and Its Connection to Autism and Autoimmune Genes 42:49 Implications of Genetic Overlap in Autism and Autoimmune Disorders 48:44 Swedish Study on Acetaminophen and Neurodivergence 52:00 Sibling Data and Genetic Factors in ADHD and Autism 55:09 International Studies on Acetaminophen and Neurodivergence 01:04:23 Skepticism and Historical Context in Autism Research 01:10:37 Concluding Thoughts on Neurodivergence and Research Sources: - RFK Jr wants to create a database of autistic Americans (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/22/rfk-jr-autism-nih) - RFK Jr has simultaneously cut funding for actual support programs for autistic people (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/24/rfk-jr-autism-disability-services-cuts) - Mark and David Geier created a business empire prescribing dangerous hormone blocking medications to autistic children (https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/chemical-castration-of-autistic-children-leads-to-the-downfall-of-dr-mark-geier/) - The class action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson (https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/tylenol-autism-lawsuit.html) - Why the plaintiffs lost the class action lawsuit (https://www.reuters.com/legal/lawsuits-claiming-tylenol-causes-autism-lack-scientific-support-judge-finds-2023-12-19) - The American study on acetaminophen and AuDHD (https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-025-00387-6)- Autism and migraines (https://adult-autism.health.harvard.edu/resources/migraine-headaches/) - ADHD and migraines (https://www.additudemag.com/migraines-and-adhd-headaches-symptoms-treatments/amp/) - Autism and autoimmune conditions (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8156237/) - The Swedish study on acetaminophen and AuDHD (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2817406)

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This episode was published on April 28, 2025.

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