Short Wave

Autism: debunking Trump claims, and what scientists still don't know

03 Feb 2026

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Autism has a long history of misinformation that continues to today. The Trump administration has perpetuated some of this misinformation in the last year. Among other things, officials have claimed certain groups of people don’t get the condition and that taking Tylenol while pregnant causes autism to later develop in children. Today, NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton sets the record straight with host Emily Kwong on what scientists do and don’t know about autism. If you liked this episode, check out our episodes on an Autism researcher’s take on Trump’s claims about Tylenol and a Fragile X treatment that may be on the horizon.Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at [email protected] to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.This episode was produced by Berly McCoy. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Damian Herring.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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Short Wave

Autism: debunking Trump claims, and what scientists still don't know

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other episodes from Short Wave

Lessons and failures from the Challenger space shuttle explosion

What drives animals to your yard? It's complicated

Iran offline: How a government can turn off the internet

The plight of penguins in Antarctica

A failed galaxy could solve the dark matter mystery

10 breakthrough technologies to expect in 2026

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