Areva Martin is a civil rights attorney, founder and president of Special Needs Network (SNN), and mother of a young adult son on the autism spectrum.

President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made headlines Sept. 22 by indicating that use of Tylenol, which contains acetaminophen, during pregnancy could increase the risk of autism in children.

As the mother of a young adult son on the autism spectrum, and as the founder and president of one of California’s largest autism nonprofits, I have always been committed to truth, science and justice. And if the administration’s claim turns out to be true – if a common over-the-counter drug like Tylenol is linked to autism – then millions of families may be entitled to answers, accountability and compensation.

Let’s be clear: The scientific community has long debated possible environmental triggers for autism. For years, Tylenol was considered one of the safest options for pain relief during pregnancy. But if new evidence is emerging – that is credible, peer-reviewed and backed by large-scale studies – showing a connection between prenatal acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders, then this is not fearmongering. This is a public health reckoning.

And it would raise a serious question: Why weren’t pregnant women warned?

It's not just about blame – it's about accountability

If pharmaceutical companies or public health agencies knew – or had strong reasons to suspect – that Tylenol could be linked to autism and failed to provide warnings, this may amount to one of the largest medical negligence scandals in recent history.

In that case, we should expect, and indeed demand, that class action lawsuits emerge.

Because when parents were advised by their doctors to take Tylenol for fevers, migraines or body aches, they did so believing it was safe – for themselves and for their unborn children.

It is not just about blame – it’s about accountability. Families who have spent years, even decades, navigating the challenges of raising autistic children deserve full transparency. They deserve to know if their trust in medical guidance was misplaced.

And if their child’s condition was preventable, they deserve restitution.

Families like mine deserve more than compassion

That’s why we must demand rigorous scientific investigation – not silence, not denial and certainly not dismissal. For too long, the autism community has been caught between fringe theories and institutional indifference.

First, it was the long-debunked vaccine myth. Then came the “refrigerator mother” narrative that blamed moms for not being emotionally warm enough. Now, if a widely recommended drug could be a contributing factor, we can no longer afford to look away.

Mothers like me already shoulder enormous burdens – physically, emotionally and financially. We’ve been caregivers, advocates, educators and warriors for our children. To now be told that our child’s diagnosis could be tied to something we were told was safe is both heartbreaking and infuriating.

If Tylenol is the culprit, then the medical establishment owes us far more than an apology.

This is not just about autism – it’s about medical ethics.

It’s about the possible failure of regulatory systems to prioritize patient safety over corporate profit.

It’s about the right of every parent to make informed decisions during pregnancy, with all known risks disclosed.

And it’s about the moral and legal obligation to correct those failures when lives have been affected.

We need more than speculation – we need evidence. But if that evidence continues to mount, as some lawsuits are already claiming, then we must prepare for a massive wave of class action litigation. Billions of dollars could be at stake – not just as compensation, but as a message to every pharmaceutical company and health agency: You cannot hide the truth from families forever.

As a mother, an advocate and a leader in the autism community, I will always demand the truth – no matter how uncomfortable. Families like mine don’t just deserve compassion – we deserve justice.

Areva Martin is a civil rights attorney, founder and president of Special Needs Network (SNN), and mother of a young adult son on the autism spectrum.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: If Tylenol causes autism, families like mine deserve the truth – and justice | Opinion

Reporting by Areva Martin / USA TODAY

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