11/1/2025 was a very exciting day! I led my team in the annual Autism Speaks Walk&5K run event in Orange County California. A lot of people came with family and friends and walked together. It was nice to learn the many resources we have in the community and how people are discussing new ideas to make it better.
I recently came across an article by Efua Andoh on Monitor on Psychology where the author discussed important issues of misinformation about autism.
In this article, Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, director of the UCLA program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills Clinic said, “One of the most important things the public can understand is that autism is a form of neurodiversity and not a deficit or disease. Autistic people think, feel, and connect in ways that are often different but equally valid.” Therefore, framing autism as a disease and using deficit-based stereotypes to describe autistic people is very detrimental to their mental health while misleading the public.
Autism, clinically known as autism spectrum disorder, is a diagnosis with complex causes and a spectrum of neurodevelopmental differences that vary across individuals based on genetic, biological, and environmental factors. The increasing numbers of autism diagnoses are results of improved screening, diagnostic practices and increased public awareness. According to the Coalition of Autism Scientists, researchers have discovered “hundreds of genes associated with autism” along with “environmental factors that may interact with genetic factors.”
The article also addressed one of the most prevalent and harmful misinformation that claims autism is caused by vaccines. This misconception originated from a now-discredited study published in The Lancet in 1998 by former physician Andrew Wakefield whose methodology was deeply flawed, using very small sample size, no control arm, and relying on parental recalls etc. Wakefield’s study was retracted in 2010, and the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council removed him from the medical register. In fact, large epidemiological studies have found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism and the scientific evidence that there is no link between vaccines and autism is sufficient.
The article stresses the importance of correcting this misinformation so the public will understand autistic people, identify their unique strengths and help them embrace their identity.
Source: Correcting Misinformation about autism by Efua Andoh, Monitor on Psychology September 2025. For a scientific source, also see “Addressing Recent Misinformation About Autism” at updates.apaservices.org/autism.
Inside the Mind 