Perspectives
The Coalition of Autism Scientists includes more than 250 researchers advocating for high quality, well-funded, independently verified autism research. Below, please find previous statements made by the Coalition.
Coalition of Autism Scientists Flags Risk for Cronyism Linked to NIH Leadership Appointment Process November 17, 2025 – Vocal about the need for operational transparency and commitment to evidenced-based science, today the Coalition of Autism Scientists warns that applications for vacant, director-level positions at many of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have unusually short two-week windows, suggesting that the process for selecting leadership are dangerously rushed. Given that directors are responsible for the vision of their respective institutes and influence billions of dollars in research funding, it is essential that qualified candidates are offered adequate time to apply and participate in a publicly announced interview process conducted by a robust board of scientists and other stakeholders. “It has not escaped the Coalition’s attention that the director of the NIH recently appointed Vice President Vance’s close friend Kyle M. Walsh, PhD, as the director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and National Toxicology Program (NTP) without the job being posted publicly,” said Helen Tager-Flusberg, PhD, Professor Emerita, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, and founder of the Coalition of Autism Scientists. “Autism researchers have real concerns about this appointment because the NIEHS is one of the major funders of autism research and research on the role of environmental toxins and autism has become particularly political. Appointing an institute director based on a personal relationships, regardless of credentials, undermines fairness and meritocracy, and reduces trust in the NIH.” Among the many open positions at the NIH, the Coalition of Autism Scientists is especially concerned about those at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Mental Health, the two primary funders of autism research. Application portals for these positions close before the end of this month. "The NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, and scientific discovery thrives on evidence and rigorous debate. That's why NIH directors have traditionally been career scientists with strong research credentials who earn bipartisan support,” said Joseph D. Buxbaum, Ph.D., G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Professor, Director, Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Families counting on medical breakthroughs depend on preserving this standard of scientific leadership integrity."
Autism Scientists Strongly Oppose HHS Report Suggesting Links Between Tylenol and Autism; Use of Leucovorin September 22, 2025 -- The vast majority of autism researchers understand that there is not a singular cause of autism. Our collective body of global research going back decades means that we have encyclopedic knowledge about the risks for autism, its possible causes, and the highly variable experience of autistic individuals. The September 22 press conference held by U.S. Health and Human Services alarms us researchers who committed our entire careers to better understanding autism. The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope when there is no simple answer. In brief response to this report, the Coalition of Autism Scientists makes the following points: Regarding a possible link between acetaminophen and autism: While a recent summary analysis found some evidence for a weak association, it does not evaluate the quality of the studies informing the analysis. Importantly, these studies fail to address the fact that fevers during pregnancy are known to increase risk for autism, and that’s why mothers take acetaminophen in the first place. Rather, the most recent, rigorous study that controlled for unmeasured familiar risks found that acetaminophen did not cause autism. Given that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy has not increased (Ahlqvist VH, et al., Fig 2A in reference) over the past two decades alongside rates of autism, it’s clearly not the cause of the increased diagnoses of autism and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees. Regarding folinic acid (leucovorin): There are only a handful of clinical trials of leucovorin and evidence connecting treatment to improvements in outcomes is very weak. (See references) All of them are very small, and the study designs and approaches to statistical analyses of the data are not all of high quality. It is premature to claim that leucovorin is an effective treatment for autism and add autism as a secondary indication. The Coalition of Autism Scientists reviewed these studies and found that the researchers aren’t using high quality study designs or statistical analysis. Most of these studies test many outcomes, without statistically adjusting for the fact that they are doing so along the way. Some of them use statistics that are inappropriate for a randomized trial (e.g., showing that there is statistically significant change in the intervention group but not in the control group, without actually comparing the groups). Others attempt to conduct analyses separately for children that they say have a gene or antibody that would suggest that they have folate deficiency, meaning that they are conducting the analysis on even smaller groups. With this in mind, we do not support any recommendation from the HHS or FDA regarding increased use of folinic acid. Instead, we call for a well-designed, large scale clinical trial of leucovorin (folinic acid) with all of the rigor needed (biomarkers, proper endpoints) and most importantly a pre-registered analysis plan. Vaccines and Autism: Dozens of studies demonstrate the role vaccination plays to protect individuals, particularly the most vulnerable in our community, against potentially fatal diseases. There is no evidence that routine vaccinations have any connection to autism at all. Secretary Kennedy is using his position to push forward his well-known anti-vaccination views, which does not align with Americans’ broad support of vaccines. Outbreaks and epidemics are inevitable if access to free, safe vaccines is reduced. If HHS wants to speed up autism research, then investment in gold-standard, peer-reviewed research – that which was already in progress before the rulebook suddenly changed – must continue. Regarding the grants awarded as part of the Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI), the Coalition of Autism Scientists calls for an independent external advisory board of autism scientists and community members to support the ADSI and analyze methodologies, which will facilitate earning the trust of researchers and the public. The Coalition of Autism Scientists will continue to speak factually and forcefully about the science that should inform our public understanding of autism and support autistic individuals and their families. References: •Prada D, Ritz B, Bauer AZ, Baccarelli AA. Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology. Environ Health. 2025 Aug 14;24(1):56. doi: 10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0. PMID: 40804730; PMCID: PMC12351903. •Ahlqvist VH, Sjöqvist H, Dalman C, et al. Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability. JAMA. 2024;331(14):1205–1214. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.3172 (See figure 2A) •Zhang C, Chen Y, Hou F, Li Y, Wang W, Guo L, Zhang C, Li L, Lu C. Safety and Efficacy of High-Dose Folinic Acid in Children with Autism: The Impact of Folate Metabolism Gene Polymorphisms. Nutrients. 2025 May 7;17(9):1602. doi: 10.3390/nu17091602. PMID: 40362912; PMCID: PMC12073535. •ACOG Response to Consensus Statement on Paracetamol Use During Pregnancy. 9-21-21. https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy •Panda PK, Sharawat IK, Saha S, Gupta D, Palayullakandi A, Meena K. Efficacy of oral folinic acid supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Pediatr. 2024 Nov;183(11):4827-4835. doi: 10.1007/s00431-024-05762-6. Epub 2024 Sep 7. PMID: 39243316. •Batebi N, Moghaddam HS, Hasanzadeh A, Fakour Y, Mohammadi MR, Akhondzadeh S. Folinic Acid as Adjunctive Therapy in Treatment of Inappropriate Speech in Children with Autism: A Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2021 Oct;52(5):928-938. doi: 10.1007/s10578-020-01072-8. Epub 2020 Oct 7. PMID: 33029705. •Renard E, Leheup B, Guéant-Rodriguez RM, Oussalah A, Quadros EV, Guéant JL. Folinic acid improves the score of Autism in the EFFET placebo-controlled randomized trial. Biochimie. 2020 Jun;173:57-61. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.04.019. Epub 2020 May 7. PMID: 32387472. •Frye RE, Slattery J, Delhey L, Furgerson B, Strickland T, Tippett M, Sailey A, Wynne R, Rose S, Melnyk S, Jill James S, Sequeira JM, Quadros EV. Folinic acid improves verbal communication in children with autism and language impairment: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Mol Psychiatry. 2018 Feb;23(2):247-256. doi: 10.1038/mp.2016.168. Epub 2016 Oct 18. PMID: 27752075; PMCID: PMC5794882.
RFK’s September Report on Autism is Premature and Flawed; Weak Association is Not Causation September 8, 2025 -- On September 5, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will soon release his agency’s purported findings on the “causes of autism” that he promised at an April press conference.. According to the WSJ, the report will state that prenatal use of Tylenol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy is the smoking gun. It is not known whether the Secretary’s announcement will be based on past research or whether he will present new findings. Many long-term studies already investigated the possible association between Tylenol and autism. While a recent summary analysis found some evidence for a weak association, the most recent, rigorous study found that Tylenol did not cause autism. These studies are difficult to conduct; the studies that do find an association do not do a good job of separating out acetaminophen use from the reasons women use them in the first place. Notably, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also asserts that there is no clear evidence that shows a direct relationship between the appropriate use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and adverse fetal development. It is highly irresponsible and potentially dangerous to claim links between potential exposures and autism when the science is far more nuanced and uncertain. Secretary Kennedy’s announcement will cause confusion and fear. He seems to be cherry-picking old data rather than looking at the body of research as a whole. Already, decades of autism research have led to the discovery of hundreds of genes associated with autism, a better understanding of brain development and architecture, and evidence about the variable presentations of autism. Well-done, unbiased research also includes the study of possible environmental factors that may interact with genetic predisposition. This high quality research must continue, but Secretary Kennedy’s actions make it clear that he prioritizes his own world view over that of established experts. In April, Secretary Kennedy promised that he will have answers to the rising prevalence rates of autism. Tylenol cannot be the answer he was looking for on scientific grounds as Tylenol use during pregnancy has not increased over the past two decades. The weight of the evidence supports the view that changes in diagnostic criteria and the increased availability of clinical services are largely responsible for the changes in the numbers of people now diagnosed with autism. References: •Prada D, Ritz B, Bauer AZ, Baccarelli AA. Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology. Environ Health. 2025 Aug 14;24(1):56. doi: 10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0. PMID: 40804730; PMCID: PMC12351903. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40804730/ •Ahlqvist VH, Sjöqvist H, Dalman C, Karlsson H, Stephansson O, Johansson S, Magnusson C, Gardner RM, Lee BK. Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children's Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability. JAMA. 2024 Apr 9;331(14):1205-1214. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.3172. PMID: 38592388; PMCID: PMC11004836. •ACOG Response to Consensus Statement on Paracetamol Use During Pregnancy. 9-21-21. https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy
Statement on Concerns Related to NIH Approach to Funding Autism Research June 10, 2025 -- On May 27, 2025, the National Institutes of Health announced the Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI) and opened a request for proposals with plans to award $50 million, purportedly to boost research on identifying the causes of autism. While the amount available for this ADSI is significant, representing more than 10 percent of the annual budget for autism research1, the Coalition of Autism Scientists has serious concerns about the primary focus on data mining of existing datasets and the process for selecting proposals for funding, all while drastically eliminating ongoing investigator-initiated grants and gutting the NIH budget for future research. “The ADSI needs to be understood in the context of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ recent, bold statements about the department’s intention to find ‘the causes of autism by September,’ which casually ignores decades of high quality research that preceded his oversight of U.S. public health and research initiatives,” said Helen Tager-Flusberg, PhD, Boston University and founder of the Coalition of Autism Scientists. “While the ADSI invites applicants to embrace an open science framework by registering their research plans and sharing their data and models, which are accepted scientific practices, it lacks transparency in the awarding and execution of the research to be conducted.” ADSI Framework Evades Best Science Practices In addition to registering research plans, the ADSI also calls for applications to validate and replicate initial findings, which is appropriate. However, what concerns the Coalition of Autism Scientists is the unusual ‘Other Transactions’ mechanism that the ADSI uses, which is unlike the standard NIH grant or contract mechanisms. Lisa A. Croen, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Director, Autism Research Program, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research and member of the Coalition of Autism Scientists Executive Committee explained, “Under the ‘other transactions’ agreement, NIH staff will be involved in the grant review process itself and have far greater involvement in the execution of the funded projects than is standard.” This high degree of involvement undermines the independence of the peer-review process as well as the role of the investigators whose proposals are selected for funding. David G. Amaral, PhD, UC Davis Distinguished Professor, The M.I.N.D. Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Director, Autism BrainNet, and member of the Coalition of Autism Scientists Executive Committee added, “Another concerning issue is the rapidity with which the process from announcement to the application submission deadline is taking place, allowing just one month for applicants to pull together a large-scale, collaborative scientific proposal.” Prioritize External Review to Build Trust The open science framework proposed for ADSI should be complemented with an open review process that publicizes the names and credentials of the reviewers who will evaluate submitted proposals, shares which applications are selected for funding, and provides details on the terms and conditions for the awards. For that reason, the Coalition of Autism Scientists calls for an independent external advisory board of autism scientists and community members to support the ADSI, which will facilitate earning the trust of researchers and the public. Autism Scientists Concerned About Future Research Support Despite this planned infusion of money to advance autism science, the autism research community has grave concerns about the current and future landscape for the field. In a survey conducted last month with over 100 members of the Coalition of Autism Scientists, 98 percent worried that they would have difficulty obtaining new grants to support their research and 85 percent expressed fears that they might lose their current funding. Why are researchers so apprehensive about the administration’s stated commitment to advancing the science of autism? Responders to the survey cited several reasons, including plans to drastically reduce the budget for NIH, the sudden expiration of all NIH funding opportunities for autism research, the termination of existing grants, and changes in NIH priorities for future funding. Already, Reuters reported that in the first 4 months of this year NIH funding for autism research was down by $31 million, from $147 million to $116 million, with cuts to institutions, grants that focused on women or diversity topics, and training grants, particularly those targeting underrepresented minorities.2 Funding for subcontracts to institutions outside the United States have also been eliminated. The future is looking bleak as proposed budget cuts to NIH, NSF and the CDC and the elimination of the Department of Defense Autism Research Program will drastically curtail funding for most autism research. The current concerns of the autism research community could be assuaged if federal funding levels for autism research are fully restored and commitments are made to award new investigator-initiated grants in areas outside ADSI. Reference 1.Figures based on recent figures from the federal Inter-Agency Autism Coordinating Committee. Last accessed on 6-9-25 at https://iacc.hhs.gov/publications/portfolio-analysis/2020/portfolio_analysis_2020.pdf?ver=5 2.Reuters. Exclusive: Trump administration defunds autism research in DEI and 'gender ideology' purge. 5-16-25
Coalition of Autism Scientists Critiques U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative April 25, 2025 – The newly formed Coalition of Autism Scientists today issued a statement in response to remarks and actions taken by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the study of autism. Led by Helen Tager-Flusberg, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Director of the Center for Autism Research, Boston University, this growing group of experienced research scientists from across the United States came together to reject Mr. Kennedy’s false narrative about the incidence and causes of autism, instead urging HHS to focus on established, research approaches that already inform the global understanding of autism. Dr. Tager-Flusberg said, “The Coalition of Autism Scientists came together to demand respect for autism research. Instead of focusing on questions that have been asked and answered, limited and valuable research dollars must focus on what we don’t yet know about autism so that we can meet the urgent needs of autism individuals and their families.” Full Statement from the Coalition of Autism Scientists “For more than three decades, the National Institutes of Health has invested substantial resources into research to advance knowledge about autism spectrum disorder. As scientists dedicated to this venture, we have witnessed many remarkable achievements in our field revealing the complexity of autism. These include: discovery of hundreds of genes associated with autism; identification of environmental factors that may interact with genetic predisposition; knowledge about differences in brain architecture and function; documenting the significant prevalence rates across the globe; divergent presentations and highly variable outcomes; early development of brain and behavioral signs in infants; and the development and evaluation of innovative interventions that improve autism symptoms and enhance quality of life for individuals and their families. Considering these advances, we were deeply troubled to hear the Secretary of Health & Human Services dismiss past research, downplay the causal role of genes, and portray autistic people in ways that counter our experiences and demean their value to society. We are unified in our commitment to conduct the highest quality research and build mutual respect and trust with the public. This trust is seriously threatened by the Secretary’s interpretation of the rising prevalence rates and his plans to carry out a study that will deliver findings within a few months on an environmental toxin that causes autism. We fully support genuine advances in the field, so we urge the Secretary to register the planned study protocol, provide time for public comment, include independent data analysts, and make the data available to the scientific community. Following these widely accepted scientific practices that ensure research integrity, will allow the planned study to build on the strong foundation of prior research and help guide future work to unravel the causes of this complex disorder and lead to new approaches in how we support individuals and their families.”