Honourable senators, as we have heard, October is Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month in Canada.

For autistic and neurodiverse individuals, their families and caregivers, autism is their prevailing thought every minute of every month. I know this. I have a son with autism.

I speak today in response to new and alarming mis- and disinformation on autism spectrum disorder, also known as ASD, that is currently circulating, not just in the toxic environment that increasingly characterizes social media, but through uninformed expressions at the highest political levels south of the border.

It is as if a paternalistic social media post has come to life to fulfill a political promise made to find both a cause and a cure for autism within six months.

Oversimplified statements implying certainty where there is none can lead to misunderstanding, guilt, stigma and anxiety among autistic individuals and their loved ones.

According to numerous medical associations and scientists all over the world, the pain reliever Tylenol and its active ingredient acetaminophen — also present in other medications — does not cause autism and, in fact, remains the safest option to treat fever and pain during pregnancy.

Multiple larger-scale studies and systematic reviews have not established a causal link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and autism. Wellness grifters and pseudo-scientific ideologues clearly have the ear of certain politicians.

We are indeed fortunate in this Senate to have women and men with medical backgrounds who are tireless in their efforts to educate Canadians about the science behind modern medicine and its practice, as well as to counter medical mis- and disinformation as it increases in negative tone and intensity.

Colleagues, the Federal Framework on Autism Spectrum Disorder Act — ably sponsored by another passionate advocate, Senator Housakos — received Royal Assent in March 2023. Among its provisions were the establishment of a national research network and public awareness campaigns.

In response, the government launched a national autism strategy that was based on one conference and did not provide funding for the implementation of the act.

Autism associations and self-advocates had higher expectations, and so did those of us with a vested interest in the outcomes.

The entire idea behind this legislation was to give the federal government the legal basis to create federal autism initiatives.

Amidst swirling mis- and disinformation, it seems to me, as a parent of an autistic son in his mid-thirties, that the need for governments — including our own — to act to increase public awareness with science-based factual campaigns and to decry medical mis- and disinformation, has never been greater.

In short, individuals, families and pregnant women should continue to follow the advice of their health care providers, not politicians with dubious intentions.

Thank you.