Autism, ADHD, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves

The latest headlines about Tylenol and autism feel unsettlingly familiar.
A single product is put on trial, a dramatic narrative unfolds, and suddenly we’re told that a “cause” has been found.

The problem is that autism — and ADHD — don’t work that way. These are complex neurodevelopmental conditions shaped by genetics, environment, and culture. To reduce them to a single culprit, whether vaccines or paracetamol, is to miss the real story.

Why diagnoses are rising

Autism prevalence in the U.S. has risen from about 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 31 in 2022. ADHD rates have also surged, with some estimates suggesting more than 10% of children now carry the diagnosis.

At first glance, this looks like an epidemic. But three overlapping factors explain much of the increase:

Definitions expand.
- Autism criteria broadened in the 1990s and again in 2013.
- ADHD definitions now include inattentive types and adults.
- Behaviors once dismissed as quirks — dreaminess, restlessness, social awkwardness — are now formalized as disorders.
Systems incentivize labels.
- In schools, a diagnosis can unlock classroom support and funding.
- In healthcare, it can open access to therapy and insurance coverage.
- Parents often pursue diagnoses not for the label itself, but for the resources it enables.
Modern environments amplify traits.
- Screen-heavy childhoods, disrupted sleep, and ultra-processed diets.
- Less unstructured play and face-to-face interaction.
- Higher stress on families and schools.
  These don’t “cause” autism or ADHD outright, but they make traits harder to ignore.

Learn More: Autism 101

For a clear introduction to autism, see our full guide:
Autism 101: A Beginner’s Guide for Parents

Why the simple answers stick

Blaming Tylenol or vaccines is politically convenient. It externalizes the problem, creates a clear villain, and offers the illusion of control.

What doesn’t make for an “amazing” press conference?

The role of diet and lifestyle in child development.
The impact of screens and disrupted sleep.
The pressures of modern parenting and schools.

Those are diffuse, unsexy, and uncomfortable. They require collective effort, not a warning label.

For a breakdown of how autism and ADHD overlap (and why many children are diagnosed with both), see Autism vs. ADHD: Understanding the Overlap.

The harder truth

Autism and ADHD are real. Neurodiversity has always existed. What’s changed is how we define, detect, and interpret it — and how our environments magnify it.

The surge in diagnoses reflects not one hidden toxin, but the interplay of genes, society, and culture. If you dropped a 1980s child into today’s world of tablets, ultra-processed diets, and shrinking tolerance for eccentricity, there’s a good chance they’d walk away with multiple diagnoses.

That’s not a conspiracy. It’s a reflection of the world we’ve built.

For parents of very young children, the tension is especially sharp. Many preschoolers are prescribed ADHD medication within weeks of diagnosis — despite guidelines recommending behavioral support first. Read more in ADHD in Preschoolers — Why Behavioral Support Comes Before Medication.

Where the conversation should go

Instead of chasing miracle causes, maybe the real task is:

Supporting families with healthier food systems.
Reducing screen dependence and restoring genuine human interaction.
Designing schools that accommodate difference without pathologizing every quirk.
Recognizing that diagnostic labels are tools, not verdicts.

These aren’t quick fixes. They’re long-term cultural choices. But they’re the kind of choices that matter.

👉 The real danger isn’t that we’ll miss the “one true cause” of autism or ADHD. It’s that we’ll keep chasing ghosts while ignoring the environments and systems shaping children’s lives every day.