“Autism Cause: Environment or Disease?” Albany Democrat-Herald (October 28, 1970)

1970 Albany Democrat-Herald newspaper clipping titled “Autism Cause: Environment or Disease?” noting autism had been studied for 27 years and reporting UCLA research on its origins.

In 1970, the Albany Democrat-Herald published “Autism Cause: Environment or Disease?” from the Times-Post Service, reporting on autism research at UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute after 10 years of study.

The findings refuted then-common theories that distant parenting and other environmental factors were to blame.

“Autism, also known as childhood schizophrenia, is one of the most mysterious of mental illnesses,” the article said. “In the 27 years since autism was first described in medical literature, many different treatments have been tried. But nearly all have been abandoned as ineffective.”

This article is among many preserved in historical archives, showing that autism research and discussion were already documented in the press as well as medical literature long before Tylenol hit store shelves in 1955. While this piece points to its 1943 introduction in medical literature, even earlier articles and reports discussed autism and autistic traits, such as the 1921 Tribune feature “Brain Power is Important Thing,” or a 1935 Richmond News Leader article on schizophrenia, which at the time was used as an umbrella term that autism fell under.

“Autism Cause: Environment or Disease?” Albany Democrat-Herald (October 28, 1970) 28 Oct 1970, Wed Albany Democrat-Herald (Albany, Oregon) Newspapers.com

Important Note: What the Science Says

Leading medical organizations and scientists reject a link between Tylenol (acetaminophen) and autism. In the days since the Sept. 23 press conference in which the Trump administration claimed Tylenol caused autism, several organizations have issued statements in response. Some of these include: