On this special episode—the latest in our series of conversations that bring together people who rarely talk to each other—we hear from different perspectives on autism in a no-holds-barred discussion about this pivotal moment.

Joining us are two MAHA moms raising children with autism, Science editor-in-chief Holden Thorp—who was diagnosed with autism as an adult—and Dr. Rachael Bedard, a physician and science communicator. 

President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have made finding a cause a top issue, putting autism—and the families living with it—squarely in the national spotlight. They’ve pointed to Tylenol use during pregnancy as a possible cause, sounding big alarm bells and triggering backlash.

Today, we move past the politics and the noise to ask some bigger questions: Is Kennedy disrupting the status quo—or distorting it? And is this the kind of change that autistic people and parents actually want?

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guests:

Jennifer Phillips, MAHA mom, has a daughter living with autism, founder Make a Stand 4 Autism

Holden Thorp, editor in chief, Science; was diagnosed as being on the ASD spectrum as an adult

April Robinson, MAHA mom, has a son living with autism; works with Voice for Choice

Dr. Rachael Bedard, physician, journalist, works with caregivers managing serious illness 

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