Science, Stigma, and Neurodivergence: A Neuroinclusive Look at the MAHA Report
When a government commission releases a report about a "childhood chronic disease crisis" and mentions ADHD and autism dozens of times, it creates a ripple of fear and confusion. The MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) report does just that, weaving a narrative that pathologizes neurodivergence and fuels stigma. As a neuroinclusive coach, I see the real-world harm this causes: it makes people doubt their experiences and question the very tools that help them thrive. So, let's examine the report's claims and deconstruct them. This analysis is informed by my own reading of the report, as well as the excellent fact-checking work done by the team at Understood.org, to bring you a neuroaffirming perspective that is often missing from these conversations.
The Foundational Flaw: Framing Neurodivergence as a "Disease"
Before we tackle individual claims, we have to address the report's core bias. It places neurodevelopmental differences like ADHD and autism under the same "chronic disease" umbrella as other conditions. ADHD and Autism are not diseases to be cured. While they can be profoundly disabling in a world not built for them, they are also integral parts of who we are. To deny the challenges would be invalidating; to call them a "disease crisis" is to fundamentally misunderstand them. This framing is the first and most significant myth to bust.
Myth #1: The rise in neurodevelopmental diagnoses is an epidemic.
What the Report Says: The report presents charts showing a sharp increase in autism and ADHD rates, stating that "Autism spectrum disorder impacts 1 in 31 children by age 8... In 1960, autism occurred in less than 1 in 10,000 children." The clear implication is a crisis of increasing pediatric morbidity.
The Neuroinclusive Reframe: This isn't a crisis; it's a correction. For decades, the diagnostic models for ADHD and autism were based almost exclusively on the external presentations of cisgender white boys, which rendered generations of girls, women, trans and nonbinary folks, and people of color diagnostically invisible. The increasing prevalence rates are not evidence of an epidemic, but of progress toward diagnostic equity. The healthcare system is, at last, beginning to recognize a population that has always existed.
Myth #2: Autism and ADHD are caused by lifestyle factors.
What the Report Says: The report repeatedly links neurodivergence to external factors. For instance, it suggests a "possible association between the consumption of food colorings and autism," and it links ADHD to single-parent homes.
The Neuroinclusive Reframe: This represents a pattern of parent-blaming based on weak or misinterpreted data. For instance, the report itself admits the evidence linking food colorings to autism is merely "preliminary" and that "further research is necessary to establish a definitive link." It includes this speculation anyway, creating a scary but unfounded narrative. Neurodivergence is neurological. While environmental factors can exacerbate challenges, they do not cause a person to be autistic or have ADHD. This narrative creates unwarranted guilt for parents and distracts from the actual need for support and accommodation.
Myth #3: Stimulants for ADHD are ineffective and harmful.
What the Report Says: The report claims that ADHD drugs offer "exclusively short-term (14-month) behavior benefits, which were not found at 3 years."
The Neuroinclusive Reframe: This statement presents an incomplete analysis. The report omits the ethical complexities of long-term clinical trials, namely the moral imperative not to withhold effective treatment from a control group over extended periods. In fact, the cited MTA study revealed that when given a choice, a significant portion of families in the 'therapy-only' cohort elected to start medication after the initial period of the experiment was over. Medication is a personal healthcare choice and one tool among many; demonizing it based on a decontextualized interpretation of scientific literature is counterproductive.
Choose Advocacy Over Alarmism
The principal threat to the neurodivergent community is not its neurology, but the stigma perpetuated by biased reports of this nature. An individual's neurotype is not a disease to be cured or a crisis to be managed; it is the operating system through which they navigate the world. A diagnosis, therefore, functions as a key to understanding and accessing the needed tools and accommodations, not as a restrictive label. For those seeking to build a strategy that honors their neurotype, professional guidance is available. I offer 1:1 neuroinclusive coaching for individuals and support system coaching for parents and partners.
