Controversial ‘Cost of Autism’ Paper Retracted

A controversial paper about the ‘cost of autism’ has finally been retracted after two years!

A paper which was titled ‘Autism Tsunami the Impact of Rising Prevalence on the Societal Cost of Autism in the United States’ and published in July 2021 in the Journal of Autism and Development Disorders has officially been retracted.

The paper, more commonly known as the ‘cost of autism’ article, claimed that the prevalence and ‘social cost’ of autism in the US would rise drastically by 2060 and that preventing autism should be an urgent policy goal.

Many people believed that the paper was nothing short of hate speech, and it was immediately criticized by advocates and researchers for its methodological flaws, blatant eugenic tone, and ideological bias.

The three authors of the paper, Mark Blaxill, Toby Rogers, and Cynthia Nevison, have all been linked with and are affiliated with organizations that have promoted a false link between autism and vaccines. However, the authors kept those conflicts of interest a secret when submitting their paper to the Journal, which isn’t allowed.

While completely ignoring some sources of data about the increase in autism, such as greater awareness, more rigorous testing, and improved diagnostic criteria, the paper focuses on questionable data sources for their predictions about future cases of autism and also the cost of autism to society.

Unfortunately, their work was based on the premise that autistic people and people on the autism spectrum were a burden to society. This view not only devalues the lives of those affected by autism but it also spreads a harmful and offensive point of view.

From the minute it was released, advocates and researchers were not only concerned about the paper but expressed outrage, and there were many requests for the Journal to issue a retraction.

After an investigation by outside experts, the Journal decided to retract the paper in June 2023, citing methodological issues and undeclared conflicts of interest.

In the retraction note, it was stated that the paper not only misrepresented the rise in autism diagnosis but also inflated the costs associated with autism and didn’t give enough attention to other factors which may accurately affect the prevalence and costs of autism.

For many people, the retraction of this paper was a welcomed step to correct the scientific record while protecting the rights and dignity of people with autism.

Controversial ‘Cost of Autism’ Paper Retracted – Conclusion

For many people, the retraction of this paper was a welcome step. Still, it has left many people in the autism community wondering how it got published in the first place and what steps should be put in place to prevent papers like this one from being published again in the future.

If you have any questions about autism products or would like to find more information about sensory products, please don’t hesitate to reach out and contact us directly. Our friendly and professional team is standing by to assist you.