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On Wednesday, Oct. 1, patients across America lost access to care they had the day before not because medicine changed, but because politics did. When the government shut down, so did federal telemedicine flexibilities tied to pandemic-era waivers. (Ryan Nadelson, 10/3)

Every day, millions of patients and families do their best to make the right health care decisions for themselves and their loved ones. This cannot happen without the freedom to choose from a wide array of treatments. However, recent changes to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) vaccine policies have significantly limited access for patients across the country. (Ross Marchand, 10/2)

President Trump and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have characterized the rise in autism diagnoses in recent years as an epidemic requiring emergency intervention. This approach is factually wrong: The broadening definition of autism and the improvement in diagnosis in the same time period is largely responsible for the rise. But it’s worse than a simple factual error. (Shoumita Dasgupta, 10/3)

Autism isn’t a disease; it’s a neurotype, a variation in the brain. It’s part of one’s identity, just like gender, sexuality or race. And, similar to people with identity differences who are perceived as outside the “norm,” the uninformed and fearful feel the need to find a fix, a cure or ways to make people “normal.” (Erin Kuhn-Krueger, 10/2)

A new academic year is a marker of time and transitions, for young people and families. Puberty, peer groups, achievement, anxiety —it’s a lot for adolescents in particular. Consider a 10-year national Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, funded by the federal National Institutes of Health (NIH) and partners. My son is in his eighth year as a study participant. (Josiah H. Brown, 10/2)