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Dr. P's Top 10 Unanswered Autism Questions
April is Autism Awareness Month. I think it's wonderful that attention is being focused on this newly appreciated epidemic in children because it has led to much-needed new research and more support services for children and families touched by autism.It is especially gratifying for a guy like me to see this happening. When I completed my fellowship in developmental pediatrics 25 years ago, there was very little awareness of autism, including by me and my mentors. Autism was thought to be so rare that it was likely a pediatrician could go her entire career without seeing or caring for such a child.
Now, autism seems to be everywhere. Whereas I rarely was sent referrals for autism in the 1980s, now the opposite is true: we have an entire clinic devoted just to autism. In fact, it's common for kids to be referred for an autism evaluation even when s/he has only a few quirky traits and no other real signs of autism. These days, everyone is suspicious of autism and the pendulum may have swung from under-diagnosis to over-diagnosis.
As delighted as I am, you should know this: our understanding and treatment of autism is still pretty superficial. The big questions have yet to be answered. Yes, our understanding and treatment has vastly improved, but it's nowhere near what I hope it will become in the next decade. I mention this just to remind you that, in all the self-congratulations about how far we have come in understanding autism, we need to keep in mind how very far we still have to go.
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With that in mind, here, in no particular order, are my top 10 burning questions about autism for 2008:
- What causes autism?
This is the biggie. Once we understand the causes of autism, some smart person can come up with a cure. In our current understanding, autism appears to be due to a complex interaction of nature and nurture, of genes that make a child susceptible to autism and something in the environment that allows those genes to be expressed. - Is there a cure for autism?
So far, I am very sorry to say (irresponsible claims by some notwithstanding), the answer is NO. Our treatments are educational and habilitative, not curative. They are intended to train the brain to circumvent its aberrant wiring, which is not a cure. The good news for all of you parents out there with an autistic child is that a ton of research is being done in this area and the hope of a cure in your young child's lifetime is both real and realistic.
Perhaps, for example, one day we will be able to recognize how the brain is altered in the womb and give medications or hormones to normalize the architecture of the autistic brain as it is developing. Or perhaps a medication will be discovered that will generate nerve connections that overcome the current autistic circuitry after birth. Or perhaps some sort of intensive skills/educational training, done in just the right way at the right time, will have a major effect. I have no doubt a cure (or close to it) is in our future -- the question is when. - What genes are associated with autism?
It's no surprise that genes are associated with autism. We know, for example, that if one identical twin is autistic, the other has a 70-90% chance of also being autistic. We know if one child has autism, there is an increased risk in his/her siblings (about 6%) of autism.
The good news and the bad news is that genes are being discovered almost daily that are associated with autism. It's good news because an understanding of the genetic basis of autism will allow for prenatal testing and a better understanding of how the autistic brain differs from the typical one and what we might do about it.
The bad news is that there does not appear to be a single, simple genetic cause for autism. Instead, there seem to be many different genes and gene combinations that increase the risk of autism. Likely there are multiple pathways to autism (and perhaps multiple kinds of autism), based on different genetic differences. It would have been easier if there were the same genetic problem in all (as, for example, with sickle cell anemia). This makes the promise of gene therapy someday much more difficult. - Are there environmental triggers to autism?
Here's where there is currently so much heat and so little light. If you believe (as I do) that the prevalence of autism has increased significantly in the past decades, then the question is: why? It can't be due to changes in our genes -- that's way too fast for our DNA to have been altered. Therefore, it must be due to something (or some things) in the environment that triggers autism in a susceptible child.
But what? Of course, you are aware of the immunizations and thimerosal theories, but evidence points strongly against those being the culprits. An infection of some sort? Some sort of environment pollutant? Something in the diet? Allergies? The fact is we don't know. I know that's a bitter pill for parents who want definitive answers and cures. I do too, who doesn't?
But that strong need for answers has lead to a cottage industry of true believers, zealots who contend - despite a lack of credible medical evidence -- that they know the cause. Why is that a problem? Aside from the fact that extraordinary theories require extraordinary proof, the misguided fear of immunizations, for example, has lead to some children tragically contracting infectious diseases (like measles) they could have and should have avoided.
And I can't tell you how many disappointed parents I know whose child didn't respond to the latest cure (sometimes at great expense). Finally, holding on to one's beliefs in the face of conflicting medical evidence prevents resources from being directed at other possible causes. As far as I'm concerned, every dollar spent on still trying to prove MMR vaccine causes autism (which it pretty clearly does not) is a dollar NOT spent on finding the true environmental trigger. (For more on this see my posts here and here.) - What is the prevalence of autism?
In the 1980s the prevalence of autism was reported at about 1 in 2,000-3,000 children. In the 1990s it was about 1 in a 1,000. Currently the figure is about 1 in 150. - Is autism really on the rise?
Some believe the apparent increase in autism is not real. They argue, quite reasonably, that we are now a lot more aware of autism and so diagnose it more readily and at an earlier age than we did before. Additionally, we never used to diagnose "high functioning" autistic children and now we do, which has added to their ranks.
On the other hand, others (like me) believe there has been a true rise, that we never missed it all that much in the past, and that even including higher functioning children can't explain the 15 fold increase in prevalence. Perhaps someone will come up with a definitive answer to this controversy soon. Stay tuned. - What is the best educational program for an autistic child?
This is another area where there is disappointingly little research upon which to base an opinion. In my town of Boston, for example, an autistic child might receive "ABA therapy" or "floor time" or "cognitive therapy" or "exercise" therapy, depending on the program s/he attends and its philosophical bent. But, do they work?
Other unanswered questions include: How young do we need to start services? What is the optimal intensity of treatment? No one really knows. We desperately need more research on the effectiveness of autism treatments.
Without knowing for certain, here's my take. Autism is clearly a significant disorder of the brain. For any treatment to work, it will need to be incredibly intensive (some estimate 25 hours/week) and started as early as feasible. And, perhaps, talented teachers who can tailor their interventions to the specific needs and learning style of the child trump the exact kind of intervention they might use anyway. - Where does being a "quirky child" end and the "autism spectrum" begin?
When a child is very autistic, all professional agree about the diagnosis. However, what about the child who is "high functioning," i.e., quite verbal and smart, makes reasonable eye contact, etc? Then, even experienced professionals disagree about whether that child should be assigned to the "autism spectrum" or not.
It tends to come down to this question: Are you a "lumper" or a "splitter"? That is, if a child has some quirky traits but not enough to seem fully autistic, is it better for them (in the short and long runs) to carry a label of autism or is it preferable to be called a "quirky kid" whose essence is not really captured by any label? Personally, I tend to be a "splitter," but without a formal diagnosis of "autism" most children can't access the degree of special education services that a child with "autism" receives. (For more on this see this blog post) - How can parents best help their autistic child?
To me, that's an easy one: be his/her parent. Some parents chose to devote their lives to the education and habilitation of their autistic children. Others seek to find the best services and advocate for the child. However, you play it; the one essential parenting role that is inevitably underestimated is that of being a loving parent. You can find teachers and PTs and classes and doctors to help your child. But no one else can serve as your child's loving parent, providing a strong emotional bond and link to the real world. And that is the true gold. - What is the best way to make an early diagnosis?
How early can autism be recognized? There is ongoing research to see if we can do better in detecting autism at an early age, with the hope that early detection --> earlier treatment --> better long term outcomes.
Studies of the young siblings of autistic children (at ages 6, 12, 24 and 36 months) may provide clues in children as early as 12 months (e.g., not responding to their names being called, fewer communicative gestures like pointing, quicker head growth). This will continue to be major research effort in the next year and should serve to allow us to better recognize autistic kids at an earlier stage of their development.
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There is hardly a family who has not been impacted or who doesn't know a family impacted by autism. It's an exciting time -- awareness and research are on the upswing and better treatments are around the corner. To me autism has always been a fascinating enigma -- why, for example, don't these kids make eye contact? -- and the more we learn about it, the more we will understand what it takes to make us all human.
The measure of our worth as a society is how we help our disadvantaged and our challenged. During Autism Awareness Month, our best shines.
Related Topics:
- Special Report: Autism: Searching For Answers
- WebMD Video: Recognizing Autism
- WebMD Video: Finding the Roots of Autism
53 Comments:
It's hard for me to accept how far we still have to go. I have an sutistic son who needs help and a cure TODAY. I can't wait and he can't wait for some future date. I'm going to keep looking for a cure - scientific proof or not.
I appreciate your honest appraisal of the state of the art in autism. Too many professionals pretend to know all the answers when there is still clearly a long ways to go before we can cure this heartbreaking disorder.
I have a son with autism -- and I am beyond looking for a "Cure." I need help and money and someone to help me coordinate his care from now until after I am gone. We have kids growing up with this.. what are we DOING?
What about my 'typical' child? With the schools spending all their money on intensive services for special needs children, my son's classroom lacks the basics for teaching the 3R's!
To the previous comment: you are a creep. You should be lucky you have a normal child, so shut up!
Also, I heard that some kook is making claims that austim is caused by having ultrasounds, being induced, having epidurals, and birth by c-section. Is there a connection between the two?
I don't think name-calling is needed here.
The fact is that education is greatly underfunded in the US and resources are limited, so the stage is set for us to fight among ourselves about who gets more of the pie - regular education or special education.
The real creep is our poor support of eductional services for all children, not each other.
I guess I'm a "lumper" because I appreciated my daughter being labeled on the autism spectrum, even though she really doesn't fit it very well. That label helped me to better make sense of her odd behaviors and to find a support group and to advocate for services.
I hope Autism Awareness Week will help more young people chose to work with autistic children. There is such a shortage of professionals my son can't get the ABA treatment in our community that everyone says he needs. It's incredibly frustrating.
Which form of autism is more common, Rhett's syndrome or Asperger's syndrome?
Asperger syndrome is far more common than Rett syndrome. I have read the incidence of Rett syndrome is 1 is 10,000. I know Rett's is listed under the same umbrella category as autism (in the Pervasive Developmental Disorders section of the DSM but it's really quite different; I've heard in the next edition of the DSM it might be changed. Rett mostly affects females, too, as opposed to AS which affects more males.
I appreciate the awareness that is being brought to Autism as I have a teenage son with Aspergers. It has been a struggle getting him the services he needs.He is in regular ed classes and maintains a B average. If his trouble isn't seeming to affect his learning, they won't give him any assistance. I believe we need to train all of our children to live in our very social and economic world. We need to do something to begin a change for our kids futures. There is too much judgement, hatred, spending, debt, greed, and the blame game going on these days.
There are two kids in my daughter's preschool class who have autism. That's 2 out of 10 kids just in her class. Why can't they find a cause for this, and a cure??? I hope this is found in our lifetime.
I have read all these articles on Autism but not one about how to navigate all the negative social behaviors, anger issues and irritablity that many autism kids have, including mine. No therapist or specialist has been able to help my child with these issues and no medication has helped. These are serious issues that need to be addressed.
I wonder, as more data is gathered, if doctors are asking about parent's recreational drug use as a teens and young adults? Could autism be linked to marijuana use? Could smoking pot a few times leave you with the possibility your eggs or sperm are altered to cause autism? I smoked a few times in college. My husband was a bit of a pothead in college. Neither of us have smoked since college. Just thinking. - Parent of a son with Asperger's.
I heard that Isaac Newton had asperger's syndrome.
go back some 50 years or so and you will know that hardly anyone took their child to see a doctor about their kids odd behavior. the only doctor visit came when a physical problem occured...and many times not even then. so with respect to dr.p it is obvious we are now more aware because we have put a label on it and sensitive to the issue. our little boy is autistic. discovered it when he had a seizure at three months. early intervention was started but no way to tell if it has worked to his advantage or not. i personally spend 3 hours per day face to face making eye contact, touching, holding, playing, talking with my heart breaking as he pushes my caress away. he becomes enraged with anger at the slightest thing that doesnt go his way and i wonder what this will lead to when my 7 year old is a teenager. hopefully a miracle before then. tom
I have a 3-year-old daughter who was diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder about 6 months ago. She is due for an immunization in about 3 months, and I'm not sure if I should let this happen. She's had all of her shots up to now. She was a "normal" functioning child up until she was about a year and a half. I am wondering if the immunization programs here in the Netherlands where we live have anything to do with the change she had within her. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
In 1971, I found myself as a young mother with a son diagnosed with autism. At that time ignorant (Unaware) medical professionals blamed the parent. I told them my son was progressing appropriaitely for his age until he was vaccinated. He was talking, walking at 10 months old. After the one year vaccinations, he regressed. He stopped walking and talking. He started staring off. After much confrontation with the medical profession, I was informed of autism. Because I was a young mother and a nonmedical person, they didn't put any stock into my words of the vaccinations. Seems I am not the only parent that noticed a regression in their child after vaccinations.
I am expecting my first child in a couple of weeks. Since I am having a boy, I am terrified of autism. My husband and I are at odds concerning the baby's diet and vaccines, and the baby hasn't even arrived! I want someone to tell me what to do concerning vaccines. I don't understand why a baby needs a vaccine for hep B when the baby is not going to public childcare. Why are so many boosters needed?
My son Tristan is 6 now and he is autistic. For all of you out there just devstated by a diagnosis of autism please know that along with the bad things that autism has done to my son (the limited diet, the sudden bursts of extreme anger that seem to scare him more than anyone else, and the toe walking he is stuck in)We also have good things that have come out of it. He can remember everything, he loves music and after two days on a piano started playing chords,we get to play all kinds of 'weird" games that he comes up with, he is just the sweetest child I have ever met. So I often ask myself if someone were to give me a "cure" right now would I use it?? I would be so scared to lose the sweet little guy I have right now even with his strange little oddities.
Sgt Jeff Wainwright
jeffrey.wainwright@us.army.mil
As far as I’m concerned, this whole hype about vaccines is completely baseless. If it were truly due to the vaccines themselves, it would be manifesting in an overwhelming majority of all children (who get quite a few shots), instead of a few. In reality, it may simply be that young children exhibit different behaviors at young ages, and sometimes, that’s when it manifests.
I was quite a different child when I was young. I didn’t get along well with other kids, and I was perfectly happy by myself. I did a good job in school,, but I didn’t have any friends until I was in the 3rd grade. It bothered me, but I couldn’t do much about it at the time. I was very creative and turned inward, but just because I was very into doing things on my own, I wasn’t autistic. I think that many parents jump to the conclusion that if their children aren’t part of the popular or gregarious group that they must be worried. Even though I was slow to grow in my ability to socially interact, I eventually caught up (and then some!).
I have a very close friend of mine who has Asberger’s, but he’s a great guy, and I get along with him very well. He had to alter his meds a few times before he could really feel more comfortable in face to face interactions with people, but with things like Instant Messaging and internet contact, he is far more adept at social interaction. As far as I’m concerned, as long as I can read him and know what to expect when he exhibits certain behaviors (such as coming up with excuses not to hang out or something), I often have to probe more deeply to get to the root of the problem. And even though I’m more “touchie feelie” than most people, I can respect his desire not to be touched or given friendly hugs, but we’ve substituted laughing together, and switching who drives or going on a hike. He’s a great guy and a good friend, and if he’s “different” then he’s different just like a lot of my friends are, all with different likes, dislikes, and preferences.
High-functioning Autism-spectrum classifications like Asperger’s aren’t necessarily a horrible disease, and many kids who are in their teens and young adult years will often wear their Asberger’s pride on their sleeve when they post on Internet forums. Of course, I cannot say that I have much experience with severe autism, but I know that most kids don’t fall under the most severe category, so many people will not have to deal with having a child with severe autism
One thing that I suggest, however, is that if you have an autistic child, to adopt instead of have subsequent biological children. There are plenty of wonderful, normal developmental children who need to be adopted, and you can know for sure that they will not develop Autism if they’re already past infancy and toddler ages.
I think anyone who believes that there is no connection between thimerisol and autism is either blind or delusional. Thimerisol is directly related to mercury which is known to be a neurotoxin. It is also known that it can cross the blood brain barrier and destroy nerve cells. The worst thing is that the reason thimersol is placed in the immunizations is so that the drug companies don't have to produce it in a sterol environment. You make your own choice about whether or not to immunize your children. But please make the Dr. or nurse getting ready to immunize your child show you the box and bottle that it came from. You need to read the ingredients and make sure that thimersol is not on the list. There is still thimersol in immunizaions even though some medical professionals will tell you otherwise. Be responsible enough to look and if it is there tell them you want a thimersol free immunization. Just a warning you may have to pay extra for it, but isn't your child worth it.
It's unsubstantiated nonsense like that, spread as the be-all and end-all truth, that leads to outbreaks of diseases we thought we banished long ago. It would be much easier to sympathize with the parents of autistic children if they weren't blindly trying to point fingers, or, as some do, get a nice pay-out from the drug cos.
Many studies have already shown there is no link between thimerosal and autism. The symptoms of autism and symptoms of mercury poisoning are VERY different. The vast majority of people in this country have been immunized -- and most of them are fine. The following is a logical fallacy: A happened before B, therefore A caused B.
Most of us might not care about your desperate groping for answers were it not that your refusal to have your children immunized puts our children at risk.
-- engineer
This is in response to "engineer".
First, you are not in a position to judge the parents of autistic children. We are not against vacinations....but we are for safer and better methods of vacinations. Please become more educated on the subject. You will be so surprised!
This was a great post!
As a former sped teacher and now an ABA therapist (along with a son with Aspergers) I live and breathe this. We've come so far in the past 10 years, but still have so far to go.
What about the girls that have autism, why is the disorder more common in boys than girls..if autism is linked to a vaccine then wouldn't you think that girls would have it just as much as boys..I am a parent of a 2yr old daughter that has autism, and i still haven't gotten the answers that i need regarding autism and the lack of treatment that is my area for children that young..when she was diagnosed at the U of M hospuital in michigan they recommened therapys that are unavailable in my area..other than speech therapy that she only get 1/2 a week..I'm just sick of hearing about all the boys that have it when i am proof that are girls out there that also have it and there is hardly no help for these kids...
My daughter was a healthy child up until she was a year and a half, she got sick with a high fever and dehydration and the within 3 months i knew something wasn't right she lost all her speech ability threw severe tantrums, and started hitting her self in the head with anything that she could get her hands on..If autism is linked to vaccine then shouldn't these children be tested for the whatever could be the cause of it..How a child could go from being a typical toddler to regressing back to infant stage? that a question that i have never gotten an answer to form anyone and my daughter has seen many Dr..And my son who is older is a typical 6yr old..All i want is for my daughter to tell me that she loves me and i may never hear it...
My wife is 28 years old and she is autistic.We also have a 8 year old son,who is a normal happy and sometimes naughty little boy.For me it has not been easy.On a daily basis there is disaters of all things imaginable .... but only in my wifes eyes.I have gotten used to these non existant disasters and her unusually childish ways.I am still in love with my darling wife.
OK, I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO VERY CONTROVERSIAL, BUT I CAN'T HELP THINKING TO MYSELF THAT MAYBE THERE'S AN ASPECT TO THIS ISSUE THAT IS EITHER BEING VERY MUCH OVERLOOKED OR JUST SWEPT "UNDER THE RUG", SO TO SPEAK....HAS ANYONE EVEN REMOTELY CONSIDERED LOOKING FOR A LINK BETWEEN THE ABSOLUTELY EPIDEMIC USE OF RECREATIONAL DRUGS (MARIJUANA, METH, COCAINE, LSD, HEROIN, ETC) & THESE DISORDERS? IT'S JUST SO VERY OBVIOUS, I WONDER WHY IT'S NEVER MENTIONED.....HOW MANY OF THE PARENTS OF THESE KIDS HAVE USED DRUGS AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES? JUST CURIOUS WHY I NEVER SEE THIS MENTIONED AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE.I THINK WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF HAVOC DRUGS PLAY WITH OUR GENETIC STRUCTURE.
My mom was not a recreational drug user. I am a high-functioning autistic (Asperger's). I know that many with my condition and many raising small children with it get frustrated by it and are seeking cures...
I think that's silly. Can you cure any neurological development? For some of us this isn't a horrible disease, but just the way we are. We are different, but that also means you are different from us. It's just a difference. We are not any less fit to be loved or involved or taken care of, or had, or adopted, or anything else. Don't talk about us like we are some sort of freaks. I guess there are some in every group that I would have previously labeled as disabled that feels the same way.
We are what we are. You cannot change our brains. Why not just learn how to interact with us? We learn coping mechanisms for interacting with you all the time.
My comments are follows The "typical" child parent concerned about education maybe you should try homeschooling if you're that concerned I homeschool all my kids 7 of them as the local school said if my child(ren) needed special help there was a waiting list and the dr's diagnosed my daughter with convergence (to which they explained to my husband that homeschooling was the only way to go with her because if she did go to public school she still would have to be taught by a private tutor in a room all by herself at least that's what the doctor recommended) but the convergence doesn't explain the rest of her "problems" and she's not ADD/ADHD or Bi-polar as I thought maybe that was it.As some other family members have those.
"lumper" mom I hope my child is diagnosed with some form of autism because I agree with you it would explain ALOT of her behaviors both good and bad as she is very sweet
and on that note I totally agree with Jeff Wainwright there are many blessings with these "special" children. Although years ago when I prayed for her the Lord told me to spend more one on one time with her and it worked.But what I'm really hoping for is tools for my toolbox in how to cope with the challenges of raising this child along with 6 others who need our attention too.
On the note of vaccinations that some asked if you ask me personally don't vaccinate your child if you think it will lead to autism. My son is due for shots in a couple weeks and nowadays they are up to FIVE of them. I plan to tell them no more and if we have more children they won't get them either. Sorry engineer who is concerned about us not protecting YOUR children because we feel we are protecting OURS in this way but if your child started having these problems too maybe you'd change your mind. Before you make decisions not to vaccinate I was educated in asking if the vaccines contain Mercury if not then vaccinate. If they do you may want to temporarily move to California where they don't have any mercury in them at all and have seen reduced diagnosed cases of autism since they have gone mercury-free vaccines.
For the mother who would love to hear her daughter say "I love you" I have some hope but it may take some time but don't lose hope but the only hope I know of is Jesus and yes here we go people a Jesus "freak" call me what you want all I know is maybe the medical community doesn't have a cure or can heal but Jesus can and here is my story "yes my daughter still has some "problems" but I believe without a doubt that Jesus can heal her and we can come out of this and even if she's not totally healed that's ok too but I have a testimony about the not speaking thing. And here's another irony those of you who talked about their daughters said they didn't notice anything until they were about 18 months/ 1 1/2 yrs old mine too although I think I noticed it when she was more like 15months old, and I've known since then "something" was wrong.I've cried and prayed about it and my doctor keeps thinking it's nothing but I know something is going on. anyway she had alot of ear infections as an infant and needed ear tubes 3x. Her speech was affected and she went to speech therapy for a while but she still didn't always communicate with us instead she would just start her tantrums and be out of control and there I was "helpless". Then an episode happened at church and she didn't want to go back ,at the age of 3 she was, and at home if I even said the word church she'd go into a tantrum. Well I went to some intercessors (people who just pray for answers on others behalf) and asked them to pray with me that my daughter would be able to communicate with me about this. The answer wasn't immediate but within the month she opened up and talked to me instead of screaming one day and I found out the answer. I prayed with her and she has no problem going to church ever since actually she's turned into quite the missionary as she loves to be alone but feels compelled to share about Jesus even with complete strangers. Now she still throws her fits and doesn't always communicate but sometimes I ask God to help us break through that barrier and she will talk to us but I must also admit she would be considered a high functional autistic child but I believe even in the severe cases you can see break through if you just believe. And I also have to admit that we are getting her tested for autism but hearing about it and her symptoms to me I finally feel like I have the answer and it's almost like I feel relieved cause I knew she had something but didn't know what and also I just pray and ask God for patience and compassion as I would get so frustrated with her cause I didn't know what was wrong or right:) with her. I do believe in miracles and healings and Jesus but in all honesty we are all in this together to help each other cope and deal with this wonder. I will be praying for you and tomcat as his story touched my heart because I am so thankful that Prayer does help and changes things. Don't give up hope that's all we have. We can make a difference and what can we learn from these children? alot in my opinion. Blessings and if you want you can contact me
jenilynn747@yahoo.com Oh but I do have a question in saying that though the behavior stuff recently my daughter now 8 almost 9 has sometimes been more violent than in the past.Don't know why but then I received this phone call. several months ago someone from some Chicago college contacted me on behalf of the CDC and asked me a bunch of questions concerning vaccines for my 2yr old then went on to ask me the ages of my other children and when I mentioned the 8 yr old they started asking alot of deep questions which I believe had NOTHING to do with their survey as it was suppose to be just on vaccines but they proceeded to ask me if the 8 yr old had problems with this or that and diagnosed with this or that and if I ever got frustrated and by the time we were off the phone I was crying because I never really looked at it so honestly like that before. Because my doctor kept telling me it was her personality that nothing was wrong with my child but I was like well there is something seriously wrong with her "personality" then but she has gotten worse not better and a couple of years ago almost three she regressed a little. But we had another baby and took in a foster child too not knowing at the time that would cause her to regress and I wasn't spending so much one on one with her and just started doing it again lately and it has helped some. So was wondering if anyone else got some call about this or if anyone heard maybe that's why they were calling about the vaccine and asking about other child and ages cause my mom was saying that by the time the child was 8 something in particular was different and maybe that's why they singled out the 8 yr old but she's the only one that gives me "grief" at times and this past year she did get a little worse. So I'm getting her tested for this cause autism even on the smallest level is the only thing that makes sense right now. Thanks for letting me share my "book"! :)
The real problem here is an inherent arrogance in the medical community
for doctors and research scientist to state opinions as impirical fact
is ludicris
simply stated
they don't know what is causing the increase in autism
yes they are working on it
but perhapse you research scientists and doctors might try
stepping back every once and a while to look at the big picture
instead of ruling out such things as vaccinations or diet or enviroment
pehapse a correlative study of such factors in relation to the rise i autism would be telling
and for godsake if there are correlations to certain things like vaccinations or diet
be man or woman enough to state it
let the data gathered speak for it self
don't muddle it up with "favorable" statistics
there are lives at risk here damnit
Hi I wanted to correct myself in a comment I made about Mercury being in the vaccines that was not true but what is true that I found out yesterday is this the vaccines contained an additive or preservative that contained properties in it that were similar to mercury but my doctor explained that this preservative has been removed from ALL vaccines since 2004 or so so according to my doctor vaccines should be "safe" from that year forward I apologize for the incorrect information but felt I should correct it since I was misinformed before and my doctor did say my daughter is not autistic but that she does have some learning problems, attention problems and emotional or behavior problems but her doctor didn't want to "label" her as anything specific and suggested I go to a psycho-nuerologist? or something like that. Her doctor also suggested that autism is like the new "hype" in diagnosing just like when ADD/ADHD became the problem. And soon it was like everyone had it. In no way am I trying to downplay autism or the real problems any of you are having with your children but I've been struggling with my daughter for years and there have been times I've been embarrassed to even go to the grocery store with her because I never know when she'll have an outburst. I do still believe that with God anything is possible and we can through diet, prayer and knowledge help our children heal
Why when something is "off, not the norm, quirky" everyone automatically says it needs fixing. And with the medical practice bombarded by pharmacutical claims a pill for everything has become the norm. Doctors giving medication to children that has never been tested for children. Is autism on the rise across the globe or just here in the US? Standardized schooling has also affected parents needing a "label" for their child or they may not receive an education. How did we get so far down this path? Can we not do as the autistic patient requests "meet them half way" and accept, nuture and assist them instead of labeling them deficient and in need of "fixing"? Expecially when we nor the medical community can envision a cure (fix).
Ok, as a scientist, I must jump in on this.
First of all, the CDC rejecting a link between mercury and autism is useless. There is too much bias here.
Secondly, ANY, and I mean ANY, study funded by a vaccine manufacturer, distributor, retailer, and/or prescriber has to be discredited due to ‘conflict of interest.’
Now, to some facts….
1. It is true that not all children that follow the CDC-recommended vaccine schedule develop autism - this however does not invalidate a link! However, as more and more vaccines are being added to the schedule with time, the numbers of kids with autism also increases. Of course, I'm assuming a relative constant number of kids per year.
2. Of ALL the autistic children in the USA, most, if not all, were vaccinated! so, let’s start here…most all autistic kids were vaccinated…
To study this truly, one must have two statiscally representative large populations of children (let’s say 5,000-10,000 children in each):
Population #1: they abide by the CDC-recommended vaccine schedule to the letter
Population #2: no vaccines during first 2-5 years of life
All other variables as constant as possible (mainly diet and nurturing).
I hypothesize that population #1 will have a MUCH higher incidence of autism that population #2.
Mercury is toxic and will kill you. Check any material safety data sheet (MSDS) accompanying mercury-containing chemicals and it will become quite clear that mercury exposure is highly dangerous and deadly. It accumulates in the body and really messes you up. Now, why the heck would anyone inject a liquid (a vaccine) that has been exposed to a mercury-containing agent into a 2month old baby?
Aluminum: most vaccines contain aluminum metal. This is bad as well. Aluminum, like mercury, is cationic, has multiple oxidation states, can bind anions (i.e., proteins, cell surface receptors, certain enzymes, DNA, etc)and can inhibit their normal function, cause inflammation, etc. The last thing one wants to do is inhibit normal body functions in a developing baby.
3. Look at other countries who vaccinate less than the USA:
(A) do they have a lower rate of autism? what’s in their vaccines?
4. People argue that the reason so many childhood illnesses has presumably been wiped out is due to the CDC vaccine schedule. Maybe but there is a fundamental saying among scientists and many Nobel Laureates:
“Correlation does not equate to causation” - this is a double edge sword but worth mentioning
I think parents should search the internet, speak with qualified doctors AND chemists (those in favor and those opposed to vaccines) and formulate their own opinion.
Keep in mind that over the years, food safety/environmental safety standards have improved vastly as well. These can easily be argued as contributing to the lower incidence of childhood diseases with time as well.
My take is that some babies and young children can physiologically handle the bad stuff that vaccines contain and do not become autistic. Others cannot handle it and develop the disease.
We must also look for the link between metals like aluminum which is in our deodorants to other neurological disorders such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons. Do the neurological systems of Alz and Parkinsons patients contain any metals? If so, which ones? what are the sources?
Now, on to a 'cure'...this is mere scientific speculation but if cationic metals are the cause, can some chelation agent (as a drug) be used to effectively remove the metals from the body? Now, this would likely remove what one needs as well as what one doesn't need but somewhere there is a balance.
I think pediatricians should be more proactive about figuring this out and not take the
"well the CDC recommends vaccination and I align myself with them and I assume no liability because I'm following CDC recommendations"
approach. Pediatricians and vaccine manufacturers should be made accountable and liable.
Regarding genetics and autism....
The human genome is soo large that it is not surprising that 1 can find SOME gene sequence and correlation. As long as human DNA is in length, statistically there should be some small sequence common to most people. The longer the gene sequence, the higher the specificity and uniqueness.
I am the mother of a 9 year old boy who has autism. He didn't speak but only screamed at the highest pitch tone possible, shattering windows, glass, etc... threw violent tantrums and hurt himself whenever things were moved, changed or didn't go to his idea of how things were supposed to be. He has a hyper sensitive sense of smell, touch, taste, etc... I kept getting told by family doctors and pedatrians he was just slow, he get to certain goals like speech, playing right, etc... I finally took him to a suggested team of female doctors (he wasn't diagnosed as autism yet). After a short 15 minute visit I was referred to children's hospital in the state, a few weeks of waiting and we went down for what I saw as hellious exposure for my son. It was set up for him to play, watch and just act normal as he does. By the time 3 pm rolled around he was exhausted and spent. He had kicked, thrown things, cried, screamed, done as much damage to himself and to furntiture etc... as he could. I was literally heartbroken thinking these drs were monsters to do this type of testing. They did nothing but play with him and take lots of notes but to my son it was hell. I was escorted away from him for a short time just so they could show something, he had an advocate with him while I was gone. I came back to see my son had taken simple wooden building blocks (not legos or lincoln ones) and rebuilt the cities of pittsburgh, pa and a few other small cities and towns nearby with hundreds and hundreds of blocks. The entire hospital staff was in awe and wonder about it. At the time I was like just let us go home send me the report I just want us out of here. But they sat me down and said your son is autistic (all I thought about was pyschatric wards and the movie called "house of cards"). When I was younger I used to volunteer with special needs kids, I learned sign language I helped out at summer camps and babysitted for kids with special needs just to give their parents a break/date night ocasional free of charge. God somehow showed me before I ever had my son, I was one of those that could handle it if it should happen, without me ever knowing. Later I reaslised the drs at the hospital did something amazing they played with, observed and diagnosed my son when others we had seen wouldn't. Things got alot easier, I wasn't a bad parent, I didn't make my son this way and there was still a million things my son could do. Even a few things he might be able to surpass other children in doing growing up. I wont say it was easy, even to this day I am overwelmed sometime, but I try to step back count to ten or just forget what I am trying to do and ask my son.... what do you wanta do. Forget bills, worries, etc.. they will always be there but taking a few moments just to read a book or play with building blocks or color makes a world of difference to a child even more so to one that has problems. I first heard my child actually talk when he was 5, it was only sounds. It took me to the age of him being six years old before I heard "mommy" out of his mouth. Please dont disspear, I know its horrible and you think this has to be thee worst day of your life. But it isn't if you are still there to be a parent, grandparent, sibling or friend to someone with a disability. I had another child a few years ago and now he is being tested for autism, he finally is talking but at the age of 3 he should be doing alil more then a few words, he does the flapping, paccing, echoing, tantrums and cant sleep for more then a few minutes at a time and has terrors andr over heightened sensitivity. But ocasional he smiles or is nice to his brother and it makes me thankful I am his parent. If you are need of help, talk to your local doctors, local librarian can help to with getting names of organizations. As well as online there are countless sites, even if your child doesn't go to school yet go to the school district office in your area, they can provide help with testing, early childhood education. Plus if you go to your local social services dept of your county, if your child is signed up they can help with everything from health care to needed nesscities. I am a single parent but I have a full time job, which to me sounds astounding cause no day care or person can handle my so called disabled son (he is a child not some monster out to cause mahem like some people still sterotype) they have a program if you are unable to work and your income status qualifies they will hire yourself as your child's aid or help you get an aid and help offset the cost of any so you can go to work and your child is being looked over by someone who is completely totally qualified. You aren't being a freeloader, cause if you end up being your child's aid and caregiver, you are working a job cause if you didn't do it someone else would have to and they get paid for it. At first I thought you as a parent should look after your child irregardless without getting paid but if it comes down to not being able to get child care to work outside your home and your income isn't enough then even if your child gets social security pay, you still might qualify. Call your local county social services and ask for dept of inhome supportive services. They will take your information and set up a appointment to see if you qualify. I only wish people had told me about this program years ago when I was literally scrapping up pennies and sewing clothes, doing other peoples laundry and things so menial just so I could stay at home to give my children the care they so badly needed. For those that try to blame other kids' needs taking their children's school funds. Go into your local school, honestly ask the teachers what they would love to have to help in their classrooms but the budget doesn't allow, some teachers will buy things for kids out of their own personal money. I try to donate things from pencils to colored paper to sometimes an ocasional board game etc.... some kids come to school with nothing but the clothes on their back just due to the economy not due to their parents being thoughtless. Yea its hard to find a school that has everything for your kids, but why not look around and say... am I helping the situation or only complaining. Please watch the movie "house of cards" it shows a few good points. Will you be willing to expand your outlook, thoughts and images to help or understand others or just blame things from schools to other people. We all can help, even if you are broke, go help with story time at your son's special dayclass. Alot of children irregardless of eye contact or even if they wont sit down on the carpet to show their attention love to hear another person's even tone voice telling them a story. I did that from before my children were born and still do it to this day. Even when he couldn't talk and had a really bad day my first son would always hand me a book if I didn't have one already set to read. God bless all of you, parents, family members and friends of all children. You are one of the biggest hero and role models to them.
In time, it will be proven that autism is caused by a genetic susceptibility to environmental toxins. In english, some babies can handle the pesticides in their food and the toxins in vaccines, (combined with all other environmental toxins) better than other babies. The babies that can't handle them are called the susceptibility group. When these individuals reach their toxic load... you get the disease... autism, adhd, etc.
NEWSFLASH: 1) It's not just mercury. 2-phenoxyethanol and other vaccine ingredients are also neurotoxins. Want to find out? Ask for the vaccine insert and google the ingredient names... especially the preservative chemical names... you'll be horrified. 2) Thimerosol has NOT been removed from all vaccines... flu shots still have it, and no onwe forced peds to get rid of shelf stock that may still be in use.
WebMd represents traditional, mainstream medicine which is playing catch-up to what the pioneers in this field (ie the "zealots" as noted in the article) already know. I'll be at the Green Our Vaccines Rally in Washington DC along with THOUSANDS of other "zealots" who are already clued in to this reality. MOM counts for a lot more than MD when it comes to children. The sooner moms are taken seriously when they speak their minds, the sooner progress will be made in this field. Now if only the CDC would admit what they know and do the right thing.
D.R. mom,grandmom
First of all I want to say THANK YOU to the HONEST!!! SCIENTIST for making the comments that he did.You are very smart about this issue & it would certainly benefit alot of people especially our dear children, if the medical community took your view point! Secondly there is nothing more hurtful than to have people critize you in the midst of your pain!! I would find it very hard to believe that there is even one critic out there that has an autistic child & knows the painful heart ache it is to watch someone you love, especially a little innocent child!!!Thirdly I want to say that not only am I a grandmother of a beautiful autistic child that lives with me but I grew up perfectly normal & had a GPA in college of 4.0 but in 1994 I had a flu vaccine shot and since that time I have suffered with severe sensory disorder!!!! I want to tell you I had NO problems before that shot!! Maybe the children can't speak for themselves but I can! I'm sure there is a crowd just waiting to critize this but before you go jumping onto your keyboard ask yourself if you have to live with all the issues that we have or are you just the audience? If you are the audience then isn't it great that you can just stop reading the comments and go on with your normal life?
What about too much tv watching contributing to autism, little ones not using their brains, not learning social skills. I can't help using it to keep my 4-year old only child quiet and occupied instead of hanging on my legs when I need to do something. He has been watching since 6 months old. He "stimms" but doesn't show any other symptoms of autism.
My son has not been diagnosed yet with Autism. I have been to all the doctor I can and now we have to wait 6 months to see a dev pediatrician. I was told that he does things that an Autistic child does. Like he rock, he has rocked ever since he was born. My son is 26 months and he does not say a word. He likes to play by himself and he has sensory issues. If he is in a unfamiliar place he will scream his head off. He hates to be touch and is afraid of children too. But omg, he is soo smart and I see that. He observes everything and examines all of his toys. He seperates things and figures stuff out so quickly. One day I gave him froot loops and cheerios and he seperated the froot loops from the cheerios. WOW!! I dont know, I want answers. Its soo difficult. I have to guess what he wants and when he is hungry bc he cant tell me. If anyone would like to email me. my email address is divasalinas@yahoo.com. This is a serious matter and I would like serious answers. Thank you!!
To all the self professed "scientists, "chemists", etc...
Thimerosal is found in everyday household cleaning agents, soaps, shampoos, etc...(an amount that is considered "negligible" does not have to be listed among the ingredients of a product---Dove soap is touted as 99% "pure" yet the other 1% contains the preservative thimerosal). How much thimerosal do you suppose one inhales and/or absorbs through their skin on even a monthly basis? How much of this passes through to unborn child while in-utero from the mother's exposure? Care to even estimate? How much does a newborn, infant, young child, inhale, ingest and absorb themselves just by eating, bathing, touching, etc...?
How much mercury does an ordinary dental amalgam contain? How much of that mercury leaches out CONSTANTLY into ones bloodstream, which in turn can effect YOUR health, brain functioning or that of an unborn child in-utero directly from the mother with said dental amalgam?
Are you aware there is MORE mercury in ONE SERVING of tuna than there WAS in one vaccines THAT USED TO contain thimerosal? How much of that mercury passes on to unborn child in-utero from a mom eating the fish? Again, care to even estimate?
Furthermore, how much of all this "incidental" environmental mercury ingestion, inhalation and absorption do you suppose affects the very DNA that is contained in female egg and male sperm cells that can be inherited?
Thimerosal is NO LONGER found in vaccines and has not be in vaccines for several years now and yet the incidence of autism has NOT abated. Why is that, huh?
Perhaps if you actually WERE the scientist, chemists, medical professionals, etc... you claim to be you would know better than to make any of blanket statements that you have since you have absolutely NO EMpirical evidence to validate your claims (and you would spell empirical correctly as well!). Furthermore, a scientist does not make a hypothesis and then try to PROVE their hypothesis is CORRECT, rather, a scientist makes a hypothesis and then attempts to DISPROVE that hypothesis' ACCURACY. IOW, they TEST their hypothesis!
One more thing, an actual scientist considers ALL possible variables such as those listed above and performs a study with as many consistent variables as possible in the study group AS WELL AS THE CONTROL GROUP (uh, you can't TEST ANY hypothesis without a study consisting of a control!)
Get your facts straights and stop spouting off inaccurate, ill-researched, agenda pushing propaganda and posing as something you obviously are not!
Autism is not a mystery to me.
I have LIVED autism thru my nefew'story.I was his nanny from his age of 1 to 6y.His autism stared around 2 and an half.We've been very CLOSE and I helped him A LOT.When you "see" a child "becoming" autistic(without to be parent) you can understand what autism is.
It is a non communication and there is always a reason why a 2y.old child "refuse" to communicate.
PS:I think I cn help the Gaston family(MD) seen on CNN.JOELLE(from Belgium)
I am a 30 yr old mother of a son who has autism. I also am autistic. I believe it is genetic. I DO NOT believe for a second that the environment, vaccines, or anything else plays a part. It is not on the rise, people are becoming more aware of it and what it really does. Autism is not a deadly disease, people live with it all the time. For a lack of better word "normal" people need to be reading up as much as they can and learning to accept autistic people as they are and not always trying to change them to fit some mold of what is perceived to be "ideal." I am so sick of these celebrities using their fame to gain pseudo credibility on "vaccines causing autism". It is simply not true. If it were then how come everyone doesn't have autism? Would these people feel better about disallowing vaccines for their child altogether and one day, polio comes back? Or a rubella outbreak because too many people were worried that their child would "turn" autistic? I think if I have my choice of vaccine or child get deathly ill, I'd choose the vaccine. Remember also that children with HIV or certain forms of cancer cannot be vaccinated, so they have to rely on the majority of children getting them.
As far as diets helping out, parents need to do what they think is right on this one. If it helps, keep doing it. But don't disallow vaccines because all it takes is a few here and there to add up to a lot, increasing risk for disease outbreak.
Dr. P
I have been trying to find some info about ABA if it is done incorrectly. My 4 year old Autistic boy is attending a school that used 'ABA' last year, and the new teachers are finding that most of the kids who were in this class are acting as if they were abused. We have spoken to some ABA experts who told us that the techniques that were being used are NOT ABA (as the school claimed) and that these techniques should NEVER be used on a child. I was recently informed that when they teachers gave him verbal directions (he had a receptive language delay, tested as understanding about = 6-9 mo) he was given 3 seconds to comply- no repeating, no visual cues. If he did not comply, he was silently escorted to another room where he would sit on the floor, a teacher stood in front of him with her back to him untill he was "ready" still with no repetition of the request- His longest documented time in this room was 4 hours 20 min. He never argued, screamed or had a tantrum, he just did not do what was asked of him immediately. They had other, harsher 'rules' too, they mis-interpereted most of his behaviors as being attention seeking when he was trying to get away,he begged not to go. I talked to them about it, they told me he was not handling the transition times from home to school well and that everything is fine, "he is happier at school than he is at home" they told me. eventually, he started hurting himself, sometimes the teachers would leave when he was in the room, he would pull up his sleeves and bite 'till he bled, then made sure to keep his arms covered afterwards.worst of all, after a few months they started sending home written instructions so that we could do this to him at home too.
We pulled him from the school when we found out about this, he was always fearful, he began having accidents etc, he was allways angry-but never acted on it. He still has nightmares and cuddles up with me every night @ 1230, crying about Mrs $*%($ being mean to him.
There is a new team this year who have been very sweet, open and cautious with these kids. We are trying to figure out a way to help him open up at school again and want to avoid ABA for now since I don't know who to trust They were all certified, etc. the leader of the group has all sorts of qualifications/publications etc. The new teachers have told me that at school he has a fake/ awkward smile, while at home he laughs and has genuine big smiles (they come to the house to help get to know him where he is comfortable)
He is such a good kid, I just want to do something- the other parents are sueing and there may be a criminal investigation too. But that doesn't help him. He can't speak, would counselling help? Will time be enough? Should we try legitimate ABA? We have an appt with ped psych, but it is still a month away. (long wait times for everything around here) His docs are all very supportive, but don't really know what to do other than see psych. Help, what do we do in the meantime? How can we help him feel comfortable at school?
Thank you so much....
It was interesting to see a post questioning whether or not the use of 'recreational' drugs by parents of autistic children could be the cause of this disability in children which has increased thousands-fold in less than two generations. I wonder if anyone knows of any studies to this effect. I don't have children, but I do have an inquiring mind. There's been so much emphasis on other causes, such as childhood vaccinations but no studies that I know of regarding recreational drug use by parents prior to conception of these children. I wonder if such a study would prove that recreational drugs were indeed the causative factor, is the fear and possibly shame that parents would feel too large a pricetag for getting to the bottom of this mystery? I don't have children, but I do have an inquiring mind.
Several months ago I read 2 articles on autism, which took my notice. As I recall, one found that Autistic kids were significantly more likely to suffer from Mitochondrial disorders. The other was about an autistic girl who was able to prove that her autism was triggered by a vaccination, and who also had a mitochondrial disorder. I think it is plausible that autism can be triggered by vaccines, if you have a mitochondrial disorder. It could also be triggered by other things. Many of these studies which find that there is no connection between vaccines and autism, exclude any child which starts having a severe, adverse reaction, such as a seizure, from the case study.
Now saying all this, I'm still vaccinating my kids, because there is no indication that my family has a mitochondrial disorder (not that there would be), and in the last couple of years the incidence of kids getting totally preventable diseases, measles, mumps, influenza, polio, has skyrocketed. Before immunizations, there were hospitals filled with children on iron lungs due to polio.
If this connection between mitochondrial disorders and autism can be substantiated, than that would be a viable way to reduce the number of kids getting this disorder. We could increase our research on mitochondrial disorders and start testing kids for it. Right now only a small percentage of mitochondrial disorders can be identified.
If we knew which kids could have an adverse reaction to immunizations, we could excuse them from getting them, or specialized ones.
One of my concerns with kids who are high functioning Autistic spectrum, is that if they receive an immunization at the wrong time, that they could become fully autistic. I wonder if anyone has looked at that???
On the other hand, I haven't heard of a child having autism triggered after the age of 3. I'm not an autism expert, but that seems important.
I hope this helps someone.
Good luck.
I know this may be old news up on this article, but mostly parents are commenting for these autistic patients.
I have been diagnosed with aspergers since age ten.
Now I am about to go to college in a few months, and it is very stressful knowing I have this. And so little is known about Autism, I worry everyday about the future, when I might want to have kids. After taking Dexedrine for 10 years, my children might not turn out to ever be normal. I have to worry about every aspect of life, and yes, I agree that something should be done about it.
I just wish something could be done to let female Aspergers patients have kids without having to worry about medicine.
The best thing I could say about children/adults with Asperger's is that they be treated as normal as they can. I was misdiagnosed several time with learning disabilities and ADHD to just being a "problem child". It put a lot of stress on my family. My elder siblings didn't understand why I was getting "special treatment" and why my parents spent so much time with me. School was miserable for me, since I was a slow learner in some subjects and the other students knew that I was constantly bullied and teased. I would say that if you are having a hard time with helping your child that you get a wraparound.(A person who is trained to help families to better understand/help their child to function in society) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wraparound. Having a wraparound is not for everyone though.Just remember that no matter what we are normal except for certain things and "quirks" we have.
using the logic that Vaccines cause autism, could you not also use the same logic to argue every childhood disease is caused by the same vaccines? How many children who develop childhood diabetes or asthma had vaccinations? My son is 16 months old and has had all of his vaccinations, despite resistance from his mother and her family, but the simple fact is that there is no known link between vaccinations and autism. And using the illogical argument that there is some kind of link you can link any childhood disease to vaccinations.
different studies do show a link between vaccinations and autism. Just go online and you will find multiple studies linking the two. 1 in every 10,000 kids were diagnosed with autism in the 1970s that number has soared to 1 in every 150 as of 2006. Yes overdiagnoses has probably occured but there has got to be some link between the QUANTATY of vaccines and autism. In the 1970 it was about 10 vaccines given to children. It is now over 30 !!!.......Tell me that the drug companies are not benefiting from most children getting over 30 vaccines compared to 10!!!!......That leads me to beleive that we can have healthy children with very minimal vaccinations. . . .
Some vaccines are good and needed but over 30! I am not buying it....i have a 16 month old daughter and we gave her , her first 6 vaccines....havent given her any since they recalled them back in 08....that tells me theres something wrong with there products.....i rather have her without them than have her be the drug companies guinea pig...
Hope its the correct choice...
bye everyone.....
I had a very hard pregnancy with my son. I ended up hospitalized because of a blood disorder I have. My spleen grew from the size of a bean to around 3 pounds. No one wanted to operate because I was pregnant. They put me on morphine for the pain and waited until I got to 26 weeks, the age when a baby just starts to become viable if born. I was on morphine constantly for over a month, and received many blood transfusions. I believe his autism stems from the drugs I was given or the amount of blood that was transfused. He was autistic long before he was ever vaccinated.
To the poster who said "Just go online and you will find multiple studies linking the two." Just because something is on the internet doesn't mean it is the truth. You need to become a much more critical reader. Who wrote the article? Was it peer reviewed? Anyone can post something on the internet. And anecdotes don't mean a thing. They really don't. You can find an anecdote to support any theory you like. Peer reviewed studies that use the scientific method are much more credible.
It's heartbreaking to have a child who isn't everything you imagined. But you know something? Even children who don't have autism are different. And yet all of the children are wonderful in their own way. And it is understandable that parents try to hold on to a theory, any theory, that helps to explain their confusion and pain. But refusing to vaccinate your child, accusing doctors of being part of some vast conspiracy with the drug manufacturers, or accusing the CDC of hiding the details - this is junk.
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