Video: Did vaccines really cause autism?
posted at 2:55 pm on May 6, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
It’s been over a year since the Times of London discredited the 1998 Lancet study that claimed to link autism with thimerasol in vaccines, and three months since Lancet formally retracted the paper. Other studies never duplicated the results of the first, and autism rates have remained steady since thimerasol’s removal from the process. Yet people still worry over a link between vaccines and autism. Reason TV offers a look into the dangers of confusing correlation with causation, and the damage poorly-designed studies can do:
A 1998 article published in the British medical journal The Lancet generated enormous impact by proposing a link between autism and childhood vaccines. Since then, celebrity activists like Jenny McCarthy have argued that common shots like the measles, mumps, and rubellla vaccine (MMR) trigger autism. Countless media stories have covered the alleged link.
Some parents take to the streets to protest the federal government’s vaccine policy and thousands more take the issue to court. Many others, like Kelly Green, who runs AutismHwy.com and is the mother of an autistic child, feel overwhelmed by the information flooding in from both sides of the debate. Jim Moody of the think tank Safe Minds blames the federal government for not being honest about the threat and failing to provide reliable information on the matter. But researchers like UC Santa Barbara’s Lynn Koegel say the evidence is overwhelming that vaccines do not cause autism.
Recently, the debate took another turn when The Lancet retracted the 1998 article that did so much to spark the controversy. Will the retraction finally allay parents’ worries or will some continue to resist vaccinations?
No one can blame parents for taking as much caution as possible with their children. Certainly, the initial “shut up and give us your children” response from the health-care establishment didn’t help, either. But the health-care establishment has itself to blame for not doing what the Times of London did during the decade where that study was endlessly quoted as a credible source for confirming causation instead of correlation.
Most children get their MMR shots at one year. Autism becomes pronounced enough at one age to allow for diagnosis. As one woman states in the video, it’s hardly unreasonable for parents to question whether the two might be linked. It’s up to publications like the Lancet to demand total transparency and a reasonable set of research standards before publishing studies that claim causation rather than correlation, which Lancet obviously failed to do. That has put thousands of children at risk, thanks to their complicity in frightening parents away from vaccinations.
That same lesson can be applied to global-warming claims as well. And probably won’t be.
Update: Most kids get vaccine shots starting at 2 months; the MMR comes at one year, and that was the shot that created the controversy. Thanks to the commenter who asked me to clarify this.
Blowback
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There’s about a dozen shots before the age of one. I believe there’s one at birth (Vitamin K?) and then others at 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 months. Maybe you meant that most kids get the MMR at age one?
RachDubya on May 6, 2010 at 3:00 PM
Just heard a story on the radio that DOW dropped 900 points because of new rioting in Greece.
Kelligan on May 6, 2010 at 3:01 PM
being an older mother became more fashionable around that time.
tomas on May 6, 2010 at 3:02 PM
There is an excellent book on the subject by a New England doctor on this topic that came out in the last two years. The title and author will come to me. But that’s not really the point and the parallels to global warming are right on.
It is a hot button issue and hotly contested resulting in alot of unvaccinated kids.
The best thing would be if researchers could get closer to a genetic or other cause but even then, no kidding, the people who believe vaccines cause autism would never be convinced. Trust me.
ORconservative on May 6, 2010 at 3:05 PM
This is sickening. I know parents of autistic children who are absolutely convinced of the link. It colors their reactions to everything, from disconfirming media reports to a government they distrust (even more than most).
There should be consequences for publishers who run with stories that can’t be confirmed, or that aren’t backed by adequate research. The harm they cause is inexcusable.
Dee2008 on May 6, 2010 at 3:07 PM
Note:
Jenny McCarthy will issue a statement once she calms down.
Spiny Norman on May 6, 2010 at 3:07 PM
There is a chart here of the increase in risk.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-04-02-older-parents-autism_N.htm
pedestrian on May 6, 2010 at 3:08 PM
Tell you what, you can go round and round about changes over the years but one chage is/was that 25 years ago the kids currently diagnosed with autism were not all diagnosed as autictic. I’m not saying the numbers have not risen and I’m not saying there is not a problem but I am saying that the way doctors diagnosed developmental disabilities has changed over the years.
ORconservative on May 6, 2010 at 3:09 PM
The spike in autism diagnoses has accompanied a dip in diagnoses of mental retardation, ADHD, and developmental disorder. In other words, the same set of characteristics that would have been called something else decades ago is now called autism or autism spectrum.
My younger son has been diagnosed as having a disorder in the autism spectrum. Not due to vaccines or anything else, but his inability to communicate that his ears were clogged with fluid didn’t help.
I think some of the fretting is because popular culture pushes the idea of waiting until you can afford to helicopter the kid, having only one or two kids, then hovering over the kid all his life until he turns 18. This is supposed to make you a perfect parent, right? So if something is slightly wrong, there is such temptation to look outside of individual differences. My younger son is just different. Once someone is willing to talk to him and work with him, he does great.
Sekhmet on May 6, 2010 at 3:11 PM
Ed, Jill Stanek has been tracking a different idea that may be the culprit rather than thimerasol:
Vaccines made with fetal cells causing autism?
and
New Stanek Column: Vaccines made with fetal cells causing autism?
INC on May 6, 2010 at 3:11 PM
And here’s the WND column:
INC on May 6, 2010 at 3:13 PM
Which shot are you referring to? There are multiple vaccinations administered prior to one year and the list continues to grow.
While you’re correct that an official diagnosis cannot be made until much later (and many times not until preschool age) there are several types represented on the autism spectrum. Some children exhibit signs at birth and progress, others have perfectly normal development and regress. it’s extremely hard to pin down sometimes and, regardless of these current studies, I’ve still delayed my second child’s vaccinations until 2 years. (Her older brother followed the recommended vax schedule, had immediate reactions to them, some frightening, and also has late-onset mild autism. )
Bee on May 6, 2010 at 3:13 PM
As much as man’s CO2 creates global warming…there is a consensus.
jukin on May 6, 2010 at 3:17 PM
Just a few days ago a report stated that vaccines were made using some human cells starting in 1988, and that was when the increase was noticed. Also it seemed to say only males were affected or mostly affected.
tim c on May 6, 2010 at 3:17 PM
I blame nobody for my daughter’s autism. In some ways, I cannot see my life as being the same if she did not have autism. It has tested me, personally, and my family. I have found that having a special needs child has increased my patience and empathy for others. Personally, I would rather deal with the tantrums, communication issues, and other things than have my daughter die from diphtheria, tetanus, measles or any other easily preventable disease.
FYI…I am a scientist and an educator. I have been reading the scientific literature for years, analyzing the raw data, and telling everyone that there is no credible link between vaccines and autism.
It infuriates me to no end when my daughter’s school publishes a notice indicating that an active case of whooping cough has been documented. In fact, the child infected was in my daughter’s class….and the school told us to seek treatment for my daughter because that kids had been in close proximity. All children are supposed to be current on vaccinations before enrolling in public school. But, parents have found a way around this. They can ask for a “religious or cultural” exemption to not vaccinate their kids. Way to go, libs.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on May 6, 2010 at 3:17 PM
See my links a few comments above.
INC on May 6, 2010 at 3:11 PM
INC on May 6, 2010 at 3:13 PM
INC on May 6, 2010 at 3:18 PM
I agree. As the parent of what used to be called a “willful child” I had every label thrown at my kid from ADD to ADHD to ODD to Asperger’s Syndrome.
Unfortunately, when teachers can’t simply tell a kid to sit still and be quiet, the social worker has to justify her paycheck.
Jaynie59 on May 6, 2010 at 3:22 PM
My niece really loves her music class. Her teacher came over for her birthday and I almost cried seeing her so responsive.
tomas on May 6, 2010 at 3:22 PM
Precisely. Thanks.
tim c on May 6, 2010 at 3:25 PM
Thanks for that. Really.
Bee on May 6, 2010 at 3:26 PM
I agree that sometimes it seems like autism or the even vaguer autism spectrum is a hip catch all diagnosis for “something is a little off and the parents want a name”
I also agree that back when people had bigger families and didn’t have the time or inclination to revolve their lives around one or two long awaited kids we accepted more variances in children’s abilities & behavior. People thought that kids would outgrow some of the problems/issues we now want treatment, special education, or therapy for.
katiejane on May 6, 2010 at 3:26 PM
Let’s see they tell pregnant women not to eat fish because of mercury – the correlation of mercury in fish to the effect on unborn children…what is the preservative that was used in vaccines? And if you stack the shots -more than one at time – into a little child’s body, say a 2 month old. How many times are you adding that vaccine preservative into their little bodies? No one knows what causes Autism but I bet the Drug companies that sell the vaccines, don’t want to be sued or a lucrative revenue stream shut off.
For some reason they don’t use thimerasol as a preservative anymore Why? If it is so safe? That doesn’t mean these shots are still not sitting on a shelf – it just means they are not producing vaccines using this preservative. So who knows how many of these vaccines were left on the shelf until they all get used up?
Dr Evil on May 6, 2010 at 3:27 PM
I do object to using fetal tissue for research or medical treatment. But again, correlation doesn’t equal causation. Perhaps the connection is something that warrants research, but be careful about this one:
obladioblada on May 6, 2010 at 3:28 PM
The “evidence” linking autism to vaccines is about as compelling as… well, 9/11 conspiracy theories, let alone man-made global warming quackery.
Listen up, people! Correlation does NOT equal causation. Especially when:
Spiny Norman on May 6, 2010 at 3:29 PM
The austerity measure just approved in Greece seems to have caused an outbreak of something as well.
pedestrian on May 6, 2010 at 3:30 PM
Thank you for this.
Every parent must make an educated decision. This was what I considered after my son’s experience.
Bee on May 6, 2010 at 3:31 PM
It is just as valid to say Democrats cause autism.
Then again, perhaps there is more to that theory…
Mr. Joe on May 6, 2010 at 3:36 PM
obladioblada on May 6, 2010 at 3:39 PM
There were whooping cough episodes here this winter too.I hate to say it but getting around vaccinations is super easy, and really I don’t have a problem with that. But what I do have a problem with is the misinformation and the absolutely looney attitudes toward special needs and autism.
It is almost as if we’ve gone backwards, not forwards. A child has to fit is an incredibly defined box to be normal and everyone else needs a diagnosis and intervention and a reason why.
ORconservative on May 6, 2010 at 3:42 PM
The Autism Charade seems to be a prelude to the CO2 Global Warming/Climate Change Charade. There’s believers who will continue to support the charade, regardless of facts.
drfredc on May 6, 2010 at 3:42 PM
Vaccines are a life saver and there is no denying that. There are always going to be a small number of people that have adverse reactions to them, just as some people are allergic to penicillin. If significant numbers of people begin to choose no vaccinations, then the herd immunity protection fails. Measles outbreaks are on the rise since the autism scare.
Choosing to not immunize your children is a very dangerous and stupid game, IMHO.
GnuBreed on May 6, 2010 at 3:44 PM
As a parent of not one, but two children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I must disagree with your statement.
I too once was utterly convinced that the Thimerasol used as a preservative in vaccines had caused my children’s Autism. It left me angry, frustrated, and feeling powerless.
However, as the newer studies began to come out, I read through the summaries (I can’t claim to be able to parse through the scientific language of a medical study) and was convinced that the problem was NOT the Thimerasol.
The facts CAN outweigh emotion, if one is able to accept the truth. More and more of the other parents of children with Autism that I know are coming around to that truth.
Never give up my friend, never give up.
wearyman on May 6, 2010 at 3:47 PM
GRRRRR!
Speaking as someone who IS on the autistic spectrum I think studies like this are bunk!
I was an oxygen-deprived ‘preemie’ and my father was also very likely on the spectrum.
That points to a combination of circumstances of birth and heredity. My brother received the same vacs that I did and he doesn’t have Asperger’s. My very brilliant son however MAY be on the ‘spectrum. He was just named to NHS so it doesn’t seem to be affecting him.
Sorry-but this subject just p***es me off to no end.
I wish that Jenny McCarthy and her buddies at ‘Autism Speaks’(spit) would just go away.
Btw: I was diagnosed at 33. When you sound like a 5 year old when you’re 2 ‘autistic spectrum’ isn’t what usually comes to mind.
annoyinglittletwerp on May 6, 2010 at 3:52 PM
This is how I feel. I’ll be giving birth to my first child in August; and the question is, would I rather risk my child not being immunized or believe that these shots cause Autism when there are studies to prove that it isn’t the case. It was somewhat of a hard decision for us, but I think we’re going to vaccinate our children.
deidre on May 6, 2010 at 3:54 PM
I completely agree that everyone wants a diagnosis for everything these days. But, if you’ve spent time with autistic children and talked with their parents, you’ll understand that this is absolutely something they’d love their baby not to struggle with. There is largely nothing medicinal to treat them, mostly rehabilitate or dietary, both of which can be quite expensive. It’s tough.
What charade? The one where honest parents desperately want to know why their little one can’t speak or regressed from a normally developing child to one which cannot function without lining ever thing up in his world perfectly or else he starts hitting his head on the wall and cannot be consoled for hours? How about communication? Do you think these parents wouldn’t love to be able to talk to their children normally? To be able to know what hurts?
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT’S LIKE TO GO FIVE F**KING YEARS WITH YOUR SON AND NEVER HEAR HIM SAY HIS STOMACH OR HEAD HURTS? TO BE A MOTHER AND NOT KNOW HOW TO HELP HIM?
Sorry, this is a little personal. Some grace would be great.
Bee on May 6, 2010 at 3:54 PM
I think once they start to view things through a “perhaps some stuff in vaccines bring out the already present propensity towards autism “prism instead of a “vaccines cause autism” viewpoint, things will change. There are simply too many mothers & fathers who have seen an immediate change in their children’s behavior for it to be ignored, while at the same time accepting the scientific proof that vaccines do not cause autism.
My son has autism. I have no doubt that he got the gene from me, since he has many of the same traits that I exhibited. But, I’m not foolish enough to state that a vaccine ’caused’ it. It didn’t, it came from me. If some metal brought the condition in some other child to the forefront….I dunno.
It’s genetic, folks. Maybe vaccines tweak something, but it’s genetic.
rjwest21 on May 6, 2010 at 3:56 PM
The only way I see anything in common between the fear of thimerasol and global warming, is the attitude of some commenters here which is incredibly condescending to those who are voicing a rational apprehension. What, if you’re skeptical of global warming, you’re an independent thinker, but if you question the safety of preservatives in substances injected into your child’s body by government order, you’re considered equivalent to a truther? Hypocrites.
MadisonConservative on May 6, 2010 at 3:59 PM
The point is, every parent must make the most educated guess they can. We all love our children. For those of us with autistic kids, we are doing what we can to understand a very difficult condition which is equally difficult to treat.
To dismiss concern over vaccinations as base emotionalism, with or without these studies, is insulting. We’re all sorting through the data and making the best decision for our families. A little less condescension would be great.
Bee on May 6, 2010 at 3:59 PM
Ding! For the win.
Once more: too many parents from every race, country, religion, whatever, have seen changes in their children immediately after vaccination for it to be brushed off as “emotionalism”.
rjwest21 on May 6, 2010 at 4:02 PM
For medical issues, definitely. This is comparable to using one’s free speech to yell ‘fire’ in a crowded theater: people will likely DIE.
Not to mention that refusal to vaccinate for many diseases makes oneself a risk for everyone else…think ‘Typhoid Mary’.
Dark-Star on May 6, 2010 at 4:04 PM
Thank you. :)
Bee on May 6, 2010 at 4:07 PM
I remember a study afew years back that mentioned ultrasound as a possible cause. Haven’t seen anything since. http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science_news/ultrasound.php
mathscience41 on May 6, 2010 at 4:11 PM
While I sometimes wish that I was born ‘normal’-it’s like wishing that I was 5.8 and almost 30.
I’m 5.2 and turn 40 this fall-and wishing won’t change that.
Instead I embrace all of it.
I don’t consider my Asperger’s to be a liability, rather I see it as a gift.
Many of my quirks that my friends-and most importantly my husband-find endearing probably wouldn’t be there if not for my autism.
annoyinglittletwerp on May 6, 2010 at 4:11 PM
Hadn’t heard that but they are a lot more routine today than they used to be.
katiejane on May 6, 2010 at 4:17 PM
My first son was vaccinated like normal. No problems and he’s growing up just fine. Our 2nd son had terrible reactions to the vaccinations, so we stopped giving them to him. He’s growing up fine with no problems. It wasn’t based on studies, emotions or anything like that. It was based on a concern for the health of my child. If you have a normal 6 month old baby and following his vaccinations he is listless and sick for 2 weeks, you’d be concerned as well.
Sure, vaccinations have saved lives, but that doesn’t mean that we have to blindly follow the herd lemming-style. Everyone is different and if your child has reactions to vaccinations then it’s normal to be concerned.
Just educate yourself as best you can and make the best choice for YOUR child, not for someone else’s child.
P.S. Vaccinations aren’t 100% fool proof. Just because you get vaccinated doesn’t mean that you can’t get the disease, it just gives your immune system a better chance of fighting it off. Disease outbreaks are always going to happen.
Luckedout on May 6, 2010 at 4:25 PM
I was thinking about the autism/vaccine scare when reading about a Mumps outbreak being tracked in Northwest Iowa.
taznar on May 6, 2010 at 4:26 PM
I will repeat myself:
I HAVE A FORM OF AUTISM-and I didn’t get it from vaccines.
It runs in my family.
I understand that people are looking for answers-but after I was diagnosed I read up on Asperger’s Syndrome and the autistic spectrum so I could learn more about what was making me tick.
The evidence points to genetics.
annoyinglittletwerp on May 6, 2010 at 4:35 PM
rjwest21 on May 6, 2010 at 3:56 PM
I’m totally in your corner. I firmly believe true Autism speectrum disorders are genetic.
I also believe though that the numbers are not totally reliable across decades because the diagnostic criteria are totally different.
I’ll give you an example. I know a kid who has an IQ of 43, is blind, deaf……..in other words, multiply impaired. He carries an autism diagnosis. Those are the facts. In 1980 or even 1990 that same kid would have been diagnosis as severely mentally retarded, possibly on the outside as cerebral palsy but highly unlikely would have drawn an autism label. To say this is comparable in terms of rising rates is apples and oranges.
ORconservative on May 6, 2010 at 4:38 PM
annoyinglittletwerp on May 6, 2010 at 4:35 PM
In your corner too. Parents sometimes have a better time understanding or accepting if they feel an outside force has plalyed a part.
I’ll give you another example. A boy with fragile x, a clearly genetic form of mental impairment passed through the mother. That mother tells everyone her son is autistic.
ORconservative on May 6, 2010 at 4:41 PM
DDT anyone?
Ortzinator on May 6, 2010 at 4:50 PM
To quote Kissinger: “Even the paranoid have enemies”
Just because the studies thus far have not panned out any link doesn’t mean you can send out the 100% all clear either. As far as I know there has not been a study against an unvaccinated control group. This would be the best way to put the fears completely to rest.
And FYI to new parents. The vaccines in question are the ones with live or “attenuated” viruses. Those being the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella combo shot) and Varicella (chickenpox). Rotavirus vaccine (oral) is another one with live virus strains but is not required by schools. One brand, RotaShield, by Wyeth was removed from the market in 1999 due to increased risk for intussusception. Rotarix was recently de-recommended by the FDA due to contamination of pig DNA. RotaTeq has not had any issues as far as I know.
Personally, I had my daughters doctor hold off on the MMR shot until she was a little over 2 years. She has had the Varicella shot. And we passed on the Rotavirus vaccine. We’ll follow the exact same vaccine schedule for my newborn son since it seems to have has worked out fine for my daughter.
MechEng5by5 on May 6, 2010 at 4:57 PM
ORconservative on May 6, 2010 at 4:41 PM
Some good friends of mine have a daughter with low-functional autism. After Annie was born they were told that there was a high probability that any other children born to them would also be autistic.
Needless to say-my friends agree with me about the genetics.
annoyinglittletwerp on May 6, 2010 at 4:57 PM
I’m more opposed to the vaccines that are produced from aborted fetal lines. Nothing like aborting babies to vaccinate babies.
GoodSamaritan on May 6, 2010 at 5:01 PM
In the past children, who are now diagnosed as autisitc or within the autism spectrum, were just called odd, quirky or mentally retarded. That the number of kids called that has dropped while the number of autism diagnoses has increased seems to confirm that some are just being relabeled.
However, the number of IVF treatments has increased at the same time autism rates have increased and may be worth researching any connection. In many cases, the eggs harvested for IVF are lower quality. And it would be interesting to know what percentage of children born from those lower quality eggs have autism. I know someone who had IVF and decided to implant embryos from poor quality eggs. Both her children have autism. That’s anecdotal, I know, but as women age the quality of eggs deteriorate and since more older women are having children, many by using IVF, there may be causation between that and autism.
Sensible Mom on May 6, 2010 at 5:45 PM
Dude. It’s way easier to study the efficacy and safety of vaccines than it is to model the climate of an entire planet.
TheUnrepentantGeek on May 6, 2010 at 5:45 PM
My favorite autism awareness site: Rethinking Autism
Not only are there some excellent blogs there (some by autistic adults) but there are some very watchable videos on their site featuring the lovely Ms. Leeann Tweeden.
MikeZero on May 6, 2010 at 6:50 PM
Boy is that the truth, thanks for saying it. I am amazed at the posts I’ve read here so far- people saying that autism basically doesn’t exist, or is no big deal, or it HAS to be genetic, or worst of all- politicizing it. Trust me, there is no political issue when your child can’t communicate, or freaks out when he is overwhelmed. None whatsoever.
But the thing that really amazes me is that someone can actually say they KNOW anything about what causes this disorder, or what doesn’t. No one knows, period- and believe me, I’ve asked the experts. I am not in favor of bad scientific studies in any way, but I am not convinced that any study by a pharmaceutical company could possibly be objective.
Obviously the polio vaccine was a godsend, and some others as well. But I had the measles, mumps AND chicken pox when I was a kid, so did everyone I know, and nobody died from them. So why did it become necessary to shoot up children in the earliest developmental brain stages with these powerful combination vaccines?
I have an autistic child but I will admit I don’t know what causes it. I have theory which is that it is caused by a combination of factors & immunizations could be part of that combination- for SOME children. The others, like genetics for example, a parent has no control over. With immunizations you do but the sad part is when you roll that dice & find out later your child has autism, you don’t get a second chance to make that decision.
kg598301 on May 6, 2010 at 6:51 PM
No doubt there are some that would qualify, but I must respectfully disagree with the overall premise if you mean pretty much all autism would fall under those auspices. If not, mea culpa. In the past not too many of those odd, quirky or mentally retarded kids would walk in circles, hum incessantly and refuse to look you in the eye while being able to score “genius” on IQ tests or be able to complete complex puzzles/problems.
I’ll add that I don’t know of a single person who is or was mentally retarded who was incapable of speaking one word (anecdotal, of course). A lot of kids with autism can watch sci-fi movies and understand just about every intricate detail, but can’t say the word “mommy”. Quirky, retarded, odd kids….not so much.
I’m lucky, my son is on the highest end of the “high” part of the spectrum. He talks just like any other kid, so there are no problems there. His autism comes in the form of an inability to focus (supplements help a LOT) and humming when he’s “stemming”. And, to all the armchair sociologists out there, it’s not ADD or his parents not disciplining a child when it’s necessary (not that I’m saying anyone here is assuming that). When he takes the supplements we’ve targeted, he’s about 90% recovered. If there are no supplements, he can become a glass-eyed near-zombie who prefers to live in his own little world. That’s prevalent among autistic kids, btw, living in their “own world”.
But, hey, I’m lucky. I’ve been given notice to attend his 3rd grade class awards ceremony in a few weeks. He was given the math award for 1st & 2nd grades, so I have a feeling that the little math genius (he hates, hates, hates to use notepaper to figure out problems…considers it “cheating”) has done it again.
Of course, I’m an engineer…..yep, genetic. From me.
Back to the topic: no, he doesn’t act like the mentally retarded kids in the “old days”. I understand where you’re coming from and misdiagnoses occur a lot, but autism is real and it’s not what was happening with the ‘odd’ kids back when we were young (I’m 43). This is different. It’s not what was around years ago. It’s not, trust me.
rjwest21 on May 6, 2010 at 7:28 PM
Unless you have a statistically significant number of children, then making decisions based on your own one or two observations is indeed emotionalism.
pedestrian on May 6, 2010 at 7:46 PM
kg598301 on May 6, 2010 at 6:51 PM
It really bothers me how some speak of autism here-like it’s a death sentence.
It’s not.
I was relieved when I was diagnosed because I finally learned that what I had lived with all those years had a name. I was put off my the phrase ‘autistic-spectrum’ until a trusted professional assured me that it was a difference-not a disease-and differences don’t need curing.
That isn’t to say that there aren’t things that I need to work on. I need to think about asking people about themselves, not interrupting conversations, slowing down my speech, eye-contact, not flipping out at schedule changes.
I’ve have come a long way in ALL those areas and as a result I’ve made some new friends.
I don’t claim to know what you and Bee are going through.
I know that AS is a different animal than regular autism and that most regular autistics won’t get married and raise a family(actually many Aspies don’t either)
The point to my rambling is that there are differing levels of functionality on the spectrum.
For those of us at/near the top, there a good chance that we can live a productive and well…normal life.
annoyinglittletwerp on May 6, 2010 at 7:52 PM
rjwest21 on May 6, 2010 at 7:28 PM
Your son could’ve been my son at one point.
My son wants to join the USMC after college-maybe after HS- so when near the end of 8th grade he asked me and my ex if he could quit the Adderal so he could be off it at least two years when he took his ASVAB.
We agreed.
He’s finishing up his sophomore year now and will be inducted in to the NHS in two weeks.
He’s probably AS-but it hasn’t seem to matter.
annoyinglittletwerp on May 6, 2010 at 7:59 PM
Thank you so much for your story! It’s encouraging as a parent to see the other side. It can be isolating and frustrating over here not knowing what to do with limited financial resources.
Bee on May 6, 2010 at 8:00 PM
There is also a cultural aspect to autism, as one who has been diagnosed in that somewhat catchall category… for me it isn’t genetic, per se, but the two very different cultures in the house when I was growing up. A mother of Polish extraction (3rd gen) and a father of Nordic extraction (2nd gen), led to a strange embroilment of emotions flowing on one side and not on the other. While I may consider my father taciturn, that was more cultural from all I could witness than genetic. Like the book says – Scandinavian Humor and Other Myths.
Also within the family I had a goodly separation between myself and my next nearest sib, and that was enough distance to basically make me an ‘onlie’, and that is a different situation on its own, too. Thus I can see these things as multi-causational – genetic, cultural, home life and the final piece which is personality.
We still don’t have a good handle on how people get their basic personality traits. Until we can understand this as a personal phenomena worthy of actual study in other than hand-waving ways, we probably will not understand a wide variety of problems.
ajacksonian on May 6, 2010 at 9:19 PM
This has been a bone of contention between myself and a member of the medical profession. He is against vaccines and I think it irresponsible not to vaccinate against dangerous diseases. A recent PBS special on vaccines focused on any causal link between vaccines and autism and studies where universal records are kept in places like Denmark show that autism rates are the same in populations vaccinated and those without vaccinations (specifically related to MMR jabs). I know that it is frustrating to parents hoping for some way to prevent autism but the campaign against vaccines is unrealistic. The extra scrutiny and the cleaning up of various vaccine programs is welcome but now the funds are better spent looking for other causal links. The video of the girl who could not walk after vaccines is also suspect but it was paraded as factual.
lexhamfox on May 6, 2010 at 10:04 PM
“No one can blame parents for taking as much caution as possible with their children.”
This is more than a little ridiculous.
For the most part, parents exercise too much caution these days. Our kids are treated like hot house plants, supervised and packaged 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
A lot of kids aren’t even allowed to play in their yards anymore just in case something bad were to happen. We live in fear of the worst-case possibility at all times these days and have built our lives around minute probabilities..
HakerA on May 6, 2010 at 11:04 PM
If you’re not aware of the thousands of cases around the globe where people have noticed an immediate change in their kids after vaccinations, then you really should educate yourself.
People inputting their armchair opinion – in this case, directed at the father of a son with autism, for goodness sakes – based on sheer ignorance, is one of the big problems when it comes to the spectrum of autism. Don’t mean to come down on you too hard, but….please.
rjwest21 on May 6, 2010 at 11:10 PM
As an attending physician once told me, “there are a lot of thing that are true, true, and unrelated”. Bottom line is that we don’t know why there is an increase in autism, but thimerosal does not appear to be a cause.
Parents do have the right to refuse vaccinations and pediatricians should make recommendations but allow the parents autonomy.
But honestly people, your ability to google things on the internet doesn’t mean you are a medical expert.
Dr Gymll on May 7, 2010 at 12:14 AM
It is very difficult even for professionals to separate out the statistics, so I doubt a parent could just from reading about various cases.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Epidemiology_of_autism#Changes_with_time
pedestrian on May 7, 2010 at 12:27 AM
Rjwest, what supplements do you give your son? Is there somewhere you could point me to for more info on that? Thanks!
thousandfold on May 7, 2010 at 1:00 AM
Once more: vaccines do not cause autism.
And, once more: ignoring the thousands of instances where parents notice a difference in their child’s behavior immediately after vaccination is to be naive.
Stop trying to be an expert on a subject where you are not. I’m not a parent reading about various cases, I’m a parent who is active in the autism community & whose family has taken part in a groundbreaking study on the possible genetic links. You may be a great person & I’m not trying to slam you (once again) but I’m more knowledegable on the subject than you, period. Look, we don’t disagree on the big picture (on vaccines not causing autism) so let’s leave it there.
All parents of autistic kids are doing the “throwing mud against a wall to see what sticks” treatment, but this has worked for our child:
Vitamin B supplements (b-12/b-6)
Basic Multivitamins
Antioxidant forumulas
Cod liver oil/omega 3′s
Melatonin (helped us a lot. He and I had both insomnia because we couldn’t “slow our brains down”)
zinc picolinate
The most important thing about the supps: not the cheap stuff w/fillers. Don’t go to GNC and get what’s on sale, get the pharmaceutical grade. We use the brand “New Beginnings” for most, but that’s just out of convenience, you can find whatever provider of your choice.
-
We don’t do the “no wheat” thing, he already has a very picky diet. He hates soft drinks, so sugar’s not a problem, either (I already said I was lucky!).
rjwest21 on May 7, 2010 at 6:57 AM
Thank you so much for posting this. Interesting supplement list. I haven’t tried melatonin with my son. How old is yours? What age did you start? Can you get New Beginnings at Whole Foods or do you buy wholesale?
Bee on May 7, 2010 at 7:58 AM
Great post, as well. As I said earlier, my first child was fully vaccinated and had some severe reactions and regression. High functioning autistic. We saw an immediate reaction to one vax in our second child and decided to delay vaccinations until two. She’s never been in day care and rarely in church nursery (neither has my son), so, there isn’t major risk of exposure either way. Now she’s timed out of most infant vaccines and will get the remaining shots separated to fulfill the major immunization requirements.
Bee on May 7, 2010 at 8:04 AM
Bee,
We started out with this. Within one week we saw a definite change for the better; better focus (which, as you probably know, is the most important), better recognition, better communication. Over the years we’ve dropped the liquid cod liver oil (tastes horrible) and don’t give the calcium as much as we should and have added some b-12/b-6 drinks that he calls “brain juice”.
We’re in the process of trying a new product, but I’ll wait before even mentioning it as it may end up being a waste or it may be of benefit (again, for those on the outside, this is a never-ending process).
As I mentioned several times, there’s no doubt that in my mind that the gene came from me, although (of course) I can’t prove it scientifically, but there are so many traits that he displays that I did that it cannot be overlooked. Other family members have noticed, too. The melatonin jumped out because when we gave it to him I tried it & it cured a 25 year insomnia problem for me.
We didn’t note any change in our son as it pertains to injections because he had constant ear infections & rotating ear tubes, so his being so late to talk didn’t stand out due to him not being able to hear for so long. Plus, it takes a while for a lot of people to even know he has autism since he’s so high functioning, so until he showed some symptoms around age 2, we had no idea.
My advice for parents queasy about getting vaccinations: Get them, but spread them out if you’re worried. It’s not the vaccine that’s worrisome, it’s the preservatives & the amount given when you have so many vaccines added in one day. It’s only a few bucks to go get the shots, so if you want to put your mind at ease, do that. But, your kids need to be vaccinated against some of the dangerous diseases out there, folks.
Side note: there’s a new TV show on NBC called “Parenthood”. Great show & one family has a son on the spectrum; very good illustration of what happens & the hurdles/challenges and successes.
rjwest21 on May 7, 2010 at 8:56 AM
Oh, forgot, we started around age 6 (I think). Maybe 5. It was around the time we started to become active in the ‘community’ and reaching out to other parents/bulletin boards, etc., about the possible combinations that work for each kid. Some kids react well with Novi juice, some don’t. Ours didn’t, but we know someone who saw immediate results, which reinforced my contention that it’s genetic & each kid will react differently, based on their DNA.
For us, him getting enough sleep (melatonin), getting those supplements daily and making sure that he doesn’t go very long between meals (when his ‘tank’ runs empty, his behavior swings dramatically & he regresses…..one pop-tart later & he’s fine. Go figure) and he’s fine & dandy. BTW, he scored 2 points short of “genius” on the non-verbal portion of the IQ test.
Surprised no one.
More background on my son here.
rjwest21 on May 7, 2010 at 9:05 AM
As a parent of an autistic child (formerly autistic) and an aspergers child, I am uncomfortable with the denigrating and arrogant attitude of many of the posts above. This is an unanswered and multi-pronged issue. Correlation studies do not prove or disprove causation. Also, focusing on thimerosal as the sole factor in vaccinations a was a mistake. There are many contaminants in the vaccinations that could be contributing as much as thimerosal. There many be combinations of antibiotic use, genetics, birth trauma, etc. that contribute.
Please stop attacking mothers who have their intuition on what is right for their child. This is not “settled” science. The efficacy of many vaccinations have been legitimately called into question.
I am amazed at how “conservatives” are for individual rights except when it comes to their particular view. Give parents the right to handle their child’s health issues.
My child who is in science has been amazed at how “political” all science is. Peer reviewed isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.
Article discredited? There could have been a lot political maneuverings as much as scientific principle involved. When I read the article a while back on the retraction, I didn’t see that the findings were necessarily negated by the “misbehavior” that was cited.
Sorry folks, the science on immunizations is not settled.
Farmer Brown on May 7, 2010 at 9:40 AM
Farmer Brown on May 7, 2010 at 9:40 AM
Rant:ON!
Hey: I’m a twice-married mother of one who has AS and with a few exceptions my comments in this thread have been ignored.
I strongly disagree with the idea that vaccines cause autism.
It’s all fine and good to talk about autism or about caring for an autistic-spectrum family member.
It isn’t the same as actually being on the spectrum.
The person on the autistic-spectrum in my family is ME!
Respectfully, None of you have any clue what goes on in an autistic’s mind.
I do.
On this thread-that should mean something.
Rant:OFF
annoyinglittletwerp on May 7, 2010 at 11:26 AM
Wow, Ed.
There’s no responsibility to be shouldered by the ill-informed parents and advocates who have been telling everyone who’ll listen that vaccines cause autism and have failed to vaccinate their kids? Really?
Scientists and medical professionals know how much weight to put on one published study – very little. Medical professionals did not change the guidelines for vaccines. Is it their fault if parents didn’t listen? A subset of parents and media celebrities got whipped up into a frenzy and the MSM helped carry the ball further.
The anti-vax people have behaved extremely irresponsibly. If they were so concerned, they had a decade to become informed about biomedical research — heck, they had time to get BSs and PhDs in the subject and do actual lab research — instead, they got in front of tv cameras so they could spread their anti-vax message based on very little evidence.
I think you’re placing far too much blame on the scientific and medical communities and not nearly enough blame on the lay-people who spread this fear about vaccinations.
Y-not on May 7, 2010 at 11:27 AM
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on May 6, 2010 at 3:17 PM
+100
Y-not on May 7, 2010 at 11:33 AM
You’re right, but there is a piece of the narrative that is missing. For the most part, those people were voicing their concerns because they walked into a doctor’s office one day with a healthy child & a few hours after immunization they had someone who was on the spectrum (according to them, and I have no reason to doubt). Being an anti-vax person (which I am not) does not necessarily mean that one thinks that vaccines directly cause autism. No one knows what causes autism. To wit: Could vaccines be a trigger for something that was already dormant in their system?
Yeah, kids need vaccines. No, vaccines don’t cause autism. But, I’m not ready to pile on all those parents who say that their kid changed the day that they received a vaccine. ~1/100 kids are diagnosed as being on the spectrum and if only 10% of those come from parents who swear that they were ‘different’ after vaccines, that’s a whole heckuva lot of people to brush aside as being ill-informed or acting out of ignorance.
I think the scientific, medical and parental communities are doing the best they can, with what they have.
rjwest21 on May 7, 2010 at 11:53 AM
I can’t bear to read through threads like this- it is always the same, people pontificating about things they know nothing about. Autism is real, and sometimes it is caused by vaccines. My oldest had a vaccine on the day she was born, and had bad reactions to every single one after that. She is autistic. My youngest got the DPT and it put him in the hospital for two weeks. Maybe it seems like everyone should get vaccinated for the “common good” but that is for people worried about public health. I have to worry about private health. I am only commenting to post for parents interested in diet and supps that I have had a lot of success with biomedical treatments- my daughter went from screaming under a table most of the time, to going to Prom last year.If I can help anyone work out things they are struggling with please don’t hesitate to ask. I am happy to help. I have contact information on my autism site: http://woggle-bug.com. I have been in the trenches for 17 years, and am always willing to answer questions.
God bless all families with autism in them, it is not a death sentence, but it can be super hard. People should not judge, not even Jenny McCarthy. If our family members had cancer, people would be sympathetic, not judgmental.
Kristamatic on May 7, 2010 at 1:38 PM
Autism is real, and sometimes it is caused by vaccines.
Anecdotal evidence is not persuasive or authoritative. It certainly is not something that people should risk their children’s health over – not to mention the lives of the people around them.
Y-not on May 7, 2010 at 2:04 PM
Well, Y-not all I have are my own experiences to go by, and my children are extremely sensitive to vaccines. So I should give my kid a vaccine that I KNOW will hurt them just so you can feel safer. Thanks for that. You are a real nice person.
Kristamatic on May 7, 2010 at 2:26 PM
Court cases, though, tend to be.
Emphasis on “worsened a rare, underlying disorder”. She was predisposed & the vaccine brought it out. Won’t happen to most kids & generally very safe. Not always. Depends on the kid. You know what the judge said when the gov’t agreed & they finalized the proceedings?
Case closed.
rjwest21 on May 7, 2010 at 3:06 PM
If our family members had cancer, people would be sympathetic, not judgmental.
True, but it comes from ignorance, not judgment. Far too many tend to think “no studies show that autism is directly caused by vaccines” and immediately argue “vaccines have nothing to do with autism”. Once we win over that audience, then we’ll have to work on the “it was what we used to call retarded/weird/not-quite-right when I was a kid” crowd. :)
rjwest21 on May 7, 2010 at 3:48 PM
Farmer Brown, you evidently did not read the article on the investigation that discredited the original Lancet paper. It was found that the underlying data was simply fabricated.
Outright fraud, and you are still trying to find a way to believe.
SPQR on May 8, 2010 at 2:26 PM