We’re rerunning this blog because of the recent news that a CDC researcher has come forward to say that he and his colleagues committed fraud in a 2004 study on the relationship between the timing of MMR vaccines and autism.
I should start by saying that I was raised Catholic. The concepts of reconciliation and absolution are completely ingrained in me. I grew up going to confession at a beautiful monastery where Father Francis, an elderly monk, held my hand as we walked the grounds, and I asked for forgiveness for my transgressions. I always felt great relief and unconditional love after our time together. Unfortunately, Father Francis passed away years ago, and I haven’t been to confession since. My spiritual beliefs have evolved and changed over the years, but the idea of forgiveness is still critical to how I walk through life. There are things I have done for which I know God forgives me. However, I’m pretty sure that I will never forgive myself, for my transgressions are embodied in a beautiful seven-year-old who tells me daily that I am “the best Mom in the universe.” I know the truth. And someday, so will he. All of these “unforgivable” actions were done with the best of intentions, but we all know what they say about “good intentions” and “the road to hell.” I am admitting here for all the world to see: I gave my son Autism. I did it. Me. And no one can ever take that away.
So . . . how did I give my son autism? I wish I could say it was one thing – one thing that I could take back that would make things neat and easy, but it wasn’t. It was mistake after mistake, assault after assault. The following are the biggest mistakes I made to which I attribute my son’s descent into autism. I’m going to provide links that are easily readable and understandable that contain links to the research rather than providing links to the research itself. A simple Google search about any one of these topics will provide more information than you could ever want. Here goes . . .
1) Ultrasounds – I had at least five while I was pregnant. I was assured that they were completely safe. Heck, you can get them in malls, so I assumed they were pretty benign. Wrong! While I didn’t get ultrasounds in malls, I didn’t research them either. Ultrasounds have, in fact, been implicated in autism among other neurological disorders. While there is no definitive “causal link,” enough has been found to warrant further research and precautionary measures. According to this article, “Research shows populations exposed to ultrasound have a quadrupled perinatal death rate, increased rates of brain damage, nerve cell demylienation, dyslexia, speech delays, epilepsy and learning difficulty.” Sound familiar?
2) High-fructose corn syrup – I drank Coca Cola every single day while I was pregnant. I was so incredibly nauseous and it made my stomach feel better. Fast forward a few years and Coca Cola Classic was found to have one of the highest levels of mercury due to HFCS of any product tested. I didn’t eat one bite of fish during my pregnancy for fear of mercury. While I didn’t know there was mercury in the Coke, I have to be honest and admit that OF COURSE I knew that eating and drinking junk wasn’t good for my baby.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/292982-foods-containing-mercury/
http://www.iatp.org/blog/2009/01/high-fructose-corn-syrups-not-so-sweet-surprise-mercury
3) Lortab/Acetaminophen while pregnant – I have Fibromyalgia. It is painful normally, but it was practically unbearable while I was pregnant. My OB prescribed Lortab telling me that it didn’t cross the placenta and was perfectly safe. I was in so much pain that I wasn’t about to look into this further. I trusted my OB thoroughly and needed to feel better.
Again, did I honestly think that this was good for the baby? Of course not. Lortab is a Category C drug which basically means that not enough human testing has been done to qualify it as safe, but based on animal studies, there is reason to believe that it could be dangerous or problematic. I couldn’t find any specific links between Lortab and Autism, but common sense dictates that this was not good.
4) Pitocin – Two of the ultrasounds I received at the end of my pregnancy revealed that my water was getting dangerously low, so my OB felt we should induce labor. After several hours of not making progress on the Pitocin drip at low levels, the hospital encouraged me to sign a waiver allowing them to increase the Pitocin to illegal levels. Now, I know this seems absurd, but at the time, I was in incredible pain and was told by hospital staff that it was perfectly safe and was used at these levels all over the country. According to them, Montana just has a very low cap on the highest level allowed. I had Pitocin for 36 hours. Here is an explanation from an excellent article on that explains the potential risks associated with Pitocin:
“In either induced or enhanced use of Pitocin, the blood supply, and therefore the oxygen source to the uterus, is greatly reduced. With naturally-paced contractions, there is a time interval between contractions allowing for the baby to be fully oxygenated before the next contraction. In induced or enhanced labor, the contractions are closer together and last for a longer time, thus shortening the interval where the baby receives the oxygen supply. Reduced oxygen to the baby in labor has life-long consequences on the baby’s brain function.”
5) C-Section – George Malcolm Morley, OB/GYN has done extensive research regarding C-Sections and autism and has concluded that, “A baby born by C-section is 3-4 times more likely to have autism.” His theory is that it is probably due to ICC (immediate cord clamping) and there are really good reasons to think he may be right. There are so many different elements that play a part in C-sections, however, that it is really hard to determine exactly which specific aspect is problematic: anesthesia, maternal immobility, labor trauma, cord clamping, post-op drugs or lack of friendly bacteria due to bypassing the vaginal canal are all suspect individually. It is easy to see how a combination of all of the above could have a negative impact.
Because I had made the bad decisions about the ultrasounds that led to the bad decision about the Pitocin that led to labor trauma, I ultimately had to have an emergency C-section. I can’t believe that there are so many women who choose to deliver via C-section for cosmetic reasons – I won’t elaborate on this one. Ick. I’ll be honest; I am still a little bitter about this. I really wanted a natural childbirth. My husband and I took the classes; we practiced at home. Thirty-six hours of drug-induced hell, and I still ended up with a C-section. And not just a regular C-section: it was such an emergency that I had to be anesthetized via general anesthesia, even though I had an epidural in place.
6) Antibiotics – Oh boy. Where to begin? I have so many mixed feelings about antibiotics. Here is what I know: My son was exposed to antibiotics while he was in distress during labor. He was then exposed for the first two weeks of his life via breast milk. He then received five courses of antibiotics before he was a year old for chronic ear infections. While this is bad cumulatively, the one event that stands out for me, and literally makes me feel sick, was a single dose of Augmentin when he was six months old. At his six-month “well” visit, he was diagnosed with his second ear infection. He received vaccinations for seven different diseases despite being ill, and we left with a prescription for Amoxicillin. Six days later, he had developed an upper respiratory infection and the ear infection was worse. Because the Amoxicillin hadn’t worked, the pediatrician prescribed a course of Augmentin. After one dose of this drug and within 24 hours, my six-month-old baby had 35 acidic, liquid bowel movements. The skin literally peeled off of his bottom in sheets. I had never seen anything like it at that time, and I haven’t since. The pain that he was in was beyond description. I called the doctor and she changed the antibiotic to yet a different kind. So he had three different types of antibiotics in his system within eight days. This episode was the biggie. His gut was never the same after that. Nothing was.
Here is what everyone should know about Augmentin: Augmentin has been implicated in autism. It is comprised of Amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium. When it is manufactured, the clavulanic acid is fermented which involves large amounts of urea/ammonia. Even a small amount of ingested ammonia can potentially cause gut and brain inflammation. I strongly urge you to do your homework before using this drug.
If you will notice in this link, this study was released in January of 2005. My son was prescribed Augmentin in January of 2006. This was never mentioned when I was handed the prescription. However, if I had been a Thinker back then, I could have quickly Googled “Augmentin and autism,” and I would have made a very different decision.
7) Vaccines – I really don’t even know what to say about vaccines other than to say that if I had it to do over again, my children wouldn’t have received a single one. Of everything I did wrong, if I could have my pick of one thing to take back, it would be the shots. No question. Shortly after my son turned three, we left the idiot pediatrician that led me down this trail of terror. The new MD looked at my son’s blood work and heavy metals testing and informed me unequivocally that my son was vaccine injured and that he had never been a candidate for immunization. She said that because of my fibromyalgia and the fact that autoimmune disease and digestive disorders are pervasive across both sides of our family, he never should have been vaccinated. Add in the birth history and the fact that he had severe jaundice and a cephalohematoma that took more than six months to resolve, plus rashes, severe reflux, chronic rhinitis and ear infections along with eczema, it should have been very apparent that his immune system was not functioning properly. Vaccination REQUIRES a properly functioning immune system to work, which may explain why he has ZERO titers to the diseases he was immunized against. According to the CDC and the vaccine inserts, children should not be vaccinated if they are sick or on antibiotics. My son was sick and/or on antibiotics for almost every single round of vaccinations. People, I know what happened to my kid. I KNOW. I watched it. Ginger Taylor has been compiling studies for years that link vaccines to autism. That list has now reached over 60 studies.
Another word – Don’t bother making comments arguing about vaccines. I won’t post them. I am fully aware that there are children with autism who weren’t vaccinated. I am not suggesting that vaccines are SOLELY responsible for EVERY child’s autism. I KNOW, however, that they caused irreparable damage to my son’s immune system which ultimately led to his autism. There. Done.
8) Acetaminophen/Paracetamol — My baby received an incredible amount of this red, liquid death. Acetaminophen shuts down the production of glutathione, the body’s #1 antioxidant. Glutathione is absolutely critical in the body’s ability to rid itself of toxins. So basically, one of the absolute worst things you can do is to give a baby acetaminophen when they get vaccinations or when their body is trying to fight an infection. The nurse at my son’s pediatrician’s office literally dosed him with acetaminophen at the exact moment she stuck in the needle. When the ear infections and stomach pain and fevers started as a result of the vaccine damage, I gave him acetaminophen to alleviate his pain. Are you starting to see how all of these horrors interlace? One problem requires a solution that creates another problem that requires a solution that creates another problem, etc. For more information regarding acetaminophen and its link to autism, click here.
9) Fluoride – Fluoride probably pisses me off more than anything else on this list, because I am convinced that the fluoride program is one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated on a population in the history of mankind. If you ever have some time and enjoy history, Google “the history of fluoride.” It reads like a Dan Brown novel and would be completely entertaining, if it weren’t for the fact that children are being brain-damaged by the very water they drink. I’ll let you do your own research for the nitty-gritty, but here are the basics: Fluoride contains fluorine. Fluorine is only slightly less toxic than arsenic and is more toxic than lead. It is also a carrier molecule. It loves to combine with other materials and create even more toxic situations. It also can cross the blood/brain barrier. So if there is circulating aluminum in the body from say, oh, I don’t know, vaccine adjuvants for instance, or if there is lead in the joints of water pipes, the fluoride can attach itself to these toxins and escort them right across the blood/brain barrier and into the brain. According to the National Research Council, 36 studies have linked fluoride with reduced IQ in children. Here are some great links to fluoride information:
http://slweb.org/ftrc.html , http://www.fluoridealert.org/ , http://nofluoride.com/ , http://www.earthclinic.com/fluoride_questions_and_answers.php
Here’s the kicker. This is the part where I bang my head on the table, pull my hair and yell, “Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!” like Chris Farley on SNL. We didn’t even HAVE fluoridated water. I actually purchased it and gave it to my son ON PURPOSE. My pediatrician told me that he needed it because our water wasn’t fluoridated. I bought “nursery water” that came in cute little plastic bottles with pictures of Bert and Ernie and Cookie Monster on them. I also gave him prescription vitamins – Poly Vi Flor – that contained fluoride. After all of this, we still ended up with over $4,000 worth of dental work by the time he was five. This dental work required general anesthesia that contained — yep, you guessed it — fluoride. Fluoride is also in many pharmaceuticals, including the antibiotic Cipro – drops used for ear infections — and Diflucan – the yeast killer we used off and on for years. How in the hell could I make sure that I didn’t give him toothpaste that had fluoride in it because it was poisonous, but give him fluoridated water? If you want a good scare, read the label on a tube of fluoridated toothpaste sometime. Ingestion of only half a tube of that candy-flavored fluoridated toothpaste could be fatal to a child, and yet we fluoridate our water supply. It is criminal in my opinion.
I can think of many more things I did wrong that I am sure contributed to my son’s health crisis. I will mention diet, toxic cookware, benzocaine teething gel and toxic building materials but won’t elaborate because at this point, common sense should dictate. I am writing this to try to hit the biggies that people really need to research to make better decisions than I did.
I am already anticipating three different responses to this post:
Response 1) There will be people who read this and think, “Good grief, woman. How stupid can you be? What you did borders on child abuse. OF COURSE your child has Autism.” And to that, I have no argument. You are absolutely right. And good for you for knowing better than I did.
Response 2) Some of you will read this and know exactly how I feel because your story is very similar. To all of you, you have my deepest, heartfelt sympathy. While we will always have our mistakes to live with, the best thing we can do now is to share our truth and our story to help others.
Response 3) There will be people who feel pity for me because I have not been able to make peace with myself for my role in my son’s health crisis. You will feel compelled to reach out to me with kind messages imploring me to forgive myself. Please . . . don’t. It won’t do any good. I am not fishing for forgiveness, and while I know you mean well, it won’t help me. If you really, REALLY want to help, take five minutes and send this blog to everyone you know – especially those who are pregnant or have babies. Implore them to read this blog. No child should have to endure what mine has endured. No mother should ever have to experience the kind of torturous guilt I live with every day.
The mistakes I made were, by and large, recommended by healthcare professionals. That is no excuse. My son’s health was MY responsibility. I could choose to follow the recommendations or not. Even a small bit of research would have changed the outcome for my son. There are women, as we speak, who are on the way to the doctor for their second or third ultrasound. There are mothers dosing their babies with acetaminophen before their shots. There are expectant moms being hooked up to Pitocin drips. Some moms are administering unnecessary antibiotics for yet another ear infection and haven’t made the connection that their baby’s immune system is failing. There are also many, many mothers who are hearing the following words for the first time, “Your child has autism.” Help them.
I truly believe that my son’s autism was preventable. Think. Research. At this point, you can’t afford not to.
~ Mountain Mama
For more blogs from Mountain Mama, please click here.
For comparison of how difficult healing is just to find, even where you would think it would be expected: most “churches” refuse to allow or even to teach healing. (natural, simple, inexpensive, not toxic healing). Only (“PERHAPS”) one in one hundred “churches” lives in a way that tends to heal people daily.
Wow you have really done your research, good job. Most blogs like this they will rant about the autism but are not correct. I have seen the research to back all you say. Problem is the pharmaceutical and medical industry plays the rename game to keep people of track. They now call autism encephalopathy. By the way if you look at the negative comments the pharmaceutical industry pays people to try and discredit post like this.
If you haven’t already done so please take a look at this.
Tylenol/Acetaminophen (paracetamol) and autism? Is there a connection? by Dr. William Parker
http://vk.com/id370235746
I was a young woman who has been living with Epilepsy for 8 years. When I graduated one year later from high school I had bad migraines which became seizures, which followed by uncontrolled seizures up to 7 a day and as years went on my life stop. I lost my first great paying job and was not allowed to continue college because of my seizures in class. As a result my license was revoke. And it got to the point where I stop living I was trapped in the house because various times I was robbed and treated badly. In 2005 I decided to have brain surgery cause the seizures increased, and my life started to changed although the surgery was great it reduced my seizures but did not take them away and I was able to return to school, and I graduated with honors, and I do what I love to do sing, and write. In 2013 i heard about Doctor Lawson from my sister for his miraculous herbal medicine, I was curious to know how it works. I contact him and then I made an order of his product, i used his herbal product for mouths, His medicine has change my health and worked perfectly well and i am cure from seizure completely, seizure free too no more contact this http://seizurestory.blogspot.com/2008/10/seizure-free.html
Shalom Jessica, and others towards healing by seeking, learning and practicing what is good.
A lot of what you recommend is helpful to everyone, not just persons affected.
Good health in general, and those things (like good nutrition) that promote good health have been “hidden” from a huge segment of the population, so thank you (all here) for your helpful and healthy ways.
Persons affected are not always helped very much, and sometimes the reason remains concealed — sometimes on purpose (by authorities), and sometimes not(truly unknown).
There are ways of TESTING that reveal what is hidden , so to speak, in the body – TESTING that reveals for pennies on the dollar more than 12 mri’s or cat scans or dozens of blood tests.
One of the rarest ways of TESTING is the PULSE TEST. It was very effective for many persons, when they took the time to learn it and practice it daily, or even on and off (i.e. there’s no concrete rule – you can do this ad lib (as you wish, over time) ) .
It was so effective the doctor who ‘discovered’ it and published his findings (a big surprise to him, btw – he apparently did not expect such amazing results) was quickly blacklisted by ‘officialdumb’ …
Likewise the parents of the boy who recovered in 2 days after a routine hospital checkup ! Yes, they were blacklisted for a year at least ! And the doctor that finally verified how/ why their boy recovered was ‘silenced’ also. And the documentary that was produced and broadcast about a decade ago ‘disappeared’….. NOT funny. What should have been a simple, welcome development for parents everywhere became instead a multi-billion dollar cover up.
Don’t ever give up. Don’t “STRAIN” tooo hard – pray a lot, trust GOD, and keep looking, keep searching, keep trying the simple helpful healthy things
THAT ARE GOOD FOR EVERYBODY — start with AVOIDING ALL SHOTs of course, to avoid purposefully hurting the body. Avoid all dairy (see on other posts/ sites why) , msg, soy, and so on… (search “5 white poisons” for more NO_NO’s for health – things to avoid).
The things that help, find out. (don’t publicize them too much – one of the best , or several of the best “HELPS” were BANNED within 2 months of being published/ broadcast nationwide !!!!!!! ) my email is temporary (maybe another year or so) is my name at xoc tod ten (words spelled backwards for the search engines ! ) I don’t sell anything nor have a business selling anything, just good ol’fashion “what did grandma do ? ” (i.e. what works) for free to those who aren’t opposed to health and truth.
I wish I hadn’t been on auto pilot when my son was born in Nov 2014…. maybe I would have questioned and researched everything like I do now for my daughter. I am with you, accepting responsibility has allowed me to take action and try everything to help my son.
I wanted to put something else out there for people with autistic children and NT children to consider… and I know this will anger some people but I believe it is important. Guarding the healthy biome of your NT baby/ child is very important. I’m not advocating for segregating your children or treating your autistic child like they are contagious.
The bad biome of your autistic child could be devastating to a new baby, or could manifest itself in the form of ADHD or ADD in a previously NT sibling.
Keep kids healthy, use probiotics… especially if they have to use antibiotics, and keep high risk areas like bathrooms sterilized
Please just fuck off, all of you. “Thinking mom?” Far from it. No one “gives” their children autism. Quit demonizing the existence of autistic people like me.
Hi Onixx, as an adult with autism, which we know means that you have difficulty with social interactions, you may not be aware that telling people to “fuck off” is not socially acceptable behavior and will usually result in having your comment summarily dumped in the trash. Just this once, however, we’ll let it go.
The statement “No one ‘gives’ their children autism” is your opinion that you have not supported in any way. You are, of course, welcome to your opinion. You are also welcome to base your opinion on whatever you like. Here, though, we tend to base our opinions on observation and science and not on someone’s unsubstantiated opinion. The science overwhelmingly supports the fact that environmental exposures can (and do) cause autism in genetically susceptible individuals. If you’re interested in the topic, read Dr. James Lyons-Weiler’s excellent book The Environmental and Genetic Causes of Autism.
We can understand why you might think a piece like this is “demonizing the existence of autistic people” like you (another part of autism is difficulty with nuance), but you should understand that virtually no one here, including the author of this piece, “demonizes the existence of autistic people.” In fact, most of the people who have commented are parents of autistic people that they love fiercely. What is “demonized” is the unnecessary transformation of neurotypical people into autistic people, and rightly so. Creating a disability where there was none makes everyone’s life harder. That’s a fact. Therapies and treatments are expensive in terms of both time and money. When it comes to severe autism, rare is the family that can afford to have two parents working for any length of time, and so rare also is the family that has any sort of savings or much in the way of “disposable income.” In addition, no parent enjoys watching their beloved children struggle with activities that neurotypical children accomplish easily.
Another thing that would be helpful to understand is that you, who just posted a perfectly spelled and punctuated comment on an Internet website, are clearly not disabled by autism to anywhere near the extent that many others are. It is easy for those who are less affected by a condition to dismiss the concerns of and for those who are far more profoundly affected. It’s like someone who can control their diabetes with diet saying “Quit demonizing the existence of diabetic people like me” because parents of children with type 1 diabetes that was caused by one or more vaccines say that they resent the unnecessary challenges that their children and family face and would certainly choose to avoid them if they had the opportunity.
To support Prof. TMR’s, “Environmental exposure can cause autism in genetically susceptible individuals.” – – –
Clinical ultrasound reliably mutates fetal DNA, establishing susceptibility. See graph of study results: http://harvoa.org/chs/pr/pr_details.htm
Don’t talk to him like he has no knowledge he knows it’s not socially acceptable he’s just mad and as an adult he has every right to say that
How do you know “he’s just mad” or that “he knows it’s not socially acceptable”? Of course he, if indeed Onixx is a “he,” has every right to be mad and to say what he wishes as a result, but if he offers an uninformed opinion on this website, as he has done, we have every right to provide accurate information in response.
By the way, speaking of “not socially acceptable,” in addition to being simply untrue and lacking in logic, YOUR other comment was incredibly rude and won’t be posted.
Bravo!
From a mom of an autistic child and a therapist who has dedicated herself to helping those with disabilities.
Most of these comments are completely hilarious and utterly misinformed.
There’s nothing “hilarious” about disability (especially preventable disability). I hope you have more respect for the people you “help.” By the way, the mother who wrote this piece is so “misinformed” that she just reported to her friends that her son, who recently returned to public school in a mainstream classroom with no supports or accommodations, just received a math award, a reading award, and honor roll all four quarters. He has a crush on a girl, who is the ONLY other student who got honor roll all four quarters, and she’s happy about it. If you’re really interested in “helping,” it might be worth listening to her.
@Rachel
As a therapist you will soon see the difference between the children whose families work to heal the biome and immune system of their autistic child and those who do not. Where the child will ultimately fall on the spectrum is directly related to how well those systems are functioning. Therapy plays a key role as well in helping the child catch up and overcome developmental milestones they missed. From à mom who works all day, spends every dime on enhancing supplements & farm direct unpasteurized foods and therapies , and reads emerging studies all night. My 3.5 y/o is rocking his autism and all the therapists & teachers at county pre-k get why. There is no quick fix, it is years of dedication to fixing the complicated system that is the human body. I’m active duty military for 20 years now so I’m not the image of utterly misinformed that I’m sure you conjure up in your minds eye (or maybe I am if you’re not familiar with what that takes). The fact is you can either put blind faith in studies with a limited scope where a control is really impossible considering the complexity and thousands of potential influences. Not to mention more often than not sponsored by institutions looking for a quick fix symptom oriented solution. Or you can get back to the basics and work to heal the child and treat the autism as long campaign with multiple fronts where you have to address and overcome all of the challenges to accomplish full potential. I hope for your child’s sake you swallow a humility pill and take an honest look at the other side of the coin.
It’s not a fucking opinion, It’s fact. Autism is a GENETIC disorder over 90% of the time. It’s absolutely laughable people believe vaccines and medications and caffeine gives their children ASD. They did in fact give their child ASD, but only by existing and reproducing with the issue wither being their genetics or their partners. How awful of this woman to post this. She’s simply putting more blame on parents than already exists. My daughter was diagnosed and turns out it’s all over her father’s side of the family. WOW, go figure.
Actually, better and more recent science indicates that autism risk has as much to do with environmental factors as it does hereditary ones:
https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/environment-genetics-may-contribute-equally-to-autism-risk/
Your daughter’s father may have autism in his family, but a huge percentage of people with children who have autism have no autism in their backgrounds. Their autism came from somewhere. James Lyons-Weiler brilliantly synthesized the available science on autism and causation in his book The Environmental and Genetic Causes of Autism. It’s a fascinating read.
And just so everyone knows, my daughter that was recently diagnosed, was not vaccinated at all before her diagnosis. It was simply because of my insurance issues and having the money to do so. I did nothing during my pregnancy that I wasn’t supposed to and yet it still happened. Vaccinations work. How to you think we’ve wiped out 1 awful disease and pushed others to near extinction in the past? Well, until recently of course. With all these damn millennials and wanting to go back to all natural bullshit, obviously there was a reason for the vaccines in the past. They went from using what they had to realizing they needed to do more. Create something new to fight away the sicknesses. And it works. These snowflakes nowadays hear about someone’s friend’s uncle’s son that had a one in a million allergic reaction to a vaccine and decide they’re all awful. It’s silly. Absolutely ridiculous.
If you’re such a vaccine proponent, why didn’t you take advantage of the federal government’s assistance to vaccinate your child? Every Child by Two isn’t kidding when they say that’s their goal. If you want to vaccinate by the CDC schedule, it is quite easy to do so.
I find it odd that you couldn’t be bothered, but you judge those who chose to stop after their children were harmed or those who actively sought information with which to make an informed decision. Vaccinations do “work” (to some widely varying degree or another) against specific infectious diseases, most of which are not particularly deadly, not particularly common, or both. But they are not the “get-out-of-sickness-free” card that they are presented as. Each dose of each vaccine comes with a cost to the immune system (which in turn affects the neurological system, especially when it is developing rapidly at ages 0-3). The more doses, the higher that cost.
Vaccine manufacturers were threatening to get out of the business in 1985 because they were having to pay out so much money for the damages their vaccines were doing. As a result, they convinced Congress to give them liability protection in 1986. You can no longer sue the manufacturers directly for harm caused by vaccines. And now vaccines are the hottest rising profit sector in pharmaceuticals. Don’t you find that strange? In 1986 kids were getting DPT, MMR, and polio shots with very low uptake rates, and there was so much liability associated with just those three shots that manufacturers were going to get out of the business. Now kids get Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, Rotavirus, Pneumococcal, Hib, HPV, influenza, Meningitis, and Varicella vaccines in addition to the ones they got then, more boosters, earlier dosing, and much higher uptakes. And you think they’re doing LESS damage? Not even remotely credible. Look around you. Kids are so much sicker now than they were in the 1960s when we had leaded gas and mothers smoked and drank alcohol during pregnancy.
They didn’t “realize they needed to do more” (kids weren’t dropping like flies from infectious disease in the 1985); they realized they wanted to make a LOT more money, and they had a captive audience in young children who need to go to school.
There was one man who DID GET THE NOBEL PRIZE.
He proved, showed, demonstrated, and was proven right by other doctors and scientists and laymen — 100’s of thousands of laymen over a century of time.
He was run out of the country.
THAT IS THE SYSTEM WE STILL LIVE IN. — it opposes the truth. it loves $$$$$$.
So realize, the SYSTEM , the whole system, is rigged. It is all set up for $$$$$$$.
With no conscience. No heart. No sense of right or wrong. Bent on evil. “system”
And most people who go thru the education process are very very very well indoctrinated IN THE SYSTEM.
So don’t expect help, or truth, or support from anyone in the SYSTEM,
unless you go along with the SYSTEM. (this is not a new found idea. This is how it has been for centuries.).
Is this GOOD NEWS ? No. Not for you readers. Not for any Americans. Not for anyone subject to the SYSTEM. THIS IS WHY so many Americans are sick and dying, short and long term, for over 100 years. THIS IS WHY it is so confusing.
No matter how much “research”, PhDs, studies, you find showing how to prevent , treat, heal disease (of any kind),
the SYSTEM will not go along with it unless they are profiting greatly or have no choice. (and the SYSTEM is larger than all the freemasons, christians, catholics, scholars, military, or any other parts of society).
CAN YOU STILL KNOW ? (the truth) … … for most people, no. They never find it.
It is found on these pages, and in many of these posts (not all of them).
It is found on perhaps one out of one-hundred webpages. Perhaps more, perhaps less.
It is rare.
It costs a lot if you choose to live for the truth. (it costs everything, believe it or not).
Healing ? Yes, healing is possible. The SYSTEM just doesn’t want anyone to know,
except to appear “tolerant”.
Always ? No. Not on earth. Too many people are opposed to the truth, everywhere.
For comparison of how difficult healing is just to find, even where you would think it would be expected: most “churches” refuse to allow or even to teach healing. (natural, simple, inexpensive, not toxic healing). Only (“PERHAPS”) one in one hundred “churches” lives in a way that tends to heal people daily. Yes, perhaps more, perhaps less — I’ve checked hundreds if not thousands of “churches” (remember if the leadership of a denomination forbids something, all those under that denomination usually forbids it also — and the assemblies that don’t “toe the line” (go along) don’t last long most of the time.
One other hope. TRUTH IS SIMPLE.
YHWH (GOD) created everything SIMPLE. It is mankind that corrupted everything. (“came up with many devices”) ……
Healing of the spirit is always possible, until GOD gives up on someone.
HE promises if someone is “willing”, HE will act on their behalf.
Honest, it is that simple. Be willing to let GOD help. Roll everything over to HIM.
Let HIM direct your life. HE is FAITHFUL. Man is not. (oh, GOD will guide you to who promotes true healing – those who love the TRUTH, seek the TRUTH, and actually help.).
It is truly joyful, peaceful, and encouraging to meet with others who have been healed, and who help to heal those around them. Seek them out, as GOD helps. Remember the “system” always seeks to squash us, to silence the truth.
“The sheep hear the SHEPHERD’S VOICE, and always follow HIM” 🙂
It is exhausting, yes.
We are being slaughtered all day long (the whole ‘system’ is against HIM and us).
Never give up. One step at a time. email jeffcraig (no spaces) for encouragement. (at cox.net).
You have the TRUTH so close, just reach for it and grab it!
http://nutritionfacts.org/
Denmark has a low rate of autism. It also does not supplement foods with folic acid. The US has been doing so for almost 20 years. Folic acid is not folate. How ironic it would be if we are taking supplements to prevent one malady only to replace it with a more pervasive one.
*sigh* It is probably true that for many with MTHR mutations, folic acid supplementation does make autism more likely. And, yes, the irony is incredibly depressing.
‘tangent’/ ‘pertinent’/ bad stuff in our food for over 100 years now. Search online “5 white poisons”. Add soy, msg, hfcsyrup, chlorine,ammonia, over 100 drugs (in TAP WATER) that THEY don’t have to even tell us about, and THEY don’t have any requirement to remove !
Identified before 1948 as main cause of 10,000 percent increase in disease in united states , NOT COUNTING immunizations (which they ALREADY KNEW THEN harm everyone).
Both of my children had tongue ties, my daughter’s so severe that I could not fill her up (breastfeeding) by the time she was 3 months old. Thankfully we have a lovely pediatric dentist who released it.
Anyway…my older sister has severe autism (aggression, rages, adult diapers…).
I am pretty sure I have MTHFR, but I am even more sure that vaccines are one of the worst things in the world, and over my dead body will my children receive them. (I am SO very blessed that my husband stands behind me 100%.)
A caution on relying on the “articles” you are finding and referencing. I applaud you for referencing them so people can read them themselves, but several of them use no references themselves. They make claims and state conclusions drawn from research, but don’t reference those studies. Without those references I find it very hard to believe anything that chiropractor said for instance. I’ve read far too many people’s blogs or articles from their professional pages that make a bunch of claims about what causes what or what a certain study showed, to then find out they are massively over-interpreting the results or pulling their own thoughts from thin air, not from any evidence in the actual paper. Research that’s published in reputable journals is done so after a hard-core review process from other experts in the field. They can’t make claims without the evidence fully supporting this, and neither should other people, yet that happens all too often. I fear you are punishing yourself when there’s actually not evidence for many of these things. People say all kinds of things because of feelings, when really you have to based it on peer-reviewed, scientifically based studies.
This was written four years ago, shortly after we began this website. We’ve gotten a lot more sophisticated in what we use for source material these days. Though, it’s probably a good idea to warn you to be as careful about relying on “peer-reviewed science.” It’s a deeply flawed process, in a system that has been largely usurped by corporate science for hire. Editors of some of the most prestigious journals have expressed deep misgivings about the science that is being published today. It is vital that everyone know how to assess the quality of what they are reading.
>”It’s a deeply flawed process, in a system that has been largely usurped by corporate science for hire. Editors of some of the most prestigious journals have expressed deep misgivings about the science that is being published today. ”
since your name is “professor” this must be true without any reference
I know it’s hard to resist any opportunity for snark, “random science person,” but it is not incumbent upon me to provide references for every statement made in every comment. As a matter of fact, it would be really nice if “random science persons” actually did the work for themselves sometimes. It’s really NOT hard to Google and find what journal editors have to say on the subject, but if you are REALLY having trouble, I’ll give you a headstart.
Richard Horton, Editor of The Lancet:
“The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness.” http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736%2815%2960696-1.pdf
You can also read the blog I wrote in 2015 that included some discussion on the topic. https://thinkingmomsrevolution.com/?s=anti-science
Just a quick comment about mercury etc. poisoning. Everyone is born with a blood-brain barrier which is there to prevent toxins from entering the brain so the body normally protects us. I am not aware as to all the issues which can cause the blood-brain barrier to break but I do know now that an excess of man-made electricity and possibly that includes radiowaves can break it so once again everyone needs to be wary of wifi, mobile phones, power line exposure especially at night. I realize everyone is enjoying their new technology but we should look up the research here because there is a huge amount and many scientists and doctors are trying to tell us to be more careful with our use of these and authorities not to roll it out in the way that they are especially around small children and pregnant women.
Audrey, Yes the cell membranes normally protect us from chemical toxicity. Frequencies such as EMF and ultrasound can increase “cell membrane permeability” in the fetus and even adults (ultrasound or electrotherapy), and this (in addition to chemical pollution) this subverts the immune system, increasing vulnerability to pollutants such as vaccines, pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, stove exhaust, pesticides, etc. Ultrasound is already used routinely in medicine to “potentiate” antibiotic applications by increasing cell membrane permeability. See http://www.harvoa.org
“I truly believe that my son’s autism was preventable. Think. Research. At this point, you can’t afford not to.”
Most disease used to be absent families. In a few areas on earth, some disease is absent – that is, until white man’s ways move in. Most famous was then they decimated the native americans with disease and booze.
It has simply gotten WORSE for EVERYONE since then – GREED INCREASES DESTRUCTION. GREED GREED GREED of corporations and people who have been duped into thinking they are ‘good’ for any reason. GREED destroys everyone it reaches, everyone it touches. It is why fluoride, antibiotics, ultrasounds, c-sections, microwave ovens, processed foods(milk,flour,sugar the big 3 poisons in america since wwI), have ALL INCREASED IN SPITE OF THE PROOF THEY CAUSE A LOT OF HARM and ARE NOT NEEDED.
Yet, TODAY, daily, we are all inundated by all the media PROMOTING what is bad, poopooing what is good.
RESEARCH !? Is all the more difficult – in the last 20 years FALSE RESEARCH has been like a TSUNAMI over all society – all the media – by the government and that which controls the government= corporations that are GREEDY.
And religion. Millions are dying world wide for their faith in JESUS.
Practically NONE of the churches in the united states has reported it since after wwII (Corrie ten Boom was FAITHFUL and did – she came and warned the churches in america; few listened)
So, society / corporations/ government/ all racing downhill….
Oh, there are a few SURVIVING, for a while… even THRIVING, for a while (while they are permitted)… We are healing people every day. And we are being opposed by churches, governments, news stations, doctors, masons, hospitals, — on every hand, from every direction we are being opposed… but we keep healing people every day…. (even though it does cost us our life)
giarcffej @ ten . xoc shalom !
I know this is a late comment, but wanted to offer hope to others who, like me, have children facing mild autistic symptoms (sensory issues, developmental delays).
Please check into two unrelated resources:
Amalgam Illness by Andy Cutler
Little Giant Steps & the Neurodeveopmental Approach
Andy Cutler is a PhD chemist who discovered he had been poisoned by his amalgam fillings, researched the scientific data on the topic, and developed a protocol to heal himself. It has since been used to CURE *some* children of autism, and even reversed MS in at least one woman who followed his plan. Disclaimer: the book “isn’t pretty” — but it is written by a scientist who understands the risks and benefits of chelation therapy and how to proceed safely, also how to find a doctor to work with. I am currently using the Cutler protocol to detox my own mercury & aluminum, and plan to do the same for my children when I am well enough.
Please, do not give up hope on helping your child! Our bodies have an incredible ability to heal, and especially children — the younger they are when intervention begins, the less permanent damage appears to be done.
The Little Giant Steps approach for neurodevelopment has been used by parents of all sorts of special needs children — autism, Downs Syndrome, and many others — and is basically a method of using physical activity to “re-wire” the brain. We focused on this last year, and saw great progress in many areas: more emotional stability, less light & sound sensitivity, better ability to tolerate touch, and huge strides in reading.
Hope this helps. I am starting a website to share what I have learned on our journey, but it’s only just begun. But feel free to contact me if you have trouble tracking these down & I will find more info (I think you’ll be able to locate both with a Google search).
An alternative method of detoxing and rebalancing which is in effect chelation therapy is provided by the Cyber Trone German therapy which does help in the same way as explained in this blog on the amalgam fillings. Though these fillings are stronger and last longer than the newer safer ones they can make us sick so it is worth not having them in the first place or if you have them getting them changed by a dentist who knows how to do this safely. How to access therapists for the Cyber Trone therapy can be found on the web. As with medical chelation one can be quite unwell in the beginning but after persevering you can be so much better especially with protecting us from the adverse electrical effects of our new technology of mobile phones and wifi etc.
As a fellow parent of an autistic child, who spends their life second-guessing every decision they’ve ever made… Forgive yourself. Its extremely unlikely that any one of these things “causes” autism, as every single thing you mention is extremely common. And though rising, autism still isn’t. 1 in 64 births from the last statistic I read. And even if the right combination of these anecdotal links to autism did in fact cause it, you had absolutely no idea, nor did the world’s best experts on this subject. You did the best you could for your child, using the knowledge available to you at the time. Accept your child as beautiful, though perhaps flawed. Just like every other human being on this planet. Your rant is so sad, it makes me want to give you and your child a big hug. You did nothing wrong. Love yourself, and your child. And let this go. Its only enabling you to live in a dark place of regret, that you don’t deserve to be in.
Lung cancer is caused by smoking, which is extremely common. It’s not common either. That’s not an argument against any of these things causing autism. The last statistic was 1 in 68 kids who are currently 12 years old. That’s not births, that’s not even kids. That’s ONE specific cohort. Ask anyone you know, and they will tell your there are many more in the incoming kindergarten class than there was seven years ago.
The scientific studies done on these factors are not “anecdotal links.”
You should know that the author of the piece isn’t living in a dark place of regret. She has long since forgiven herself for what she didn’t know then. Her child is mostly recovered and is an awesome kid. She adores him. But that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want to help other people avoid making the same mistakes she did, no matter how “common” they are. Most people in her position would just go on and try to forget about the “bad ol’ days,” but she had the courage to write it all out, KNOWING that she was going to get dumped on in a major way (you have no idea what kinds of comments we deleted; it would shake your faith in humankind), because of the possibility that it would save some families from the unnecessary neurological and medical problems that her child faced.
Burying your head in the sand won’t help things… It won’t save millions of children. There is nothing wrong with researching.. accepting yes, you did have a hand in causing it though certainly not on purpose! But we learn.. and we change and we evolve and hopefully become better.
btw last year they did another survey and autism was 1 in 42 (much more in boys) and isn’t it 1 in 2.. have a disability of SOME kind. 🙁
I’m not trying to be rude, but to all you parents of Autistic Children, I’m sorry for how your child turn out. I’m not a Parent, but a student (also with a condition that is deemed ‘incurable’), who so happened to come across this, while researching about GMO foods.
Like I said earlier, I’m not trying to be rude, but especially to whoever wrote this post, there are some serious flaws in your arguments above:
1. Fluoride
Fluoride is in our toothpaste, and several or many of our foods we eat. In Toothpaste Fluoride acts like a coating onto of your teeth, protecting it from any tooth decay. While there ARE many risks in having fluoride in your food, or toothpaste, there are probably MORE advantages to having Fluoride in your toothpaste, then not having them. Scientists would weigh this out, and declare what is good, and what is bad. Don’t get me wrong here. Fluorine IS toxic while it is in natural (elemental) GAS form, however, i’m sure that what the doctors gave you was a safe amount, and that it is combined with Calcium of some sort.
2. Antibiotics.
Antibiotics was discovered in 1928, about 50 to 70 years before the rate of Autism began to increase. If autism HAD increased from Antibiotics, it would’ve started almost from the moment Antibiotics were introduced to the world. Why? Well, I, too, am making an assumption, believe it or not. We can assume that antibiotics is quite safe, because it would be a VERY common cure for anything. It would be expensive to buy, but back then, a small cut could lead to a huge infection. Antibiotics would cure that.
3. Ultrasounds.
I’m not too sure about this one, but i have already had WAY more than 5. Ultrasounds don’t do much to the body, after all it uses high frequency sound waves to the body. If it damaged anything, i’d more than likely be the ears, and not causing Autism. What about the gel they put on you? That gel just helps the device to glide smoother, along with covering any air sockets that might disrupt the connection.
4. C-section
There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with having a C-section. I was born by having a C-section. They are used when there is an emergency, or when the child is too large to fit through the vagina. If i was born completely fine, up until last year that was (but doctors think it was to do with an injection – my condition that is deemed ‘incurable’). Any risks with C-section would have been known, before performing the deed. Like all of the above, chances would be weighed, if not long ago, then by modern scientists this day.
I think I could list a couple more, but that will be enough. Whether you believe me or not, it is completely up to you…
Well, Good luck to you mothers (and fathers, if you are here) in finding out your answers!
-Tsubaki
Hi Tsubaki,
You make many invalid assumptions in your comments.
1) The fluoride in your toothpaste does not simply coat your teeth. It gets ingested and into your bloodstream.
“A Major Source of Children’s Daily Fluoride Intake
“Fluoride toothpastes sold in the U.S. generally contain between 1,100 and 1,450 parts per million (ppm) fluoride (the equivalent of over 1 mg of fluoride for each gram of paste). Although the fine print on the back of the toothpaste tube instructs users not to swallow and to use only a “pea-sized” amount, advertisements continue to depict heaping swirls of paste on the brush, (Basch 2013), and manufacturers continue to market fluoride toothpastes in bubble-gum, fruit, and candy-like flavors (Basch 2014). Using child-appealing flavors is particularly dangerous because young children have poorly developed swallowing reflexes, and invariably swallow large amounts of the paste they add to the brush.
“Not surprisingly, numerous studies have found that many children ingest a significant amount of fluoride each day from toothpaste alone. According to the Journal of Public Health Dentistry: “Virtually all authors have noted that some children could ingest more fluoride from [toothpaste] alone than is recommended as a total daily fluoride ingestion.” (Levy 1999).”
http://fluoridealert.org/issues/dental-products/toothpastes/
Beyond that, however, the author is specifically referencing fluoride in WATER, which is NOT topical and you assume a “safe amount.” The fact is that a “safe amount” of anything can and does vary considerably from person to person, with people who have difficulty detoxing experiencing negative effects at much lower dosages. In addition, what is a “safe amount” for the general population when water consumption is so drastically different from person to person.
2) When antibiotics were introduced, they were introduce to a population with a largely intact gut microbiome, and a single round of antibiotics used to combat life-threatening infections were generally not harmful, but eventually people began taking antibiotics for more and more types of illness (many of them viral), with a good segment of the population having multiple repeated rounds of antibiotics before reaching adulthood. RECENT research has indicated that ONE round of an antibiotic can disturb the gut microbiome for up to one year following. Can you imagine what six rounds in one year can do? Wholesale destruction of the good bacteria in the gut that we are finding are responsible for more and more functions that we were unaware of. When that microbiome is profoundly disturbed “psychiatric” symptoms are usually present, just as see in a large segment of the autism population. In addition, the microbiome interacts with and is PART OF our immune systems, and autism is characterized by brain inflammation due to immune activation.
3. There is a lot of information as to what the high-frequency sound waves can do to a developing embryo or fetus; just saying they’re harmless doesn’t cut it.
4. Clearly the author is well aware of what C-sections are used for, though the United States WAY overuses this surgical means of birth. With little intervention and skilled attendants, fewer than 1 in 20 births should present dangers warranting a C-section, which is closer to the C-section rate in countries where birth is safer for both the mother and child than it is in the United States. In addition, recent research makes it very clear that C-sections disturb the infant’s microbiome right from the start, while also not providing the stimulation that a newborn’s neural receptors should get to prepare the infant for life. If a C-section occurs, steps should be taken to minimize the disturbance to the infant and the mother-infant bond.
Can always count TMR to be right on top of things!
1. Flouride. Do you know what hyperthyroidism is? It’s when your metabolism is revved up really high. These people MAY be really thin etc (going to skip a lot to get through this so feel free to google). The easiest way to destroy your thyroid.. is with the TINTIEST amount of flouride. Used for over a hundred years.. it’s super easy to cure this disease. Flouride is very powerful. Since we are all required to drink and America is #1 in obesity and the obese here can’t eat over 800 calories a day without gaining weight despite beign 300-400 pounds says our metabolisms are destroyed. Flouride has no affect on teeth. If it helps it’s like 1%. They are also what white fillings are made from. Flouride is not good for you. If you have thryoid disease (the hypo kind) you are suppsoe to avoid flouride to stop further damage which means no tea… tea is the main plant that leaches flouride from the ground. If you’re suppose to avoid a glass of tea… toothpaste should be your mortal enemy! Flouride is awful. It’s a toxin. It’s literally toxic waste. It was killing wildlife when they dumped it in the river. They were banned from tossing this crap so they funded a study that said it was good for teeth. The study btw is completely bogus with no science behind it. They turned what was huge fines for killing animals and destroying water into profit.
C-sections. When you have a C-section you are not allowing the newborn to get ESSENTIAL to life bacteria. There are new studies out showing that these kids are growing up not getting these probiotics in their system at all and failing to thrive. The vaginal canal has VERY important things in there that a baby needs in its system. The study also linked it with autism. gut flora is now s hown to be directly connected to the brain… there ARE actual vessels that go from the gut to the brain showing it’s been way more important than anyone ever thought and why fecal transplants have been phenomonal to those that recieve them.
Antiobiotics are now given for EVERYTHING and that dr with the c section studies has been saying how we’ve been giving them to our kids for no reason at all… it’s also destroying very new delicate gut flora (vaccines also destroy gut flora that you cannot replace with a pill)
Ultrasounds have been r poven to be dangerous. There’s a reason dr’s say 2 MAX… now a days a woman could easily have 10. Not to mention all the radio waves for listening to the heart beat. If you are “high risk” ultrasound technology is a weekly deal you have to do for MONTHS. They have been proven to actually mess with the DNA and change it!
I have not been able to read all the posts but just want to say again as I have before that much if not all our modern day ills are being made more likely to occur due to the increasing use of mobile phones and wifi rollouts. There is apparently a paediatrician in America who suggests you turn it all off for 2 weeks and see how your children are then. I was a nurse for 45 years in Australia and eventually had to retire due to electrohypersensitivity which is a permanent damage illness due to my exposure to all of the above plus I suffered ovarian and uterine cancer after carrying a cordless phone around in my apron pocket over my abdomen for some years. We are electrical beings and our body electrics are sadly incompatible with that made by man so please be careful – hardwire computers, sleep in rooms without electronics, move clock radios away from your heads and try to avoid high powered electricity lines outside your or your children’s bedrooms. All this modern technology makes it more likely for all the other things you name to cause you or your children health issues.
Announcing a new human epidemiological study, conducted from University of Washington that indicts ultrasound re ASD.
The lead author, Pierre Mourad, was also involved in a mice study in 2013, that found ultrasound causing autism-like symptoms. Now he presents a human study that confirms his mouse study.
This is good news, but still very reserved compared to my “New Bibliography” of ultrasound studies at http://harvoa.org/chs/pr/pr_details.htm
Perhaps to ensure publication, the abstract mis-describes the history of ultrasound research with, “there exists… no human data”, at
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aur.1690/abstract
“While… considered safe, there exists speculation, though no human data, that diagnostic ultrasound may also contribute to ASD severity…”
You did not give your son autism. None of the things you mentioned cause autism. It is nothing but pure bad luck he was born autistic because autism is genetic it is some where in the family history. So you are not to blame if anything is responsible it is the God you belive in that caused it
Sorry, but you are wrong. There is no such thing as a genetic epidemic, and please don’t try to pretend autism was as prevalent 50 years ago as it is now. Almost NO ONE was nonverbal in the 1960s, now 1 in 45 children have autism and approximately one-third of them are nonverbal. Autism is most definitely (as study after study has found) strongly affected by toxic environmental insults as described in the blog.
Wow. Did you really actually say there were “no non-verbal autistics” in the 1960’s?!?!?
Seriously?
Really?!?!
Because I think regardless of your very misinformed views of “what causes autism” you cannot think that Anyone with access to the Internet will believe that statement?!
I can name Two for you who as a child had what was considered such a communication issue they were diagnosed as massively learning disabled because of it.. What we would class now as “non verbal” as they did not use ” language at the appropriate developmental age”…
You ready? This might just “shake your world”
One- Donna willams born 1963…
Two- Temple Grandin born 1947.
I’d tell you to check your “facts” better and stop spreading “misinformation” but I know better..
That’s what “you” do here.
I was also going to say.. Um.. both of those women talk just fine! lol
Wilder, (not sure how to reply to you under your post but.. Same here I was a kid in the 80’s/90’s and there were 2 kids in special ed and only because they were in wheel chairs. I now live in a small town.. well not a major city anyway like I’m use to but still a couple hundred thousand.. there are 10 PACKED classrooms in EVERY age group of autism classrooms on the severe side… there’s another 20 classes for moderate functioning and then they have mixed classrooms… there isn’t enough teachers.. there’s ONE speech teacher for the entire district so my kid gets 5 minutes of speech a MONTH and she has zero words. It’s crazy! You can’t meet someone now a days who doesn’t have a personal knowledge of a child with autism where as I never met a kid with autism until i had my own
Oh, silly me.. You of course put the word “almost” in front of your claim..
Now you will reply stating that..
But my claim remains.. “Almost no one” is still an ignorant statement by Anyone with the Internet..
You mean this Donna Williams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jYBsTUmUFo?
And this Temple Grandin: https://www.ted.com/talks/temple_grandin_the_world_needs_all_kinds_of_minds?language=en?
As you can see, neither of them qualifies as “nonverbal.” Despite your quotation marks around “no non-verbal autistics,” at least you noted that I did NOT say that. I said “almost NO ONE.” There is a significant difference between no one and almost no one, though I know that the black-and-white thinking that goes with autism may find it difficult to recognize that. The fact that you came up with a total of two (highly verbal) people with autism as your examples underscores my point rather than refutes it.
Wow, the arrogance. Are you claiming to know better than Donna ( known as Polly now actually – she is a friend of mine)??
You know her better than she knows herself eh?
Same with Temple? You know for a fact that they were verbal? Regardless of what they both say themselves???
Well in reference to Polly, you are wrong.
Your arrogance and ignorance knows no bounds really does it?
*sigh* I’m not claiming to know THEIR LIVES better than they do (while you, on the other hand, have claimed to know the lives of other “autistics” better than they or the people close to them have). I’m saying that neither of them ARE nonverbal — and that is abundantly clear by the fact that they are SPEAKING in those videos. That is hardly evidence of either arrogance or ignorance.
I’m going to be straight with you here. You argue EVERY SINGLE POINT, generally exceptionally poorly. That is an utter waste of my time AND your time. You would be much better served by actually trying to see the point BEYOND the words that initially piss you off. Then we might have a conversation other than “You’re wrong! You’re arrogant! You’re ignorant!” when I can easily show that I am not wrong or ignorant on the topic at hand. And I think it’s probably obvious to anyone who reads our conversations that you call allege arrogance if someone disagrees with you and can back it up.
This is where historical experience is important. I went to public schools back east in the 70s and 80s. I never met or knew of anyone in anyone’s family who remotely resembled Temple Gradin. I knew kids in school, or within in their families (kids or adults) that had MS, cancer, Down’s, lupus, alcoholism, dyslexia, cerebral palsy, schizophrenia and everything else you can think of in pretty much standard occurrence distribution. In retrospect, with 300 kids in my graduating class and their relatives I could think of, there were probably at most 2 I would even call ‘on the spectrum’. The only frank autistic I met was not until 1987, and in South America, the uncle of my boyfriend, who could have been a double for Rain Main. I loved Tio Emilio and his astronomical charts. He was really verbal. The family never knew what he had, and had never met anyone with his condition.
Since having kids in the 90s (who are not remotely anywhere near the spectrum) and volunteering in their schools I’m seeing many kids with distinct behavior and disabilities that NO ONE had that I went to school with since kindergarten and still know (and their extended families.) There are 2 FULL classrooms of kids on the spectrum in my younger kid’s grade (500 total/class.) There are several in the neighborhood. My sister has an autistic child, my cousin has an autistic child, my sister’s sisters in laws have multiple autistic kids – severely, there were NO autistic kids on either side of my family- EVER, and none on my brother in law’s side. I sat with the same 9 girls at lunch senior year. We’ve had 10 kids total, one mildly autistic, one severely autistic. How do we go from something I virtually never saw for 35 years, to FUCKING everywhere? This isn’t a judgement call of fidgety kids who may or may not conform to changing societal norms, this is undeniably different behaviors, challenges, and frank disability. It’s statistically impossible with this many people who are completely unrelated across the United States to have this many undeniably autistic kids. It is not better identification, what’s happening is unprecedented and points directly to an environmental cause(s). I feel for you, but get your head out of the sand.
Funny thing is, I could write a long reply about how I am a child of the 70’s and how I saw autistics then as I see them today.. It’s just we were better at putting them away back then… I could go on about how autism is genetic with UNKNOWN environmental factors.. I could go on about how autism is not an illness or disease…But I know it will all fall on decidedly ignorant ears here. I only post or reply for those unfortunate enough to come by your blog here.. A small voice of reason replying to a Blatantly pseudoscientific blog
The environmental factors are “UNKNOWN” (officially) because they don’t WANT you to know them. Got any idea why that is? Autism IS a disorder characterized by brain inflammation. That is not a “normal” state for the brain, nor is it an optimal one for neurodevelopment. You talk about “pseudoscience” and then spit out generalizations that are easily refuted with REAL science.
You were shown video PROOF.. temple does LECTURES.. You may not understand hat non verbal means. Yes, maybe they spoke a year later than normal but late onset is not non verbal. My 7year old has never said a single word.. EVER… it is HIGHLY unlike she ever will. THAT is non verbal. You are very cocky with a cocky handle when you appear to know very little about autism
Actually from a research point of view as well as from an education point of view “non verbal” does not mean does not communicate or will never communicate..
I’m afraid you assume that your child will not speak, but that may not be necessarily true, she may communicate very well already., I suggest you look up Amy Sequenzia and Silent Miaow before making such sweeping generalisations especially about me and my over 12 years worth of autism experience…. but that means very little, what actually matters is I am a mother of an autistic child also and you ASSUME he speaks. Well done.
This actually has the first good point you’ve made in a LONG time, and that is that because someone is nonverbal, it doesn’t mean they can’t communicate. That much is very true and is missed by a lot of people.
But YOU are assuming that Sidling is assuming. Nowhere does Sidling mention anything about a child of yours and whether or not he, she, they speak. Sidling said you may not understand what nonverbal means, which is a legitimate suggestion given that you used Polly and Temple as examples of “nonverbal” people with autism when they clearly are not nonverbal as they speak very well. So in your own words, “Well done.”
And by the way, you also assumed that Sidling didn’t know that speaking and communication are not the same. Sidling was talking specifically about speech. Nowhere did Sidling say that his/her child could not communicate.
Yeah, your point is well.. pointless. You claim Temple Grandin is non verbal.. She speaks very very well. I think you need to take a step back, take a deep breath because you are all kinds of wrong here. Non verbal means no speech whatsoever for as long as the person has been alive. It has in the past included people who could speak up to 3-10 words but those people are now called limited verbal as they are not truely non verbal.
I can’t stand it when people say oh Einstein was non verbal and look at how well he did.. he was talking by 3. He was a late talker.. not non verbal and spoke well after 3.
As for my child not only is she non verbal and probably always will be her communication is extremely limited. She doesn’t know what we are saying and will only repeat signs (2) in order to get something she wants but doesn’t have meaning for them as of yet.. though I do have hope one day it will.
I, personally, find it very insulting when people who have children who can ask for certain foods and to do things verbally albeit limited and they’re only 2 and yet call them non verbal because it’s not up to par (yet) as what I am working with couldn’t be further from their lives.
Guess bad luck is severely contagious.. especially in families with zero autism in them!
Right?
After more than 30 years with decades also of college, medical, and witchcraft(pharmakeia) trainging (yes, it is),
I can confidently say that GOD IS IN CHARGE, and there are ways the government and the officials won’t admit
to help most people no matter what happened to them or whose fault it was if anyone’s.
It is always a challenge (too hard of a challenge I think, but what can we do about that?).
But more and more groups are helping one another find out what can be done.
It would have helped us(my wife and I and babies) A LOT , IF ONLY FAMILY HAD HELPED, or if EVEN one church had helped, but they are not inclined to help at all.
We still , by God’s Grace, found all the help we needed at the time, day after day for over 7 years, to recover from most of the physical problems we faced together.
(The spiritual , emotional, and mental challenges may take quite a bit longer, btw).
Steady, steady, steady – don’t ever give up.
Yes, (no), conflicting emotions here – autism or aspergers ‘can’ be consider a ‘gift’, in life,
the same like cancer or diabetes. But that doesn’t mean to accept it as needing to continue. There are many who have recovered (with NO drugs).
So you equate autism with Cancer? Wow. That’s truly sad for you. Autism is NOT a disease no matter how much those on this blog like to think it is. If you properly research autism you would know this already.
Autism IS a disability — and, like cancer, is in part due to environmental factors — whether you choose to think it is or not. If you properly researched autism, you would know this already.
No, I don’t equate autism with cancer. Cancer only takes a few weeks to cure, and autism take a couple years. (sometimes 2 days, but requires ongoing evaluation/ ‘needs’ to be addressed).
Cancer is very well known and documented as a deficiency disease. Autism is also caused by a deficiency (known and proven)
but it is less well known than cancer.
Autism has ALWAYS been called a disease as far as everyone who knows what it is has said, for almost 100 years or longer now.
(I realize that the druglords have spent perhaps a trillion dollars to cover up what is happening with/causing/ associated with Autism , and the druglords don’t want anyone to know the truth, but that is nothing – of no matter, once someone finds out) …
Just like all the money they spent to cover up aspergers – that is much easier to cure than autism, but the person has to want to be cured instead of the now common “I like it” attitude that’s been foisted on the unwary public as if it is just a different personalty or something. The proof? Simple. Find people who have been cured. It’s actually easy ! (though it takes time, lots and lots of time, and patience, seeking the truth).
You said “if I properly research….” …. I was trained IN the drug lords schools….. I learned right directly from THEM…. (they didn’t deny it even, back in the 1980’s; rather they seemed PROUD of the money they got , all the extra money…… and admitted yes, even though it caused so many troubles for those afflicted, and cost so much – they said that is what they live for -THE MONEY) (they said it with NO SHAME apparent in their face or in their voice, ever – they had no conscience left! which broke my heart for them…. but I wouldn’t accept their bribes of money to continue doing that…. no… it is better to be poor and honest, just as Scripture says) …
autism is brain damage caused by heavy metals.
DID YOU KNOW???
The symptoms of brain damage found in autism (because that is what it is) are IDENTICAL to the symptoms of the brain damage found in mercury poisoning. IDENTICAL. line for line IDENTICAL.
SYMPTOMS OF MERCURY POISONING:
There are consequences for injecting mercury into a child. The symptoms of mercury poisoning are:
Psychiatric Disturbances:
Social deficits, shyness, social withdrawal
Depression, mood swings; mask face
Anxiety
Schizoid tendencies, OCD traits
Lacks eye contact, hesitant to engage others
Irrational fears
Irritability, aggression, temper tantrums
Impaired face recognition
Speech, Language & Hearing Deficits
Loss of speech, failure to develop speech
Dysarthria; articulation problems
Speech comprehension deficits
Verbalizing & word retrieval problems
Sound sensitivity
Hearing loss; deafness in very high doses
Poor performance on language IQ tests
Sensory Abnormalities</TD
Abnormal sensation in mouth & extremities
Sound sensitivity
Abnormal touch sensations; touch aversion
Vestibular abnormalities
Motor Disorders:
Involuntary jerking movements – arm flapping, ankle jerks, myoclonal jerks, choreiform movements, circling, rocking
Deficits in eye-hand coordination; limb apraxia; intention tremors
gait impairment; ataxia – from incoordination & clumsiness to inability to walk, stand, or sit; loss of motor control
Difficulty in chewing or swallowing
Unusual postures; toe walking
Cognitive Impairments:
Borderline intelligence, mental retardation – some cases reversible
Poor concentration, attention, response inhibition
Uneven performance on IQ subtests
Verbal IQ higher than performance IQ
Poor short term, verbal, & auditory memory
Poor visual and perceptual motor skills, impairment in simple reaction time
Difficulty carrying out complex commands
Word-comprehension difficulties
Deficits in understanding abstract ideas & symbolism; degeneration of higher mental powers
Unusual Behaviors:
Stereotyped sniffing (rats)
ADHD traits
Agitation, unprovoked crying, grimacing, staring spells
Sleep difficulties
Eating disorders, feeding problems
Self injurious behavior, e.g. head banging
Visual Impairments:
Poor eye contact, impaired visual fixation
“Visual impairments,” blindness, near-sightedness, decreased visual acuity
Light sensitivity, photophobia
Blurred or hazy vision
Constricted visual fields
Physical Disturbances:
Increase in cerebral palsy; hyper- or hypo-tonia; abnormal reflexes; decreased muscle strength, especially upper body; incontinence; problems chewing, swallowing, salivating
Rashes, dermatitis/dry skin, itching; burning
Autonomic disturbance: excessive sweating, poor circulation, elevated heart rate
Gastro-intestinal Disturbances</TD
Gastroenteritis, diarrhea; abdominal pain, constipation, “colitis”
Anorexia, weight loss, nausea, poor appetite
Lesions of ileum & colon; increased gut permeability (leaky gut)
Inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase IV, which cleaves casomorphin
Abnormal Biochemistry:
Binds -SH groups; blocks sulfate transporter in intestines, kidneys
Has special affinity for purines & pyrimidines
Reduces availability of glutathione, needed in neurons, cells & liver to detoxify heavy metals
Causes significant reduction in glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase
Disrupts mitochondrial activities, especially in brain
Immune Dysfunction:
Sensitivity due to allergic or autoimmune reactions; sensitive individuals more likely to have allergies, asthma, autoimmune-like symptoms, especially rheumatoid-like ones
Can produce an immune response in CNS
Causes brain/MBP autoantibodies
Causes overproduction of Th2 subset; kills/inhibits lymphocytes, T-cells, and monocytes; decreases NK T-cell activity; induces or suppresses IFNg & IL-2
CNS Structural Pathology:
Selectively targets brain areas unable to detoxify or reduce Hg-induced oxidative stress
Damage to Purkinje and granular cells
Accummulates in amygdala and hippocampus
Causes abnormal neuronal cytoarchitecture; disrupts neuronal migration & cell division; reduces NCAMs
Progressive microcephaly
Brain stem defects in some cases
Abnormalities in Neuro-chemistry:
Prevents presynaptic serotonin release & inhibits serotonin transport; causes calcium disruptions
Alters dopamine systems; peroxidine deficiency in rats resembles mercurialism in humans
Elevates epinephrine & norepinephrine levels by blocking enzyme that degrades epinephrine
Elevates glutamate
Leads to cortical acetylcholine deficiency; increases muscarinic receptor density in hippocampus & cerebellum
Demyelination in brain
EEG Abnormalities / Epilepsy:
Causes abnormal EEGs, epileptiform activity
Causes seizures, convulsions
Causes subtle, low amplitude seizure activity
Population Characteristics:
Effects more males than females
At low doses, only affects those geneticially susceptible
First added to childhood vaccines in 1930s
Exposure levels steadily increased since 1930s with rate of vaccination, number of vaccines
Exposure occurs at 0 – 15 months; clinical silent stage means symptom emergence delayed;
I really appreciate what “yesterday today and forever says” below…..helps us see that our kids are affected..impulsivity is big factor…I’m a kindergarten teacher, See a variety of these symptoms in many kids…
Check this out – excess of certain B VITAMINS have now been linked with much higher incidence of autism spectrum disorders-3X up to over 17X as high!
https://imfar.confex.com/imfar/2016/webprogram/Paper22533.html
Linked only in that it MAY increase risk of Autism. It is not a definite link by any means
I take riboflavin and other Bs for CPTII.
I also did ultrasounds, monitoring, vaccinations, fluoridated water, mthfr mutations, post natal iv antibiotics on one son, tylenol (though sparingly)and every other causitive agent agent the author feels guilty about.
I realize this is anecdotal, but my 2 boys boys are now over 18, never a trace of autism, raging extroverts.
My cousin’s son and and my sister’s son are autistic. And it’s not mild. There has never been autism in my family.
The only difference with my kids is that I did completely unmedicated births at a center. NO iv, NO cervical agents, no epidural, NO PITOCIN, no nothing. The births were ungodly painful and long, but again, completely unmedicated. Both of mine were early, 34 and 37 weeks. My sister and my cousin did fully medicated births, for what it’s worth, and past past 40 weeks.
Please detail your ultrasound experiences.
They each had 3 ultrasounds. It’s been a long time, but the first one is at 12 weeks? Then I did amnio testing with each one, so 16 weeks? And then there’s a later on one 5/6 months? At the time I had my reservations about ultrasounds, but objecting didn’t seem like an option. I’m also Rho negative and my boys are Rho positive, I have had the Rhogam shot so many times I stopped counting. Also, the dad and I are quite introverted, yet we have these very gregarious kids.
Thanks for the detail re your ultrasound experiences. I’ve been arguing for ultrasound initiation of fetal vulnerabilities — arguing now for three years (harvoa.org). Your ultrasound sessions, being over 18 years ago, could well have been with the much lower intensity machine models, because the great rise in intensities (8x-15x) began to be implemented in 1991. There are also widely varying operator related chance factors like dwell time, skill, and knowledge of safety issues.
It’s a little like smoking. A few decades ago, ‘apparently’, Japanese Medical Doctors/ Scientists showed conclusively that smoking won’t hurt someone UNLESS they are allergic to what is in the stuff they are smoking. (Others around may still be hurt by second hand smoke – no disputing that).
LIkewise,
no matter what you did during prenatal/ pregnancy/ care of a child,
IF they have the enzyme(s) needed to metabolize mercury, they don’t get autism when exposed to mercury.(unless it overwhelms their system).
Likewise, IF they don’t have the enzyme(s) needed to metabolize mercury, then even a tiny amount (like one shot) of mercury can result in full blown autism UNTIL the mercury is dealt with. This was FULLY KNOWN by 1955, perhaps much earlier (doctors in the 1930’s and 40’s REFUSED shots for their own children, reportedly).
Now , with the reports/ books/ form Andrew Moulden available (for a while anyway) showing “all immunizations cause harm” and “how to identify vaccine damage”
should be enough to get people to refuse any vaccine in most cases. (there’s NEVER been a need for vaccines, and none of them have been PROVEN to be cost-effective, ever)…. (I’ve studied this starting IN PHRAMACY SCHOOL, while practicing in four hospitals in the United States, and for the last 30 years extensively)….
#2 here
Thank you for this piece. Yes, I made many of these mistakes with my first, and Amoxicillin was the worst, hands down, for him. I had antibiotics for my eyes and paracetamol during pregnancy.
None of this happened with my second though. Whilst it is true that her immune system is in much better shape than her brother’s, she is quite obviously on the spectrum, and has selective mutism, absence seizures and is hyperreactive. I did have a lot more ultrasounds with her though, as a *senior* mum. She has electromagnetic sensitivity.
Neither of them were vaxed. They make progress, it is true, and I know that if they had been vaxed, they would probably be in a far worse place. But our challenges remain immense for all that, as they teeter on failing to be quite normal, but fail to make the grade for proper support from the system, at least so far (we’re in France – I don’t even want to start on that).
So…. our children are so vulnerable to all the toxicity and pollution around them, it strikes me sometimes that if it wasn’t going to be one thing, it would be another.
I have Amoxicillin and Lamictal monsters that plague my conscience. My daughter developed Erythema Multiforme after taking Lamictal, and I was soo furious with myself for going against my intuition, but after the myoclonic seizure she had that took us to hospital, I felt I had no choice.
I am armed to the teeth with alternative remedies now, that work far better than allopathic pharmaceuticals, but their soldiers are a terrifying bunch, and the power imbalance can catch many a parent off-guard.
Mant a time I’ve gone down for being a *hysteric* mum. Sick too myself from the rhesus anti-D vaccine for years, and finally diagnosed Asperger’s.
Bless and be at peace.
Bundlebee, I don’t know what the landscape in this regard is like in France, but many families are getting tremendous help with seizures (and other related issues involving brain inflammation) from medical marijuana. It might be worth a shot. And I stopped vaccinating my daughter at 1 and I I share your frustration with real lower-level issues that make life a struggle. Don’t worry about the “hysteric” label. That’s the mark of someone whose worldview is threatened. It says so much more about them than it could ever say about you.
Have your children tested for the MTHFR gene mutation. This can cause all sorts of health complications unless the complications to certain foods are dealth with. 50% of the population will have some form of it.
Psychological abuse. Theres the cause. I hope that helps…
Nope. It doesn’t. Certainly, abuse, by virtue of the increase in stress hormones that would result, would increase the odds of a particular child developing a neurological condition such as autism, but it can in no way explain the vast increase in autism rates. Leo Kanner and Bruno Bettelheim notwithstanding, there is no evidence that psychological abuse plays any role in most cases of autism.
Reading this for the first time on Mother’s Day. I’m thinking two things. How courageous for a mother to come straight out and admit that she herself made decisons that led to this outcome. Brava Mountain Momma!!!!! Please don’t take this second part wrong but daily Coke and Lortab aka Vicoden? That was pretty much all I needed to convice me. Thanks for your honesty.
Hello. I just want to ask what kind of heavy metals checking did you make?In blood check or hair or another kind of checking? I live in Japan and my son is 7. The doctors told me that I can’t make a test like this until he will be 12. I think that it’s too late . I have to wait about 5 years. Too long.
Thank you
Im so happy that your son is alive thank you God…
Ultrasounds? I had FOUR, the obstetrician told me they were “required”. Now I am MAD! All they ever found were a bit of “gas bubbles” in the intestine.
Vaccines? My child had them too and I should have stepped in and not allowed some of them–after some Human Anatomy and Phys. classes and my own personal experiences and that of friends, I question whether anything besides Tdaps, MMRs, and Hep B should be given.
Painkillers? I was given a huge list of things not to take, and the only meds I took for the nine months was sudafed, the pregnancy vitamins, and occasional ibuprofin. My doctor said these were safe.
Sugars? I was too sick to eat much sugar, unless you say soda crackers are evil. I had some chocolate cake at Christmas and a little bit of candy. Is that what did it? I don’t think so.
Flouride? Well, my doctor never told me to stop using flouride toothpaste.
Pitocin? I don’t think so. I had to be induced because I lost 4 lbs of water and had had two “false alarms” already and my kid was already over 9 lbs. It was found later I was not producing “oxytocin”. In fact, in 2 minute after receiving oxytocin, I went into labor and the rate had to be slowed down and my water broken because the nurses were saying the contraction rate was “too fast.” Unlike my first birth, this one went finished without a hitch, no apnea, no C-section, no painkillers. Did seem to go awful fast compared to the first one, the autistic kid was out in less than eight hours. Labor too fast maybe?
Advanced age? Yeahhh…I was 40 at the time and it was my second one. Have no desire now to have any beyond the two.
X-rays? I want to ASK about this one because my son supposedly “required” FOUR X-rays of his abdomen in the first TWO weeks of life. I don’t think it was really necessary.
Nursed? And how, he REFUSED a bottle after settling into breastfeeding until his first bad cold after one year of age. In fact, once over the cold, he wanted to go back to nursing, but by then my milk was already drying up and he didn’t like the taste anymore. He was such a good “eater” that at four months, the doctor and my husband wanted me to wean him to formula because I lost weight, was getting pale, and was tested to have anemia. I suggested a more meat rich diet and it worked. My baby was already eating baby food at this point and especially liked rice cereal, peas and carrots. At 10 months he was already 20 lbs., crawling, climbing, chattering, laughing, rolling, pullng himself up, sitting up easily, had great eyesight, drooling like crazy, had two teeth, manipulating things with his hands and feet, temper tantruming, and was rather tall for a baby his age. The “symptoms” didn’t show up until he was almost two.
Early Antibiotics? NO WAY! Not until he had an ear infection past age 1 or 2.
Two other things really bother me, which I think could have had a profound effect. One, I wasn’t allowed to nurse him until 13+ hours AFTER he was born. They finally got me at 3 am in the morning for his first feeding. Supposedly it was not good for his heath to nurse right after birth. I have always been mystified by this, because I nursed right after birth with the first one and everyone I know says that this was a strange thing to be prevented from doing. Two, we had some stressful and difficult things happen in the family–1. Both Grandmas in a short span of time developed dementia. One got to be like a spoiled little brat and the other was SO BAD she quit talking, using the bathroom, bathing herself, and doing the most basic grooming (forget regular house chores). It was so hard to care for her that we her kids put her into a memory care facility. The only ability that seems to remain is feeding herself and recognizing us after we talk to her for a while and nodding and shaking her head. Now her teeth are rotting because she doesn’t brush her teeth and fights people doing it for her, she doesn’t walk anymore and lost a lot of weight due to “pouching”. 2. One grandpa DIED. 3. Dad lost his job and we had to move…TWICE. 4. The older child was struggling with various things like food behaviors, depression, etc. while one grandma was descending into dementia and had other issues when our son showed his first symptoms. 5. I also had to go to work full time for a two months after Dad lost his job and was out working temporarily in the new city, so our autistic kid had to be cared for by sitters/his older sibling and he wasn’t used to me being away. 6. Starting while Grandma was in our house and slipping into dementia, he started having irrational fears that I was going to go away or die. All these things mentioned happened within a span of THREE years and I really wonder how much these stressful circumstances, added to the denial at birth of what I understand just about all kids receive–nursing–plus the ultrasounds and I bet the X-rays too contribute to his problems. I agree with the likelihood of being older, having been exposed to strange stuff like many ultrasounds, and perhaps even excessive vaccination and medications in infancy, but what about X-rays, what about NOT being allowed to nurse for the first time for almost 20 hours and being away from Mommy for most of that time? And how about early childhood stress? I mean, it was really depressing for the rest of us to lose a Grandpa, two grandmas to dementia (he does REALLY HANG on the remaining Grandpa when he visits), having to move two times, Mommy working for the first time and then Sissy also having stress and Daddy having to work away from home the first month before age 4 MUST have had SOME bearing on his problems. We do know from what he “says” now that some of that is true, that there is some anger at Mom and Dad but he cannot tell us precisely WHY (does he blame us for the grandparents’ messed up state and one dead? is he mad he had to move?). We still struggle with his issues. He still fears my dying. He got mad for weeks when Daddy went back to work and whenever Dad goes back to work after a vacation or even a weekend. One grandma still has weekly dramas that involve us both and cut in on his “attention” or he continues to see how the grandmas have changed and hasn’t accepted it yet–at least that’s a theory of MINE. His troubles have gone on since age 2 until now at age 7 and there seems to be no end in sight, even though big Sissy has very little troubles these days, Daddy has a regular job and regular hours, Mommy is always at home, we aren’t moving any time soon, the remaining Grandpa visits when he can, one grandma is not seen anymore because her appearance is upsetting, and one grandma at least hasn’t changed lately, and he has spent at least one year in school with some of this year being more erratic in terms of attendance. I know I can’t ask when it will end and I am committed to seeing things through, but I sure would like to find out if ultrasounds, x-rays, and delayed nursing and bonding can have any effect on the development of ASD symptoms or at least exacerbate them. At least if so I would like to tell other women to WATCH IT when they are asked to agree to these things. One thing’s for sure: I wouldn’t tell other moms to do NO vaccines, but I would tell them MMR, Tdap, and Hep B are SUFFICIENT, as almost no children have died from the others nor are even likely to get things like Hep A easily and flu vaccines–even for the dreaded H1N1, are just as likely to sicken the child and NOT WORK as they are to even work. I think that’s a 50/50 chance that if I had the decision to make all over again, I certainly wouldn’t do it. I would also fight FOUR ultrasounds and really question the need for x-rays on an infant and delayed bonding/feeding and I might have insisted on more outside help when the whole family/clan was going through those really stressful changes. Dementia and death involve the WHOLE clan, not just the spouse and immediate kids and grandkids.
Stress definitely has an effect. It can directly affect the neurological system. In addition, according to a questionnaire that Svetlana Masgutova gives the parents of children with autism who come to her, a very high percentage of those children have experienced traumatic events.
Why don’t you all check the child’s exposure to mobile/cordless phones and wifi? instead of worrying about all the other things as this is the most likely cause of the increased number of autism cases.
It’s hardly “the most likely cause,” but it IS likely to be part of the overall toxic load that our children carry today that makes them more susceptible to any neurological condition. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24095003
There is only one question I have and that is did you have wifi in your home during your pregnancy and early childhood of your child and/or did you use a mobile phone and put it anywhere near your baby both in utero or after birth?
Thank you for your heart felt apology. But, darling the system is designed for you to trust the doctors. However, I have found that going to the doctor is just a routine thing one child is every child. Doctors don’t want to do what is right, they want to make money. They don’t want to take time and learn or read the inserts, they trust these well groomed sells representatives who bring lunch and coffee. They want to win contests because they are desperately needing a vacation from all the madness. They have no idea what they are doing. When the parents know more than the doctors, we have reached desperation. I feel as though we need to start
Billing for our time to the doctors so the get the point of who they work for. I hope you will get some rest and realize you can choose to educate the doctors and maybe just maybe they will get a clue and read the shit they pump into our kids. We cannot sue but we can bill for our time and research that their sorry lazy asses could not or would not do. Best to bring in peer studies to show them where they fall on the scale. Good luck
Wow, and you decided to raise Carly’s shock treatment.. So you have some inside info then? Because other then that biggest of info about her, which is public knowledge, I’m not sure Exactly why you needed to mention her… Considering her own self advocacy stance..
Also it really doesn’t seem to be easy for you to grasp the concept that advocacy doesn’t mean advocating for only a section nor does it mean speaking for All.. But yet anyone who disagrees gets branded as “speaking for all autistics” when it’s blatant that is not the case..
As it is, now I really am tired of this tedious conversation and blog that repeats the same pseudoscientific nonsense over and over again..
You scream proof to those who disagree, give me one, just one valid study, as I have read all the links on this blog and in the comments and they don’t cut it to say the least..
Good luck
*sigh* No, I don’t have “inside info” on Carly Fleischmann. That was exactly the point! If I DON’T have inside info, I don’t condemn others’ choices like you do. THAT’S why I brought it up, because Carly is a self-advocate, like you, who made a choice for herself to use a treatment that many consider “abuse.” But that’s not their call or my call, just as it is not YOUR call to make for others either.
I’m well aware of what advocacy is. And I’m also aware of when someone is advocating for a narrow slice of a population or a larger population, and you miss the mark for much of the autism community on many, many occasions. You make pronouncement after pronouncement about “autism” that is patently untrue for at least a large portion of the autism community and say that you’re not trying to “speak for all autistics.” Well, if that’s the case, then STOP making sweeping pronouncements that make life harder for many of the people you CLAIM to be advocating for. And stop putting words in the mouths of other advocates because they do things differently from you.
Your last paragraph is meaningless. “Proof” of what? “One valid study” of what? I’m happy to discuss science with someone who knows how to do so, but throwing out vague blanket statements is just meaningless as anyone who understands science knows. And, by the way, I have never screamed “proof” to anyone. I ask someone to SUPPORT their arguments with real data. Rarely does that constitute “proof,” whether or not the data or study is entirely valid. It does, however, at least take the conversation out of the realm of being ENTIRELY based on opinion.
AutismAdvocate,
Re your comment, “The one by ‘West’ I must say I found the most comical” — Be specific and give your argument.
Jim West
http://harvoa.org
I have to say I love how some of you ask for proof and when someone does post an article
This is the reply
“Studying the rates in the United States isn’t going to tell you anything about the rates in Uganda. The idea is simply absurd”
So I guess Case Studies are just worthless then eh? It’s not worth it to do one that can and is easily replicated some where else to prove something? Wow. All those peer reviewed case studies worthless now… Do you see the ignorance in that now????
No one said case studies are worthless. What I SAID was that the incidence in UGANDA has no implicit correlation to the incidence in the United States. And it doesn’t. It is clear that autism results as an interplay between genes and environment. The gene pool in Uganda will be dramatically different from the one in the United States, and the environmental toxins will be even more so. You have not given any argument as to how a study on autism rates in Uganda would be applicable to autism rates in the United States. Probably because there isn’t one.
” Given that he claims to be going into a scientific field, that is more than a little alarming”
The fact that you do not see how patronising and arrogant that comment alone is “worries” me! Do you know the person? How dare you comment on his future. That showed how ignorant you actually are. You see autistics as diseased, less then you and that is apparent is what you post and that in of itself is really rather sad.
It is not “patronizing” to say that *I* find it alarming that Zachary is going to be a scientist when he has made patently incorrect and ignorant statements here that are easily proven to be incorrect and ignorant. And it is certainly no more “arrogant” than he was in making those statements in the first place. What this comes down to is that you disagree with people here, but you disagree with them because you choose to ignore a HUGE amount of scientific study and data as Zachary has done. YOU see “autistics” as all the same as you. Unfortunately, you, like Zachary seem utterly unaware that there is a very wide spectrum in autism, of which you represent one small part. It’s like the Indian story of the five blind men approaching the elephant. The one who is touching the tail is not even CLOSE to getting the whole picture of “elephant.” And he never will if he refuses to listen to the other four people who can add information. No one here is trying to convince you of anything or change you in any way. What they are trying to do is get their children to real and true health.
I’m speechless… First off, autism creates very brilliant and efficient minds most of the time. How dare you think that your kid is somehow “tarnished” by autism, believed mostly to be a genetic trait. It is still YOUR kid and YOUR genes. I have autism myself and I am currently in my final year to become a toxicologist.. For you laymen, it means I’m studying what is harmful to the body. All I have to say is this article is completely a waist of any parents time. All the studies she listed have been further discredited for malpractice and skewing the found statistics to favor a side. The author, a laymen, with no medical experience or training, found other wack-jobs online, who believed the same. She does not have the slighest clue what she is talking about, and neither will any laymen who just turns to “Dr. Google”. When it comes to medicine, the internet is one of the worst places to get information, because there are just to many variables to treat and to look at all the cases the same. That’s why you go and see a doctor, someone more intelligent than yourself, and is actually trained in understanding the human body. If you think your few hours of Google searching is tantamount to my 14 years of medical training, then you walk the line of the imbecilic. For you people who blame vaccines and anitbacteriants for your child’s autism, I take great pity on you and hope maybe just someday, you’ll come to your senses. I have personally read all the information she has provided, and it has all be discredited. Maybe one day you will wise up; hopefully for your kids well being. I’m proud to be a part of the autism club by the way. I would never change that about me. It made me who I am, and I would go as far to say, that it put me many years ahead of my peers.
First off, “autism creates very brilliant and efficient minds most of the time” is a wild, sweeping generalization that just isn’t true. It may indeed be true in your case (though it seems as though your logic skills are severely lacking), but that doesn’t make it true for anyone else, much less “most of the time.” If it WERE true, why would autism be considered a disability requiring therapies and services? Why would there even be a “diagnosis” for autism? There are approximately one and a half million people in the United States on the autism spectrum. Approximately one-third of those are severely affected to the point where autism constitutes a significant disability — many of them are unable to speak, unable to learn to use a toilet reliably, and unable to sit in a classroom, much less derive any learning from it.
Secondly, autism is “believed mostly to be a genetic trait” only by those who WISH to believe it. Those who are actually looking at the evidence (such as the huge number of families dealing with autism now that have never seen it before) have come to the conclusion that autism results from a complex interplay between genes and the environment that both contribute to about equally: https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/large-study-suggests-genes-environment-contribute-equally-autism-risk.
If autism WERE “mostly genetic,” the “autism gene” would have long since been discovered, given the huge number of dollars that have gone into genetic studies. But the best they have come up with is a large number of genes that are slightly more common in the autistic population than the neurotypical population, which in no way accounts for the phenomenon of autism or the huge increase in prevalence that we are witnessing. Indeed, the most interesting gene study to come out recently showed that a hallmark of autism is that inflammatory genes are switched “on” — not that there are more of them than the neurotypical population, but that they are turned on. That gene switching is an epigenetic effect that comes about from, you guessed it, environmental toxic insults of the very sort discussed here by Mountain Mama. http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/19956/20141211/brain-inflammation-reveals-genetic-marker-of-autism.htm
I wish you luck with your toxicology studies. If you truly apply yourself and discuss with many people what they have been found to be harmful to their bodies and how they have addressed the harm (in other words, take it beyond the theoretical to the practical), I suspect you will find it very eye-opening. You have a long way to go yet if you don’t understand even the most basic link between antibiotics, the balance of gut bacteria, and autistic behaviors. Clearly, understanding the role played by artificial hyperstimulation of the immune system with aluminum adjuvants that bind to many different kinds of substances and create many different kinds of antibodies that can cross-react with tissue anywhere in the body, including brain tissue, to induce autoimmune conditions is well in your future.
Oh, and one more suggestion, if you expect anyone to listen to you in future, you would do well to listen to others rather than labeling them whack-jobs or imbecilic because they disagree with you about what happened to themselves or their children. Such behavior, despite your “14 years of medical training” does nothing to help your credibility.
Genetic causation should be strongly discounted because… even if genetic correlations are found, ‘genetic’ also means ‘similar behavior’, such as being born to parents whose behavior is pro-medical intervention, pro-vaccine, pro-pharmaceutical, pro-ultrasound, etc. Environmental synergies for ASD, have been intensely researched at http://harvoa.org/chs/pr
whoa whoa whoa Zachary.. it is VERY clear you know absolutely NOTHING about autism!
First, 70% of ASD kids are mentally retarded/intellectually disabled. It is EXTREMELY rare to have a savante and if so they are lacking in so many other ways they cannot function in the real world on their own including feeding themselves.
Secondly.. do you know what the word genetic MEANS???? It means caused by ANYTHING once an embryo implants.. literally ANYTHING.. ENVIRONMENTAL can be genetics.. what you mean is hereditary.. and no ASD is only 1-3% inherited.. mostly through fragile x which is VERY VERY rare. There are NO studies at ALL linking it to ANY other dna/genes etc.
Autism is 97-99% ENVIRONMENTAL. You don’t suddenly have everyones DNA magically change without something big happening from the environment at the very very least.
I suggest you at least read a LITTLE before attempting to speak on an autism board
“Because of the significant symptom heterogeneity found in autism, it is often conceptualized as ‘autism spectrum disorder’ (ASD). Variability in IQ is one of the most salient dimensions of this heterogeneity. Both DSM-IV (APA, 1994) and ICD-10 (WHO, 1992) definitions of Asperger syndrome include cognitive developmental level as one of the key features distinguishing it from autism. It is estimated that 70% of individuals with autism have IQs in the mentally retarded range (Fombonne, 2003), yet some individuals have above average intellectual ability (Miller & Ozonoff, 2000). Moreover, the IQ profiles of individuals with and without mental retardation tend to differ, with higher IQ individuals typically having a higher Verbal IQ on average (Ghaziuddin & Mountain-Kimchi, 2004; Gilchrist, Green, Cox, Burton, Rutter, & Couteur, 2001). However, there is extreme individual variability in IQ, making it unlikely that a specific cognitive profile can be used for differential diagnostic purposes (Filipek et al., 1999; Siegel, Minshew, & Goldstein, 1996).” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991056/ (By the way, Jak, many of the very bright savants with autism function quite well in the world.)
That isn’t what genetic means, though, Jak. Genetic means having to do with genes. Until recently, the scientific community thought that meant through inherited DNA or arising from spontaneous mutations (which could be affected by the environment), but more recently includes epigenetic changes that ARE affected by the environment. There are environmental effects that have nothing to do with DNA or even epigenetics. There ARE genes that are common to many on the spectrum. When those gene mutations or polymorphisms are combined with certain kinds of environmental insults, the result is often toxic overload that leads to neurological conditions. In the absence of those gene combinations, neurological conditions such as autism are much less likely.
Wow. So Zachary tells you he is in the autism spectrum and you reply with
“I suggest you at least read a LITTLE before attempting to speak on an autism board”???
Wow, that’s rich. Do you not see how absolutely patronising that actually is Jak? Here an autistic man is saying that he is not “damaged”, “ill ” or in need of your psuedoscientific “cures”, most of which are actually abusive.. (Remind me please again why you do not condem MMS/CD aka mineral Miracle solution AKA BLEACH given in oral and enema form to children on the spectrum??!! Pushed by money making charlatans? Remind me?)
And you mock him and tell him he needs to “read more” before commenting?!
I really doubt this will be “allowed” but thank you with all you so called intelligence, for showing just how ignorant you and this blog ( full of cherry picked and highly challenged so called “scientific articles”.. The one by “West” I must say I found the most comical.)
Just full of misinformation and ignorance really.
I don’t agree with the mocking tone of Jak’s comment, but Zachary is wrong on the FACTS. He obviously would like to believe that autism automatically bestows brilliance on a mind, but that is patently untrue and is not supported by any data. Given that he claims to be going into a scientific field, that is more than a little alarming. It would be a really good idea for him to realize that he is not representative of the full autism community, a large segment of which cannot attend elementary school, much less graduate school. Calling people names who do not agree with you does not change the FACTS. If you don’t want to be accused of misinformation and ignorance yourself, then challenge what is actually said and support it with FACTS. Since you have not challenged a single statement, nor offered a single fact, it is unlikely that anyone will take your accusations of “cherry picking” or “ignorance” seriously.
Well thank you again, anyone who has read this blog and the comments knows what I mean by “cherry picking” and I have learned that any facts I would present are then warped and twisted by those on here that believe autism to be a disease of some sort. Anyone with intelligence can find the truth amongst the psuedoscience you present here. You also never addressed my point about MMS which really does say everything. I know autism is not a disease and the “facts” you present of 70% with learning disabilities is plain false.
“Between 44% – 52% of people with autism may have a learning disability.
Between 48% – 56% of people with autism do not have a learning disability.”
http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/myths-facts-and-statistics/
The fact that the words retarded and retardation are used so freely shows how behind some of you actually are. The term is Learning Disabled”!
The one point you don’t seem to understand here is the damage being done. To continue to say autism is a disease to be “cured” tells those who have autism in your life that they are damaged, not whole, less then human even. You are rejecting them. You are damaging them and creating possible serious mental health issues.. All “behaviour ” is communication and this is especially true to those pre-verbal ( news flash! adults can be pre-verbal!).. To assume those who don’t communicate as neurotypical people do are less intelligent is massively arrogant and ignorant. Look into Carly Fleischmann, read Donna Williams. Educate yourselves. Autism is not a disease and cannot be cured. It doesn’t need to be. The serious issues and difficulty those with autism face need to be supported and let’s be real here, if there was true acceptance and understanding of autism more then half of the difficulty they have would be eradicated… Those whose sensory difficulties are impacting their lives need the right therapy and support, the same with all other aspects of autism- the fixed thoughts and behaviours, communication and language, emotional regulation, etc… With the right support and therapy there is the ability to thrive and have a valid, constructive happy life. The therapy I mean includes Speech and language therapy, TEACCH, PECS, SCERTS, SPELL, occupational therapy and intensive interaction.. These should not be new terms to any of you supposed scholars of autism, but if they are, I suggest you look them up and educate yourselves ..
In case you didn’t notice, when I used the word “retardation” it was a quote from a scientific article. It is not a word *I* ever use to describe anyone. It has a very particular meaning in the scientific community, however.
And you continually put words in people’s mouths, especially mine. Just because someone’s nervous system gets “damaged” does not in any way mean that they are less than human or that they are being rejected! I happen to love a wonderful woman who is 25 years old and has been in a wheelchair in her whole life with cerebral palsy. There is no question that her nervous system is “damaged.” Does that mean I see her as “less than human”? OF COURSE NOT! The fact is that we are ALL “damaged” to some extent or another. Not only does it not make someone LESS than human, it is PART of being human. But the fact that some people want to reverse damage to their health and maximize the possibilities in their lives and that of their children does not in any way imply “rejection.” I don’t suppose you’ll hear that now any more than you ever have before, though.
Autism IS a disorder and CAN be cured. It is being cured quietly every day, again as recently borne out by a mainstream study that showed approximately 9% of the children in the study had lost their autism diagnoses. That’s not an accident, and was no surprise to us because we know MANY families who have experienced it. If you don’t want yours to be “cured,” that’s wonderful. I suspect no one will give you a hard time about it, but leave the people who DO wish to be “cured” alone. Their journey is not your journey.
And I’m not commenting on MMS because we have been over that a dozen times, and it gets us nowhere. You want people to use only YOUR approved therapies because somehow staring at the tail of the elephant means you know what someone confronted with the ear should do. You don’t. And if you think people here are NOT using every form of speech and language therapy that exists, you really are only hearing what you want to hear.
“And I’m not commenting on MMS because we have been over that a dozen times, and it gets us nowhere. You want people to use only YOUR approved therapies”
so you “condone” Abuse? Because if I am not wrong the courts of a few countries and states already have.. Wow that’s interesting .. You consider MMS a “therapy”? So you would strap your child down and give it Bleach?!?!
That says it all. I have not used this word previously, but your last post and the comment above merits it.. You are a dangerous quack. Period, full stop.
I can not debate with someone like this. It is impossible. I could put link after link after link here about how autism is not a Disease or illness and that would make no difference.. And before you accuse me of not posting a fact look at the NAS link again that I posted before http://www.autism.org.uk
Regardless of it being a UK site the facts remain the same…
I and I believe Zachary NEVER said we spoke for all on the autism spectrum in any way, yet you continue to accuse me of that. So who isn’t listening?
I will never stop advocating for my child or the children I work with or the friends I have, all on the autism spectrum and before you assume, not all “high functioning” as labelists like to call them.. Education and acceptance. It does not include eradication of people like Einstein, Bill Gates, Darryl Hannah, Temple Grandin ( whom without the USA beef industry would still be using barbaric ways of dealing with cattle) Aristotle, Andy Warhol, Steven Wiltshire, Donna Williams and I could go on and on.. But you’ve probably stopped listening and I’m done wasting my time.
Again, as I said we’ve been over this a 1000 times, I do not condone “abuse,” and no one in TMR does either. But that doesn’t mean that we automatically agree with YOUR definition of abuse. As far as you are concerned, any therapy that does not get your very limited stamp of approval constitutes “abuse.” We have seen thousands of children get well with so-called “quack” therapies. I don’t “condone” or “condemn” therapies I don’t use, including the electroshock therapy that Carly Fleischmann as an adult with autism voluntarily chose to use, because I have no personal knowledge of them and even if I did that would not mean that my experience would be the same as someone else’s.
You can put “link after link here about how autism is not a Disease or illness,” but those would be no more than opinion pieces written by people who share your opinion.
Every time you make broad sweeping generalizations about autism you are implying that you speak for all on the autism spectrum. The fact that your sweeping generalizations are either not true or are only true for a small segment of the autistic population makes it clear that you do not do so accurately, but you repeatedly make the attempt, as did Zachary when he made his initial statements. To say now that you don’t is absurd.
So now The National Autistic Society website link regarding autism is “opinion”???? I’ve heard EVERYTHING now, I really have. I shall inform them that their info backed by year’s of peer reviewed research is now just “opinion”.
Do you see how ABSURD That is?!?!?!?
And thank you for proving my point that whatever is posted that doesn’t follow your pseudoscience, your Quack ideas and Your opinion gets either shot down, disregarded, ignored or twisted..
You proved that you didn’t even look at it let alone Read it or you would not call it “opinion”..
Now That is absurd
Good day
The link you posted is to the website’s homepage. It is not support or refutation of anything you said. If there’s a particular piece you would like me or anyone else to read, especially if it should contain a list of peer-reviewed research, you should post that link.
My comment about opinion was based on your statement about posting “link after link.” I’ve seen many articles that agree with your opinion, but they have not been even remotely close to peer-reviewed research, nor did they reference peer-reviewed research. Again if you’re going to throw the word “pseudoscience” around at least come up with something that you think could be called science.
Has this question been discussed?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25401047
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24622158
“Just because someone’s nervous system gets “damaged” does not in any way mean that they are less than human or that they are being rejected!”
For the record, I never said they did either nor accused you of that. Autism is not neurological damage. Sorry, that’s a fact. Autism is a neurodevelopmental “condition” and not a “disorder”. Again ancient terminology being used..
I in fact also have neurological damage, my children do not. So I know I and others like me also disabled are not less then, thank you nor did I accuse you of that. What I stated is you are seeing a neurodevelopmental condition that’s been around as long as we have as a “disease” and worse still some sort of epidemic and it is not.
The 9% you quote is from (again what else is new!) highly contested study. It is now believed those 9% were ( oh guess what!?) misdiagnosed. And “recovery” many now see does NOT mean “cure”. Those who state they have children who have recovered or even the Son Rise “cured” children still have the issues stereotypical of autism/Aspergers but they manage or even possibly “mask” them better as they have matured.
But again, I’m wasting my time on you, I post only to those who actually want to learn facts and make the mistake of stubbing across this BLOG.
You most certainly DID accuse me “of that”: “To continue to say autism is a disease to be “cured” tells those who have autism in your life that they are damaged, not whole, less then human even. You are rejecting them.”
And whether or not autism has been around for a long time does not say anything about whether or not there is neurological damage involved. Polio has been around for a long time, but no one would contest that there is neurological damage involved. Svetlana Masgutova does reflex integration work on the neurological systems of people with various diagnoses. On average, for the children she has worked with with autism 85% of their reflexes have been dysfunctional. That implies neurological damage. When she works on those reflex circuits, their functioning improves and symptoms of autism are reduced. That goes even for people at the “high functioning” end of the spectrum, though the percentage of reflexes that are dysfunctional tends to be somewhat lower.
So which is it? The children in that study were “misdiagnosed” or they are STILL autistic? And why is it that YOU know better than the parents and doctors involved — or even the children themselves? SOME retain symptoms of Asperger’s or ADHD, but not all as indicated in the study. I challenge you to actually meet Raun Kaufman, who runs the Autism Treatment Center of American and was the subject of the book Son Rise. You will find NO “stereotypical” issues of Asperger’s and no “mask.” Just because you wish it to be so doesn’t make it so.
“Waste” all the time you want, because I agree every time you do you provide another opportunity to convey FACTS to those who wish to learn.
That’s also a HUGE assumption people here get their info from blogs.. the majority of us read scientific researched studies.. the raw data. Not interpretations. It is very clear you haven’t even googled at all let alone read anything about autism. I highly recommend you find a new profession because you do not have a scientific mind.
Just catching up and saw this
Wow. Nice.
Not worth saying anything further
Because YOU are the only one who gets to call someone else “unscientific,” right? 😉
Please read this article! I am studying to be a clinical mental health therapist. Please consider the research referred to in this article.
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/10/13/autism-increase-mystery-solved-no-its-not-vaccines-gmos-glyphosate-or-organic-foods/
I’ve been following this post for a while now and have seen many try and debate or even prove the original poster “wrong”. It never happens. This is a blog and the OP seems to like to reply with cherry picked so called “research articles” or ignore the point made. I applaud your effort and await the reply I’m afraid I know is coming. Sometimes people actually chose ignorance.
“The OP” rarely replies at all. You think that article isn’t “cherry picked”? Taking data from Denmark in an attempt to explain non-comparable increases in rates in the United States is the definition of “cherry picking.” And, yes, sometimes people DO choose ignorance. 🙂
I’m sorry, but that article is pure bullshit. The rise is real and drastic. In the 1960s, once a child learned to talk no one worried about regressions. Today, there are a million and a half people with autism, approximately one-third of whom regressed in early childhood.
“In the last two decades, autism prevalence as reported in the scientific literature has increased by more than 600%. In 2009, the latest estimate of autism prevalence in the United States, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control was 1 in 110 children[1]. Since then, a number of studies have sought to investigate the cause(s) of this dramatic increase in autism prevalence over time. The most recent findings suggest that at least a portion of the increase in prevalence can be attributed to changes in diagnostic practices and increased awareness of autism over time, as well as other social factors such as advanced parental age. However, converging evidence also suggests that while these factors account for a portion of the increase, they cannot alone explain the dramatic rise in autism prevalence.” http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2010/10/22/got-questions-answers-to-your-questions-from-the-autism-speaks%E2%80%99-science-staff-2/
Denmark has a MUCH lower incidence of autism than the United States. As most studies lately show that approximately 50% of the etiology of autism is due to environmental factors, it is clear that the environmental factors in the U.S. are very different from those in Denmark. No matter what a study in Demnark shows with regard to whether or not the incidence of autism is rising, it cannot be logically extended to make any conclusions about autism prevalence in the United States. In case you cannot understand why that is the case, consider the possibility that you want to understand the rising prevalence of malaria in Uganda. http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/666019-uganda-s-rural-areas-register-rising-cases-of-malaria-study.html Studying the rates in the United States isn’t going to tell you anything about the rates in Uganda. The idea is simply absurd. As is the idea of a study in Denmark giving any meaningful information about autism rates in the United States.
You might want to speak with Wendy Frolich, the pediatric development an psychologist who was on the team that just re-wrote the DSM-V criteria for autism spectrum disorder.
There really are more cases, it’s not just the counting. You are wrong.
This is absolute bullshit. If your studying to be something.. I suggest you study a LOT harder!!! Many REAL studies have shown it is NOT because its more diagnosed… what koolaide are you drinking?!?!? There is no accounting for a special needs classroom in the whole city to be 3 kids.. it is now FULL classrooms in most all grade schools. There is NO denying autism. These kids are not savants.. high functioning or misdiagnosed. Seriously.. go back to school. Autism is a severe disease. You can’t miss it. They would NOT have been able to go to a regular classroom 10 or 20 or 30 or 40 years ago. You are so very very very very wrong.
I have a legitimate question. (*Cards on the table: I am a pre-medicine student and I am currently completing a senior project on the genetic risk variants associated with ASD.*) One thing that has come up over and over again in my research is that ASD has extremely high concordance in monozygotic twins (approaching 92%) as opposed to only 10% in dizygotic (fraternal) twins. This would point to autism being highly heritable and due mostly to genetics. What is the argument against this? Both kinds of twins would share the same pre-natal environment, and both would likely be vaccinated around the same time, yet the monozygotic twins show much greater concordance. Again, I am genuinely interested. I am hoping to be a pediatrician someday and I want to be able to give the best advice to parents that I possibly can. I also understand that big pharma can be corrupt, and I am very wary of the damage this can do to innocent people just looking for medical care. Thanks!
That high concordance you’re talking about is disputed: Genetic Heritability and Shared Environmental Factors Among Twin Pairs With Autism“For strict autism, probandwise concordance for male twins was 0.58 for 40 monozygotic pairs (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42-0.74) and 0.21 for 31 dizygotic pairs (95% CI, 0.09-0.43); for female twins, the concordance was 0.60 for 7 monozygotic pairs (95% CI, 0.28-0.90) and 0.27 for 10 dizygotic pairs (95% CI, 0.09-0.69). For ASD, the probandwise concordance for male twins was 0.77 for 45 monozygotic pairs (95% CI, 0.65-0.86) and 0.31 for 45 dizygotic pairs (95% CI, 0.16-0.46); for female twins, the concordance was 0.50 for 9 monozygotic pairs (95% CI, 0.16-0.84) and 0.36 for 13 dizygotic pairs (95% CI, 0.11-0.60). A large proportion of the variance in liability can be explained by shared environmental factors (55%; 95% CI, 9%-81% for autism and 58%; 95% CI, 30%-80% for ASD) in addition to moderate genetic heritability (37%; 95% CI, 8%-84% for autism and 38%; 95% CI, 14%-67% for ASD).
Conclusion: Susceptibility to ASD has moderate genetic heritability and a substantial shared twin environmental component.”
There is a genetic susceptibility to environmental damage. When the environmental overload hits the tipping point, chronic illness, often in the form of neurological conditions begins. Twins, identical or otherwise, COULD be vaccinated at the same time, but that doesn’t mean they are in the same condition when it happens. One may have an ear infection and be on antibiotics and Tylenol, and that can be enough to make the difference between their health outcomes.
It may also be that the definition of “identical twins” could be a confounder in these twin studies: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/are-these-twins-identical/?WT.mc_id=2015-NOVEMBER-FACEBOOK-WINBACK_AUD_DEV-1101-1130&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=WINBACKAD&_r=0
For instance, the first study could have used only twins that shared a placenta. If the concordance is much lower for identical twins that do NOT share a placenta, then you know that the initial high concordance is not due to genetics alone, but the fact that as they were developing their environments were very similar also.
Myssa,
I too am referring you to Hallmayer(2011).
http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1107328
Re autism, they conclude that that genetics is overplayed, and environment is a bigger factor.
Grether(2009) point to several studies indicating that autism is initiated in the womb.
My Bibliography of empirical, in utero, human ultrasound exposure studies shows ultrasound is an extreme neurological risk. http://harvoa.org
I am a twin and my 3yr old son was diagnosed as having autism early this year. We’ve noticed symptoms for months but it took a while to get an appointment with the paediatric neurologist (we were on the waiting list). I have cousins who are twins from both my mom and dad’s side of the family.
I’m finding the observation on the ultrasounds very interesting. I’m in South Africa and pregnant women who attend pre natal care services in government clinics hardly get ultrasounds – if ever; and the incidence of autism in this population of babies is significantly lower than that of babies of pregnant women who receive care in the private sector, where we get number of ultrasounds including 3D scans!
That said, my child’s symptoms became VERY APPARENT within hours of having the MMR shot. I’m convinced it’s the mercury in the vaccines. We’ve initiated a number of interventions and noticed incredible changes after starting the gluten-free casein-free diet. The entire family is nearly gluten free. We’ve got him on a couple of multivitamins and I’ll soon be initiating Immunocal and will start low-dose chelation using cilantro and chlorella. Maybe later ALA and DMPS.
The only issue with him now is speech (he’s now completely non verbal) and stimming (waving objects back and forth in this hands continuously). Other than that he is incredibly intelligent, follows instruction with a good sense of humour.
I had a fairly stressful pregnancy and was under immense stress during my son’s first year of life, having started a stressful new job (I didn’t anticipate the added workload, and my job description was changed along the way without any discussion – this was ironically a multinational company).
We also found out during my son’s first year of life that his carer (who’d been looking after him since he was 4 months old) had cancer and she later had to leave our employ. She left just after I started the highly stressful job described above. I later fell very ill – it was just an unexplained illness doctors could not diagnose (an assumed viral infection), and ended up in hospital for most of December – his first christmas was awful as I was ill. I got out of hospital before chrismas and was back in again after christmas. I was (a thousand dollars later) treated for a blood infection and have been fine since. Things took a downward turn with my son after all this.
We had a wireless network at home during the time and I had a mobile phone he played with. I think I could have done more to protect him from being exposed to all this. I blame myself for all this and am in a constant state of anxiety and am highly depressed that my 3yr old just isn’t “normal” and constantly terrified at the prospect he might never recover, while trying to juggle a full-time job.
My suspicions and investigations while trying to find answers have led me to look into all manner of things, including alien abductions. I don’t know anymore. I’m even growing grey hairs. It’s very bad. I’m not managing.
I just want to make sure that you know something. There is no mercury in the MMR and never has been. MMR is a live-virus shot and the preservative Thimerosal cannot be used in it. That, of course, doesn’t mean that mercury isn’t a significant contributing factor for your child, but it wasn’t what tipped your child over the edge if that was the MMR.
The most important thing you can do right now is to start meditating and maybe some yoga at home. Find youtube tutorials. Your mental state will profoundly influence your child and your actions. You have too much on your plate, the stress must be reframed and removed. Your anxiety, anger, sadness, guilt, etc will be absorbed and imprinted on your child. Break this nasty cycle you’re in and try this mantra: ‘my child is wonderful and this will all work out’. I know it’s tough, but it’s very important.
I was interested in the recent post from the lady who mentioned her wifi etc. regarding her child’s autism and I wondered if she has decided to hard-wire it instead and keep mobile phones away from her child so that he or she is safer because this is believed to be a problem for pregnant mothers and children by quite a few people around the world now including recent research.
Myssa, TMR, I’ve continued to study twin studies.
Twin studies depend on the observed concordance of ASD in MZ-twins (genetic twins) to ‘prove’ that ASD is genetic. MZ concordance is compared to DZ-twins (fraternal twins), which have much less concordance.
However, MZ-twins are themselves apparently caused by environment, not heritability. The question is technically open, however, there is no genetic indication that MZ-twins themselves are heritable. There is much to indicate that DZ-twins themselves are heritable, not environment.
MZ-twins themselves are generally vulnerable to stressors and unhealthy (comparatively). They are also bound closer together in the womb. Thus MZ-twins should respond more similarly to any environmental stressor, resulting in higher concordance for ASD when exposed to ultrasound, antibiotics, and vaccines. See work by Jay Joseph, PhD, and see ultrasound info at http://harvoa.org/chs/pr/pr_details.htm
Note that ultrasound would relate to concordance more than pharmaceuticals, as pharmaceuticals always flow evenly through the mother to both twins, whereas ultrasound would be applied to each fetus in the DZ-twin differently, yet applied more similarly to the closer bound MZ-twins.
The pharma/vax role would be synergistic to prior ultrasound in all twin types.
Twin studies are “associative studies”, and thus their conclusions at best can only be moot.
Pharmaceuticals wouldn’t necessarily flow evenly to both twins. Twins are often born of differing sizes, even MZ twins, because their access to nutrition varies somewhat. If nutritional access differs, it seems likely that other blood components would be accessed to varying degrees as well.
Prof. TMR,
Thanks. Then, I’d amend. As a percent of nutrition received, pharmaceuticals would be the same for both twins (whether they be MZ or DZ wouldn’t matter).
over 85 % of autistic children (brain damaged children) test positive for MTHFR gene mutation. this prevents them from eliminating toxins and they additionally will test positive for detrimentally high levels of heavy metals. Autism isn’t hereditary. Autism is brain damage. The inability to process toxins is hereditary.
Dear Yesterday,
Where is it demonstrated that the “gene mutations” are not initiated or directly caused by poisoning (ultrasound, antibiotics, etc)?
No worries there (per se). Mad hatters could not process all the mercury they were exposed to, hereditary or not . (just being human).
Likewise, the lack of the enzyme that can be tested for at birth (now dwarfed by the fatfarma’s tsunami of misleading information about proteins etc etc etc)
might be called and rightly so ‘hereditary’. (the enzyme that “PREVENTS AND CAN CURE” AUTISM.)
That is ALL THE MORE REASON NOT TO GIVE ANY IMMUNIZATIONS TO ANYONE PERIOD. (see andrew moulden/ died/ published “all immunizations cause harm” AND “HOW TO RECOGNIZE vaccination harm” : To me it is obviously openly visibly OR audibly observable in perhaps half (YES HALF) of the population.
i want to share this on my FB wall, but the link just comes up as an ad to iherb. i want people to read this, not be put off by me trying to sell something. is there a problem with the link?
Nope. Sounds like you’ve been hit with malware. You should probably run a diagnostic by AVG or McAffee.
All the things you list, thinking you did wrong…I didn’t do any of them.
Detoxed well before pregnancy. All natural, nutrient dense diet before and during pregnancy and during two full years of pregnancy. I did not have as much as an aspirin or a cup of coffee or a tuna sandwich. Not a single plastic container in the house.
I had an all natural home birth, and my son appeared perfectly healthy, and met all early milestones. He was never sick, not even an ear infection, never required antibiotics…and was not vaccinated.
All of this notwithstanding, he began developing autistic-like symptoms and seizures at about three.
My son and I both carry significant MTHFR mutations…so I “gave my son autism” too.
My son has had a great village too, and he too has experienced significant recovery. On the path, I had the opportunity to consult with one of the worlds top developmental psychologists, who is one of the authors of the DSM-V on ASD, and a researcher on genomic research in autism.
She was clear…there is absolutely no evidence that anything other than genetic predisposition caused my sons condition, and no precautions I took made any difference whatsoever.
Let yourself off the hook.
MTHFR mutations are a dime a dozen. Seriously, up to 40% of the population has at least one. What it means is that the person with the mutation will have greater difficulty detoxing. The more copies and the more types of MTHFR mutations, the more the impairment. None of it means automatic autism. It may mean in your son’s case that his ability to detox is exceptionally low and anything would trigger a neurological disorder, but that is not the case for everyone. Many children with autism have the same MTHFR status as their neurotypical parents, and some even have it better genetically. Autism results as an interplay of genetics and environment. What Mountain Mama is talking about are the particular environmental factors that could have played a role in her son’s autism as they do in others’.
MTHFR mutations are common, but in my sons case, there are several, homozygous, and did result in significant detox issues.
Ultimately, his full sequencing did reveal several other contributing mutations.
My primary point was that I suffered for years trying to figure out what I did wrong, what missed.
I just wouldn’t want any other mother to beat her head against the wall the way I did.
I think we all understand that desire. 🙂 I had a baby who died, and I beat myself up for twelve weeks thinking of all the “woulda, shoulda, coulda”s that would have “saved” him. After twelve weeks, though, the medical examiner gave us information that made it clear that nothing I had decided would have “saved” my son would have done anything of the sort. That was when I saw the futility of beating myself up and I try to help others see that whenever I can.
The thing is, though, that tracing the routes of a disorder in order to try to get a handle on what happened and determine a treatment direction doesn’t HAVE to result in beating yourself up, especially if you share what you learn so that the information is useful to others. That’s why Mountain Mama wrote this piece, not because she’s “beating herself up,” but because she wants to give others the benefit of what she has learned.
TMR as a group has learned a lot since this was written (three years ago), and one of the things we have learned is that people with MTHFR mutations (as well as others) are going to be more vulnerable to any sort of trigger than the average person. One thing pretty much all of us would do if we were doing it over now is get that genetic information upfront (at birth, if possible, and even before conception for parents) and investigate ways to epigenetically influence gene expression.
You know, I think at this juncture we don’t need more people saying. “it’s not your fault.” This was one of the most refreshing articles I have read on the subject in a long time. Everyone else is saying what you are saying. “it’s not your fault” and it is preventing other people from taking meaningful precautions in protecting their children. In some very rare cases, like your son’s, there really seems to be no clear cause. But autism (brain damage) caused by poisons is being entirely denied by society at large. We CAN prevent these tragedies in most cases if we can get the truth out there. And for the rare, unexplained cases like your son, It’s o.k. to say, “i don’t know” You aren’t willfully ignorant. You did your due diligence. We can’t protect our children from everything. Maybe your child ate paint chips. Or who knows… It’s o.k. not to know AFTER you have acknowledge all the other factors and have not denied the reality of their dangers thereby leading others down a path of ignorance that may cause damage to someone else’s child. I think this is the article of the moment. THIS is what parents of autism need to be preaching. And it’s o.k. for YOU to not know, because you aren’t DENYING all the realities that the author is writing about here, you are just saying that in your case it wasn’t those things.
(trying to speak softly) and ‘encouragingly’ as possible.
I still feel like an elephant in a fragile crystal store….
(I know “too much” and was never inclined to try to be ‘gentle’ or … … … or not very direct and blunt; until recently 🙂 ) so here goes:
I went to visit family friends, they had(and have) several children healthier than most, like my family.
Within 2 minutes
being in their apartment dwelling space, I had a headache and ‘funny’ taste in my mouth. I asked about this right away – they said THREE DAYS EARLIER their apartment had been sprayed. (bug junk).(for money/ by the management/btw) …..
I left within a few minutes to not have more headache.
3 days later, they called me on the phone.
The baby in the womb, fully formed and developed,
was dead.
No reason. No cause. No medical warnings.
They did not have the resources , nor the heart, nor the strength, nor any motivation to pursue a lawsuit against those responsible.
The funeral and interment at the cemetery went with both peace and somberness,
and without any mention of the poisoning.
The parents had no preparation, no warning, no expectation
that the poisons even could kill their baby….. (they were only told to stay out of the unit/apt for 3 to 6 hours ‘to be safe’)….
I’ve seen such poisonings many many times. (rarely is anything done about it, or even to prevent it next time; instead it is absolutely and totally denied, unless the victims have unusually rare medical and legal help).
The parents could not be blamed. They had no idea.
They were LIED TO ALL OF THEIR LIVES.
(by ALMOST EVERYONE about such things)
Same TODAY with most disease, autism AND aspergers , cancer, and ms, asthma and arthritis, heart disease and psoriasis… … …
FIND OUT TODAY – at least START TODAY,
and NEVER , never, trust anything from fatfarma.
VERIFY as much as possible
BEFORE EVER using anything toxic.
Did you had any ultrasound, i.e., examinations or fetal heart rate monitoring?
Mom of a spectrum boy, you are wasting your breath. I’m afraid the OP has made it quite clear that she believes neither medical professionals nor actual science. She thinks her “feelings” and “beliefs” should be regarded as equally valid compared to EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE. There is simply no reasoning with such people. They will grasp on to any bit of nonsense, paranoia, and conspiracy theory that catches their attention, and merely double down in the face of contrary evidence.
No, I’m sorry, “ace.” You get the “fucking asshole” award for today. Clearly people can post links to science all day long and you will interpret that as “feelings” and “beliefs” as long as it contradicts what YOU believe science to say. “There is simply no reasoning with such people” who refuse to read the science that contradicts their own pet beliefs. Here’s a list of 108 studies/papers to get the people who actually CAN reason started: http://adventuresinautism.blogspot.com/2007/06/no-evidence-of-any-link.html.
SYMPTOMS OF MERCURY POISONING:
There are consequences for injecting mercury into a child. The symptoms of mercury poisoning are:
Psychiatric Disturbances:
Social deficits, shyness, social withdrawal
Depression, mood swings; mask face
Anxiety
Schizoid tendencies, OCD traits
Lacks eye contact, hesitant to engage others
Irrational fears
Irritability, aggression, temper tantrums
Impaired face recognition
Speech, Language & Hearing Deficits
Loss of speech, failure to develop speech
Dysarthria; articulation problems
Speech comprehension deficits
Verbalizing & word retrieval problems
Sound sensitivity
Hearing loss; deafness in very high doses
Poor performance on language IQ tests
Sensory Abnormalities</TD
Abnormal sensation in mouth & extremities
Sound sensitivity
Abnormal touch sensations; touch aversion
Vestibular abnormalities
Motor Disorders:
Involuntary jerking movements – arm flapping, ankle jerks, myoclonal jerks, choreiform movements, circling, rocking
Deficits in eye-hand coordination; limb apraxia; intention tremors
gait impairment; ataxia – from incoordination & clumsiness to inability to walk, stand, or sit; loss of motor control
Difficulty in chewing or swallowing
Unusual postures; toe walking
Cognitive Impairments:
Borderline intelligence, mental retardation – some cases reversible
Poor concentration, attention, response inhibition
Uneven performance on IQ subtests
Verbal IQ higher than performance IQ
Poor short term, verbal, & auditory memory
Poor visual and perceptual motor skills, impairment in simple reaction time
Difficulty carrying out complex commands
Word-comprehension difficulties
Deficits in understanding abstract ideas & symbolism; degeneration of higher mental powers
Unusual Behaviors:
Stereotyped sniffing (rats)
ADHD traits
Agitation, unprovoked crying, grimacing, staring spells
Sleep difficulties
Eating disorders, feeding problems
Self injurious behavior, e.g. head banging
Visual Impairments:
Poor eye contact, impaired visual fixation
“Visual impairments,” blindness, near-sightedness, decreased visual acuity
Light sensitivity, photophobia
Blurred or hazy vision
Constricted visual fields
Physical Disturbances:
Increase in cerebral palsy; hyper- or hypo-tonia; abnormal reflexes; decreased muscle strength, especially upper body; incontinence; problems chewing, swallowing, salivating
Rashes, dermatitis/dry skin, itching; burning
Autonomic disturbance: excessive sweating, poor circulation, elevated heart rate
Gastro-intestinal Disturbances</TD
Gastroenteritis, diarrhea; abdominal pain, constipation, “colitis”
Anorexia, weight loss, nausea, poor appetite
Lesions of ileum & colon; increased gut permeability (leaky gut)
Inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase IV, which cleaves casomorphin
Abnormal Biochemistry:
Binds -SH groups; blocks sulfate transporter in intestines, kidneys
Has special affinity for purines & pyrimidines
Reduces availability of glutathione, needed in neurons, cells & liver to detoxify heavy metals
Causes significant reduction in glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase
Disrupts mitochondrial activities, especially in brain
Immune Dysfunction:
Sensitivity due to allergic or autoimmune reactions; sensitive individuals more likely to have allergies, asthma, autoimmune-like symptoms, especially rheumatoid-like ones
Can produce an immune response in CNS
Causes brain/MBP autoantibodies
Causes overproduction of Th2 subset; kills/inhibits lymphocytes, T-cells, and monocytes; decreases NK T-cell activity; induces or suppresses IFNg & IL-2
CNS Structural Pathology:
Selectively targets brain areas unable to detoxify or reduce Hg-induced oxidative stress
Damage to Purkinje and granular cells
Accummulates in amygdala and hippocampus
Causes abnormal neuronal cytoarchitecture; disrupts neuronal migration & cell division; reduces NCAMs
Progressive microcephaly
Brain stem defects in some cases
Abnormalities in Neuro-chemistry:
Prevents presynaptic serotonin release & inhibits serotonin transport; causes calcium disruptions
Alters dopamine systems; peroxidine deficiency in rats resembles mercurialism in humans
Elevates epinephrine & norepinephrine levels by blocking enzyme that degrades epinephrine
Elevates glutamate
Leads to cortical acetylcholine deficiency; increases muscarinic receptor density in hippocampus & cerebellum
Demyelination in brain
EEG Abnormalities / Epilepsy:
Causes abnormal EEGs, epileptiform activity
Causes seizures, convulsions
Causes subtle, low amplitude seizure activity
Population Characteristics:
Effects more males than females
At low doses, only affects those geneticially susceptible
First added to childhood vaccines in 1930s
Exposure levels steadily increased since 1930s with rate of vaccination, number of vaccines
Exposure occurs at 0 – 15 months; clinical silent stage means symptom emergence delayed;
I hope that by reading up on the science links in the comments and on this one, that you will stop feeling guilty for something that just isn’t your fault.
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/01/09/autism-increase-mystery-solved-no-its-not-vaccines-gmos-glyphosate-or-organic-foods/
Thanks, Elspeth, by why would you assume that the writer of that piece knows or, more to the point, is telling you the truth? Anybody who makes the claim that “there has been no dramatic rise” in the incidence of autism is blowing smoke up your ass, pure and simple.
Just curious, did you have ultra sounds? Did you take any vitamins such as folic acid?
Yes, I did. Both. And I would take them both back if I could.
Definitely no Pity. Although one of the hardest things is to raise a child with Autism, it can also be the most rewarding as you know. I would never admit or feel I need to admit that I gave my Son Autism, It would be the same as admitting that I produced a gifted and talented child. Which human, really has control over that.
I am learning so far with my journey with Autism, to hold close three things.
1. Faith – in Humanity that one day a real cure will be found
2. Love – to love everyone for their individuality
3. Hope- that society discovers the beauty of our children
Thank you for your response to this article. I found myself having a sleepless night tonight and so I picked up my iPad and searched ‘is it my fault my child has autism?’. It was guilt about my son’s diagnosis that was causing the sleeplessness. This article was the first site that I looked at and I skimmed through it down to your response. Your response rings true with me. And I smiled as I saw your words ‘faith’, ‘hope’, and ‘love’. Just last week I received in the mail a necklace (which I’ve been wearing nonstop) that I had ordered online that’s inscribed with those same three words. I can end my search for evidence of my guilt here, in this moment. Truly, in this journey of mine, it is much more powerful to focus on Faith, Hope, and Love rather than guilt.
If you think autism is like having a gifted or talented child, then why do you need “faith for a cure”? I can’t think that any mother of an autistic child who would not trade peace, healing and wholeness for that child if given the choice. No, autism is not a GIFT. It is brain damage that robs a child of the healthy and whole body that GOD designed for him. Brain damage that is caused by our negligence as a society to stand up to the special interests within our nation who use poisons and illness as a means of income. If a village of children were being born with birth defects or brain damage and a local industrial plant was leaching chemicals into the environment, you would ‘t say these children are sick but it is no one’s fault. It just happens. Doing that would cover the sins of those involved in polluting their village and prevent others from being saved from such a fate. Even if no one has discovered that the cause is the wicked industrial plant, denying that these brain damages and birth defects are not natural and are caused by something prevents those who dwell in the village from using every possible resource to investigate and FIND OUT what is causing this UNNATURAL tragedy among their children. When we deny that these things are a consequence to our actions we cover up injustice and we prevent the truth from being manifest. 98% of autistic children test positive for the MTHFR gene mutation (which prevents the body from ridding itself of toxins) and they additionally test positive for detrimentally high levels of heavy metals. Autism, like any other brain damage is NOT an accident. It is CAUSED by something. Now perhaps we haven’t been able to determine that EXACT cause as of yet, but denying that it is caused by something is giving POWER to those in our society who use illness as a means of income.
When we refuse to acknowledge the consequences to our actions (even if these consequences came about unwittingly) we are guilty. We are guilty of sending others into the same fate. The same consequences. The same sorrow. Just because it wasn’t on purpose, doesn’t mean you can’t help others to make different choices. We will ALWAYS reap what we sow, even if we aren’t aware that the seeds we have planted are nightshade. Don’t consent with evil doers. Don’t cover your iniquities
I am a hater of deceit and injustice. And the injustice is this, that the merchants of our land are poisoning our children. They are poisoning them at the doctors, they are poisoning them at the dinner table, they are poisoning them in their yards and in the swimming pool and in their schools and in their pajamas. And instead of banning together and demanding that they remove these brain damaging poisons from our lives, we are fighting each other about whether or not the devastation caused by these poisons is God ordained. Meanwhile our eight year old children are wearing diapers and slamming their heads against walls and our babies can’t smile because if they do the skin on their face will crack and bleed and it is ALL so preventable. And instead of demanding better we are not just content to be mislead individually, we are actually writing articles to mislead others into believing that we can’t possibly know how to prevent these tragedies and some are even claiming that this brain damage caused by these wicked companies is God’s divine will. And it is all just so tragic and unbearable. And we should weep. and mourn. and repent. We should not keep our iniquities hidden.
DID YOU KNOW???
Vaccines deliver 200 times the amount of the safe level of aluminum by a child’s 18 month birthday. That’s 4,925 mcg of aluminum by 18 months of age, the safe limit SET BY THE CDC is 25 mcg
SYMPTOMS OF ALUMINUM POISONING:
there are consequences for injecting too much aluminum. Symptoms of aluminum poisoning include but not limited to:
Brain diseases and disorders
Confusion
Muscle weakness
Bone pain, deformities, and fractures
Seizures
Speech problems
Slow growth—in children
An aversion to noise, touch, movement, odors, etc.
*Unexplained feelings of apprehension or uneasiness.
*Feelings of inferiority, embarrassment or shame.
*Feelings of irritability, agitation or annoyance.
Those who are easily frightened or alarmed sometimes become overly disturbed and provoked, displaying irrational outbursts of anger, road rage, bad temper, etc.
DID YOU KNOW???
The symptoms of brain damage found in autism (because that is what it is) are IDENTICAL to the symptoms of the brain damage found in mercury poisoning. IDENTICAL. line for line IDENTICAL.
SYMPTOMS OF MERCURY POISONING:
There are consequences for injecting mercury into a child. The symptoms of mercury poisoning are:
Psychiatric Disturbances:
Social deficits, shyness, social withdrawal
Depression, mood swings; mask face
Anxiety
Schizoid tendencies, OCD traits
Lacks eye contact, hesitant to engage others
Irrational fears
Irritability, aggression, temper tantrums
Impaired face recognition
Speech, Language & Hearing Deficits
Loss of speech, failure to develop speech
Dysarthria; articulation problems
Speech comprehension deficits
Verbalizing & word retrieval problems
Sound sensitivity
Hearing loss; deafness in very high doses
Poor performance on language IQ tests
Sensory Abnormalities</TD
Abnormal sensation in mouth & extremities
Sound sensitivity
Abnormal touch sensations; touch aversion
Vestibular abnormalities
Motor Disorders:
Involuntary jerking movements – arm flapping, ankle jerks, myoclonal jerks, choreiform movements, circling, rocking
Deficits in eye-hand coordination; limb apraxia; intention tremors
gait impairment; ataxia – from incoordination & clumsiness to inability to walk, stand, or sit; loss of motor control
Difficulty in chewing or swallowing
Unusual postures; toe walking
Cognitive Impairments:
Borderline intelligence, mental retardation – some cases reversible
Poor concentration, attention, response inhibition
Uneven performance on IQ subtests
Verbal IQ higher than performance IQ
Poor short term, verbal, & auditory memory
Poor visual and perceptual motor skills, impairment in simple reaction time
Difficulty carrying out complex commands
Word-comprehension difficulties
Deficits in understanding abstract ideas & symbolism; degeneration of higher mental powers
Unusual Behaviors:
Stereotyped sniffing (rats)
ADHD traits
Agitation, unprovoked crying, grimacing, staring spells
Sleep difficulties
Eating disorders, feeding problems
Self injurious behavior, e.g. head banging
Visual Impairments:
Poor eye contact, impaired visual fixation
“Visual impairments,” blindness, near-sightedness, decreased visual acuity
Light sensitivity, photophobia
Blurred or hazy vision
Constricted visual fields
Physical Disturbances:
Increase in cerebral palsy; hyper- or hypo-tonia; abnormal reflexes; decreased muscle strength, especially upper body; incontinence; problems chewing, swallowing, salivating
Rashes, dermatitis/dry skin, itching; burning
Autonomic disturbance: excessive sweating, poor circulation, elevated heart rate
Gastro-intestinal Disturbances</TD
Gastroenteritis, diarrhea; abdominal pain, constipation, “colitis”
Anorexia, weight loss, nausea, poor appetite
Lesions of ileum & colon; increased gut permeability (leaky gut)
Inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase IV, which cleaves casomorphin
Abnormal Biochemistry:
Binds -SH groups; blocks sulfate transporter in intestines, kidneys
Has special affinity for purines & pyrimidines
Reduces availability of glutathione, needed in neurons, cells & liver to detoxify heavy metals
Causes significant reduction in glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase
Disrupts mitochondrial activities, especially in brain
Immune Dysfunction:
Sensitivity due to allergic or autoimmune reactions; sensitive individuals more likely to have allergies, asthma, autoimmune-like symptoms, especially rheumatoid-like ones
Can produce an immune response in CNS
Causes brain/MBP autoantibodies
Causes overproduction of Th2 subset; kills/inhibits lymphocytes, T-cells, and monocytes; decreases NK T-cell activity; induces or suppresses IFNg & IL-2
CNS Structural Pathology:
Selectively targets brain areas unable to detoxify or reduce Hg-induced oxidative stress
Damage to Purkinje and granular cells
Accummulates in amygdala and hippocampus
Causes abnormal neuronal cytoarchitecture; disrupts neuronal migration & cell division; reduces NCAMs
Progressive microcephaly
Brain stem defects in some cases
Abnormalities in Neuro-chemistry:
Prevents presynaptic serotonin release & inhibits serotonin transport; causes calcium disruptions
Alters dopamine systems; peroxidine deficiency in rats resembles mercurialism in humans
Elevates epinephrine & norepinephrine levels by blocking enzyme that degrades epinephrine
Elevates glutamate
Leads to cortical acetylcholine deficiency; increases muscarinic receptor density in hippocampus & cerebellum
Demyelination in brain
EEG Abnormalities / Epilepsy:
Causes abnormal EEGs, epileptiform activity
Causes seizures, convulsions
Causes subtle, low amplitude seizure activity
Population Characteristics:
Effects more males than females
At low doses, only affects those geneticially susceptible
First added to childhood vaccines in 1930s
Exposure levels steadily increased since 1930s with rate of vaccination, number of vaccines
Exposure occurs at 0 – 15 months; clinical silent stage means symptom emergence delayed;
I found the gapps diet helpful to getting the kid i messed up doing better health wise. Took a yr to start seeing improvement.
Thank you! Thank you for taking ownership. You are brave! you are strong! You are the people that are going to make these companies stop poisoning our children.
I am really glad I stumbled upon this article, it was an informative and emotional response from a mother looking for answers, which is what I want to read while carrying a child and looking into the world of vaccinations, environmental factors etc and their influence on my future child’s health.
I am not a doctor, nor trained so I can’t comment on whether these are all true, but I believe it important for the discussion to be raised and for mothers to be able to express what they felt led to health issues in their children, it allows parents to then take that information and further become armed with their own research, it IS what all parents should do, in order to not be neglectful of health.
I carry homoz MTHFR gene where I don’t methylate or detox properly, after six years of multiple miscarriages I was told by every health care professional I had seen that it had nothing to do with me, it was simply bad luck, it wasn’t until I got treatment for this gene, and was told to REMOVE folic acid from my diet, by a registered doctor as it was harmful to myself, even though at least 10 doctors prior disagreed, and I was put on a gluten free diet, as most gluten contains this harmful synthetic folic acid, that I fell pregnant with a successful pregnancy. I am now fighting tooth and nail to get the correct medicines I need to sustain this pregnancy, as the other 10 doctors out there who might I add could not, or did not help my previous post one iota do not believe in the epigenetic studies on this gene structure and the medicinal needs in order to prevent early birth losses.
I have been told strictly to NOT vaccinate my children. I also carry autoimmune dysfunction which has further led to me being told NOT to vaccinate my children.
Add to this diagnosis that my youngest sister passed away of a genetic mitochondrial disorder which mimics the same deficiencies in B vitamins, who was also told by the hospital, after her first vaccination and subsequent reaction that she was NOT a candidate for vaccinations.
My eldest sisters child was vaccinated, and has since been diagnosed with ADHD.
There are so many environmental factors that influence a child, their health, switching on and off gene dysfunction, Austism, bi polar etc….We would be absolutely crazy not to acknowledge this. I have seen it first hand in the medical industry where they have made associations between these environmental factors, not only with my sister growing up, but also with my epigenetic specialist.
There was a student doctor on here claiming just one side, and I am sorry but I found that to be extremely bad professionally speaking for you to spout off like no tomorrow about how supposedly ‘safe’ all of these things are in the medical profession….Isn’t medicine a science? Doesn’t that mean it is continually evolving? Goodness how narrow minded of us to think we know it all, and just need to lay down and accept it? What the medical system is feeding us?
Does that say I don’t believe in the medical system? Hell no! What it says is that as a parent, as a human being I know that researching my own he alt, and the health of my child is the best possible thing I could do for them, we are all humans after all and to put all your eggs in one basket, to believe that medical science has it all figured out, and one size fits all is not only extremely arrogant, but incredibly careless.
I KNOW without doubt, that there were many times in my youngest sisters life where she lay in hospital beds, that my mother FOUGHT with the medical board, no you cannot give her that, she reacts, you cannot poison her with that she reacts, that even they admitted fault to in the end, because at the end of the day as a mother, she knew her child best, and her child’s reactions…Because no one size fits all. That is ridiculous to believe that, every single individual born into this earth has individual gene’s, environmental and social factors that all attribute directly to their own health.
I applaud this mother for sharing her son’s story, because at the end of the day it is up to the reader to research and take what they can out of it, and then research their own child’s health INDIVIDUALLY.
Amen! And I will just say that you got EXCELLENT advice about vaccines given your health history. Autoimmunity and MTHFR mutations that make methylation difficult are both rampant in the parents of children with autism. Good luck! It sounds like you’re well on your way.
correct me if I am wrong, But I don’t think it is the gluten that contains folic acid. Rather, it is the flour in the U.S. that is “ENRICHED” with folic acid. So essentially any non organic flour product and even some organic products contain flour “ENRICHED” with folic acid. So you can in fact eat wheat so long as you ensure that it is unenriched flour. good luck in your journey of obtaining wisdom.
I found this article to be full of thought provoking possibilities. We have (5) children. Two born vaginally, one by emergency c-section & 2 non-emergency c-sections. All were born healthy, and by that I mean after uneventful pregnancies where I ate 100% healthy foods, was never ill or on medications, and all of our kids developed normally and on target. Then one day when our youngest child was just under a year of age we took him in for a baby well check up. His doctor said we were behind on shots and that he needed five to catch him up. I expressed concern and opposition, but he almost made me feel that I would be a bad mother and putting him at risk if I didn’t give him all the injections in that one visit. I relented. Within 24 hours our kiddo was sick for the 1st time in his life. Ear, respiratory, high fever and throat infections. He was given high doses of antibiotics — twice. Finally, the infections were gone. But, so was he. All in a matter of days he had lost his eye contact, words he’d learned, his once bright smile, didn’t respond to his name or play with his toys. It was like an alien took over his body and brain. He was nowhere in there. The doctor ignored our concerns and only checked his hearing which was fine. Two years would pass before we figured out what to do to begin helping him heal. Biomedical doctors discovered through EXTENSIVE genetic, blood work, hair, saliva, fecal matter, urine and other testing that he was not born with autism. NO KIDDING! His immune system was attacked and utterly disabled when he was given those 5 shots (yes, including MMR). He became sick, and adding insult to injury were the antibiotics administered which killed the good and the bad bacteria leaving his gut exposed, holes formed (leaky gut) and ultimately his brain was impaired (brain fog).
Biomed treatments that some have referred to as “voo-doo” have helped him IMMENSELY. I would never have agreed to treatments that I felt endangered his life. HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen) was a major factor in his recovery. Detox, diet, therapies like ABA, OT, Speech and Mendability techniques as well as supplements have all been winners for him. DIET and healing his gut from yeast overgrowth is HUGE. We were told there was no hope, he would never speak, never socialize and would need to be in supported community living as an adult. Luckily we didn’t believe everything we heard. I’ve been told so many times that I need to just admit that my son as BORN WITH AUTISM. Maybe some children are? Maybe some are predisposed to having autism triggered by certain environmental or other factors? I don’t know what every individual cause is for this pain in the ass situation. But, one thing I know for sure is that my child was not born with ASD. He developed the symptoms much later on and I believe I know why. And NO, I’m not an anti-vaxer. If I had to do it over again, I’d do it much differently. I would have had him tested (titers) for immunities to certain diseases which would opt him out of needing those shots. And I would have followed a slower more deliberately careful and spread apart vaccination schedule. I would also have given him high powered probiotics when he was on antibiotics.
I don’t understand that sheer anger that comes from people when others talk about a cure or recovery? No one gets angry when someone talks about curing cancer, so why autism? Yes, we need to cut this off at the pass and stop this epidemic all together. But, how can we do that if we are all bickering about what does or doesn’t cause it, let alone locking horns about how to help our kids to live their best lives who have been diagnosed. I for one do not believe ASD is always genetic or that babies are always born with it. I do believe there are many factors and many triggers. What I know for sure is that our son is living proof that autism doesn’t always run in families, and that it doesn’t always come from birth. And after connecting the dots of his life from a typically healthful developing child to ASD — I know that the immunizations and antibiotics had something to do with it. There is no other conclusion to draw here in my mind.
Let’s talk about not only the cause of ASD, but how to recover children from as many symptoms as possible. Remember, we were told our son would never speak, but at 8 years old, he does that and more. He has friends, he goes to school. He is bright, has found his smile again and loves to play with his toys. And what an imagination!…Something else we were told not to expect from a kid with ASD. We’re still in the recovery stages, and his progress is the very reason we continue onward. He proves to me every day that it can be done and he is worth every bit of our efforts. His doctor once said to me, “Heal the gut, heal the mind.” I’m a believer.
Thank you for your story, Erin. I have heard so many just like it that it’s clear that all the “anecdotes” would add up to some serious science — if anyone bothered to do it. Our website is about both how to stop children from getting sick and how to get them well once they are sick. Check out our other posts and our Facebook page.
Erin, I can relate very closely to your situation but I am at the beginning stage (my son is 4 years old) and I am after as much advice as possible. Where was your first step- I know my son has issues with his gut but I don’t know where to turn to. Being in the UK, options are very limited as is understanding.
get the book G.A.P.S. gut and psychology syndrome.
How did you clear the gut???
get the book G.A.P.S. gut and psychology syndrome.
To all the moms and dads, besides the one who wrote this because she will not listen, please vaccinate your children, and please use fluoride. As a student doctor, I can assure students and doctors spend everyday of our life learning and researching the human body. Our understanding of the human body is not based upon simple observations of one or more cases, but instead is build upon years of SCIENTIFIC research. Fluoride is naturally occurring element. It was not created in a lab! We found its beneficial uses for preservation of tooth enamel when we investigated individuals in Colorado Springs who had less instances of dental caries. Vaccines are also not the work of the devil, like the above lady would like you to believe! For the most part we take inactive forms of the virus and encourage our own NATURAL bodily defenses to recognize what they should look like for if future infections occur. PLEASE read the actual study of Autism and how it is related to vaccines and you will quickly realize how the original author based his entire study completely on fiction, and was removed from every publication world-wide soon there after. I know this post is somewhat jumbled in its presentation, I apologize, but it is extremely unsettling to read someone with no medical or scientific knowledge express these views. Please do not take my word for it at all, and please do not take hers! Ask your primary care doctor and dentist. If you are unsure about them, then ask another doctor/dentist. If you are STILL unsure, then travel 5, 10, 15 states away to ask another doctor/dentist!!! These people care about you and your children, and they have the KNOWLEDGE/RESOURCES to actually help keep you and your children safe!! If you want to protect your children, STOP GOOGLING and start talking with people who do it for a living!
Wow, Jim. I can only hope that as a “student doctor” you will come to know how very little you know right now. You are commenting on a website where the vast majority of people know FAR more about the conditions they or their children have than their physicians do. Yes, there are doctors who have made it their business to know, but unfortunately they are few and far between. Most of the rest assume that what they learned in medical school was “the facts.”
I’m just going to show you a teensy bit of the difference between what YOU know (or think you do) and what the average reader on this site knows. You stated “PLEASE read the actual study of Autism and how it is related to vaccines and you will quickly realize how the original author based his entire study completely on fiction, and was removed from every publication world-wide soon there after.” The average reader on this site knows the study that you’re PROBABLY referring to rather well. They know that the lead author was Dr. Andrew Wakefield a noted gastroenterologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London, and 11 of his also noteworthy colleagues were listed as co-authors on that paper. They know that it was a case study on 12 children with autism who also happened to have gastrointestinal disease that NO ONE WAS TREATING. The parents of those children went to the Royal Free Hospital in order to get their children treated. They know that NOWHERE in the paper does it say “vaccines cause autism,” or even “the MMR causes autism.” What it says is they found vaccine-strain measles in the guts of the children who had GI disease. They also know that the paper was withdrawn due to a witch hunt conducted by journalist Brian Deer who is NOT a doctor. Deer brought nonsensical charges to the medical board and Wakefield and his colleague John Walker-Smith had their medical licenses revoked. Walker-Smith stayed behind in England and petitioned to have his medical license reinstated. He was successful, with the judge noting that the case against him (essentially the same as the case against Wakefield) amount to a whole lot of nothing.
Now SOME of us have gone a whole lot further and read a good percentage of the studies on BOTH sides of the autism/vaccines question (there are about a 100 that support a link at this point in time, many of the most interesting have to do with aluminum adjuvants). In addition, we have listened when FOIA requests showed that CDC researchers were fudging data on studies. We also noted that the head of the CDC jumped ship soon after two of the most important fudged studies were published to GO WORK FOR MERCK AS THE HEAD OF THE VACCINE DIVISION.
So, sorry, I’m afraid your plea to get people to “STOP GOOGLING” is going to fall on VERY deaf ears because, like it or not, the people who come to this website like to stay informed about ALL the aspects of things related to their health and not just the ones officially sanctioned by pharmaceutical sponsored medical schools.
ProfessorTMR, I apologize for the “tone” of my first post. I am certainly not trying to tell anyone how to handle their own child. My comments were not directed at the people, ProfessorTMR, who have read a few articles, scientific or not, and have fully embraced the idea that they know more than most of the doctors minus the 100 you stated. No doctor, and certainly no student doctor, would ever claim to know the absolute truth about every disorder, but to try claim that doctors are in bed with Pharm companies is crazy. Let’s take the Tdap (Whooping Cough) vaccine, at Walgreen’s this vaccine cost $64 without insurance. Compare that $64 to the antibiotics, hospital stay, possible intubation/ventilation in the intensive care unit, and we can quickly see that it is in fact no comparison in cost. The reason myself, 99.9999% of doctors, and every major health organization world-wide unequivocally stands behinds vaccines is because we care. I am not here to argue with you or anyone else on this website. My reason for posting was not to to say that you’re a bad parent, however when I watch an innocent child struggle to catch its breath as it whoops for air, breaks my heart, and compels me to speak out. Seeing a child choke, cry, and cough uncontrollably while receiving a breathing tube is unsettling, especially when it could have been prevented by a simple shot. ProfessorTMR, you are free to do what you think is best for your child. We can simply agree to disagree.
I absolutely agree that seeing a child “choke, cry and cough uncontrollably” breathing tube or not is a HORRIFIC thing. However, for whooping cough, it is generally a short-term thing. For asthma, it is generally lifelong. Did you know that asthma used to be rare? Did you know that more than 10% of children have asthma these days and they are getting it at ever younger ages? Did you know that a U.K. study involving 29,238 children found that the rate of asthma was FOURTEEN TIMES higher in the population of children who had received a pertussis-containing shot than in children who hadn’t? That was one of the VERY FEW times that outcomes in the vaccinated population were compared to unvaccinated (pertussis-containing shots are probably the ones with the highest uptake because pertussis is more serious than most “vaccine preventable” diseases) children. The authors of the study explain away the results with one of the most ridiculous conclusions I have YET to read. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448377/
Do you have any idea how much it costs to maintain a lifetime of asthma? I have a pretty good clue since I’ve had it since I was 13. I was rejected OUTRIGHT as a teenager, and so was my younger brother, for life insurance policies simply because we had asthma. That is ONE very SMALL “unforeseen consequence” of vaccinating the hell out of everyone. The fact is that artificially and repeatedly hyper-stimulating the immune system is having all sorts of unintended consequences in the form of a HUGE rise in autoimmune and allergic disease, which would be something anyone could understand if they actually followed the logic. You stimulate antibody production with the injection of an adjuvant and — shockingly enough — you stimulate antibody production! The antibodies you produce can be to ANY of the “foreign” ingredients of the vaccine (including the aluminum itself). Those antibodies now constitute “allergy” to those ingredients. Those ingredients are molecularly similar to other compounds — often compounds the body has in considerable amounts — and the antibodies for them now react to the molecularly similar compounds in the body. Voila, autoimmunity.
(By the way, in your economic analysis you did not include the fact that EVERYONE is required to get 5 doses of that vaccine before adulthood, the fact that a good percentage will react negatively in OBVIOUS ways, the fact that not everyone would get whooping cough, the fact that not everyone who gets whooping cough requires hospitalization, and the fact that vaccinated people are at risk of whooping cough these days because the vaccine is not as effective as the older vaccine (that had a demonstrably high level of adverse events — the reason for the 1986 law absolving vaccine manufacturers from any liability for the harm their products do) and does not cover the strain known as “parapertussis.” In fact, if you read our blog by Tetyana Obukhanych, who has a PhD in immunology, you will learn that vaccinated people are MORE susceptible to one strain.)
The reason why we do what WE do (for virtually no compensation) is because we care. We have experienced these illnesses and researched the heck out of them. We would like for our children to have the opportunity to be HEALTHIER than we are, rather than be condemned to a life of chronic disease.
Indeed, we shall agree to disagree.
I was planning to end this conversation with my last post, however that is simply not possible after reading your reply. First, Asthma can be caused by a wide range of things like: dust, pollen, mold, paint, gasoline, perfume, dry wind, cold air, Exercise, pets, aspirin, anxiety, stress, etc. Second, because Asthma is more common in boys than girls, in adult women than adult men, in African Americans than Caucasians, then we can quickly see that it has absolutely nothing to do with vaccination, but instead has to do with genetic predisposition. Many, if not most, diseases follow this same genetic predisposition like hemophilia, breast cancer, hemochromatosis, Sickle-cell, etc, etc. Third, if you are going to post a scientific study then stand behind it! Here are a few Direct Quotes from the study you posted: “In this observational study analyzing computerized primary care records, we found an association between MMR and DPPT vaccination and the incidence of asthma and eczema, but these associations appeared to be limited to the minority of children who rarely seek care from a GP. This limited association is more likely to be the result of bias than a biological effect.”, “Children who are not taken to the doctor are less likely to be vaccinated and also have less of an opportunity to have a diagnosis of allergic disease recorded.”, and “In summary, although our results in an observational cohort study demonstrated a positive association between vaccination and allergic disease, this association can be explained by ascertainment bias. These data, together with other published evidence, suggest that current vaccination practices do not have an adverse effect on the incidence of allergic disease.”. These authors didn’t explain away the results, but instead were able to make logical conclusions based on ALL of the evidence available, and not just jump to conclusions! Fourth, Pertussis can pass in 6-20 days with proper medical care, however the World Health Organization states that “global vaccination against pertussis averted about 687,000 deaths.”! Fifth, please stop trying to broadcast/tell me how immunity works. I certainly do not claim to be an expert, but I study it full time, and it was immediately obvious in reading your post that you have little to absolutely no knowledge on what immunity, allergy, and autoimmunity actually mean, or how they transpire. Instead of spending all of your time being a Conspiracy Theorist you should be thankful you live in a developed nation where you can be crazy and still be lucky enough to not have your children die of infectious diseases. Oh and this is only possible because of heard immunity meaning the bulk of the population are vaccinated, therefore prevalence of many diseases is minimized!!
I somehow doubt this will be “allowed”..
but Jim Bailey I stand and applaud you sir!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for replying with the facts this blog seems to like to ignore.
Sorry, Jim, but those things don’t CAUSE asthma, they trigger it. The CAUSE is dysregulation of the immune system [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14646381]. Gee, I wonder how the immune system could be dysregulated? Well, let’s see… What do we do that might skew the way the immune system works? Hmmm, maybe those vaccines we repeatedly inject into infants (or their pregnant mothers) whose immune systems have not yet formed could have something to do with the huge rise in allergies and autoimmune disease? Especially when the words “allergy” and “anaphylaxis” were both first used to describe reactions to injected vaccines, and aluminum adjuvants have been shown to stimulate antibodies to pretty much everything that is injected with them (that would be WHY they’re used), any of which antibodies COULD then cross-react with body tissue through molecular mimicry.
http://www.2ndchance.info/onesize4all-Perricone2013.pdf
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118663438,subjectCd-MD17.html
And exactly HOW does “genetic predisposition” account for something that is more common in boys than girls and in adult women than adult men? How does a “genetic predisposition” completely change by growing up? Answer: It doesn’t. What changes are environmental factors, both internal and external. I will grant that there IS a “genetic predisposition” in operation, but it isn’t a genetic predisposition to ASTHMA, it’s a genetic predisposition of the immune system to react strongly and/or a genetic predisposition to making detoxification difficult.
“These authors didn’t explain away the results, but instead were able to make logical conclusions based on ALL of the evidence available, and not just jump to conclusions!” To this I say, BULLSHIT. The most LOGICAL conclusion is that those children were not seeing the doctors because they were HEALTHIER than their counterparts, not that the rate of potentially fatal illness is just as high but those kids are simply not going to the doctor. How is it even remotely logical to conclude in a country with socialized medicine that parents were letting their children GASP FOR BREATH without taking them to a doctor? Answer again: It isn’t. That explanation may work for you, but for a person who actually THINKS a relative risk of 14 CANNOT be explained away that easily. At THE VERY LEAST it calls for a great deal more investigation.
So, if you’re studying immunity full time, come here with some arguments. REAL arguments, not just “you don’t know what you’re talking about” because that doesn’t fly around here. We’re always ready to learn.
By the way, I’m not a “Conspiracy Theorist,” in upper case or lower case. Have you EVER seen me use the word “conspiracy” other than this paragraph? Not likely. What I am is a realist. Money talks. Power corrupts. And people who have invested heavily in a particular path (like the World Health Organization) REALLY resist information that contradicts it. (Those things have all been shown by scientific psychological studies, by the way, if “anecdotes” are not enough for you ;-).) If you’re studying science, you should know that with a quick glance at history. Are you going to tell me that any of those factors CANNOT affect the science that is performed or how it is presented by the media? If you do, then I will tell you it will not be long before your naivete will be exposed for what it is.
If you’re a student, you need to research the many different various forms of fluoride as well as refer to a basic chemistry book. More to the point and what “students” need to know is that flouride found naturally occurring in soil and rocks is a very different composite of what is added to dental products and city water which in some cases it is caustic and industry grade. NO naturally occurring fluoride is added to water or dental products currently.
In Dentistry we use 3 main types of fluoride for therapeutic use.
NaF also known as sodium fluoride
APF also know is acidulated phosphate fluoride
SnF also known as stannous fluoride
All three are very different.
Specifically, most people still do not know the difference between the naturally occurring calcium fluoride and other industrialized forms that are added to water supplies in North America (but not throughout most of Europe, and many other high-tech countries).
That’s because the term “fluoride” is often thrown around without making a distinction between these substances.
There are three types of fluoride used to “fluoridate” water supplies: Fluorosilicic acid, sodium fluorosilicate and sodium fluoride.
Fluorosilicic acid is the type most often used for cost reasons, and it is derived from phosphate fertilizers according to the CDC’s website.
The other two are created by adding either table salt or caustic soda to the mix.
These types of fluoride can be quite corrosive, as one town found out the hard way when the fluoride they used to add to their water supply began corroding pipes and damaging city vehicles. Officials from the town, Buffalo, Missouri, voted to stop fluoridating the water supply recently due to these issues.
In contrast with these types of fluoride is calcium fluoride, which is a much safer version of fluoride.
Calcium fluoride is considered the “least toxic” and in some cases “relatively harmless” according to the site fluoridedetective.com, and that’s because of its high insolubility.
Magnesium and especially calcium are known as minerals that counteract the effects of fluoride, an example of how nature often pairs antidotes with poisons or designs complete foods that mitigate harmful substances for the most part.
This type of fluoride is often found in natural waters, while the above industrial byproducts are added to water supplies, a highly controversial practice that more and more people are asking to be changed.
– See more at: http://althealthworks.com/2366/what-is-the-difference-between-natural-fluoride-and-the-artificial-kind-in-our-water-supply/#sthash.96myYqXR.dpuf
To be honest I thought the title of this article was a joke. I feel very sorry for all of you people that agree with the pseudoscience that is being posted here.
I am a mom of 3, one of whom has developmental delays. I have looked back and tried to blame myself, but if I actually think critically and compare all 3 of my pregnancies, I cannot do that.
All I ask is that before any parent does any treatment they should research and ask as many questions as possible. That also includes “natural remedies”. Just because something is natural, it does not make it safe. As well, keep in mind that “natural medicine” is a lucrative BUSINESS as well, looking to profit and make money.
As a dental assistant of 10 years, I caution parents withholding fluoride treatment from their children. Using a fluoridated toothpaste and having annual fluoride treatments WILL prevent cavities. If you are okay with your child getting cavities and eventually needing root canals (which require additional x-rays), then go for it! Don’t let your kids have fluoride. Personally, I want my kids to have healthy teeth so that they are able to enjoy eating food for the rest of their lives by chewing it with their teeth. FYI dentures are a nightmare that I would not wish upon anyone.
I love how any science that does not agree with people’s preconceived ideas (the prevailing paradigm) is automatically labeled “pseudoscience.” Just because you can’t see a pattern in your children’s health histories doesn’t mean there isn’t an overall pattern to be detected. My father never smoked a day in his life and died of lung cancer. Doesn’t mean smoking isn’t a direct cause of lung cancer.
Fluoride is not a simple matter. Yes, it can prevent cavities, but why is it doing so? Is it simply that it is replacing the iodine that children are deficient in in the first place? Iodine that their thyroid glands NEED to function. (Did you know that the majority of kids with autism test as hypothyroid?) Fluoride HAS been linked to loss of IQ points and thyroid malfunction. For many people, those will be serious “side effects” to think about. Why do people assume that because something has an apparent benefit that the perceived benefit is universally worth the risks to everyone? To use smoking as an example again, there are those who argued that smoking was great because it sharpened their wits and calmed them down when agitated. The fact that it was destroying the lungs of those around them may not have mattered to them, but it may have mattered deeply to those whose lungs were destroyed.
Fluoride does not affect Iodine levels. Fluoride is naturally occurring, and replaces the hydroxide component in hydroxyapatite. Teeth naturally demineralize when the pH in our mouth drops below 5.5, which occurs almost every time we eat or drink anything. Scientist noticed that in small towns with naturally occurring fluoride in the drinking water, people had less dental caries. This naturally occurring substitution of fluoride for hydroxide allowed for the pH levels to drop to 4.5 before demineralization took place. Since pH is calculated on a log scale, this equivelated to a person having to ingest something 10x more acidic before demineralization took place. If your child needs more Iodine, then simply give him more table salt. We have been artificially modifying sodium chloride (table salt) for sodium iodide for a long time. We did this because people were not ingesting enough iodine to produce T3 and T4 needed for the Thyroid.
So as a doctor in training, I assume you’ve studied chemistry? You know about families of elements? And you know that families of elements will have similar properties, correct? You also know that iodine and fluorine (and bromine and chlorine) all belong the halogen family, right? That means that all four of them will compete in chemical reactions. That means that increasing the presence of fluorine in the blood (through the use of fluoridated water, for instance) WILL have a direct effect on iodine levels and it WILL replace iodine in tissues that require iodine to work correctly. You may not be aware of it, but there is an increasing number of people who suffer from hypothyroid conditions (including a large percentage of kids with autism), despite the huge amount of table salt ingested by our population.
This just in from that bastion of alternative health “quackery,” Newsweek, http://www.newsweek.com/fluoridation-may-not-prevent-cavities-huge-study-shows-348251
“Water fluoridation, which first began in 1945 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and expanded nationwide over the years, has always been controversial. Those opposed to the process have argued—and a growing number of studies have suggested—that the chemical may present a number of health risks, for example interfering with the endocrine system and increasing the risk of impaired brain function; two studies in the last few months, for example, have linked fluoridation to ADHD and underactive thyroid. Others argue against water fluoridation on ethical grounds, saying the process forces people to consume a substance they may not know is there—or that they’d rather avoid.
Despite concerns about safety and ethics, many are content to continue fluoridation because of its purported benefit: that it reduces tooth decay. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Oral Health, the main government body responsible for the process, says it’s “safe and effective.”
You might think, then, that fluoridated water’s efficacy as a cavity preventer would be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. But new research suggests that assumption is dramatically misguided; while using fluoridated toothpaste has been proven to be good for oral health, consuming fluoridated water may have no positive impact.
The Cochrane Collaboration, a group of doctors and researchers known for their comprehensive reviews—which are widely regarded as the gold standard of scientific rigor in assessing effectiveness of public health policies—recently set out to find out if fluoridation reduces cavities. They reviewed every study done on fluoridation that they could find, and then winnowed down the collection to only the most comprehensive, well-designed and reliable papers. Then they analyzed these studies’ results, and published their conclusion in a review earlier this month.
The review identified only three studies since 1975—of sufficient quality to be included—that addressed the effectiveness of fluoridation on tooth decay in the population at large. These papers determined that fluoridation does not reduce cavities to a statistically significant degree in permanent teeth, says study co-author Anne-Marie Glenny, a health science researcher at Manchester University in the United Kingdom. The authors found only seven other studies worthy of inclusion dating prior to 1975.”
Yes, Professor TMR I did study Chemistry in fact I have a degree in Biochemistry. Yes, I also know that elements in the same Group act similar. What is funny to me is how you somehow justify certain elements over others. They are all naturally occurring, besides the ones at the bottom created in labs. Since you are informing all of us on how the immune system works, please share how Zinc which is absolutely crucial to the immune system, and is in the same group as Mercury, and is “A-OK”, but Aluminum is the worst thing in the world? You realize that Sodium and Potassium are in the same group as Lithium right? Without the first two you would be dead. Oh and by the way Copper, Silver, and Gold are also in the same Period, yet they all have different attributes due to there different Ionization energy. You mentioned that your asthma started around age 13. How many vaccinations were you receiving at this time?? Take this diagnosis with a grain of Sodium Chloride, but maybe your asthma had more to do with puberty rather than a vaccine you received 12 years prior. I’m sure you have some crazy explanation on how it could only be aluminum, vaccines, or whatever other element on the periodic table you have a problem with. I’m done with this argument because honestly it’s like arguing with a child. They won’t listen but still tell you what they “know”. I don’t ask an electrician to wire my house, then tell him that the wire he is using or the methods he goes about it is wrong. Why do I not do that, and why do I call you a conspiracy theorist, is because for whatever reason you don’t/can’t trust that people besides yourself are really trying to do good. Do good for more than just themselves, and more than just for the people around them. If you want to really talk immunology please keep going, because frankly I would love to talk about heavy/light chains, and how B/T cells actually work. I will however continue to post on this blog because people like Stacey and Bobbi sometimes need someone who ACTUALLY knows what their talking about to reaffirm what decisions they are making about their children is right!! What does make me wonder is what you will do when your kids are grown and your husband, if you have one, is gone and you grow old and sick. All those terrible aluminum vaccine crazed doctors swarming around you trying to keep you alive, checking in on you several times a day, and maybe even consoling you when things get really hard. Talk about a nightmare!
I “somehow justify certain elements over others”? So you saying that zinc is necessary for the immune system, while being in the same family as mercury, a well-known potent neurotoxin, or pointing out that you need sodium and potassium, while implying that lithium is uncool (lithium is actually neuroprotective in low doses) ISN’T “somehow justifying certain elements over others”? I think you made my point for me. The human body has evolved to use/require SOME elements (most of the ones that have abundant bioavailable forms in the environment, aluminum being a notable exception) in order to maintain homeostasis. Others, aluminum again, have absolutely no function in the human body whatsoever. And if they are in the same family as other elements, they will compete with those elements in chemical reaction. (And, yes, different elements, such as copper, silver and gold have different properties. Who implied they didn’t? If their properties were identical, who would care which was in the body. But the properties of zinc and mercury AREN’T identical, are they?)
Sure, my asthma was ALL about puberty. As the 7th of eight children, only one of whom got asthma in childhood, the pattern of asthma in puberty is clear! The other child who got asthma was my younger brother. He was eight or nine when he got it. What was different for us from our older siblings? Well, they developed a number of vaccines in the 60s… He and I got significantly MORE than our siblings did. WE had the measles vaccine (I had two types) and both developed measles, the rubella vaccine (who knows if we developed rubella? It’s generally so mild, most people don’t even know they have it) and the mumps vaccine (shortly before the onset of our allergies). I don’t think he got the mumps, but I did and passed it on to a family friend as well because my mother wasn’t told that the vaccine sheds and you shouldn’t go swimming the day you are vaccinated.
“I’m done with this argument because honestly it’s like arguing with a child. They won’t listen but still tell you what they “know”.” 🙂 🙂 🙂 I hereby make a prediction. When, in a few years’ time, it becomes obvious that we were right, you will come back to this site and realize how ironic this comment is.
I find it very touching that you are worried about what will happen to me when I “grow old and sick,” but I don’t think you need to concern yourself. There are plenty of medical professionals who share my passion for health, and should there be any cognitive issues, my family will know EXACTLY how I feel on the subject. 😉
Thank you Jim. But I fear your facts are falling on delusional ears..
🙂 Yes, delusional that’s what it is when you manage to get kids well after being told that they have “incurable, lifelong conditions.” Would that more of the world were so “delusional.”
Well when your world says my son is sick and needs to be cured with “therapies” such as MMS ( otherwise known as industrial bleach given orally as well as in enemas) which you do not Condem… Then yep, I call it delusional and feel free to live there. The problem I have is you trying to recruit others to the delusion…
But please, continue and reply. I have enjoyed sharing your delusion with others who see it for one as well..
I don’t know what your son’s condition is, but if your son — like many of those who come here — has severe autism, the “world” (meaning so-called “autism experts”) says that your son has a lifelong, incurable condition that means that he may/will never speak, be able to toilet train, be able to communicate, be able to sit in a classroom, be able to hold down a job, or be able to live independently, let alone get married and have children. Many of the people you are calling “delusional” got told exactly that by one or more “experts” and many of those people have children who are completely mainstreamed that no one knows EVER had a diagnosis of autism. Facts. A recent mainstream study showed that approximately 9% of the children they followed “lost their diagnosis.” How do you think that happens? By accident? They just outgrew the diagnosis? I suspect you’re in the “They never had autism in the first place!” camp. I’m sorry, but THAT’S delusional. You need to hold onto your delusion so badly that you have to deny the experience of many others that is DOCUMENTED by mainstream science. Well, be our guest, but don’t be surprised if others see your delusion for what it is and recruit more and more people to the possibilities.
Wow, when did I say I didn’t support therapies that work to help people on the autism spectrum? I guess that’s where you hear what you chose to.
I don’t believe in quack therapies that claim to cure. There is no cure. There should be No talk of cures. We should be discussing why Some of our children have co-existing conditions with autism like gut issues and why Many many many like my child Does Not. We should be looking deeper into therapies that work and regulate it so that parents know what is safe and what is being peddling by snake oil merchants ( like MMS!!)
We need to spread Acceptance that autism is A Neurodevelopmental “condition” that basically means those on the Autism Spectrrum JUST think and perceive the world differently to neurotypical people.
I have worked over 10 years with children in the spectrum, I have a now 14 year old on the spectrum, I am finishing my degree in Special Educational Needs, Autism, children. I would never call myself an expert and the experts I actually know would also Never claim expertise. They also would never tell parents the things you posted that are supposedly said to parents of “low functioning” or non verbal children on the spectrum. That shows the ignorance of the so called experts.
Where you say “cure” or “recovered” I say supported. I know many children who were pre- verbal ( I do not like non verbal as there are many cases of children who did not speak until close to adult hood!).
The difference is I don’t fear autism on any way as you appear to. I see it as a different way of perceiving the world to me and support is key. But isn’t that the same for most people? Needing support to be the best they can be??
True understanding of what autism
Actually is soooo needed. There is no allergies, gut issues, medical issues in the diagnosis of autism. Fact.
It is not caused by vaccines, metals, or gut issues. Those presenting those medical issues need to have them addressed and helped but they are not autism.
I say the word delusion because of your refusal to see facts. I highly highly suggest you look at the right peer reviewed ( meaning it can be replicated UNLIKE wakefields so called “study”. Replication of his findings was attempted many times and Could NOT be replicated, hence its removal from the journal and Wakefield’s downfall! Fact,) journals, there are many out there! Instead of cherry picking ones, parts of ones as you seem to be doing that suit your delusion.
Bobbi,
I’m glad you don’t consider yourself an “expert,” but you DO seem to think that YOU know exactly what autism is and isn’t, despite the fact that there are many people who disagree with you and have children who are not just “supported,” but are no longer autistic. I’m not sure why you are so invested in the impossibility of that. It is perhaps a question you should ask yourself.
People who are at the less severe end of the autism spectrum can function in our world with support, sometimes a little and sometimes a lot, and they should get that support. The problem (that which you interpret as “fear of autism”) is that there are so many people on the spectrum, many of them far more severe and unable to function in our society in any context, these days. In addition, there are many, many people who don’t have autism but have chronic issues with similar roots that ALSO “need support.” (My son who just aged out of his speech services due to apraxia and my daughter who struggles with ADHD are examples.) Very soon there will be so many “needing support” that there will be no one to “provide support.” It is a real concern as the tsunami of young adults age out of their childhood programs.
You can SAY that autism is not caused by “vaccines, metals, or gut issues,” but that doesn’t make it true. When the medical issues are addressed autism symptoms usually recede. The medical issues are not “autism” because that isn’t how autism is defined, but when the medical issues are addressed autism can sometimes be cured.
From my perspective, it is you who is refusing to see facts. It’s right there in your comment: “I highly highly suggest you look at the RIGHT (emphasis mine) peer reviewed journals . . . . Instead of cherry picking ones.” What you utterly fail to grasp is that I READ the ones you consider RIGHT, and I analyze them from a logical and scientific perspective. In addition, I read the ones you obviously don’t because you’ve decided they’re the WRONG studies (I don’t say journals, because frequently they appear in the very same journals as the studies they contradict), which is the very DEFINITION of “cherry picking.” One needs to take into account ALL of the available data, that which supports a particular hypothesis and that which does not. You are steadfastly refusing to even look at data that does not fit your preconceived hypothesis, while I choose instead to do as a scientist should do and incorporate it into a broader worldview.
For instance, all the evidence against a vaccine/autism link is epidemiological (the weakest form of evidence against a scientific mechanism and easily manipulated. Indeed, there is a great deal of evidence that the outcomes of several of the perceived “gold standard” studies that “disprove” a vaccine/autism link have indeed been artificially manipulated), while much of the science supporting a link was done in laboratories, analyzing and investigating the effect that vaccine ingredients have on human tissue and the human body as a whole. Stimulation of the immune system (whether through illness or vaccination) has been shown to have a direct effect on the brain, the earlier the stimulation happens and the more often it happens, the greater the effect. Vaccines hyper-stimulate the immune system in a way that the diseases they were designed to prevent usually won’t. The numbers of antibodies produced are many times higher, generally for multiple things at once, and they remain high for far longer. You can ignore that information to your detriment and that of your clients if you wish, but you should admit — at least to yourself — that you are the one “cherry picking” what you pay attention to.
wow.. I could have written this myself except the c-section (though we were minutes away).. highly intelligent blog post for once! Reasonable, educated, well thought out. All of this is true .. spot on…
Actually, It’s not. I might suggest you read NeuroTribes: The Lost History of Autism? I think you might find the information rather helpful.
Steve Silberman’s “NeuroTribes” is Dangerously Misleading
I was wondering when this would show… A link to another blog ( ie opinion) and better still of someone who admits they Have Not Even Read it!!
I have read NeuroTribes and while there are inaccuracies, they are few.. But what that book does is show there is a history of autism, one that started when humanity did and not when Wakefield and Jenny Mc Carthy started to try and cash in on autism and the blatant LIE of a MMR- autism link when there is No Link…
But again, the regular posters and OP don’t want to hear that and will twist what I’ve said to suit their pseudoscientific ideas…
DID YOU KNOW???
The symptoms of brain damage found in autism (because that is what it is) are IDENTICAL to the symptoms of the brain damage found in mercury poisoning. IDENTICAL. line for line IDENTICAL.
SYMPTOMS OF MERCURY POISONING:
There are consequences for injecting mercury into a child. The symptoms of mercury poisoning are:
Psychiatric Disturbances:
Social deficits, shyness, social withdrawal
Depression, mood swings; mask face
Anxiety
Schizoid tendencies, OCD traits
Lacks eye contact, hesitant to engage others
Irrational fears
Irritability, aggression, temper tantrums
Impaired face recognition
Speech, Language & Hearing Deficits
Loss of speech, failure to develop speech
Dysarthria; articulation problems
Speech comprehension deficits
Verbalizing & word retrieval problems
Sound sensitivity
Hearing loss; deafness in very high doses
Poor performance on language IQ tests
Sensory Abnormalities</TD
Abnormal sensation in mouth & extremities
Sound sensitivity
Abnormal touch sensations; touch aversion
Vestibular abnormalities
Motor Disorders:
Involuntary jerking movements – arm flapping, ankle jerks, myoclonal jerks, choreiform movements, circling, rocking
Deficits in eye-hand coordination; limb apraxia; intention tremors
gait impairment; ataxia – from incoordination & clumsiness to inability to walk, stand, or sit; loss of motor control
Difficulty in chewing or swallowing
Unusual postures; toe walking
Cognitive Impairments:
Borderline intelligence, mental retardation – some cases reversible
Poor concentration, attention, response inhibition
Uneven performance on IQ subtests
Verbal IQ higher than performance IQ
Poor short term, verbal, & auditory memory
Poor visual and perceptual motor skills, impairment in simple reaction time
Difficulty carrying out complex commands
Word-comprehension difficulties
Deficits in understanding abstract ideas & symbolism; degeneration of higher mental powers
Unusual Behaviors:
Stereotyped sniffing (rats)
ADHD traits
Agitation, unprovoked crying, grimacing, staring spells
Sleep difficulties
Eating disorders, feeding problems
Self injurious behavior, e.g. head banging
Visual Impairments:
Poor eye contact, impaired visual fixation
“Visual impairments,” blindness, near-sightedness, decreased visual acuity
Light sensitivity, photophobia
Blurred or hazy vision
Constricted visual fields
Physical Disturbances:
Increase in cerebral palsy; hyper- or hypo-tonia; abnormal reflexes; decreased muscle strength, especially upper body; incontinence; problems chewing, swallowing, salivating
Rashes, dermatitis/dry skin, itching; burning
Autonomic disturbance: excessive sweating, poor circulation, elevated heart rate
Gastro-intestinal Disturbances</TD
Gastroenteritis, diarrhea; abdominal pain, constipation, “colitis”
Anorexia, weight loss, nausea, poor appetite
Lesions of ileum & colon; increased gut permeability (leaky gut)
Inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase IV, which cleaves casomorphin
Abnormal Biochemistry:
Binds -SH groups; blocks sulfate transporter in intestines, kidneys
Has special affinity for purines & pyrimidines
Reduces availability of glutathione, needed in neurons, cells & liver to detoxify heavy metals
Causes significant reduction in glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase
Disrupts mitochondrial activities, especially in brain
Immune Dysfunction:
Sensitivity due to allergic or autoimmune reactions; sensitive individuals more likely to have allergies, asthma, autoimmune-like symptoms, especially rheumatoid-like ones
Can produce an immune response in CNS
Causes brain/MBP autoantibodies
Causes overproduction of Th2 subset; kills/inhibits lymphocytes, T-cells, and monocytes; decreases NK T-cell activity; induces or suppresses IFNg & IL-2
CNS Structural Pathology:
Selectively targets brain areas unable to detoxify or reduce Hg-induced oxidative stress
Damage to Purkinje and granular cells
Accummulates in amygdala and hippocampus
Causes abnormal neuronal cytoarchitecture; disrupts neuronal migration & cell division; reduces NCAMs
Progressive microcephaly
Brain stem defects in some cases
Abnormalities in Neuro-chemistry:
Prevents presynaptic serotonin release & inhibits serotonin transport; causes calcium disruptions
Alters dopamine systems; peroxidine deficiency in rats resembles mercurialism in humans
Elevates epinephrine & norepinephrine levels by blocking enzyme that degrades epinephrine
Elevates glutamate
Leads to cortical acetylcholine deficiency; increases muscarinic receptor density in hippocampus & cerebellum
Demyelination in brain
EEG Abnormalities / Epilepsy:
Causes abnormal EEGs, epileptiform activity
Causes seizures, convulsions
Causes subtle, low amplitude seizure activity
Population Characteristics:
Effects more males than females
At low doses, only affects those geneticially susceptible
First added to childhood vaccines in 1930s
Exposure levels steadily increased since 1930s with rate of vaccination, number of vaccines
Exposure occurs at 0 – 15 months; clinical silent stage means symptom emergence delayed;
But unlike you, I don’t condemn a treatment because I don’t have published studies in hand that “prove” “success.”
You don’t condone a treatment that can seriously medically harm a child??
Wow. So you agree with using industrial bleach on a child such is your hatred of autism? You agree with the many unproven therapies that HAVE harmed if not killed a child with autism? ( chelation?)
You have said it all in that one statement. I can not argue with that insanity. There is nothing more to say.
Hmmmmm… “You don’t condone (sic, I think you mean condemn, opposite meaning) a treatment that can seriously medically harm a child?” You mean like vaccines? 😉 Which, by the way, are used on completely HEALTHY children, not children who are in need of any treatment. As people tell us over and over again, ANY drug can “seriously medically harm” someone. Would I be VERY cautious in any application of any treatment that has been known to “seriously medically harm” someone? Certainly. That is why I use non-invasive, non-toxic for myself and my children whenever possible. Does that mean that there is no use for such a treatment? Certainly not. For instance, antibiotics are implicated in the etiology of many of these conditions due to the way they wipe out beneficial gut bacteria and thus disable a good percentage of the immune system and create a condition of “leaky gut” which can lead to a host of issues of its own. Can antibiotics “seriously medically harm a child”? Indeed, they frequently do so. Does that mean they have no use in treatment? No. Many children with PANDAS and Lyme disease only find relief with long-term use of antibiotics. For them, antibiotic use may be the best available treatment, despite the fact that they can devastate others.
(On the subject of antibiotics, you should Google the kinds of “medical harm” that flouroquinolones can do.)
By the way, the ONE time chelation killed a child it was applied improperly. Many, many children have done low-dose long-term chelation and have had excellent results. To outright condemn “chelation” because one person died due to use of the wrong chelating drug is irrational at best. Did you know that medical mistakes (which that counted as) ranks as the third leading cause of death in this country? Obviously, there are many, many drugs that are prescribed or used inappropriately and, shockingly enough, no one is calling for the condemnation of the use of those drugs or their recall.
Obviously I meant condemn.. That’s it. I can’t reply further as I’d be encouraging the delusion
What, specifically, do you believe to be a “delusion” in his post? There are no opinions to be found in what the ProfessorTMR wrote, only facts.
Thanks, Stephen, but just to let you know, I’m a woman. 🙂
Wow. Whatever credibility you may have had just flew out the window when you acknowledged MMS.. Ah yes, miracle mineral solution.. Otherwise known as industrial bleach.. So the idea you subscribe to is that children with autism are defective, diseased and bleach given in drops throughout the day and in enemas will cure them?!?! I bet you believe the reports of “worms” too eh? ( for those who don’t know, those that push MMS ( like Kerry Rivera) believe that children with autism have this magical ability to “create parasites” In their gut! These kids have to “create” them as they were tested and the worms have that child’s DNA!!!!! So it cannot be the child’s stomach lining that is being stripped and excreted, no no no, it must be the child magically creating these parasites!!!
I’ve followed this post and blog for a a year now and finally it’s gone the route of complete insanity…
Sad. I feel for the children involved and the years of spreading so much time “curing” your children of something there is No Cure for! Instead of accepting, respecting and loving them…
Bobbi, if you’ve “followed this post and blog for a year now” then you should know that
a) A mainstream study has confirmed that up to 10% of children lose their autism diagnosis. Who do you think is accomplishing that? People whose parents are certain “there is No Cure for” autism?
b) We advocate radical love, acceptance, and respect of your children — ALL of your children — EXACTLY as they are (if you need help with that check out Son-Rise and the Autism Treatment Center), but that does NOT mean accepting limits placed on them by “authorities” who declare (in the face of ample evidence to the contrary) that autism is a “genetic disorder” and “there is no cure.”
Your wholesale rejection of MMS, otherwise known as CD, without talking to the parents of children who are getting well with its use, means that your credibility flies out the window. As is being acknowledged more and more every day, at the core of many if not most cases of autism is a fundamental imbalance in the gut biome. One strategy in restoring gut balance is killing the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and, yes, parasites. One of the more interesting things science has shown us lately is that human cells and their symbiotic companions interact in complex ways, including the transfer of DNA http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068243/. An intriguing and in-depth article in layman’s terms on the impact of the “micro-biome” is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/magazine/say-hello-to-the-100-trillion-bacteria-that-make-up-your-microbiome.html?_r=0
Will CD be right for everyone or even all people with autism? No. Like every other treatment available, it is not appropriate for everyone. Does that mean that it won’t be an effective treatment for some? No.
MMS is abuse. It it giving children bleach and has no benefit in anyway shape or form the mere fact that you even consider it “helpful” frightens the life out of me.
I will not debate this with you. But I will and have shared this all over social media in the hopes that others recognise what you “promote” for what it is. Abuse.
Not to worry, Bobbi. I had NO intention whatsoever of “debating” this with you. 🙂 Virtually every treatment that has ever been tried to help people with autism, right down to including ABA therapy and the GFCF diet, have been called “abusive” by someone. Around here we’re much more interested in how those who have tried something feel about it than the feelings of those with clear agendas who post diatribes. But thanks for publicizing our website!
Ok, I’ll bite.
Please show me one “success” story of “cured” of autism that was NOT a misdiagnosis to begin with or a person with autism who is actually supported enough and had the right therapy and strategies so they “appear” to have lost their diagnosis.. Please. Just one PROVEN indisputable case!!???
And while your at it, please please please show me one case of MMS “helping” let alone ” curing” an autistic child! Please! One who is proud to tell the world and not hide behind pseudonyms! One that has ( here’s that pesky word again!) PROOF!
Please. I really would like to see it.
I dare someone to do so!!! I mean real, scientific, peer reviewed, as to be replicated PROOF!!!!!
And Tim sure this will not surprise you but….
For the record I consider ABA abusive ( teaching rote skill like they are “animals” being “trained” is abusive in my opinion) I also think forcing a CF/GF diet on someone who does not have celiac disease or intolerances just to “improve behaviour” is abusive in my opinion.
Here’s 34 of them, but I’m sure you’ll have a problem with it. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3547539/
The first I’d ever heard of was back in 1975, when the book Son-Rise came out. Raun Kaufman was diagnosed — correctly and repeatedly — with “classic autism.” His parents were told they should institutionalize him as he would never speak, go to school, be able to hold down a job, etc., etc., etc. He now runs the autism program at the Option Institute, bearing no trace of his previous autism.
No one “forces a CF/GF diet” on someone who does not have intolerances. That would be stupid. If the child’s “behavior” improves dramatically — like beginning to speak for the first time, which happens FREQUENTLY — then the child HAS intolerances.
Funny how you didn’t fully answer my question.. Son-Rise is well known and also very much disputed amongst experts ( including those on the spectrum themselves)…
Where’s the MMS proven “success” story? Again, the proof of “cure” that was Not a misdiagnosis? Not Disputed?
The article you posted is interesting but I find this sentence in the conclusion very telling….
“Although possible deficits in more subtle aspects of social interaction or cognition are not ruled out”
I’m well aware that Son-Rise is “disputed.” In that regard it is not any different from ANYTHING related to autism. And if you’re going to look to agreement from “experts” you will find that those same “experts” have been saying that no one EVER recovers from autism, but 9% of those children in the study DID. So they are flat out WRONG. They will also tell you that “GFCF diets are unproven and dangerous,” and yet there are children all over the world who are thriving on them and many parents who were blown away when their children began speaking for the first time soon after beginning the diet. Do you believe the word of people who have been proven wrong on the most basic information? No matter how much they “dispute” Son-Rise, they cannot change the fact that Raun was correctly diagnosed by a number of “experts” who told his parents exactly the same thing your experts say, and those parents went home and proved them wrong.
CD or MMS is a fairly new treatment, there is little in the way of published scientific data that you would be likely to pay attention to. In addition, I don’t personally know the people who are claiming success. But unlike you, I don’t condemn a treatment because I don’t have published studies in hand that “prove” “success.”
“More subtle aspects of social interaction or cognition” are not autism. There are millions of people with those “more subtle aspects” that are NOT diagnosed with autism in the first place. Many of them are diagnosed with ADHD or OCD or ODD or anxiety disorder, all of which can be treated in many of the same ways that many people are treating their children with autism these days as may of them arise from the same physical issues, which is why I call it the “infrared” part of the spectrum. Do we want our children to get to the point where they have no “diagnosis” and may act in any way they wish, as Svetlana Masgutova puts it “free of automatisms”? Sure. Not everyone will get there, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the attempt to reverse whatever damage has been done to the overall — I was going to say nervous system, but I heard Lucija Tomljenovic yesterday talking about how they have found that stimulation of the immune system has direct effects on brain cells and so now they refer to the neuro-endocrine-immune system.
I don’t know how or why I got to this article but just today I was reading about cds and mms and the great results it’s getting helping kids with autism, I really hope you can look it up. Love. Andrea
No worries, Andrea. Mountain Mama knew about CD two years ago. But thanks!
You guys realize that the director of the film that you reference on YouTube, Andy Wakefield, was the one who invented the autism and MMR link, right? You know he was jailed, right? Since his fraudulent article in the Lancet, rates of vaccination have decreased dramatically. And guess what! Rates of autism have not decreased. I sympathize with your respective journies to raise special-needs children. But you do not know what you are talking about when you try to answer why. Your consistently biased and non-evidence based claims are placing people at risk.
Yes, we know EXACTLY who Andy Wakefield is, and he did not “invent” the autism/MMR link. In the past year a CDC researcher came out and told us that the CDC itself found that the rate of autism was found to be three and a half times higher in African American boys who had received the MMR on time versus those who had waited until the age of five. That is a higher relative risk than any that has ever been officially reported for ANY risk factor, including the recent circumcision study that had a relative risk of 2. The autism/MMR link exists. Nor was Andy Wakefield ever jailed. And no, rates of vaccination have not “decreased dramatically” either. Check the stats at the CDC, coverage for all vaccines remains high. Don’t bother telling people that they don’t know what they’re talking about when you get most of your own “facts” wrong.
I agree with most of what Professor TMR is saying except I prefer to reserve judgement for whether or not Autism is solely to be classified as a neuro-developmental condition… this seems a little too convenient for Vaccine companies.
Tobacco companies have had it too easy for too long in regard to the link between tobacco and lung cancer .
Likewise, the Asbestos fabricators have had it too easy for too long in regard to the link between asbestos and mesothelioma .
Likewise, the vaccine makers/coal producers have had it too easy for too long in regard to the link between mercury and Autism . Keep an eye on MEG scanners, Hep-B class action law suit and views of Dr Mark Hyman on mercury and Autism see
How to Rid Your Body of Heavy Metals: A 3-Step Detoxification Plan
by Mark Hyman, MD
The head of or CEO of the fatfarma company producing mmr recently came out of the closet and admitted destroying the proof the farfarma had ALL ALONG that the mmr vaccine causes autism. (no matter with OR without mercury). The fatfarma simply destroyed all the records they had and did all they could to hide the known and proven fact.
He said his conscience bothered him so much when the rate of autism went up so much, he could no longer stay quiet.
This was ‘voluntary’ confession of one of the highest fatfarma executives/owner?/directors ; one of dozens of them (whistleblowers) in/from fatfarma in the last 70 years many of whom were then assassinated. (via apparent suicide or botched robbery attempt).
When I worked in fatfarma, one of “their own”, they readily admitted to complete willingness to CAUSE DISEASE, SUFFERING, and BANKRUPTCY FOR PATIENTS and their families ,
instead of telling the truth.
The more devastating confession was from pastors who said “Jeff, we cannot tell people the truth – it would bankrupt the economy” ! (a surprising number of pastors say this when questioned about the fatfarma deception causing disease and how easy it is both to prevent and to cure most disease(it is actually ILLEGAL in the usa for doctors(ama) to cure people most of the time! ) . (or even to ADMIT THEY CAN! )
Yes! I am sick of the system.
I worked in it for way too long(decades) before escaping.
money is their god.
the system does not care about people , nor about what’s right. only about $$$$$
Mountain Mama:
I feel like I could have given my son autism, so I feel your pain. He had all the signs (loss of eye contact, speech problems, etc.). I’ve read that they are making progress and are now thinking that Autism is a ‘gut’ disease. Sounds like you’ve done some good research and are on the way to healing your son. I do believe that it may be linked to tylenol, read about how Cuba has lowest rate of Autism – where Tylenol is illegal. Also, please read about curing your son with Pines Wheat Grass and Broccoli. If it lives in the gut (which was hypothesized recently), you may see great results. I have a neighbor with two autistic kids. I don’t feel I know her well enough to suggest she try this. If it works for you, will you please let me know? Will be praying for you and your kids. Thanks for setting up this blog.
Thank you!…. I didn’t read the above comments I saw the first two and scrolled down. I’m not sure if you have been told this by others but… It is everything I felt. I did insane amounts of research…after the dx .My mother had MS and most of her maternal side did as well as lactose intollerant. I have been screaming inside …telling only a few of what I believe to be true. There is a very serious link between auto-immune. I had 2!!! Daughters with ASD. the odds of two girls in 2004 was nuts! Because I had just watched my mother die I pretty much lost it.I did not know about the acetaminophen or the ultrasounds. I do know that with the c-sections the response that triggers brain(currently just found it happens with horses). Some part of the neck (forgive me this is from my soggy memory) if stimulated triggers it so soon they may have that figured out. I want to add for anyone reading to withhold even more things that we may question later. There is a huge part of being to acidic that is very suspicious(my words are dangerous). I will add that any woman with auto-immune by simply adding (ONLY) quarter teaspoon of baking soda a day in water with a good bit of lemon …brings back the ph to closer to neutral. I think this would help all births but especially ( how do I even say this..children with issues that may be at risk because of genetics and auto-immune) It has even been thought of as natures inflammatory. I think you are an angel for writing this and probably have taken so much flak! I just want you to know I will never forgive myself either…but I realize now most of that is simply that hindsight is 20/40 especially for maybe every mother with a special needs child where there isn’t a definable cause. I have no idea really which thing on your list and more different ones on mine…just added to the perfect storm. I just know with gastro issues and auto-immune in family history…I pray…some docs will begin cautioning moms about some of the absolutely proven…possible ingredients to the perfect storm and let them choose for themselves. Also, I was 37 and my husband 41… maybe extra cautions may have helped the severity…thank you for expressing things that I so needed to here another mom say!!! Biggest hugs and appreciation..(I already know this will also be bashed) these are just my theories from what I have extrapolated…if it helps anyone else it’s worth every blow.
Just thought I would note that the report you referenced at the top about the CDC researcher has since been retracted. I know that won’t change your stance on the items in the blog, but felt it was worth mentioning. Be well.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cdcwhistleblower.asp
http://retractionwatch.com/2014/08/27/journal-takes-down-autism-vaccine-paper-pending-investigation/
We’re well aware that the study was retracted. We’re also aware of the tremendous pressure that the journal was under to retract it. Doesn’t change the truth of the situation one iota. Thompson was an author on the original paper. He personally told Hooker what information to request from the CDC, and he oversaw the analysis of the data. In addition, he was recorded lamenting his role in the suppression of important information. As a result of this egregious example of “vaccine science” ten years of investigation on the links between vaccines and autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions was lost. Thompson says the only remedy is for Congress to seize the data and have it analyzed by an OUTSIDE organization. I heartily agree. Great, the CDC and pharmaceutical companies managed to get the paper yanked, but even they can’t make truth lies, or lies truth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8697rSvIqhg
Professor TMR
Wow, your reply back to Adrian is shocking! Truthfully. You need to reconsider your preconceptions about Autism. This is not opinion but a FACT… Autism is not diagnosed medically. There is no medical test. Why? Because it is a neurodevelopmental “condition” ! It is not a medical one.. So all your talk of medical conditions such as epilepsy and gut issues are NOT a PART of autism! I repeat myself, they ARE NOT a part of autism. How do I know this? ( regardless of my degree) if these COMORBID ( co existing) Medical conditions were a part of autism them EVERY SINGLE person on the Autism Spectrum would have them! It really is that simple. My son (autism spectrum) as well as MANY others on the autism spectrum DO NOT have ANY medical conditions such as gut issues or epilepsy…
So. Those and other medical conditions are Co Morbid!!!
I am not saying that others do not have these medical conditions AS WELL AS Autism. I know many who do. But just like learning disability has Nothing to do with autism (autism does NOT affect intelligence! ) medical issues also are not a part of the Diagnostic Criteria. The diagnosis criteria is very specific. I suggest you look at it again..
It might help clarify things for you.
And before you say this is my opinion- it is FACT. And I have all of the professionals that actually properly diagnose Autism
spectrum behind my words..
Bobbi, I’m well aware that those conditions are not part of the diagnosis of autism. I never said they were. Autism is technically diagnosed as a mental health condition based upon observed behaviors. Nor did I say all people with autism have any of those conditions. I’m also well aware (and sounds like you are too) that they are co-morbid conditions present in many, many cases of autism — HIGHLY correlated with autism, especially autism at the severe end of the spectrum. And, here’s a shocker, treating those co-morbid conditions is frequently associated with an improvement in the symptoms that were the basis of the autism diagnosis in the first place. Adrian should be aware that his experience of autism is NOT the universal experience of autism, by a long shot.
Bobbi,
I’ve been on a leave of abscence for school, but i’m here now and ready to back you up 100%! Thank you for being a good parent! You have obviously researched and understand what we currently know of Autism. Like you, I am not an expert on autism, but I am working to learn more in med school. My initial reaction upon reading your post was to say sorry for your sons diagnosis. Every one of the student doctors I know, myself included, has encountered people with diseases, conditions, circumstances, etc that are completely foreign to our personal lives, however; you represent one of the fundamental reasons we strive to learn and do more. After reading your posts it is very obvious how much you love your son, and it is not the diagnosis that defines the relationship you share with him. I may never understand what you have endured in your pursuit of being a good parent, but I thank you for being steadfast in a realistic understanding of autism. Every world health organization of any credibility has completely falsified any claim that vaccines have or cause autism. To say otherwise is just crazy! Professor TMR can claim whatever she wants as far as this metal or element is bad or that one, but in reality her sons and daughters also have diagnosis which she said included ADHD and Apraxia. I’m going to give an educated guess and say that those same children were not vaccinated, so I would be curious to her why they would have conditions? Agree or not, I hope she does medicate her son appropriately, and seek real medical specialist in regard to her daughter.
Jim, as a “student doctor,” you’re terrifying. No matter the evidence presented to you, you assume that vaccines don’t cause autism because organizations with very strong conflicts of interest have told you so. That is neither scientific, nor intelligent. It is also doing a tremendous disservice to any future patients you may have, as it is clear that their own testimony will be dismissed out of hand by you. I am going to give you some excellent advice right now: start doing some research now as to why patients are satisfied with medical care when they are and why they become dissatisfied with their doctors’ care when they are not. Hint: the single biggest reason is that the good ones listen to their patients. They have information you should USE to find the answers for them. You need to learn this now: everyone’s body is unique, and no one knows one’s body as well as the person living in it. For a child, especially one who can’t speak, the closest “expert” you will find is a parent.
*I* don’t claim that “this metal or element is bad” [for children’s health], SCIENCE does. And, in the case of ethyl mercury and aluminum, the science is overwhelming. Read the science BEFORE you do significant harm.
I am hardly secretive about my children’s health histories, so I will repeat the information for your benefit. My daughter was vaccinated for the first year of her life, before I started investigating the rumors I was starting to hear. It wasn’t long before I realized that I could not, in good conscience, allow anyone to administer another vaccine. And I thank God for that decision for both her sake and her younger brother’s sake. Other than a DT shot that his father got talked into in an emergency room (by someone who REALLY didn’t know the facts about tetanus or vaccines; giving someone a tetanus vaccine in an ER when they have never been vaccinated is completely contraindicated, yet it happens all the time), he is completely non-vaccinated. My children both have a significant history of antibiotics around birth. That has been shown to disturb the gut flora significantly, which, in turn, is strongly correlated to ADHD, autism, and apraxia, among so many other things (study after study that has come out in the last five years or so has confirmed this, one of the many things that people in this community have long known). In addition, my daughter had a good deal of Tylenol as an infant and toddler, which lowers glutathione and makes detoxification more difficult. I have not yet done the genetic testing to verify for certain, but the signs are good that my children have similar genetic difficulties with detoxification that run rampant in the autism population. So my children share almost identical backgrounds to many, many of the children I know who are — or were (because their parents wised up) — severely disabled with autism. Why do my children “just” have ADHD (my son no longer has apraxia or any IEP at all) when other children like them are much, much worse off? Well, the one difference I see is that I stopped vaccinating 15 years ago.
That was a “lucky” decision because while I knew enough to stop vaccinating, I didn’t know nearly as much as I do now about the way the immune system works and the way injected vaccines stimulate antibody responses and the ways those high levels of antibodies can cross-react with human body tissues to cause autoimmune conditions (of which I have at least four and maybe five).
I’m grateful every day that I listened to those early urges telling me to investigate more about vaccines, and I wish I could take back EVERY SINGLE ONE that I allowed anyone to inject into my daughter and the one his father allowed someone to inject into my son. I am also grateful that I ignored what “real medical specialists” have told me with regard to both of them, or they would likely be in as bad shape as so many other children I know, and I would have even less time to educate people like you.
By the way, a friend who now runs a clinic that does biomedical autism treatments shared a post recently showing how far her son had come in the last year or so. The same child that “real medical experts” not so long ago advised her to put into an institution because of the long list of “he will nevers” that they gave her. Only they were wrong right down the line. I wish I could say that this story is rare, but it’s not. I’ve heard from countless parents who were told similar things, some of whom spent far too long (in their own estimation) listening to those “real medical experts” before they figured out there was a better way.
You have a chance to be a really good doctor. Please take this opportunity NOW to turn down the volume on the propaganda and look around you and take in the evidence of your senses. You will find it tells a very different story.
Also, i looked through the sources and besides the one with the c section and vaccines, the others either don’t have any relation to autism or are made by people who are not experts in fields that commonly deal with autism. I wonder why….
My point is that all these things are nothing compared to the first years of life. The recovery in an autistic baby is most succesfull to the age of 5 then it becomes less and less. So, what i’m saying is that most mothers screw up in the evolution of the first few years of the baby not during their pregnancy. Yes, there is a difference in increasing the risk for something and actually causing it. THat difference is in the first years where most mothers let their baby in front of a TV or dont pay enough attention and dont help their baby speak. In other words, most mothers ignore the signs of a caused autism and then dont reach out for help. I can give you many examples of that happening. So yes, when i say this article is full of wrong information, i know what i’m talking about.
Just because a study doesn’t say that it is connected to autism doesn’t mean that it isn’t. For instance, a study of a particular ingredient finds that the ingredient damages brain cells. The study doesn’t mention vaccines or autism, but the ingredient is in vaccines, and encephalopathy or encephalitis is often reported just prior to the development of autism symptoms. So whether the study mentions vaccines or autism is not important if it applies to them both. Logically that is expressed as: If A is true, then B is true. If B is true, then C is true. Then if you show A is true, C is true as well.
Babies can be screwed up at any point in development, in utero to adulthood. There’s a new film out called Trace Amounts. It’s the story of a man who got mercury poisoning from a tetanus shot. His symptoms were shockingly similar to those of an autistic child. He recovered using low-dose chelation. Yes, those early years are crucial, especially for the development and integration of reflexes, But that is only part of the story, and it is not a part that invalidates any of the other parts. Nor does it invalidate the influence of vaccines on brain development. Have you ever heard of epigenetics? It’s the interaction of genes and environment. Did you know that you can turn on particular genes by exposing them to different substances? Genes can be affected epigenetically at any point in a person’s life, including pregnancy, thus changing which traits your child inherits.
And I have to say that what you’re saying about mothers and TVs and “helping their baby speak” just doesn’t match up to reality. My son had apraxia, he had tremendous difficulty talking until I did some biomedical interventions. As you might imagine, I am a very verbal person. I spoke to my child all the time, read to him frequently, encouraged speech and was his enthusiastic cheerleader for any and all attempts. And yet he couldn’t talk. When I addressed what toxic loads had done to him, including antibiotics in pregnancy and for ear infections, he got better. I find that “most mothers ignore the signs of autism” is incorrect as well. I’ve heard hundreds of stories of people trying desperately to get their children’s pediatricians to take their concerns seriously, because the mothers knew something was wrong despite the fact that they were repeatedly told it was “all in their heads” right up until some “expert” diagnosed their children with autism. Are there some parents in denial? Undoubtedly. Are they the norm? Not in my experience. In my experience, parents are generally very involved and very concerned with their children’s development, and those are hit with developmental problems in their children just as often as those who are clueless.
Again, your experience doesn’t line up with our experience.
Again, you compare your experience with the experience of most mothers. Exceptions don’t change the rules and maybe in your country, that happens though i do doubt that good doctors are the exceptions of the rule here.
Also, for what you say about substances, the reason why your truth is wrong is because a compound is not made of only one substance and usually they also use substances that disable or minimize certain effects to a minimum where they wont cause any damage.
You might be a mom with experience in kids with autism but you have no medical study and you are missing key points that you’re usually taught in a medical school. Also, believing a study from someone with no expertise in it is simply naive. There is a reason why med school is one of the hardest and the fact that you have open information on the internet, doesn’t make you an expert. You can claim to know your kid but you can’t claim to know or claim the others experiences just fgrom reading on a forum or on a blog in a world with over 10 mil people.
Giving me a movie as an example wont help your case since most movies aren’t based on real facts but exaggerated facts to catch the viewer’s emotional attention. Again, you say that moms dont do that but you’re speaking for yourself and what you read on forums.
Moms do indeed do that either because they don’t have time or don’t pay enough attention. They do let their baby in front of the TV or teach their kid from the age of 2 to play on a smartphone. You’re not exactly a person with more than your own personal experience and as i see, neither do you have chemistry studies.
There is a reason meds have prescription and contain most of the information that you need to know so people with no experience can read it. Again, we also live in different countries and no, i don’t trust any mom that says that blames the meds from her pregnancy for her autistic kid. Also, i again say that increasing the risk on something is not the same as causing it. Please, understand that!
I’m not saying all the doctors are good but i’m saying that there are also good doctors and parents who don’t follow what they say and then try to place blame for their own failures.
Also you are speaking in the name of how many experienced moms? Because i doubt your ” our” experience is even at least of maybe 5% or 10% of the moms out there considering there are over 4.1 million of females that gave birth in America in the last year. Also that is only in America which is one continent out of 5.
Andreea, I do not say I am an “expert.” What I say is that I have done my homework by reading everything I can find and listening to everyone I meet. What I — repeatedly — ask is that others do the same, rather than making assumptions based upon some “experts” interpretation of events. In addition, I do not rely on my experience only to form my opinions. Logically, though, exceptions do invalidate incorrect premises. And the more exceptions there are, the more invalid the premise. As a member of TMR and the Editor in Chief of our blog, I make it my business to talk to as many people with children with all sorts of issues as I can. I have met hundreds of exceptions to your TV babysitter and inattentive mom premise. If there were a huge association between TV babysitting and autism, it would be apparent and it would have been detected long before now. Which makes it very likely there isn’t one.
Missing key points that are taught in medical school, huh? Which “key points” would those be? And which medical schools? Harvard? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/business/03medschool.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Or one of these: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4696316 How about we investigate conflicts of interest in all medical schools: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22945/
Of course we understand that “increasing the risk” is not the same as “causing,” though if you increase enough avoidable risks, you get to the point of causation. Which is exactly what the author is saying.
Who is this “they” you are talking about that “also use substances that disable or minimize certain effects to a minimum where they wont cause any damage”? The FDA? The CDC? Vaccine manufacturers? Are you aware that there was ONE safety study done on the “compound” Thimerosal before its licensure in the U.S.? (I have no idea what country you live in, so no idea what comparison to make.) In that study Thimerosal was given to people who were fatally ill. All of them died soon after, but since they weren’t obviously made sicker than they were to begin with, that meant that Thimerosal was “safe” to be injected into children. Are you aware that no one at the CDC had bothered to add up the amount of Thimerosal (mercury) that was being injected into infants and toddlers before adding new vaccine recommendations to the schedule? And that following the recommendations lead to an exposure many times that considered “safe”?
The film Trace Amounts is not a fictional film. It is a documentary based on Eric Gladen’s experience. What do you think Eric Gladen’s motivation was for making that film? Sensationalism? Personally I don’t find that convincing because, having been an engineer (and having met Eric Gladen), I know that that’s not how geeky engineering types roll. Why don’t you actually see the film before you dismiss it?
I’m sorry but as someone who has some medical knowledge from her parents, i know that none of what you said is related to autism itself. I’ve known a few people who even smoked and did all the things you did and had a healthy baby and some who took care during the pregnancy, had a healthy baby and screwed it up during his 1-3 years.
Unless you actually have proof and not suspicions , please don’t make such articles to disinform people. Things you said are true not to be good for pregnancies but they are not autism related and also, you can’t blame modern medicine for your general screw ups. Every soon to be mom knows not to drink cola or take powerfull medicine ( like antibiotics).
In your words, Andreea, you have “some medical knowledge from your parents.” You will agree that doctors have much medical knowledge, often from prestigious universities, and yet they frequently get things wrong. Many heart doctors are still advocating low cholesterol diets when recent research has made it clear how useless they are. YOU may trust your parents to have gotten it right, but as WE have all had experiences where our doctors got it horribly, horribly wrong, we have undertaken our own medical education. We read the studies for ourselves. Those studies frequently don’t reflect what the sensational headlines say about them.
And, yep, no toxic exposure does the same thing to everyone. We’re all different and react differently to those exposures. The fact that a chain smoker can make it to 90 without developing lung cancer doesn’t mean that the smoking didn’t cause cancer in many others. We will present the evidence based upon OUR research and experience, and that experience is that when you lower the toxic load you have healthier children, and neurological disorders are definitely included. You are free to disagree with it, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
If you don’t think that doctors — the personification of “modern medicine” — are pushing “powerfull (sic) medicine” on pregnant women, think again. Who do you think prescribed those antibiotics, not to mention all the other medical interventions on the list? We WISH every soon-to-be mom knew to avoid colas and “powerfull medicine,” then they would be far less likely to just do what “modern medicine” tells them to do.
ok, back off Proffessor cause you are not debating but merely attacking. First of all, i want to see officiall studies not paperlines with no sources and only suppositions like most studies are. Second, so you’re actually saying i shouldn’t trust someone with more than 30 years of experience as a Pediatrician and who also worked 8 years from those 30 in a hospital for mentally problematic kids? Are you actually telling me that? Because i’d rather believe 30 years of experience in which she actually worked with and also helped in healing autistic kids below the age of 4? Because i trust experience more than a study who has not been validated. Do you understand now? Do you understand that the internet is full of bullshit and you’re defending someone who ate the wrong information and wrote it in this article.
Attacking? What on earth did I say that was attacking? As I said, you are free to believe what you like. If YOU trust your parents to get it right, that’s fine. I said that WE had doctors who DIDN’T get it right. So, obviously, we do NOT trust pediatricians automatically, no matter how many years experience. We did our OWN research and have come to vastly different conclusions from you and your parents. I hope you can understand that no one will be discounting their own experience and research on the basis of your report from your parents.
EW EW EW
Autism isn’t a punishment, first of all. Secondly, none of these things actually cause autism. “ohhh, my poor son! He has AUTISM (dramatic sound effect) because of the ABUSE I INFLICTED on him!” Autism isn’t some dramatic, horrible disease that renders your child ruined. Instead of bemoaning the fact that your kid has autism, grow up and learn to deal with it.
-13 year old kid with autism
Adrian,
As a 13-year-old “kid with autism,” you are able to navigate the internet and post a reasonably articulate response to a blog. That’s terrific, but you should know that that is something that is well beyond the capabilities of most people with autism. You inhabit one small end of the autism spectrum. The other end is a whole different world from your experience. That is the end that many people are talking about when they use the word “autism.” That end of the spectrum frequently involves crippling gastrointestinal dysfunction, uncontrollable seizures, mitochondrial dysfunction, inability to communicate effectively (approximately one-third of people with autism cannot speak, even with intensive therapy), inability to potty train, and inability to function in a classroom environment. In addition, many of those people have a tremendous tendency to “bolt” when stressed, and as their senses are often hyperactive they are frequently stressed. They tend to head toward water, not understanding the danger of highways and traffic or the danger of drowning. Perhaps you have heard of Avonte Oquendo? Unfortunately, that kind of outcome is not at all unusual. I don’t expect you can imagine what it’s like as a parent being afraid that at ANY MOMENT your child could feel overwhelmed and run away to his or her death. No, autism is not a “punishment,” but it is frequently a devastating condition for the person who has it and their entire family. Autism may not control your life, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t control the lives of countless others. Before you can say to someone “grow up and learn to deal with it,” you need to have a much greater understanding of what it is that they are dealing with.
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Lortab is an opiate derived from codeine. It is not smart to prescribe opiates to pregnant women.
1) They can modify to forms that penetrate membranes. May still be opio-active.
2) Will change your equilibrium levels in a manner that may indirectly induce fetal changes.
Doctors are trained to quote statistics because the body’s underlying mechanics are beyond them. At times they know what is going on. Smart ones will take a more systemic approach. Physicists know how anaesthetics work. Read about the soliton model in neuroscience. This is systemic thought. Then, count the number of docs who know it exists.
There is nothing wrong with your child. He probably has a photographic memory.
Thank you for your article. My son is 9 and has been diagnosed with ADHD and Aspergers. He is high functioning and is brilliant, but struggles with school, with his attention span, and with controlling his frustrations. My son was never vaccinated, was breast fed for a year, was born at home (with a midwife), ate only healthy/ organic foods for many years. But I still struggle to find the answers about what went wrong. When I was 6-months pregnant I had to go to the hospital because I couldn’t walk – the pain in my back was excruciating for days. I mean, I was screaming in pain (2 herniated discs). I was given morphine to ease the pain. On the 2nd day in the hospital they gave me an MRI. I did not want to do this and am still concerned that this may have been the trigger. I did not receive the dye injection, but the MRI took about 20 minutes and my son was flipping around in my belly the whole time. Guilt eats me up about this to this very day, guilt because I did not say “hell, no” to the MRI. I did have 2 ultrasounds during the pregnancy as well. Then my son was born with his cord wrapped around his neck 3 times, so had a low apgar (he was healthy and pink within half an hour). Any information you may have will be helpful – on MRIs during pregnancy or on low oxygen rate at birth. If I know the likely cause then I can look for a holistic treatment to help.
First off, I would like to say I think you’re very brave for writing this and taking the burden of your son having autism on to yourself. I know and am friends with many different parents who have children struggling with autism so I have seen what strain it can cause in one’s everyday life. With that being said, do not put that blame on to yourself. With all of the studies being done today to link autism to vaccines, acetaminophen, c-sections, and some of the other things you claim to “put your son through” there has been no definitive link at all. While some studies may suggest possible links or causes of autism like behaviors, there is nothing concrete for what causes children to develop autism. In fact, we are as much in the dark now as we were ten years ago. With that said, who is to say that some of these things could’ve saved your baby’s life? Obviously drinking Coca Cola isn’t healthy for your baby, but hundreds of thousands of pregnant mothers do the same and end up with a completely healthy child. Ultrasounds, vaccines, and c-sections can all be completely necessary for your baby survive the childbirth process as well as survive as a young child. So until some concrete cause of this horrible disorder is found, stop focusing on what you should’ve done differently and focus on what you can do to enhance your son’s quality of life.
Actually, Michael we are only officially “in the dark” as far as causation is concerned. Parents have unofficially been sharing information with each other and really interested and concerned doctors for quite a long time. Even though official channels refuse to recognize that which we already know, approximately once a month a new study comes out with some bit of information that we parents have been screaming about for years. The most recent notable example is the one that concluded “Up to 10% of children with autism diagnoses can lose their diagnosis.” That’s known as recovery, something that “experts” have steadfastly maintained could not happen. Until now. And while officials are still hemming and hawing and saying, “We just don’t know,” parents are quietly recovering the damage done to their children and relaying their story to other parents who will listen, saving one child at a time.
You have completely missed the point of Mountain Mama’s post. She is not “focusing on what she could have done differently” for her sake or that of her child. She is focusing on that for your sake and that of your child. In her own life, she is doing a kick-ass job of improving the quality of life for her son. You can read hundreds of blogs on this site about how to go about that.
Aw dear, please forgive yourself…no one else can! The last thing you need is to get sick yourself and leave this world due to your unforgivness! You love your son and family that is the most important thing, you are surely doing all your best right now. Please consider looking into CEASE Therapy, it is homeopathic tratment that takes out so many medical issues, clean body of mercury and vaccines and many more things you would not think of in a natural way. Also GAPS Diet goes hand in hand with it. Keep strong and love yourself and others, harmony is the most important thing, no matter what situation is!
It’s great to read from others who give their support to these issues. If you have a child with autism please research the GAPS diet and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. These diets are one and the same pretty much. They work on fixing a compromised gut which most, if not all, autistic children suffer with. There is reported to be a great improvement in the behaviour of children who suffer from a great range of illnesses and disorders. The book ‘Gut and Psychology Syndrome’ explains it all. My heart goes out to all families who face the challenges of raising a child with autism.
Dear Mountain Mama, First of all let me just say “thank you” to you and the TMR group of women for sharing your stories. My son was born in 1996 and as I read your article, I of course felt haunted – just haunted by the past – the pitocin, the Augmentin, the vaccines – the past is hard to relive. I think one of the wonderful things about this century we live in, is the medical progress we have made. That is also a downside because so many times we don’t know the adverse effects of all the medical knowledge and drugs and I’m not sure our doctors always know that either. I think for the most part they are trying to do their best with the information they have at that time. As a society there are risks when we venture into the unknown and barely tested areas. Our medical community as whole may honestly believe they are prescribing something that is helpful and that won’t harm, only later to find out the consequences. I am saddened – deeply saddened to my core about how my fragile infant was basically a “guinea pig” for vaccines, antibiotics. The pitocin part – well that just about breaks me because I totally think it was unncessary in my case, but when you are in pain with contractions you aren’t always the most aware of what is happening around you. I do recall horrific contractions though and will always wonder. I guess as Mom’s we can do the “what if” thing constantly and keep our selves in the past full of regrets and guilt. I choose not to, because life is too beautiful for that – each day is a gift and we need to move forward and find those positives in each day, and give hope and encouragement to each other, even when the road is rough. As your message stated, as Moms we need to share our stories to hopefully prevent future precious kids from injury. I thank you for your honesty and bringing us together (even if we do not all agree with each other, we do share a common journey).
I am astonished by the basic lack of scientific knowledge from so many, especially those claiming degrees in nutrition and other areas. Professor TMR, your understanding of evolutionary biology borders on whimsical. Please consider watching “The Cosmos” as Neil Degrasse Tyson gives an excellent explanation of both natural and artificial selection. Evolution favors those who reproduce. That is what is meant by “fittest.” In the human world, just about every DNA strand is replocated these days as the major barriers to reaching maturity have been largely overcome. If a gene is passed on enough, it becomes an adapted trait.
As I am raising an autistic child whose mother avoided the article’s attributed causes, while I on the other hand had almost every one of them during my neurologically typical pregnancies, I’m simply astonished at the lack of basic college biology and logic knowledge seen here in the article and comments.
Theven difference between a “high functioning” autistic individual (super offensive btw) and individuals who struggle is largely attributed to early intervention and parental education. You are basically working with a different neurological OS,and you can’t help your child without that understanding.my child could not pull his pants on, speak,etc., and screamed and shrieked constantly when he came to us. We adapted his surroundings and worked with his needs, easy for me as I myself suffer from GAD and could relate to his response to stimulus. These days,people can not always tell which of my children is autistic. Both of my 6-year-olds are very gifted, but my asd child cares far more about socialization than my neurotyp, who is a touch broody, bored and artistically inclined.
All I can say is each child is different and you are wasting your energy unless you’re putting it into raising your child. This fear mongering is rife with implied bigotry toward special needs individuals, especially children, and disgraceful to humanity.
I am absolutely delighted that your child is doing so well, but this statement is utter BS: “Theven (sic) difference between a “high functioning” autistic individual (super offensive btw) and individuals who struggle is largely attributed to early intervention and parental education.” Many “high functioning” “autistic individuals” have had ZERO early intervention or parental education. They were not even considered “autistic” until 1994, and, to this day, they are diagnosed MUCH later than the majority of severely impaired children, many of whose parents are working just as hard if not harder to get early intervention and education for their children WHILE treating their co-occurring medical conditions. The funny thing is that frequently a minor change in a physical treatment makes a tremendous amount of difference in symptoms of autism. I have heard time and time again that when someone tries “the diet” that their doctor told them was useless, a non-verbal child will suddenly speak either for the first time ever or the first time since a regression. Your experience is by no means a universal experience that can be extrapolated out to the whole autism community.
And I find it very amusing that you think I don’t understand natural selection. “Evolution favors those who reproduce. That is what is meant by “fittest.” Ummm… yeah, evolution favors “those who reproduce,” But that is not what is meant by “fittest.” What you have described is “fit.” “Fittest” means that the MOST reproduction happens among the MOST likely to survive. Therefore over time, THEIR traits are the ones that get “selected.” It also favors the MOST those who reproduce the MOST. It is assumed that “high functioning” people with autism are reproducing MORE than they were in the past (though it’s not clear exactly how far back severe autism goes as it was never described anywhere before Leo Kanner in the 1940s), but people with severe social deficits are never going to be reproducing the MOST! If two people with autism get together and produce offspring with severe autism (which has been hypothesized), they are even less likely to be among the “fittest.” People with severe autism, who tend to wander to water and out into traffic, when they’re not doubled up in pain, are not only VERY unlikely to reproduce, they are less likely to even survive.
I want to applaud you for sharing your views. I to wish I could go back in time and not do the mmr vaccine. I truly believe that it plays a big part in Autism with kids who have trouble with detox. I did the hair test and seen all the toxins left into his body. My child seemed to change rapidly with regression and anger. He lost speech, started doing pica and refused food. His sensory dysfunction was in full bloom. I believe I played a part in his Autism by not researching the affects of vaccines and meds. I listened to the doctors, did what they said and my son’s health was forever changed. The only thing I did right was take him to a DAN doctor who started him on b12 shots. He began to talk again. His speech teacher was amazed at the difference. I know their are other mothers out there with the same story and hope you can find some peace in knowing you are not alone. SPEAK up and do not be afraid to share your story. The more we share the better Autism can be understood. Each child is different so it makes since there could be many different causes/reasons a child has Autism. For me it was toxins for mine, but for someone else the reason could be totally different.
I believed in this article as I am a parent with 3 lovely daughters. Tablet games are not bad they can learn from it and since you can sometimes install an app to limit and control their playing time such as Screen-time Ninja. In this app you can limit what time they can start playing if their time credit expires and they still want to earn more playing time they have to solve a math problem to gain extra playing time. Its great huh? Yeah I am using this app and I find it useful and helpful for me as I am a busy mom who has a day job and I can’t monitor them every hour. 🙂
Here’s the link : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=screentime.ninja&referrer=utm_source%3DEva
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Thank you for the article. Some of the things you mention really do strike home, and I avoid them for the kids (like Tylenol). I didn’t really know that much with the first one, but by the 5th kid, I was pretty paranoid about autism. I did everything I could to prevent it. We are lucky and none of ours have it.
All of them were induced with pitocin, though.
I am convinced it’s in the mother’s power to prevent it to a great extent by gut health, meaning she needs to do everything possible to have a healthy gut (no meds unless REALLY needed, only healthy foods and drinks, etc). And avoid chemicals and toxins. I hope other women can learn from this and do the best they can. All the research I’ve read (tons) points to the woman’s gut health, and hence the baby’s as the house of autism, in a sense.
Vaccines, though, are good because before them, most people lost multiple kids before they reached age 5. THAT was horrible and I’m glad we don’t live and die like that anymore.
I don’t know what else I could have done to prevent my son from having autism. I’m an MSc student (Nutritional Sciences) and an ex-athlete, how much more healthy can someone be? A lot of women who do not have autistic children are the ones that make comments like: “I truly believe that any mother can prevent autism.” So how does this make mothers of autistic children feel? Like they basically did not do enough to prevent it? More science is coming out linking autism to genes and these defective genes are largely due to more mothers being exposed to many environmental pollutants that are 90% of the time, uncontrollable by the mother. Both my father and my brother have some form of autism also hinting to a defective gene somewhere in the blood line. How could I have possibly prevented a defective gene from being expressed? HOW?
I agree that it’s probably excessive to say that “any mother can prevent autism,” especially when there is already autism in the family. However, the science you speak of linking autism to genes does not imply “defective genes.” The vast majority of genes that have been “linked” to autism have a tenuous link at best, meaning that those genes are only SLIGHTLY more prevalent in the autism population than in the general population. What makes one person with those genes autistic, while others are neurotypical? An important question to answer. Were you aware that the Verstraeten study, frequently pointed to as “proof” that Thimerosal doesn’t cause autism, actually had four versions prior to publication that ALL showed a statistically significant link between Thimerosal exposure and autism risk? The first version compared the children with the highest exposures with the children with the lowest exposures (which is of course, what you SHOULD do if you want to investigate the effect of a particular exposure) and got a relative risk between 7.6 to 11.4. That means that children with that level of exposure got autism at least 7.6 TIMES the rate of autism in children who had no exposure. Strikes me a heck of a lot stronger “link” than any genetic one I’ve seen so far. http://www.safeminds.org/research/library/GenerationZeroNotes.pdf
I cannot believe you said it’s within a Mothers power to prevent autism. How dare you write this drivel and make mothers with autism feel guilty. You know nothing about autism and until you know FACTS I would thank you to keep your silly outdated opinions to yourself
“Silly and outdated”? Hardly. In the news this week a CDC whistleblower admitted that he and other CDC researchers, including such illustrious names as Frank DeStefano, Coleen Boyle and Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, committed fraud when publishing a study that “debunked” an MMR/autism link with respect to timing of the MMR. They said there was no connection, when in fact they had found that there was a STRONG correlation between timing of MMR and regressive autism in African-American boys. They conveniently chose to eliminate all children without a “valid Georgia birth certificate” in order to hide that fact. The TIMING of the MMR alone was associated with a more than threefold increase in the autism rate. That fact is very strong evidence of the MMR CAUSING regressive autism in at least some people. Those people COULD have PREVENTED autism simply by not getting the MMR.
If all the above is true, then I gave my son autism too. I drown in guilt because I am a nutritionist and currently a graduate student in the Faculty of Medicine. Worst of all is when my husband does NOT support the gluten-free, casein-free diet and thinks I’m delusional by brushing our son’s teeth with fluoride-free toothpaste. For any new cavity that arises, it’s MY fault because fluoride apparently PROTECTS from decay…NOT! For all the mothers out there, try GcMAF therapy or GOleic, both are to-date some of the best biochemical therapies for treating autism: http://www.gcmaf.eu/patient-resources/autism/
I cannot recommend krill oil enough. Purchase the ones from Dr. Joseph Mercola or Natural News Health Ranger Mike Myers website. These 2 are the top holistic professionals in my view. Also, vitamin D3 is essential. It is produced in the skin only when the sun hits the earth above 50 degrees and you can find the degrees listed by time if you use the Azimuth table: http://jaxchessnews.tripod.com/astro/id124.html
Iodine, for God’s sake, majority of autistic kids are deficient in this. Please supplement them with the form called: potassium iodide. Get vitamin B6 and magnesium checked and any deficiency needs to be corrected. For major sensory issues like chewing on everything, oral motor toys for special needs from Fun&Function are AMAZING!:
http://funandfunction.com/solutions-center/aba-and-autism.html
Lots of love, I tell my son I love you a little close to one million times a day. I will post another comment if I remember something else. Also, Mountain Mama, you haven’t told us about what you’re doing to help your son now? Thanks. Good luck.
that would be so hard to live with someone so stubborn. I hope at leats he doesn’t sabotage your good efforts 🙁
Hi,
I just wanted to thank you for this article. I do not have kids yet and I am not pregnant either, but I always thought how did people survived before vaccines were invented…anyway, I just wanted to let you know that your article reached my home country, Romania, too and it was translated by a nice mom so everyone could read it. I thought you might want to know that you are helping moms all over te world. And I wanted to tell you about your son, that no matter how much you blame yourself, he will still always think you are the best and he means it when he tells you!!! I can tell you this from my own experience with my mom…you see, there are some people out there for whom their mothers will always be some kind of superheroes and the most beloved persons on this planet and I am assuming that your son feels this for you as I feel for my mom, even tough I am an adult now and she did mistakes, she is and will always be the best for me!!! I hope you can forgive yourself and find your peace. I can assure you that your son will never be upset or blame you for anything, at least I have never did that and I know a lot of people that will think exactly like me when it’s about their moms…well anyway, I hope you can find your peace and move on and enjoy the happiness your child brings to your life, cause I am sure he is the best thing that ever happened to you 😉 if you think you can not find a priest like father Francis who you could talk to, try to read the Bible and to have a personal relationship with God. He will talk to you, you just have to learn how to listen and to try to understand his way. Lots of love for you and your son,
Celina
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Thank you for sharing your story. I received the body of this article in an email that was forwarded to me and after reading it, I used google to find the source so I could thank you.
It is painful to watch mothers being told by their doctors that they “are crazy,” simply imagining things, as they express rightful concern over the effects of the drugs and vaccines applied to pregnant women and children – especially infants.
As you may already be aware, others have highlighted the mechanism that the narcotic (prescription) drugs and vaccines (esp. MMR) lead to mitochondrial and gut disorders which, in turn, lead to the conditional symptoms of autism.
I would agree that there are multiple mechanisms of action, vaccines aren’t the only one. But all are equally important and need to be put under the investigative lamp, so to speak. None are exempt from scrutiny, regardless of what the pharmaceutical complex alleges.
Thank you again,
Derek
Hi dear Mountain Mama,
I am not saying I am sorry for what you’ve been through because i know that my words won’t make any difference.
I sincerely thank you for sharing this with the world and thank the odds it reached me (Eastern Europe).
I would really appreciate if you could make your story visible on this site: http://www.upworthy.com.
What you’ve revealed in one blog post might change a lot of lives. I know it will change mine and my future kid(s).
Thanks again and may you have strenght, love and wisdom for your son.
Have you considered that the reason ultrasound populations are skewed towards the disabled is that they are more frequently administered to high risk pregnancies? My mother had an ultrasound a day while she was pregnant with my sister and I during the last five weeks of her pregnancy. She went into labour at 28 weeks and was on bedrest for 5 before having my sister and I at 33 weeks. we were perfectly healthy aside from hypotonia and a few (familial history confirming) tics between us. Ultrasounds are very safe.
Margaret, my daughter had, for the first 5 years of her life and still has **extremely** sensitive (very good) hearing – please watch a video of what a fetus does when an ultrasound is done – they desperately try to get away from the source of the sound.
healthy?
not.
ultrasounds are not proven safe. Even hard core drs will not normally allow more than 2 per pregnancy.. and now we can do them at home with fetal monitors which I did.
Margaret, you say, “Ultrasound are very safe.” Would you evaluate this bibliography of numerous modern human studies which find ultrasound to be an extreme hazard? http://harvoa.org
My dear woman,
My heart absolutely BREAKS for you and your boy and your family. As a birth doula I have the monumental task of trying to educate parents-to-be and encourage them to do research, to question the “authority” of the medical establishment, to take back their power, their responsibility and their natural birthright from the Satanic system that stole it from them. Please believe me that once we have been brainwashed into the popular culture around us, it is indescribably difficult to re-write our core beliefs. I don’t think you can legitimately take all the blame for what happened, and it’s very important to move forward and be SUPER positive about the future, and realise that what we think and say becomes reality. Please try to forgive yourself!
You are not the only mother who didn’t realise the cumulative effect of these individual actions until it was too late. I see it all around me, and to be honest it took me the better part of a decade to redesign my worldview and take back my power over my own body, my health, my sexuality, my right to birth my babies unassisted in my bathtub if I want, with zero ultrasounds, no OB GYN putting his hands or instruments in my vagina, no toxic drugs given to me or my offspring, no one telling me what horrible things will happen to us if I don’t give in and allow the system access to the most sacred and precious and private aspects of my life as an earthling.
I have so much empathy with you, and I just pray that God will hold you in His arms and comfort you every time it gets too hard to handle.
Have you had a look at this website? They seem to have a very broad and practical approach, beginning with finding a doctor in your area, then applying biomedical interventions like heavy metal chelation, toxin removal, gut healing, recolonising with healthy bacteria (all of which apparently facilitates getting rid of the brain encephalopathy many autism sufferers have) and then of course the helpful behavioral stuff as well. It looks pretty solid to me, I see you have received plenty of links to look at by now and are doubtless researching day and night, I hope you find something somewhere that helps your son start his reversal soon.
http://www.generationrescue.org/
God bless you, guide you and heal your heart, and may your son be made completely well.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. As a mother of 2 autistic boys, ages 18 and 16, I can relate to almost everything you wrote. Not a day goes by, that I don’t blame myself. I, however, have taken ever step possible, to ensure they have had the best medical and education. I become more and more proud of them, every day. Best wishes. From one mom to another.
This post appears to have been duplicated, in it’s entirety, but without any of the links, at another blog, with no credit to this site or the original author. here is the url
http://www.karenstan.net/2013/12/05/gave-son-autism/
As the “author” of this particular blog doesn’t appear to actually write any of her own content I would suggest sending her a cease and desist letter. It would be useful to get this important message out I suppose, but she doesn’t include any links, and the conversation is completely unmoderated and full of people who have no idea what they are talking about.
Thank you, carrien. This post has been plagued by issues of that kind. We’re grateful for your attention.
This kind of thing really puts me off, being autistic myself I know the myth and fact behind it and every reason here is complete bull. Vaccines don’t give autism, any kind of corn syrup or things like that don’t give autism, ultrasound and c-sec have nothing to do with the development of a child in that aspect. If you believe for a single second that any of this causes autism then I’m sorry but you have your facts wrong. Its a random birth difference I’m not saying defect because not everyone with it has difficulties as we associate with the condition. There’s no way of knowing if your child will have it, we’re born with it, we live with it, we die with it. Simple as, end of story. There’s millions of us with it around the world accepting we have it though no fault of anyone, we just have it and we accept that?
This was the ranting of an autistic person facing and giving facts.
Jack, I understand that you are giving YOUR understanding of YOUR autism, but has it ever occurred to you that whether or not YOUR autism was a “random birth difference” that that is NOT the case for many other people? “Random birth differences” don’t become much more prevalent at exponential rates. It’s not scientifically possible. If autism were really just a “random birth difference,” we would not have gone from it being a very rare phenomenon to two percent of the child population in this country within 50 years. Those are facts. And you may not be able to “know if your child will have it,” but there are a number of factors that would make it MUCH more likely that a child will have autism including MTHFR mutations, parents with autoimmune disorders, including asthma, and many of the exposures mentioned above. The vast majority of science makes it clear that there is a high environmental component to the genesis of autism. And, contrary to your assertion that “we’re born with it,” many people with autism are NOT born with it. They experience a severe regression soon after one of the above-listed exposures.
I also believe there is a whole range of things that can be called autism.
There are many who online say they have autism, yet while different, they are fully functional: they can work, drive, and so forth. I’m pretty sure that is not what this post is referencing. My sister’s autism has caused severe violence and screaming (hours of bloodcurdling screams) and wetting-herself issues, AS a teen and as an adult. She cannot live on her own. She cannot drive a car. She can often barely control her own behavior. She cannot hold a normal conversation.
I understand frustration over terms, but please make an effort to empathize with those whose children have been severely damaged, whatever the label *ought* to be. (Mayer Eisenstein, MD, states that true autism is 1/ 10,000…cases like Temple Grandin’s and perhaps yours as well. He says that what we are seeing now is vaccine-induced brain damage.)
Hi there,
I would like to weigh in on this argument.
You are basing your statement on a common fallacy: you think that detection methods for this problem were as efficient , as widely used and respected the same definitions as the ones in use today. It is more likely that those days most cases remained undiagnosed. A lot of them are the same today.
However , no definite conclusion can be drawn on unverified data. Therefore it would be incorrect for me to simply state that you are wrong. I can however consider that given advances in medicine, the currently observed genetic base of autism and the great number of children going through the same methods without suffering the same effects as your son , chances are that we just have better detection these days and probably fewer occurrences.
Thank you for your post. It was very thought provoking. I work for a company called Arbonne that has a hormone cream called Prolief that will help you tremendously with your fight with Fibro. One of ladies I know had it for years and it was severe. She then started the Prolief and her symptoms have left. I have a passion for women’s health so anyone with Fibro or any other auto immune diseases please let me know because I would LOVE to help.
1) You’re wrong.
2). I have autism.
I don’t normally respond to things like this, however when I see something that has caught the eye of so many and is wrong, I have to say something. I have high function autism. I wasnt diagnosed until recent and I’m in my early 30’s. have always been different from everyone around me. I was bigger at birth than most, still about tallest in the family (over 6′). I grew up with ear infections, eczema, digestive problems, thyroid issues, the whole nine. However, because I’ve been able to talk and read since an early age, I was able to communicate what my issues were. With my parents listening to me, I never took a lot of meds. We assumed the digestive issues were because I was lactose intolerant. So since I can remember, which is back quite far, I’ve always been dieting myself. Real issue was that I have hypercalcemia. Reason I am devulging so much is because you need to know from someone that has autism that you are so far off. I’ve done my research, of course I had to, and we aren’t damaged. We are blessed. Forever ago, but as far as they knew, the world was flat. Maybe it’s time to start thinking maybe we are evolved. High tolerence for pain, high intelligence, above average size and much more. With the right training, it’s amazing what we can hone our sense too. Trust me, once I was able to learn what was different between me and everyone else, I’ve become better at everything. My normal hiccups are gone. So call it what you will, autistic. I’m sticking with advanced.
Hi “Wrong,”
I am interested in your experience. From experience with my son I think the excessive levels of oral vitamin D that we give to the young in this society was the main factor in inducing autism in him.
Briefly oral consumption of vitamin D skews the immune system to Th2, induces endothelial damage, causes oxidative stress, and dysregulates catechomes. All these are characteristic of autism as well.
Do you avoid oral consumption of vitamin D due to the hypercalcemia that you mention? Do you have any spplements or other therapies that help you with the hypercalcemia?
Seth, I’m intrigued by your theory around vitamin D. I can’t personally imagine that it can be a common factor for most people with autism because most children I know did not receive large amounts of oral vitamin D until AFTER being diagnosed with autism. Do you have a link detailing the effects of consumption of oral Vitamin D? I would be intrigued to see it.
Dear ProfessorTMR,
I have a paper on this hypthesis that oral supplementation with vitamin D may induce autism. I would gladly share it with you and would be interested in your comments.
Wrong, thank you for your poignant post. I only found this blog post because I am sitting here at work overwhelmed with the fear that my 20 month old son has autism. Your post made me realize that a different perspective can be a beautiful thing.
Wrong, you clearly are functioning rather well, despite a number of health issues over the years (many of which are correlated with antibiotic and vaccine usage, by the way), but that doesn’t mean that all, or even most, people with autism are. Autism, especially classic autism, frequently comes with extreme difficulty with social interaction, inability to speak, and inability to learn the basics of how to get along in our world. It’s pretty hard to imagine that as an evolutionary advantage. Evolution is supposed to favor “survival of the fittest.” If autistic conditions make one “fitter,” then why are so many parents of autistic children terrified of what will happen to their child when the parents inevitably die? I understand looking at your condition from a position of power, that’s probably a very healthy thing to do, but doing so does not make anything in the post “Wrong.”
What a soul wrenching article. Thank you for taking the time and the heart to do this. From your work I assume you have searched the internet for ways to help your child. There has been some positive work with just nutrition. In case you have not seen them I am including some here… Our bodies are designed to heal themselves of almost anything if we give it the building blocks it needs — even from mercury poisoning.
http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/12/can-autism-be-cured/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-149500/Autism-diet-cured-son.html
http://www.greendivamom.com/2008/10/08/healing-autism-naturally/
Bless you for sharing… God speed
Kim
I did every one of these with the exception of drinking Coke every day… and neither of my children have autism. You can’t even begin to blame yourself. You wouldn’t blame yourself if your child had Down’s Syndrome or cancer so why would you blame yourself for Autism?
While this article is full of food for thought, a lot of this can be disputed. True, false, or misguided this mother has certainly been through a lot and has held herself accountable for something grievous. However, autistic has a stereotype around it, when we hear it we think of less intelligent people which may not just be the case.
https://medium.com/matter/70c3d64ff221
The above link offers new insight on autistic people and should certainly change how we see them. I hope this comment finds this Mom and helps her better understand her son. With understanding comes enlightenment.
Dear Mountain Mama,
Thank you for having the courage to speak out about these factors that you believe played a role in your child’s development of autism. In many of the cases of autism, a common theme seems to be the usage of vaccines and antibiotics in the first years of the child’s life (although the other factors you mentioned are often overlooked). I commend you for letting people know about the dangers of each of these things. I would be happy to e-mail you directly with more information about what I believe were factors in my brother’s development of autism. I also wanted to let you know about my brother’s recovery story as a late teenager: http://autismevolution.com/2013/12/09/how-i-cured-my-brother-of-autism/. Based on my brother’s recovery, I have developed a revolutionary treatment protocol for autism which I hope can help many more individuals on the autism spectrum: http://autismevolution.com/. Best wishes to you and your family!
I cried as I read this. I have done much research on many of these topics and some I hadn’t even thought about during pregnancy (since I was assured that the procedures are completely safe). I have yet to see if we will have any problems with our children (some kid’s don’t get diagnosed with Autism or other disorders until they are older as you know). I am thankful that I have avoided some of the potential problems, but know now I could have done some things differently to avoid dangers for my children. I wish all potential side affects and dangers would be made very clear for parents when they are making medical decisions for their family.
Thank you for your wise words to those who may be able to avoid these toxins and hopefully have healthy, beautiful children.
sorry this was a reply to the author and not to you directly Mary
Dear thinking mom,
my experience was just as horrendous as your. I was pregnant wiht triplets. which intern cause sever morning sickness otherwise known as hyperemssis. wich led me to take whatever drug that they said i needed to stop the vomiting. they hooked me up to 24 hr, iv fluids. overcharged my insurance for 3 times the materials i needed for home iv fluids. i have great insurance which meant for me they charged it every chance they got. i got a lung xray, my gallbladder ultra sounded. i was ultra sounded at least 26 times. they stuck a probe in me the first time. i have antibiotics. vaginal infection they caused with their repeated fondling of my cervix . and a emergency c section which ultimately ended with a very hurt me and three dead kids. and more other painful things i don;t even remember.
Bottom line i wanted some comfort and i couldn’t stand the thought of vomiting non stop for 9 months. the doctors are suppose to be there for you and try to heal you. not profit off your misery.
Don’t feel bad, you did the best you could for your son. NO body tells women of these potential dangers. be glad you can see your sons face and he’s not dead. my two boys and beautiful baby girl will never see mommies face but your boy knows you.
i believe god chose to use you and your situation to be a voice of warning for me and other woman. please don’t feel sad or bitter about it. real woman pregnant woman are being saved daily by reading you post.
If you haven’t already considered this try again for another child, i found for me in my second pregnancy to be very smooth and i am 6 months Pregnant and have never even seen a doctor about my pregnancy. every pregnancy is different, i am not sick and i feel great. your post has further empowered me to stay the course and have a home birth.
hope this helped bess wishes mariah
Dear Mountain Mama,
Thank you for taking all the time and energy is took to post your article for others to read. I apologize . . I did not take the time to read ALL of the numerous responses you received before creating my response. Have you checked out “The Son-Rise Program?”
Blessings
Thinking Moms are very familiar with the Son-Rise program. We like them a lot. Thanks for your input.
When you know better, you do better. And you certainly do now. A cautionary tale we should take very very seriously
I find it interesting that none of the comments show any opposition to your writing. I’m sure I’m not the first person who is going to disagree with most of the things you’ve posted. First of all, google searches are not credible scientific information. You need to use scientific publications. Secondly, though I’m tempted to argue against all of your points, I’m going to reign myself in and keep this short. 1) Hypothetically speaking, if vaccines did have a correlation with autism – worst case scenario, your child has autism. However, if your child gets tetanus (which is statistically more likely) – he/she dies. Which is worse? The chances and consequences of your child getting a disease from not being vaccinated are significantly higher than the minute (unlikely) chance of getting autism.
2) Taking antibiotics during your pregnancy was the right thing to do. You would have harmed your child more by not taking the antibiotics. Studies have shown a significant correlation with immune activation during pregnancy, and neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia, later in life. Ideally you wouldnt get sick at all during pregnancy, but that is out of our control.
I personally know two people with stories similar to this (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/apr/24/wish-my-daughter-vaccinated ). These diseases are dangerous; they kill.
So, as I mentioned earlier, none of your comments are contrary to what you’ve written, which leads me to believe you removed them. Which also leads me to believe that you aren’t open minded about the topic. People need to make their own decisions, and need to have both sides of the argument. How would you feel to hear that after reading this article someone didn’t vaccinate their child, and then their child caught whooping cough, polio, tetanus, etc.? I imagine you’d feel guilty then too.
You clearly haven’t read all the comments, as a number of them do show “opposition” to this post. This is our website for OUR community. It is a safe place and we use our discretion in what we publish. Anything that is disrespectful or rude is automatically trashed. And, yes, there have a been a number of very disrespectful and rude comments trashed on this post. People who keep it civil get published.
Now as to your “facts”: 1) “Tetanus is rare in the United States, where 50 or fewer cases of tetanus occur each year, deaths are more likely to occur in persons 60 years of age and older. ” If your child gets tetanus, your child is unlikely to die as there is a between 5 and 10% chance of death from tetanus, and most deaths are in people 60 years of age and older (most of whom are suffering from diabetes or some other circulatory disorder).
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/tetanus/hcp/clinical.html
Your math would have to be EXCEPTIONALLY poor to think that your child is more likely to even get tetanus, much less die of it, than to be one of the 2% of children in this country that has an autism spectrum disorder.
2) Taking antibiotics in labor MAY have been the right thing to do, then again it may have been a very wrong thing to do. Unfortunately, at this point in time, it is impossible to know which it is. There are a huge number of women being given antibiotics while in labor, not all of which can have been “life-saving” and many of which have caused intractable damage to the guts of the children involved. There are also a huge number of children being given antibiotics for ear infections (which have been shown not to improve outcomes).
We are by no means stopping anyone from getting “both sides” of any argument, but we are by no means obligated to supply it for them. There are plenty of places where they will get nothing but “the other side.” We’re here to provide the information you can’t get in other places.
Then there is my son’s response (12 and on the autism spectrum) upon reading this.. ” wow, I feel bad her son is sick as well as has Autism, but I’m Not sick! I don’t need a cure. My friends with autism also don’t need a cure.. she needs to cure her child’s medical illness not his autism cause that’s not making him sick”
Out of the mouth of babes….
Bobbi, we know many people with autism who feel that they are fine and do not wish any interventions. That is perfectly fine with us. We have no argument with them. Many children with autism are NOT fine and NEED interventions in order to survive, much less thrive. None of us have ever said it’s AUTISM that makes the child sick, but oftentimes it’s sickness that makes the child autistic. Many people have found that when the medical needs of a child are addressed autistic behaviors recede.
Yes and I completely agree that many on the autism spectrum have co existing medical conditions that can and do exasperate ” symptoms” of autism.. However, what my son and Many many others on the autism spectrum are offended by is the talk of “cure”!! My son and many others will say they do not want nor need a cure.. And if medical interventions of co existing conditions “cure” someone’s autism spectrum to the point the are called “recovered”, in my opinion they did not have Autism Spectrum but more so ” symptoms like ” … I speak not only as a mum and a professional but as a student in the middle of a degree in Autism at one of the leading universities here in the UK in reference to research into autism, the university of Birmingham and also responsible for the AET (Autism education trust)…
Many of my lecturers are professors and on the autism spectrum and what is coming loud and strong from them and many other autism self advocates are just tired of the focus of the community being on “curing” rather then acceptance, support, understanding and advocacy..Please do not misunderstand me, children who have medical conditions need treatments and cures.. But autism as you agree does not cause illness and an illness that causes Autism unless it’s fragile x, is not autism but rather autism like symptoms., there is a difference and it means a great deal to those on the spectrum in our community…
I’m sorry Bobbi, but I’m not sure WHY you are offended by the idea of a cure simply because neither your or YOUR child wants one. My boyfriend’s daughter has cerebral palsy. She is severely disabled and has been in a wheelchair for most of the 23 years she has been on the planet. She says that if someone offered her a cure she would say, “No, thank you.” She doesn’t want to be cured. She feels that her disability is a large part of her identity. And that’s fine. That’s HER choice. But she isn’t offended by the idea that someone ELSE might want to find a cure for CP, and she would certainly never stand in the way of them going after it, even though SHE spends her life advocating for the rights of severely disabled people.
I’m glad you used the words “in my opinion” with respect to people who have recovered from autism, because that’s exactly what it is. Your opinion. You don’t wish to believe that people with autism can “recover,” so you don’t, despite the fact that there is AMPLE evidence to the contrary. The fact that YOU don’t believe that people “did not have Autism Spectrum” does not in any way invalidate the diagnoses of those individuals. You realize that THOSE people are offended by people like you constantly telling them that their experience isn’t their experience and it doesn’t count, don’t you?
And thank you for highlighting exactly why the autism “community” is so divided.. Emotions run high.. I could reply stating the same as you, that what you right is all your opinion as well. I could give countless examples of self advocates ( on the spectrum) who have stated exactly what I posted about being offended.. The issue is when all those on the spectrum are generalised.. When we know just as all children are different so is every manifestation of autism spectrum. My opinion remains the same. Treat and cure the illness, understand, support, respect the Autism.. As for recovery, I spoke in terms of Full recovery, not adjusting , growing, understanding and coping due to therapy and interventions… Temple Grandin is a perfect example.. Some would say “recovered” based on her ability to function and thrive.. But she would never say that.. Not would Donna Williams.. My opinions are based on research and conversations with adults on the Spectrum whom I’m grateful to also call friends…
It seems as though Bobbi is not taking into consideration that there are different functioning levels of Autism. There are some people that I had known for years before ever finding out that they had autism, and then there are people who are so severely handicapped that they look different, cannot speak, cannot go to the bathroom, cannot fix their own meals, cannot ever live on their own. Evidently her son is not fully dependent on his mother for all of his care, otherwise I think she would change her tune. Families of more severe cases of autism would LOVE to have a “cure”.
She completely contradicts herself when she says, “children who have medical conditions need treatments and cures..”, but her real attitude about it is, “[they] are just tired of the focus of the community being on “curing” rather then acceptance, support, understanding and advocacy”.
She wants people to accept, support, understand and advocate for something that MAY be preventable or reversible (at least to some degree).
We should accept them, support them, understand them, etc… that doesn’t mean we have to accept that they WILL ALWAYS be that way. We can hope for a better tomorrow by changing some things and avoiding as many toxins as humanly possible. She says we should advocate, and that is EXACTLY what you are doing. You are being an advocate for those that cannot help themselves, for mothers who if they knew what they were doing (unknowingly) to their children, both in the womb and out, and the families that deal with challenges related to autism.
THANK YOU!!!
Wow, just wow.. Again thank you for highlighting the division in our community and it gets wider and wider… The assumptions being made about me and what I implied are quite staggering really. I will not reply directly as I do not recognise anything that has been posted about what I said, implied or not, nor do I recognise the statement made about me nor my son. Did I ever state that my son didn’t need my full support or that he in fact SPOKE those words he said to me???? Again, wow.
I stand by my statement that to have Autism does not mean you are sick. Again, many with autism are unwell and have medical condition that can exasperate their autism however they are not caused by nor ( until peer researched articles state otherwise) do they cause the autism Directly( except fragile X) though many conditions now are believed to increase risk, such as my EDS ( wow, surprise! I’m disabled too!) but I do not say that “I caused my son’s autism”…nor would I ever.
Autism spectrum is diagnosed through personal history and Behaviour! There is no medical condition as part of the criteria. Fact. ( the DSM is a very big expensive book and though I tried, there is no available link to see the autism criteria directly)
http://www.autism.com/index.php/news_dsmV
I will also state one last thing.. Instead of trying to cure the autism outright, why aren’t we finding out more how many others also have coexisting medical conditions what they are and find out why? And cure those medical conditions!! If some of the difficulties experienced in autism ( social emotional communication and language, inflexible behaviours and thought, sensory processing difficulties) are reduced why would I ever have a problem with that??? As for recovered, let me be straight, I’m not even considering diagnostic criteria but rather what the “recovered” person really feels, how “recovered” are they or do they still have some even small difficulty in some area of the diagnostic criteria??? And let’s be real, autism though having been around as long as we have, is still a general mystery hence the updates and need for a new DSM. We need to find out more about it, we need more research to understand it! And if there were a cure, you would really be happy without people such as Einstein, Emily Bronte, Susan Boyle, Daryl Hannah ect ect ect.. I wouldn’t be.
Good luck to you all. I hope you find the answers you seek.. All the best.
Bobbi, we are very well aware that there are “countless” self-advocates on the autism spectrum that are offended by talk of cure and recovery. (I have even known one of the most well-known in the community for approximately 20 years.) That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stop talking about cure and recovery. As I’ve stated before if an autism self-advocate does not WANT cure or recovery that is absolutely fine with us. We have no need or desire to change them. We DO have a need and desire to find ways to reduce the overall level of chronic illness in this generation (and future generations of children), and to get the word out about them. I still find myself at a loss as to WHY that’s so “offensive.”
Personally, when I talk about recovery, I generally mean full recovery as well. I know that there are a lot of people who would consider Temple Grandin and others like her fully “recovered” and that’s fine. But that is NOT the level of recovery that has been achieved by a number of other people whose autism is dismissed by you (with no evidence whatsoever). Which, frankly, I find quite interesting, given that a number of them were diagnosed with “classical autism,” while, given your conversation with your child, it seems unlikely that your child would even have been diagnosed with “autism” prior to 1991 (as is the same for many “autism” self-advocates). Why does your child’s autism count, but not the autism of those who have recovered?
I find it interesting that my reply was not published…did it contain too much “common sense”?
Mary, common sense is hardly a disqualification for publication around here. If your reply was not published, I suspect you know exactly why. We do not publish anything that is disrespectful or rude, and it is completely at our discretion. We make no apology for this policy. This is our website, maintained as a safe place for our community. If you don’t play by our rules, you don’t play.
Hi,
I am a chemist. You state that fluoride contains fluorine. That is not exactly correct. Fluoride is an ionized form of fluorine. That is, fluoride has one more electron than it has protons. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride) In fact, fluoride and fluorine are two different forms of the same atom. You may want to adjust your phrasing to increase your credibility with those who will be looking for flaws in your argument.
Also, have you read any research along these lines?
http://integrativehealthconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Gut-Microflora-and-Autism1.pdf
Your description seems to support studies like these.
Anyway, thank you for sharing.
Peace.
Dianne Craft has information that leads to other medical books (from which she has helped parents) that has research proving that Autism can be reversed. I pray that this helps your journey.
Your honesty is astonishing. I understand that you “knew” some of the things you are doing were not right but when one is in pain, it is terribly hard (or impossible) to step back, do research and made an educated decision. You were utterly betrayed by your medical professionals and the medical industry. Medicine these days is a minefield that must be carefully and independently walked.
I have three friends with autistic children. I was lucky with my son because he was vaccinated up to a certain point – but then, there were fewer vaccines being given 25-30 years ago. I wish you luck in making improvements in your son’s condition because I see that improvements are possible.
Hi. Your one hope to reverse this is homeopathy. It’s an art not a science an is by no means 100%. Bit it has cured autism. You will need to find a world class homeopath and they’re expensive. A place to start is with thJudith and Robert ullman. who have written a book on the subject. Sorry for the typos this site is almost impossible to navigate.
Please identify one case of a cure due to homeopathy in which we can all examine the medical records. Just one. With open access to all the patient’s medical records.
Gewisn, please identify one cure of anything in which “we can all examine the medical records. Just one. With open access to all the patient’s medical records.”
Fortunately, in this country we have privacy laws around medical records. Given the incredible nastiness people are capable of, that’s an extremely good thing.
If by any chance you ARE actually curious (which I highly doubt) read Amy Lansky’s book The Impossible Cure about her son’s recovery with homeopathy. She has since become a homeopath due to what she saw. No, we can’t all examine her son’s medical records, because that is a ridiculous request, as I suspect you are well aware.
Those laws prevent others from releasing one’s medical records. They do no prevent the patient or parent from releasing those records, as you well know. If someone is making a claim to have cured autism, then it is an enormous breakthrough and the world needs to know. But the world needs to know all the info if we are to evaluate the claim. The records could be released with redacted address, phone, etc – and you knew that, too.
A story with no actual evidence is just that, a story.
I expected much more from you, Professor.
Well, gewisn, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but again I say give me one cure of ANYTHING in which “we can all examine the medical records . . . With open access to all the patient’s records.” Seriously, it does not happen. Yes, parents can make available the relevant information, and frequently do, but not on the scale that you’re talking about, and not in the WAY that you’re talking about. Plenty of children have been “cured” of autism, and plenty of parents have made the stories public, starting probably with the story of Raun Kaufman back in 1975. But until someone STUDIES the success stories and publishes those results, they are going to remain “stories” and that’s just as the medical community wants it. Because then they can be dismissed as anecdote.
Me, I don’t dismiss stories and anecdotes. I listen because they are data, albeit unquantified data. When you hear enough stories and anecdotes that sound very much the same, you know there’s something to them.
I know a number of children that have either lost their diagnosis or come close to it largely as a result of homeopathy, but feel free to go right on dismissing those “stories” while you wait for complete access to someone’s medical records.
And how do you plan for them to be studied if they are not released? Why don’t the parents get together and release them to a reputable research group?
As for anecdotes: there were millions of anecdotes of the sun going around the earth. So that must be true?
I don’t dismiss anecdotes. They are the basis of generating hypotheses.
But until the hypotheses are carefully tested, those stories remain anecdotes.
When people won’t provide all the information that is available about the anecdotes, not much can be done with them.
I’m not saying there is no prevention of, nor recovery from, autism.
I’m saying we need the data to know what does and doesn’t work. “I’m telling you that it works!” is not useful data.
I’ve stated what the criteria are to change my mind.
What would change yours?
Although some of these situations sounds risky, have you have thought about the fact of poor breeding and lack of evolution? In the past many babies were not able to make it due to things such as low embryonic fluid.. But now we make it possible for most babies to survive. I agree it is a miracle how far we have come, but you have to think about evolution… “Bad” genes are being spread to offspring, ones that would not survive of not for medical technology, mutations are able to survive and be passed along that make it harder for one to survive, not easier.
Although I see how this mother would like to take responsibility for her son, would he be here if it wasn’t for most of these steps? Would he have died an be born a still born? This article is trying to persuade people against technology that may be the only reason her son is alive. There are two sides to every story. Although some of these things may have risks, they may be the life savior to the baby as well.
Jessica,
I would never in a million years call it “poor breeding,” but yes there is probably an additional risk of autism or other neurological issues for “at-risk” children. There seems to be higher autism rates for children who are premature and children who were conceived by in vitro fertilization. However, most of the interventions mentioned in the article are not lifesaving interventions in the majority of cases. Many of them are choices, choices with consequences that many people don’t think about until after the fact. In addition, even the “at-risk” children often develop autism after a period of normal development. Chances are good that with fewer toxic exposures even they could reach adulthood without neurological damage.
For what it’s worth:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/healthsciences/autism.htm
Do NOT beat yourself up. It is NOT your fault. You did the best you could with the information you had at the time. No sense in blaming yourself for what you didn’t know then… & couldn’t have known at the time. NO progress is ever made what you blame someone or something. Stop the story now. It is NOT your fault.
Your son is a beautiful GIFT… autistic and all. It is meant to be… and it is the MOST BEAUTIFUL GIFT you will ever, ever , EVER receive.
How do I know? I have a beautiful child with autism and she is the BEST gift I have ever received, even though I did not realize it at first. You will realize it in time. All you have to do is ask : “What is GREAT about your son?”
You have to believe that Everything happens for a reason… you have been incredibly blessed… You are on an amazing journey and everything WILL be alright. 🙂
Barbara,
With all due respect, after my son died one of the things I LEAST cared to hear was “Everything happens for a reason.” I always wanted to say, “Yeah, well what if the REASON was that I was a lousy mother, or my son didn’t want to be here with his family?” That is one of the sayings, along with “God never gives anyone more than they can handle” that may make the person who SAYS it feel better, but rarely does anything for the person it is said TO.
I am married to a 46 year old on the spectrum, my stepdaughter as well as my youngest are also both on the spectrum. We have the eye contact issues, meltdowns, shutdowns and gastro issues. Ironically my middle daughter was the child with the chronic ear infections and multiple antibiotics and she has no issues with autism. The two daughters with issues were the healthy babies and honestly both have higher IQs than my “normal” child. I did vaccinate and did many of the things you speak of but my husbands mother did not. If I had to I would do the same. You see my cousin who did not vaccinate almost lost a child to spinal meningitis when I was in the Hospital having my more typical child. Also 2 of my family members almost died from polio, my dad’s twin sister and my grandmother. I can understand the suffering of this mother because I too suffer for my child. I have cried more tears than I can count but I would not trade that on the chance of losing her. After years of marriage counseling my husband can finally look me in the eyes and I rejoice in that.
My choice to vaccinate my children makes the world a safer place for those that chose not to so please understand that those of us who feel we did the right thing are not to be critized either. We as parents should always do what we feel is better for our children.
Emily,
We don’t judge parents who make different choices from the ones we make. We provide as much information as we can so that people know a) there IS a choice, and b) what the real risks of their choices may be. With my family history, I am definitely not comfortable vaccinating. With your family history, you are. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as your choice is based on accurate information. Unfortunately, accurate information on the risks of vaccines is hard to come by in mainstream media, so we at TMR do our best to provide it.
I am inclined to believe that genetics do play a part. My husbands family has several people (adult and children) on the spectrum that’s one of the reasons I choose to vaccinate. I saw the response about poor genetics being passed on to children more often now that medical technology saves and allows more babies to survive and I really believe this may be a big issue. My stepdaughter was an emergency c-section and almost did not make it and I had to be on bed rest and take hormones to carry my youngest to term. Neither of these girls who are now on the spectrum would have made it years ago. I am thankful that medical technology is here or I would not have a great stepdaughter in college that I love dearly nor would my quirky very intelligent 9 year old have survived. Yes we have moments where I’m pulling my hair out bad other moments when my heart breaks because one of them can not understand why others don’t see things like they do but I would not trade them for a world where the technology that allowed them to survive was not available.
Genetics or, possibly more likely, epigenetics do play a role, but that role is significantly smaller than many “medical experts” imply or even state. People who have the MTHFR mutation, especially homozygous, for instance have more difficulty detoxing and thus are more susceptible to environmental insult than most people. All people who are the children of people with autoimmune conditions, including asthma and allergies, are at much higher risk than people who do not have a family history of autoimmune conditions. I know many, many people with children with autism who have had no trace of neurological damage in previous generations.
If your child developed autism it can likely be healed. If they had it at birth then not. See http://www.mmsautism.org They have healed 110 so far.
Ramsay, why do you set limits on children born with autism? Perhaps it just means that neurological damage happened at a younger age, i.e. in utero, and that reversal of the damage may be difficult, but not impossible. Be careful of imposing assumed limits on other people’s lives.
I am very sorry for your situation, and for the suffering that you and your son are bearing. It sounds very difficult.
Although I do not know very much about this, I know that as time and medical knowledge increase, we are coming to understand more and more that as the digestive track is the primary source of materials in our body, its health has a powerful effect on the rest of the body. Many people have issues that our medical profession prescribed drugs for when the problem was actually located in the gut. While I am not claiming a miracle cure, I have heard of children whose autism was caused by similar circumstances your son went through and were cured when their bacterial and gastrointestinal balance was fixed. Even if that success is not achievable in your son’s case, it may help him.
If you would be interested in hearing more, I will be happy to send you some information/links to helpful sites.
Your family is in my prayers.
James,
Thank you for your comment. At TMR we’re very aware of the gut connection to autism. Every time a new study comes out that confirms it, we get to say, “I told you so” once again. Gut dysbiosis is at the heart of many, many conditions as it keeps the immune system from functioning as it should. And it very definitely has effects on brain function.
Many of the chemicals mentioned are still in the body system, perpetuating the damage. Some can be mitigated, improving overall health and perhaps alleviating the severity of the condition. Antibiotics are often stored in the kidneys and it is next to impossible to restore intestinal biology without cleansing them out first. The most effective means I’ve found is the diet of just watermelon and rye bread (like pumpernickel) for a week (about 5 large watermellons and 2-3 packs of German “brick” bread). It is very intense, as kidneys cleanse and skin becomes the eliminative organ as you sweat the antibiotics out. Lots of hot baths and sweating wrapped in towels. Fluoride’s main problem is that it leads to calcification of brain tissues, in particular pineal gland, and impedes mental functions. Drink Chaga mushroom tea over a fairly long period of time to dissolve calcification deposits in the otherwise inaccessible brain tissues. Heavy metals in the body are best cleansed out by chelation methods, Zeolite being the most popular/available/effective supplement for that cleanse. Hopefully some of the damage we unknowingly inflicted on ourselves and our children can be reversed.
Wow. Reading your story just leaves me infuriated with the lies and disinformation that are out there. It is dreadful to have so many of us, parents and others, told to use and take things that the companies that make them know are bad, but are foisted on us anyway. And the professionals that should know better just don’t even think to look into what they are prescribing.
You can’t be blamed for what you didn’t know. You did your best. I understand how difficult it is to forgive yourself because my own mistakes with my child. You learn to live with yourself and gradually are kinder to yourself.
Thanks for sharing your story. The more voices that are out there, the louder the cry will be to say “stop”!
For a shampoo, I make my own by making a strong herbal infusion of sage and/or rosemary and then mix it half and half with Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap. It stings the eyes as soaps will do, but it cleans hair very nicely.
its not your fault!…Its hard to pin it on anything we live in a toxic world. There’s only three on that list that apply to myself and my son, Then again granted he has been diagnosed only with this “very very mild aspergers” possible PDD, I had many ultrasounds, maybe 7 all up, He and I had to have anti-bio-tics when he was born which in turn he had thrush I got thrush. and he had many doses of Panadol as we often were dealing with febrile convulsions. So the ultrasounds possibly saved his life as I nearly lost him several times so they could see what was going on, He had to have anti-bio-tics he had a terribly distended stomach caused by swallowing the waters, so again may have saved his life, And Paracetamol kept his temps down when we had febrile convulsions again maybe not to the point of life saving but possibly. So we live in a toxic world there is no getting away from it, but we do what we think is the best at the time! I don’t think there’s much we can do in this world to stop the toxins that effect our babies we can only do what we think is best.
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/why-does-god-allow-suffering/
Thank you so much for the great article! It may pay you to investigate homeopathic CEASE therapy:
http://www.vaccinationinformationnetwork.com/homeopathic-cease-therapy-dr-tinus-smits-md/
Here is some information I compiled about the dangers of vaccination:
http://www.vaccinationinformationnetwork.com/to-vaccinate-or-not/
Immediate or early umbilical cord clamping is yet another medical atrocity which messes up babies as it deprives babies of a third to half of the volume of their blood which at the moment of birth is still in the placenta. The cord should only be clamped and cut after the cord stops pulsating or even better once the placenta has been delivered. Premature clamping also puts babies into shock and makes them weak and anemic. Some of them do so poorly that they have to be revived because of this medical ignorance.
I just read a post from my friend Chuck Perry. He ministers at the Bethel Healing Rooms In Redding CA, which has a Facebook page. A man returned with his son that had been healed years before of autism. Regardless of our mistakes and the regret that follows, God can and does heal. I am also proof of this, and so have no doubt as to the possibility of healing for your son.
“God can and does heal.” But only those conditions which sometimes spontaneously heal/remit, or have a disputed or difficult diagnosis, or when presented as evidence without access to the medical records.
No amputee has ever been healed.
Why does God hate amputees?
I’m in the “stop beating yourself up” and “here’s some love category”. No pity. Just love, understanding, and acceptance. Seriously, this is a toxic and complex world, and we can’t all be expected to know all the dangers all the time. The internet, for many of us, is still relatively “new”. You’re an awesome mama for taking so much responsibility, and I have no doubt you will do all you can for your child. I hope you will see this reversed at some point in time. <3
Hi!
I relate to you and your son because of my experience with my second pregnancy and childbirth. I was a little bit more aware, but not much. The doctors did it all wrong even though i actually fought them. It’s incredible but i had to screem at them to let me take fool responsability and let my son unvaccinated and untreated the way they wanted. That is after they agreed there was a problem, because for more than a year they told me there is no problem with him even though i kept pointing out that something is terribly wrong. By that time he was already very ill and the perspective was unbearable.
The problem was i had no solutions. I only felt what not to do and did not know what to do. Maybe you are beyond this point and my message is of no help to you but maybe it will help you.
Our diagnose is not autism but it’s generated by lack of oxygen at the brain level, among others. My son had/has tetraplegia and they said he may never walk (actually get use of his limbs).
They wanted to treat him in ways i just couldn’t bear to see him endure, i did not agree with and, after six months of treatment, i put a stop to it forever. I was happy about that, i was very content that i mannaged to keep him safe of any kind of drugs even though at some point three doctors at the same time tried to force me accept.
But… the big but…What was i going to do? I was in total darkness until one blessed day. That day a woman, a total stranger, guided me towards what i used to call a miracle and now i know it is posible for so many.
She told me about Bowen Therapy, i looked into it and i took the chance. We added to that Essential Oils and Access Bars.
Now my son is almost 5 years old, recovered 95% of his mobility (only one aware can see a difference between him and somebody without this problem), he can now walk, run, jump, write, talk and think (he could not talk and was so nervous about everything that we just used to end up staying there beside him and bear whatever was coming, we could not reason with him and that was hapenning every single day for hours; he could pronounce 50 words in the first week after we started and before that he could hardly say “mama”). Now, all the nightmare is gone, like it was a bad dream or someone elses story. What remained is gratitude, hapiness, awareness and A Solution.
We now use this three methods on daily basis if needed and my sons do not take any pills, they rarely catch a cold and i am the happiest mom on the face of the earth.
Bottom line is: i advise you to do it, try these methods i told you about. After the first step you will find someone to guide you. Children have enormous power and miracles can happen. Trust him that he can make it. The first thing our therapist told me was: “You do not know who he is. If he had the power to bare this he can do much more. Trust him, forgive everyone and especially yourself and that is the best help you’ll ever give him and what he really needs from you, you’ll see.” I thought nothing, my pain was too big but, in time, i saw she was right.
Lots of love to you and thank you for your patience.
This lady has pretty much healed her son of autism – if she keeps him on the right diet.
http://www.thekefircompany.co.nz/about-us/anitas-novel/
Yes. Right diet! Friend of mine practically healed completely her 8 years autistic child. And that took only one year of converting him to Vegan food only! She had nothing to lose and just has taken such a simple advise of nutritionist. Please do not give up.
Many of us have made similar mistakes which were quite unintentional but have, or may have set our children up for lifelong health problems. I used soy formula which I now know was one of the worst things I could do. Thank you for sharing. It was a courageous move. You will save others from walking down the same path. Please don’t beat yourself up. You didn’t know. Here’s a hug for you and your beautiful son. (((((((())))))))
or, response 4)
Good Grief, woman! Please stop beating yourself up. You, like most of us who now make different choices had to learn the hard way because the system and the professionals we were listening to and trusting were misinformed and wrong. Thru trial and error and much research we managed to find more accurate information. You are a trailblazer of education for many and likely an amazing mom to your children. Your boy is a gift to the world and I bet he has many qualities most children do not have. My friend Michael Prichard calls children with autism ‘spies from God’ because of their obviously divine nature and expression. I can guarantee you that the more you focus on all the positive aspects of your life the more of them will come your way. But you already knew all that. Because you are AWESOME. Every day. Blessings on your journey <3
You should be happy to know that none of the previously stated reasons have anything to do with probability of autism. Autism is caused by the faulty development of certain chemicals in the brain, and is determined by the 6th week of pregnancy.
Steven Briggs
Professor of Biology at UCSD
I feel so sorry for u that you actually think this. And to think you teach biology- what is this world coming to? How do u explain the hundreds of thousands of cases of autism which occurred in children who were developing quite normally until one day they were given a vaccine or a dose of antibiotics which actually sent them into total regression to the point of no longer speaking or interacting. I’m sorry, but clearly that is not because of a chemical interaction at 6 weeks. Yes, certain children may be genetically predisposed to developing autism but obviously there is an environmental trigger which is causing the autism. Get with the program.
If what the Mom says is true, why doesn’t every child have autism? Do you really think that all health professionals are monsters that want children to be unhealthy?
Sally, why doesn’t every smoker develop lung cancer? Does the fact that most don’t mean that smoking DOESN’T cause lung cancer? Nope. Different people react to different things in different ways. One of the reasons why certain people react so badly to some of these toxic insults is that their bodies’ detox pathways (one of them being the methylation cycle, Google MTHFR mutations and methylation) are not functioning as well as the average human’s.
And NO ONE here has EVER said that “all health professionals are monsters that want children to be unhealthy.” We think the vast majority of health professionals WANT children to be healthy, they are just not using an evidence-based approach to keeping them healthy. Nearly 50% of today’s children are chronically ill. If our health professionals were RIGHT about everything they are pushing onto us, then why are children not healthier than ever? On the contrary, they are MUCH sicker.
Thank you Dr. Briggs!
Dr. Briggs (actually, “Distinguished Professor”),
Glad to have you in the conversation.
I’d appreciate knowing more about your statement regarding 6 weeks.
(and you know I’m going to ask for citations)
I was given this article by a patient of mine to read. Bingo!! You hit the nail on the head & I could not agree with you more. I read through some of the comments, but not all of them. Has anyone ever suggested Chiropractic care for you & your son? The scientific community has found a very intimate relationship between the immune system & the nerve system. Being the primary purpose of Chiropractic care is to help restore, improve the transmission of nerve impulses from the brain to the various parts of the body it stands to reason that principled, subluxation based Chiropractic would help both of you achieve a higher level of health. I believe that Chiropractic done specifically will help most any living being a change to have a better life, no matter the condition they are battling. For more information you can go to the ICPA web page: http://www.icpa4kids.com for a ton of helpful information on family & child health issues.
Thank you for mentioning this. Chiropractic care is a regular occurrence in our household. We all get it nowadays. The last 3 of my 4 children all received their first care the second day after birth. They all slept like rocks, ate like beasts and had excellent health. If they would get irritable, we’d take them to the chiro first and 99% of the time their ailment left them immediately after adjustments.
To the author….would you like to do a radio show about your experiences? A one hour, interview by phone spot live on air, and streaming throughout the world. Emailme at [email protected] Any other expert on these subjects is also welcome…
Your blog came to my facebook page today. Oh what pain and anguish and its really important you tell your story, just look at the number of comments to see why. You say very little about your son himself so its hard to know how he might be helped. I know from my years of working with families with autism that there are people out there with wonderful stories of hope and reconciliation and often it is homeopathy that has been the helping hand to find the best route. I came into this area running a study on how the homeopathic remedy DPT helps children in general and had no idea how this remedy could be so helpful in autism. There are study pages on my website.
With or without the remedy DPT homeopathy is a good therapy, even in extreme autism to find some solid ground and to progress somewhere.
Wow, that is a lot to take on. I just met this woman, see link,
http://unblindmymind.org/
She is a biochemist, mother of 5. She is convienced, that thru her research on MSG she has cured her daughter of autism. she explains things very well in a few videos. Please check it out…and she is also on you tube. Her name is katherine reid
Biochemist Pushes for New Approach to Autism
Dr. Katherine Reid
Good luck-take care!
Some questions, observations and studies which may relate to this discussion:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/healthsciences/autism.htm
You have my deepest sympathies, however, everything you listed…there is so much more wrong here than right.
I was born with low grade Autism. Born. With. Autism is a genetic disorder stemming from many different environmental factors. Mine happened to be the fact that my father was 40+ when I was conceived.
Again, follow me here, born with. I had a natural birth and was vaccinated yearly. I have yet to skip one, in fact I need to update my Tetanus shot-since it also contains the Pertussis vaccine (btw, it’s making a comeback due to low what kids? You guessed it, low vaccination rates).
Stop trying to be such a martyr, stand up and say ‘It was bad genetics’. Nothing you do can cause Autism. Vaccines won’t make your genes suddenly stand up and go, ‘Maybe today I will be autistic.’
Hi, I felt compelled to write you. Thank you first of all for writing this, you are brave. I am into natural health solutions, so this was of interest to me. A few years ago I read an article in Sedona Journal of Emergence, can’t remember who by, or what the article was titled, but it gave some info on autism. It mentioned that is caused by yes, mercury, and how mercury goes to some parts or receptors in the brain. The problem gets ignited when the person is around a lot of electronics or wifi. It kind of “lights” up the mercury, maybe activates it. It could help to get all electronics (and lighted) items out of the childs room, and to detox the mercury. I suggest you see a homeopathic nutritionist. The company HEEL makes a liquid general detox kit that is homeopathic, and after that they probably have special metal detox kits. Homeopathic can be VERY effective. But go slow, don’t make the mistake of thinking because they are homeopathic you need to take too much. Go slow. Also, please get some healthy probiotics for him. It would take a person up to age 21 eating a great diet and never having taken antibiotics to populate all the good bacteria a human would need for life. Whole foods sells all sorts of strains and amounts to choose from, try several (but not all at once). If he gets ear infections, stop dairy! It used to have good bacteria in it, but that all dies now due to pasteurizing so it has little benefit and can slow down the lymph system. Good luck. Write back if you want. Thank you again, I will post on Facebook because this info is so important.
Some good tips there Michelle. SV40 researched jumped to great proportions when they discovered they could speed up cancer in rodents by administrating the vaccine and giving exactly 28-30 bouts of radiation. They literally got it down to a science and were developing it for use as a biological weapon, not for the noble BS they purport. Fascinating story to read is Dr MAry’s Moneky about Judyth Vary Baker’s discovery as a mere teen and how she was then recruited by govt officials and painted a picture of grandeur to work for them and show them how she achieved her discoveries (speeding up cancer).
Radiation through electronic media, radiography and a myriad of other devices should be reduced to an absolute nothing if possible. Vaccines……… well there needs to be no more discussion there, avoid them like the plague!
How about we just avoid plagues!
I was wondering if you have looked into the gaps diet? It seems intense but people have been reporting tremendous success in aiding children with autism. Obviously there is no cure for autism. This diet is supposed to basically reset our bodies to properly absorb nutrients. Might be worth research and trying even tho it probably seems daunting. You are in our prayers. God Bless
Sorry that you beat yourself up. As an aspergers person, I would like to share the idea of reading Temple Grandon’s (with Sean Barron, 2005) book, The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships: Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism.
It explains a lot, including how she managed to cope and become successful. Her ideas on how to cope (and cure the effects) work for many people. I am 71 now, if I had such a book 60 years ago life would have been much more peaceful. Note that I did manage to arrange the ideal job for myself, which involved turning down management opportunities to remain in a technical job that met my interests.
While I agree with you that the things you did are to be avoided, something that you wrote caught my eye. You said that you have fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed with this when my daughter was two about the same time my daughter was going down a slippery slope towards autism. As I got sicker, her personality and behavior continued to go downhill. After more digging, I determined I had late-stage chronic Lyme disease and I had passed it to my daughter. It has taken us years to get better – but we got better. There are so many people that have or are going through this nightmare with multiple family members affected. It is so common for Lyme to be diagnosed as fibromyalgia and very common for it to be passed on (even if the CDC won’t admit it). Please research ILADS for accurate Lyme information and look at Stephen Buhnar’s herbal work and I believe you can help your family.
I am an acupuncturist and my first son is 14 months and I am pregnant with my second. My niece and nephew have Autism and my sister is in He’ll dealing with it.
I struggle with mainstream beliefs and reconciling them with Chinese Medicine and alternative therapy styles. We had had most vaccines due to pressure and a difficult birth. I am putting the brakes on and getting my husband on board. I will share your story with him.
I learned some new things and I love that you took time to put the links in. Thank you for courageously sharing.
I hope you find the right solutions for your son and for your own peace of mind. I don’t think it is too late to consider chelation therapy if done gently.
Grateful.
I think you are one hellva brave woman to have posted this information. I am not going to feel sorry for you, because it sounds like your son has a pretty incredibly loving at the time uninformed mommy. Stuff happens, and I for one think you are very special to pass this information to other uninformed parents. My kids are grown but I am going to pass this all on. Thank you and God Bless you and your family.
There is not a single point in your piece I disagree with. NOT ONE!
My background is science and specifically sports science but I inclined towards physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, immunology for personal reasons and being an avid trainee, professional athlete and stubbornly inquisitive, I never accept anything without understanding it.
This led me to research every single thing that you have mentioned and more and I arrived at these conclusions 7-8 months after my eldest sons birth.
The only thing that I did do, once on that list was my sons first vaccination and it was done out of laziness and pressure from the medical professionals. Although they have their campaigns I blame my laziness for it. We didn’t give him any shots when he was born, or anything up to 6 months. We basically hated doctors from the get go anyway but govt’s here in oz are pretty anal about medical checks. So when it came to 7-8 months and the doctor realised that we hadn’t given him his shots, out he came with the pressure. We gave in, which I completely regret today.
My son was vibrant, healthy, strong, robust and had excellent motor skills and control. The same day literally, that he received his first shots (MMR) he went into withdrawal. His eating diminished, his alertness, attention, well being, strength and health withered away in days. in a week he lost half his body weight. We went to the doctor and he palmed it off as nothing and tried to prescribe anitbiotics. My wife threw the prescription in the bin.
Right then and there I knew that vaccinations were not all that they seemed and something was not quite right. Immediately I began researching more and within days I had made up my mind and was convinced of their inefficacy. Lucky I had a science background and could easily comprehend the basics of physiology, biochemistry and the rest. I also had a deep interest in child development, growth and ageing and how it all relates to education and learning. It didn’t take long before I saw multiple systems at play.
We literally began detoxing, and natural methods of chelation. I bought a top of the line water filtration system with money I didn’t even have but I didn’t care. I ended up paying it off and it was the best decision I ever made.
It took that one experience with my son to realise that I had to be like the fighter I was trained to be. At the time I was a professional kick boxer and it occurred to me all my ‘toughness’ was to waste if I couldn’t even muster the efforts, will, and execution plan to protect my family and arm them to the tee with the best health and education and opportunities in life.
That meant being a staunch front liner in every single aspect of their lives.
My son never really recovered quickly. He became a little more withdrawn and showed some signs of autistic behaviour. At the time I was also looking deeply into the psychiatric and psychology fields which I also have more than a few nasty words to say about, but not now. Needless to say, I saw the exploitation that those fields partook in towards autistic children and parents of those children and was not impressed. I therefore was reluctant to accept the title and nearly beheaded a person who casually remarked my son was autistic because of certain behaviours.
It was just not something I was going to accept, period.
I firmly believe that that helped us not giving up, ever and constantly searching and looking for more answers, research, knowledge and the like.
We created our own detox, natural chelation and behavioural methods to help my son. He came out of his shell eventually and normalised after about a year but the damage was evident as we watched his siblings grow.
Although he is extremely articulate, bright, has an amazing ability to grasp concepts, is thoroughly creative and imaginative, has zero behavioural issue and has a memory that is phenomenal (he has memorised over 50 chapters with an average of 20 verses a chapter of holy texts), his motor skills didn’t quite develop as well as his siblings physically. His siblings are physical monsters, highly athletic, fast, co-ordinated and strong. He just lacks the co-ordination and I believe it was the vaccination that interrupted an important time of his development neurologically and has continued to keep him lagging behind. We’ve increased his training since the age of 2 in professional gymnastic instruction to help bring him back up to speed but it still takes him much longer than his younger siblings to develop the requisite skills for movement.
My other 3 children have never been vaccinated, they haven’t even been prick tested. All haven’t had an antibiotic, they haven’t drank a sip of tap water. They have never touched soft drinks and we are selective in any junk food they have. They have never touched Mc Donalds. They play shirtless in the sunlight, they don’t watch blaring alpha rays beam out of televisions, they run until their little hearts are about to burst through their chests. They have never hurt a child and they are loved by all wherever they go because of their temperaments. They are also all homeschooled but before we hear of all the worriers of ‘social development’, they have better and busier social lives than their mother and myself. They also have each other.
They all participate in daily physical training and do it with pleasure and even at their little ages are completely cognitive of the benefits of hard physical exertion.
None take anti-biotics, we have no fluoride toothpaste. When any of them are sick with a cold or flu, they remain completely functional and continue their days like normal and are never bed ridden. They also recover naturally in a couple of days.
Their is a myriad more that we also do on a day to day basis but the winning factor that I want to highlight in all of this is that in 9 years (after the first episode with my son at 7-8 months of age) they have never seen the inside of a doctors office for any ailment.
You all have your own journey’s but we definitely believe in ours because we consciously chose to steer the rudder of our ship.
We firmly believe their great health is due to our efforts and more importantly our willingness to take charge and responsibility.
We leave no stone unturned. Everything from the clothes they wear to the education they receive, we have taken responsibility of.
The state owes us nothing, govt’s owe us nothing. We believe we burden the system/s next to nothing and this is how every single human being should be. State schools are not burdened by us, national medical care is not burdened by us, social fabric and tax payers are not burdened by us but I believe one day, in the not so distant future when humans have forgotten their identity, how to live like a human, how to act like one, how to function and breathe like one because they are so weighed down by what govts, peer groups and media has confused them into believing that is the way to live, my children will be part of the group of revolutionaries who will be their to hold the hand of humanity and guide them back to our ways that allowed us to live better for thousands of years in the past as opposed to die quicker and with a myriad more problems than ever in the last 100 years.
So yes moumtain mama I agree with you, you did give your son Autism. He was YOUR responsibility. Every single parent has that responsibility. I believe ultimately whether people want to accept it or not, deep down every human knows the REAL effort they put through and try as they may, they cannot ultimately lie to themselves.
Whilst I agree with you that it is your fault, their is absolutely no sense in staring at a closed door. Open another one, have hope, have faith, keep trying, keep working, don’t give up and be optimistic of the future. You are now armed. You now have a torch that bares light.
You’re not the first and wont be the last to make the mistakes you did but use them like you have in this piece to keep educating the masses.
It’s taken me 10 years of efforts near daily to get through the skulls of people around me. Direct family and friends who all thought I was crazy. Now, they are in complete agreement with me when they see the evidence in my children’s development.
They learned in their own time and way that what I preached was not some rant of a hippie. Friends now with their own kids born, not vaccinating, not medicating and their children all robust, strong as hell and happy and functional.
What is really disturbing to me is how quickly so many people just want to dismiss your own experiences and beliefs.
Here is a mother who has gone to ends grief to make sense of her sons and families ordeal and when she has finally come to her own conclusion, you all want to act like the very people that fed her bullshit and claim none of what she says is true. You lot doing this have some nerve.
She doesn’t need our sympathy but she also doesn’t need your bullshit assessments of her beliefs. I have more faith in someone like her who takes responsibility and takes a stand to believe in something than people like you who parrot the status quo and pass it off as your own conclusions like you consciously chose to believe everything you practice. Note, the operative word is CONSCIOUSLY!!
Good job, nice post and I’m so glad your children are natural and healthy. The natural state of a human is perfect health.
I applaud you for your blatant honesty, your authentic and crazy deep retrospection of yourself and your choices, and your willingness to share such deeply controversial thoughts with an unforgiving world. I have made some very poor and unfounded choices for my three boys. I have also made some very good choices. Your article helped me to rethink a couple of those poor choices and decide to do something differently. Thank you. I look forward to reading what’s to come from you!
Three words to live by:
The Son-Rise Program
Thinking Moms love Son-Rise. I think at least 5 of us have gone through it.
I’m so sorry about your struggles. It’s encouraging to see the information shared though. Thank you for your openness! It is so helpful for future mamas like me.
From skimming some of the comments it looks like you already get CLO from Green Pastures so you may have already read about this, but I still thought I would share… I have little personal experience with autism, but I follow the Weston A. Price Foundation’s dietary guidelines and am considering going on the GAPS diet for other reasons. In the little research I’ve done so far, I’ve read a lot of positive testimonials from parents of autistic children. Here’s a link to Dr. Mercola’s article on it and interview with its creator, but if you just google GAPS diet, it brings up lots of information! http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/31/dr-natasha-campbell-mcbride-on-gaps-nutritional-program.aspx
Best of luck! And thank you again for sharing.
I have read your article with a feeling of recognition. I don’t have children, but I teach middle school and have taught high school in the past. Something is going seriously wrong with our children, even if what is wrong isn’t as serious as autism.
In my small private school–I only have ten students–fully half have ADHD. By this I don’t mean that they have trouble sitting still. I mean that their emotions are abnormal. They have learning difficulties. They melt down over the smallest stresses. These kids come from a variety of backgrounds, but most of the parents are fundamentalist Christians who tend to be rather strict with their kids. No one can argue that this problem is due to the kids being “spoiled,” or indulged.
When I was a kid, nearly every child knew his multiplication tables by the end of third grade. Now, I have 3 student out of ten–in middle school–who don’t know their multiplication tables. One more has an imperfect grasp of this concept. Of my ten students, five have ADHD, one of those five has Aspergers as well, two have both dyslexia and dyscalculia. One will probably turn out to be a sociopath.
Only two of ten students are fully normal. We are not talking about kids who live in desperate poverty in Appalachia or the inner cities, either. The parents are middle class, caring, and often very wonderful.
By the way, I have encountered the same phenomena in public schools as well. There have always been kids with problems, but the rate seems far higher now.
Our kids are struggling, damaged. We need to find out why.
Thank you for sharing. I work at National Autism Resources so I have surrounded myself with children with wonderful parents, like youself that live each day a little bit differently. We are happy with the little things.
Thank you for your post. I’m trying to find answers as my youngest daughter was recently diagnosed with ASD. I have an older daughter who is a bright well adjusted 7 year old. I too made these same mistakes with my oldest child…who is fine. I stayed home, had a stressless pregnancy. SHE is the one with Autism. I made the most mistakes with my oldest child eho is
I just want to say I share your guilt times …. too many. I was a very young mother and did everything the doctors said for a little while then started thinking for myself. However- everything you named in your article – I did too (except c-section). I noticed a marked decline after a particular set of vaccinations in each and everyone of my kids. I understand it does not happen with every kid but it did mine – all of them. I too have an Auto-immune disorder – Multiple Sclerosis and have apparently had it for a good long time just no one ever knew the name for it. At any rate – long story short I have 4 kids – three of them are on the Autism Spectrum and one has other complications. If I had it to do all over again I would have done none of it – especially vaccinations. I share your guilt each and every single day – My kids are older now 21,20,17 and 16 and for the most part they are doing pretty well and I am so proud of them for that. It hurts them I think to know they are not what people would consider “normal” but they have learned to live with and compensate for certain things. It hurts me to see them struggle – it truly pain my heart. I am a firm believer though that we learn from the struggles in our lives and I watch my kids grow more and more as time goes by. They struggle sometimes and I am there for them when they do but I refuse to “do it for them” because I KNOW they CAN find a way to do for themselves. I help but I do my best not to help too much. My 21 year old lives on her own with her girlfriend in West Virginia and she does very well and she is very loved. My 20 year old works out on the road 8 months out of the year with an amazing company and his boss is very awesome. He says my son has come a very long way in the last year out there on the road and he always has my son’s back. When My son is in off the road he stays with us until he is ready to go off to college. My youngest boy – he struggles so much more and it hurts me to see BUT he is learning and he IS making strides to move forward – he is 16 and he lives with his father full time. My 17 year old girl is “nuero typical” but has many other struggles – comprehension issues, brain damage from a particularly bad siezure, epilepsy, OCD and anxiety like I have never seen before. All in all she is doing well though – she is a very responsible young lady. Anyhow – I just wanted to share and let you know that you are not alone in the guilt department. I also want to say that there are bright days (as I am sure you know) and that great things are possible – I have NO CLUE how my kids turned out so well (they are FAR from perfect as none of us are perfect) because I was young and I had not a single clue when it came to anything – I was just a baby having babies. Kids have such a funny and endearing way of making the world work for them – they are resilient and loving and kind and well…. they are everything. I hope that I did not offend you in any way – Just sharing my thoughts and positive outlook.
~DeeDee~
There have been great success with children with autism using oral and Iv chelation to remove heavy metal toxicity. I would highly recommend looking into it. Thank you for sharing this. I hope that other mothers will not have to go through what you have because of this.
I would have fallen in the ‘response 3’ category, but I before I could, I got angry. Very angry. No, not with you.
You trusted health- care professionals. You relied on their advice and their assurances. They told you things were safe and you used them… or allowed them to be administered to yourself or your baby. I can’t blame you for that.
Yes, you shouldn’t have been drinking so much coke. But again, you didn’t know it was as dangerous as it turned out to be.
I am sharing this on my blog. I hope reading this might save another mother from the guilt that you are now living with.
Take care of you. You didn’t deserve this. Nobody does.
Dagny
I saw your article and had to read it. I am also responsible for my daughter’s Asperger’s Syndrome type of Autism, she is now 20 and married and pregnant with her first child, my first grandchild!! I had not known of all of the causes that you have mentioned which I am also guilty of 7 of them, all but the pitocin and c section. What made me come to the conclusion that her Asperger’s is my fault is an article I came across about Fibromyalgia. I have been researching it alot since being diagnosed 5 years ago. The article I am referring to was about Vitamin D deficiency. I had a very low level, optimal levels are between 50- and 80, mine was 3, so I was put on a very high dose for several months and still fighting my levels. Then my 16 year old second daughter was found to have low Vitamin D hers was 15. She has alot of the symptoms I had as a child so I started looking for link between Fibro and Vitamin D levels, which about 80% of those with Fibro have low Vitamin D. While reading the different articles about Vitamin D levels I came across several articles that said that a mother to be with low levels of Vitamin D have been linked to Autsim. Here is one of them:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2009/apr2009_The-Link-Between-Autism-and-Low-Levels-of-Vitamin-D_01.htm
So with you also having Fibro if you have not already have your Dr test your vitamin levels especially the Vit D, Vit B12 and Magnesium, they don’t know why but these 3 vitamin levels are predominantly low in people with Fibromyalgia
My son is 2 I’m giving him amoxicillin ,what do you think about just plain amoxicillin
It is always so heartbreaking to hear the
Devastating results big pharma profiteering is having on our children’s health. To take advantage of the extreme vulnerability of a mother’love for her child should, and I hope will ,
Be punishable by criminal law! I guess if we all vigilant to their toxic deceptions this can happen.
A good friend of mine is having miraculous results with his asperergers
Son with a superfood called Laminine.
Google it!! The research is well worth the read. I can post his testimonial if there is interest.
My deepest sympathy to all mothers who are caring for children damaged by our ‘medical’ system and all power to the informed revolution making them accountable for this gross injustice!!
I am so sorry about the pain that you feel. My son also has ASD, and I feel tremendous guilt about some of the decisions that I made as well. If it makes you feel any better I don’t think that any of the factors listed above were crucial in the development of our kids ASD. After looking at the data, I believe the high levels of vitamin D that we give our babies via vitamin D drops, baby formula, milk, and other forms of supplementation and fortification is the crucial factor in the development of most cases of autism.
Please, if anyone sees this, check out “The Gerson Therapy” It’s all natural and can undo any harm done to any babies/ children/ adults all with organic fruit and veggies. You can find lots of info about this on Netflix. Cleansing the system of toxins can do wonders. My cousin just got a clean bill of health after being diagnosed with breast cancer 1 year ago using this therapy. Please please please check it out.
I also have a gorgeous son who is 7 and happens to have high functioning autism (my ex husband was tested and results where that he and my ex mother in law have aspergers which is hereditary)
To be honest I felt that there were only signs that something wasn’t progressing correctly when my son was almost 3 and after his mmr booster.
There are so many things we can blame for our children having autism the list nowadays is endless.
The main thing is how will this make our children feel?
Do we want them to feel that they are a punishment or are the cause of something and we are constantly feeling guilty for their existance?
I know this is not exactly what you are saying and you love you child, but constantly blaming yourself will effect your childs confidence in the long run.
Our children are our gift and are utterly wonderful just the way they are (as im sure u feel)
I would stop blaming yourself and congratulate yourself for producing such a gorgeous child who obviously loves you very much.
When your child has autism I know there are good and bad days.
But spend your life just living, laughing and loving. Be thankful your little one is here and please
DONT BLAME YOURSELF xx kindest thoughts and wishes for the future x
Recurrent ear infections in infants are surprisingly common and frequently the result of birth trauma over-compressing the bones of the head and mandible. A good craniosacral therapist, particularly one who specializes in babies, can frequently resolve the compression within a single visit, relieving the pressures that made the area vulnerable to infection. This happened to my second son, who was born in brow presentation. After 8 months of ear infections, I took him to a Craniosacral therapist who specialized in infants. One visit ended all of his ear infections.
A lot of people discount these sort of articles with the argument that Autism is a genetic condition. These people need to do a bit of research about epigenetics – or how the environmental influences impacting mother and fathers pre conception, mothers and bub in utero during pregnancy, and the child after birth, can change how the genome is expressed. I believe this is why many kids develop autism post vaccination- it flips something in the genetic expression, and the latent disease in the genes is expressed. Great article. Brave and honest.
My heart goes out to you…I can’t imagine what you are going thru…I did so many of those things too but we believed our doctors?!? Not anymore I now question everything! Have you looked into glutathione for boosting immune…I’ve seen amazing results with autism with many people. Please feel free to contact me if you want more info! I have reported your blog on all my pages…hoping it will help others question and research.
I understand and live with the fact I gave my son Autism too. Oh if I could go back in time and make a much more informed decision. I will be sharing your post and hope it saves someone from the guilt I live with. Thank you for being brave and sharing your story.
We have not been given the insight to make informed decisions. I must also say that there are many people that have dealt with the same issues and do not have a child with Autism.
I agree with everything you wrote Mountain Mama, and Karen. I do commend you for your bravery in telling the truth. Many women will listen, investigate, and make informed choices. Thank you both.
Please read about Dr NAtasha she cured his son from Autism.
http://www.doctor-natasha.com/dr-natasha.php
Best wishes
Beautiful Mumma!
I want to hug you – not because I pity you, I don’t. Not because I understand your story, because I don’t (although I can try to imagine).
I want to hug you as an act of solidarity and support.
Have you heard of the GAPS Diet & Protocol (developed by neurologist/nutritionist Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride? I won’t give too much away – I’ll let you do your own research – but needless to say, you may be excited at the possibilities it may offer your family.
I pray many blessings, peace, and health for you and yours.
Vashti
I just wanted to say that I feel for you and will be praying for you and your son.
I wrestled with many of these questions after my son’s diagnosis four years ago, and felt much of the pain you are feeling now. The only reason I got through that period was because, after much prayer and thought, I realized that as painful as it was to see what my son was going through, guilt was not productive, and it was not helping him. And more importantly, Jesus died for my sins and had already forgiven me, so maybe, just maybe, it was ok to forgive myself. No excuses for what I had done or not done, just forgiveness.
And it IS ok to forgive yourself. In fact, it is important, because that guilt drains energy away from what is most important now: helping your child have the best life he possibly can. God has given me the ability, the motivation, and the resiliency to do what I have to do now. I can’t change the past, but I can help him to have a better future.
God bless you and your son, and I sincerely hope that you can find peace so that you can move forward.
Thank you for your courage and honesty. It’s breathtaking, and I commend you for doing so.
As a chiropractor, I’ve worked with kids with autism. The two specific young boys that come to mind developed it shortly after vaccination. The moms suffered tremendous guilt with it, so I can understand your journey through this as well.
However, we’ve seen HUGE changes in these boys since they started chirorpactic care. One is no longer considered to be autistic.
I would be more than happy to help you find a chiropractor that lives locally to you if you don’t see one already, and I wish you all the best in caring for your beautiful son:)
Hey there, I’m just wondering if you have ever looked into Donna Gates’ The Body Ecology Diet. She’s having great success through putting young children with Autism on a diet rich in friendly bacteria and cultured foods. It’s kind of amazing. She can’t publicly make any claims about curing autism, but having met her in person I know she believes it to be possible. Especially under a certain age.
My oldest is on the spectrum and his story is very similar to your little one. Now I’m pregnant again and I’m sufficiently terrified. I’ve been toting Dr Sears’ The Autism Book like its my personal bible and my extended family thinks I’m paranoid and delusional. Not to mention that I’ve irreparably offended my older sister because she has an autistic child and does not believe anything could have prevented that.
I’m so sorry for your situation. I can’t understand that people still think this is all genetic. It has pretty much been proven that there are two components: a genetic component and an environmental one. That is why the rates of autism are skyrocketing: because we live in a chemical world and pretty much everything we touch and eat is contaminated. I’m pretty certain I poisoned my 6 year old as a baby with BPA. At the time it was in all the plasitc baby bottles and I actually HEATED THEM UP IN THE MICROWAVE. It was only a few seconds to make the water room temperature, then I’d add the powder and shake. But I did it day after day for a year. I’m pretty sure she has ADHD. I haven’t had her tested but it’s so hard for her to stay focused and she’s always been bouncing off the walls. My second daughter is 3, and I thought I would be a much better mom by buying the bpa free bottles, and I still HEATED THEM UP IN THE MICROWAVE thinking they were perfectly safe. Now, of course, we are finding out that the chemical used to replace BPA is just as bad if not worse. If any of you are pregnant and reading this, I implore you to buy glass bottles and used glass or stainless steel sippy cups. And especially while you are pregnant, never ever heat up food in tupperware and eat it: the plastic leaching goes right to the baby. You can google it. I think the only thing I did RIGHT was NOT vaccinate or give antibiotics. Other then the ADHD my girls seem very healthy and when they get a cold I give them Standard Process vitamins (you can buy them from a chiropractor or naturopath) and the cold/flu never develops. I hope if I can get just one mom to realize that our environment plays a huge factor in these neurological disorders I will feel like this post was useful. Please buy glass and we very careful about what you put in your body! If it wasn’t made by nature, it’s probably not worth it.
I don’t disagree that the role of environmental toxins in autism development is understated. The problem is that we just don’t have that much control over it. There are a lot of environmental toxins we absorb just by having to eat, drink, and breathe on this current planet. There’s also a component of it that is just random. You can do everything in your power as a parent and your child can still develop autism (from that combo of environmental and genetic components). Meanwhile there are plenty of kids eating food microwaved in plastic and eating HFCS who do fine. If you can control those things, then absolutely do. There are some people who can’t (due to money or access to knowledge). And I don’t think it’s constructive to blame ourselves for doing the best we could with the knowledge we had at the time.
It’s also important that moms *do* understand that the individual genetic component is strong, as well as the role of random environmental differences. It is nearly impossible for any one person to say “I did this to my child” with certainty, because you don’t know how strong the genetic component is in your case. In my family, it is: I’m a (fraternal) twin and my autistic brother and I grew up in the exact same environment. (Without ultrasounds and c-sections, by the way, neither of us would have survived, because he went into fetal distress at 34 weeks).
Anyway, I am all for those who want to take proactive steps to minimize the toxins in their kids’ lives. I think it’s abhorrent the number of environmental toxins we’re exposed to every day. There’s more mercury in many fish species than there is in thimerosol (which is no longer used in vaccines). My point is just that there are toxins all around us. Knowing that, I don’t think it’s good to avoid medical treatments with proven benefits (ultrasounds,vaccines) and no scientific link with autism – even if they contain small amounts of unnatural substances. We’re exposed to such substances on a daily basis. It’s a wicked problem for society and one that we need to be working on harder.
I so sorry this happened to you…I also had the same problems for my 2nd child,but she is fine…had plenty ultra sounds,plenty of drugs etc but she is fine….!
You did not let this happen to your child it(sad though) was meant to be.
I have seen plenty of evil with my own eyes…things happen…brought upon by past curses from family etc…prayer helps
My thoughts resonate so much with yours words on your journey, thankyou for your blog. The comment that I would like to share for all parents of children with autism is to encourage you to investigate the SonRise Program – it is, in my view, the most respectful, loving and effective program to help recover children from Autism in the world. Check it out, you won’t regret it! 🙂
I just wanted to say, I think this was incredibly written. I too have a child that has had issues since delivery and technically even my pregnancy was completely different than my other two and we won’t find out specifically what his official diagnosis is until next month. It has been a long 10 years of dealing with professionals who have done everything but appropriately treat my son and prescribed medication that they insisted he needed, would not listen to me about their effects and instead of taking him off them would experiment with the dosage or apply another medication with them. We wasted three years on an ADHD diagnosis and the only way they finally listened to me was when I secretly took him off his medication for a few months, compiled a bunch of proof that his behavior was related to the medication not ADHD through daily journaling, school reports, teacher reports, etc.. and then threw it in their face. I pushed for learning disability testing and…severe discrepancy in 5/8 areas some being a 90% discrepancy yet with an IQ on the borderline of mildly gifted. He is 10, he has been tested 3 times since age 5 and the first test showed he had borderline intellectual functioning….I had no clue 5 years ago about any of the severe effects of vaccines, medications, etc. and it has been my constant research that has opened my eyes to the reality of having to question everything I expose them to. It is posts like these which are factual, honest, informative, and eye opening that I LOVE. Thank you for making my day!
While I will certainly agree that our current environment, nutrition & diet, and system of health care are often very detrimental to our health, that a more holistic and health-full approach should be taken to the way we live our lives, and that we need to be discerning in what we expose ourselves and our children to, I can’t agree with this mom’s conclusions about what “caused” her son’s autism.
To cite her first point about autism and prenatal ultrasounds – the article she links to cites research from the 1980s and 1990s (none of which is actually linked to from that article, so those ‘studies’ cannot actually be verified). A randomized control trial [the gold-standard of clinical research] performed in 2012 studied 2,800 children and found no increased rate of autism among children who received 5 ultrasounds in utero versus children who received 1 ultrasound in utero (in fact, those who received only 1 had a higher rate of autism, though it’s not statistically significant). I’m not going to go through the rest of the claims she makes, but it’s likely that the ‘scientific research’ she states isn’t research that is truly valid.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22456820
This is a paper out of Harvard from this year that comments on the similarities seen at a molecular level in autism and also in cells exposed to high amounts of radiation. However, the first sentence of paragraph two states “Reviewing these similarities does not prove that these parallels imply causality.” Determining causality is a dangerous leap to make. It’s not unlikely that radiation exposure could be associated with an exacerbation of autism – and perhaps future research will determine that radiation exposure is particularly harmful to a fetus who is genetically predisposed to developing autism. But to say that 5 prenatal ultrasounds caused her son’s autism is not a supportable claim, as of yet.
http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/…
Her argument against fluoride is a point that needs to be considered. A meta-analysis out of the Harvard School of Public Health reviewed 27 studies and concluded that a relationship between high fluoride exposure and decreased IQ is possible, but that further research needs to be done (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3491930/). I am willing to admit that our current public health, dental, and medical practices may at some point be proven to be harmful instead of beneficial, so concerns about current practices are okay. I agree that drugs, c-sections, high fructose corn syrup, excessive fluoridation, and other various prenatal exposures are not good things. However, one has to remember that millions of people are exposed to these things and never develop autism, so a causal relationship isn’t exactly a supportable claim.
Also, her claims about the risks of Pitocin and the risks of ultrasounds come from an article written by a chiropractor. I think chiropractors are great and I think they serve an essential role in a health care team. I do not think that they have sufficient medical education to make unfounded claims (those not backed by methodologically sound scientific research) about the “adverse health effects” of certain medical procedures.
Autism is real, autism is heart-wrenching for parents, and autism is something that needs to continue to be studied. Parents (and people in general) should continue to be thoughtful about the choices that they make that affect their bodies and the bodies of their kids. But, parents should also stop blaming themselves for their child’s autism and they should also stop blaming the [imperfect] health care system (at least until there is true evidence to back up the idea that they are to blame). There is a huge amount of research that is currently being done to identify the etiology of autism spectrum disorders, but there is no conclusive evidence yet of specific causes.
Jaden,
You doubt the evidence against ultrasound, however, have you thought about Ellisman (1987), a rat pup study, designed to approximate the human condition, where a mere 0.135mW/cm2 SPTA intensity caused “frank demyelination” in all exposed pups?
Without confirming that study, the industry-dominated FDA raised fetal ultrasound levels 8-fold in 1991-1992. Have you wondered why Ellisman is not discussed?
And there is Ang et al (2006), the mouse study. Low intensity ultrasound of only 5 minutes exposure resulted in neuronal dispersion in the fetal brain. At 30 minutes exposure that damage was consistently found.
Have you thought about the obvious financial conflicts of interest inherent in the strange history of fetal ultrasound irradiation? Is it really worth it?
Have you just looked around at every child you’ve personal observed and noticed the problems at birth? It’s not 1 out of 100, or 1 out of 50.
Thank you for this, Jaden. You stated everything I wanted to say, but much more eloquently!
In response to your statement that chiropractors do not have sufficient medical education to make unfounded claims: Chiropractors actually have more hours of medical education then medical doctors. Chiropractors have 4485 hours of class verses MDs who have 4248 hours. Chiropractors go through an immense amount of schooling to receive a “Doctor of Chiropractic” degree (also known as a D.C.). All chiropractors are DOCTORS. Their collegiate agenda is as follows:
– Graduate from a four year college.
– Completing at least two years undergraduate study, with a focus on the sciences.
– Four years of Chiropractic Education.
– Take mandatory internships.
– At least 900 hours of work in a Chiropractic Clinic.
– After graduating, pass written and oral board exams, at national and state levels.
A Chiropractor may opt to choose to advance their degree in an area of specialty. These areas include: Chiropractic neurology, radiology, sports medicine, as well as many other fields.
Sadly, some people still seem to think that chiropractors are glorified massage therapists when in fact they are doctors with extensive medical training. Please check your facts before making broad, uneducated statements.
Thank you, Jaden, for being a voice of reason in this sea of superstition.
The situation is heartbreaking, but it becomes tragic when unreliable sources lead loving parents to blame themselves for “causing” something for which we simply do not yet know the causes. I know that even guilt over violations of unwritten (and untrue) rules sometimes provides more solace that admitting that we just don’t know, but this attempt to assuage that guilt by “informing” others to avoid the imagined monsters of everything anyone has ever uttered as “implicated” in causing autism only serves to falsely trap millions of other parents into stark paranoia during pregnancy and a lifetime of horrific, constant “what if’s” when a child develops autism or any other developmental problem.
They wonder how many anecdotes will convince us that all the best studies are wrong. The answer: when anecdotes prove that the science was wrong and it turns out that the sun and planets do revolve around the earth.
The very scientific method that provided us with germ theory and obstetric medical interventions that nowadays permit most 3rd trimester pregnancies to survive to term and live past 5 years old (instead of the 20-30% from the 19th century) is now somehow the villian at the heart of a ridiculous melodrama, stroking the tips of his handlebar mustache while all the parents and children are tied to the railroad tracks.
If you want to forego medical science in raising your kids, you are free to do that, just don’t blame the scientists or the doctors using that science when your baby dies of dehydration from diarrhea that could have been cured with a simple IV line, or your toddler gets tetanus and dies in horrible suffocation, or your child is orphaned because Dad died from a simple infection and Mom died just days after childbirth. But if you want to go back to those days, be my guest.
Is there currently too much dependence on Big Pharma to fund medical science? Yes! So please help reduce that by funding public research that is not controlled by a corporate CEO.
Does science “know everything?” No. If science knew everything, it would stop.
Science is nothing more than a method of careful observation, rigrous testing of ideas, and publication of conclusions that are supported by the testing data so that others can verify it. In the words of Steven Novella, “What part of that do you have a problem with?” If any of these charlatans who claim to know what causes autism or cures it could produce verifiable data to that effect, there is a million-dollar Nobel prize waiting for him/her. Any taker? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Telling parents that they broke their mothers’ backs by stepping on a crack, or caused someone to die because you said, “Candyman” three times at midnight, or caused their child’s autism because you got an ultrasound (or 5) is just plain mean – and still false.
I think that feeling guilty about our children is just part and parcel of being a parent, despite our best efforts. But I will say this. I was born in 1961, my brothers in 1959 & 1962 in the days before ultrasound existed. Two of us are autistic, my youngest brother who was born premature with all sorts of problems, is not. None of us are C-Sections. I have four sons, all from C-Sections and only 2 of 4 are autistic. (We are all high-functioning, btw. My brother is an MD). My mother did not drink things with HFCS, nor took acetaminophen. We don’t really know what “causes” autism, or if it’s a genetic condition. I can look back in my family tree and see a bunch of autistic people who were born before vaccines and antibiotics. Because we are very intelligent, successful and financially well off, people don’t think of us as autistic, but as peculiar or difficult (depending whether they like us, or not).
Even if you in fact, did “give your son autism”, which it is not my intention to argue, consider that he knew when he came into this life that this is how he chose to be. It may not have been your choice for him, but it is how he came to life his life. Your guilt, doesn’t do anyone any benefit, least of all your son. You did the best you knew with the information you had and that is all that could ever be asked of anyone.
Can autistic people hold down jobs. Can they get married. I am worried about my son who is autistic. My son is 2 years, was verbal but but now isn’t. My son is very clever, just started him on diet. The dad is a mathematician
Of course! Try Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, all the founders of the Information Age. Or definitely check out Dr. Temple Grandin, who changed the world and continues to today, but was nonverbal at 4 in the 1950s and her mom was told to institutionalize her. Did you know there is a whole subculture of individuals on the web who are amazingly articulate genius-level writers but are nonverbal due to stimuli? My child ‘lost’ his verbal abilities for a while bc he was so freaked out trying to process the environment. We worked with him and he is in the autistic program at school and being recommended for the gifted program as well. It is all in your commitment and how much you learn and where you choose to learn from and how you choose to see your child…flawed or gifted.
Have you ever heard of Dr Natasha Mcbride and the GAPS diet? Also the benefits of fermented food and the gut and brain connection. Fermented foods such as saurkraut or homemade live yogurt or kombucha or kefir can help recukture the gut and in turn have a positive effect on the brain. I’m not claiming its the cure all, but it’s worth a shot! 🙂 blessings to you as you navigate your childs healthcare. Check out mercola.com and search for dr Natasha mcbride.
Blessings,
From one mama to another 🙂
There is a large component of autism development that is hereditary. Take my life’s story. I’m a fraternal twin. My brother and I were born at 32 weeks by c-section because he was in distress. My brother is autistic. I am “neurotypical” even though we were exposed to the exact same womb conditions, ultrasounds, birth/c-section, and the same vaccines, antibiotics, environmental toxins, food, household environment, and medical treatments for at least our first three years of life. In fact, we were born by c-section precisely because my brother was in distress, which in ways we don’t understand probably is related to his autism. So it’s hard to say the c-section caused his autism, at least in his case.
One story does not produce scientific evidence but I think it’s a good illustration that as far as we currently know there is a huge component of autism that is simply not controllable. One can avoid all of the things above (some of which certainly should be avoided for general health reasons) and still have a child with autism. I can’t speak for anyone’s else experience but women should understand that in many cases there is a large component of autism that is not their fault.
Fraternal twins do not necessarily have the same environment — in terms of ultrasound. There is still a variety of ultrasound exposure.
Ultrasound is like a light beam. One twin fetus may get a stronger dose, a more direct hit, or higher dwell time, than the other, and in primarily different locations, and more sensitive locations. One fetus can shield the other from ultrasound.
Don’t be hard on urself it’s not like you did it on purpose. You could have done all these things and still have a healthy child if it was meant to be. It’s not ur fault. U r a good mom and ur son loves u. Focus on that. Regards
You have hit the nail on the head, many of us have given our children Autism. Unfortunately, children suffer because of their parents sin. Each time we have our children vaccinated, give them chemical-ladened food, plonk them infront of the tv for hours at a time, ignore them and reject them in other ways, they suffer. I have a 10 year old with Autism, and I know it is my fault. My ‘God’ became my work, and I often left my son to watch tv and do other things so I could work. I rejected him at the most basic level a Mum can reject her son. Then I continued to reject him by many of the above ways as you have.
It is easier for parents to say that it has just happened, it’s genetic, it’s caused by a brain issue etc, than to take responsibility for it. No one likes to think that we have hurt our children in anyway.
Can I just say, to please trust your faith, that all can be healed. You talk a lot about your Catholic faith and how you grew up. I’m assuming that you took the Eucharist regularly? Are your children Catholic as well, and if so, do they take part in Masses and take the Eucharist? If not, I urge you to make this a part of their weekly life. The Healing power of the Eucharist is simply powerful. There are a few books on it, you can find information online, and there are testimonials of people who have been healed from taking the Eucharist regularly. I myself was healed of schizophrenia over a few months by converting to Catholicism and taking part in the Eucharist weekly, praying the Rosary daily and reading the bible. This was necessary after many years of dealing with clairvoyants/mediums/occult and having no idea what it was all about. I went from being in a mental institution, on horrific medication and not being able to even make a sandwich for my kids to take to school, to being truly free for the first time in my life, medication free since April, running my own business, doing canteen, classroom help, and loving life to the full.
Truly, please have faith that there is NOTHING that God cannot overcome if you just trust in him and have faith. He wants all of us to live life freely and fully. We need to co-operate with him and love our children by engaging with them fully, loving them unconditionally and disciplining them no differently as we would any of our other kids.
By the way, my 10 year old, who was diagnosed at 6 and used to head bang poles at school and was always that kid that did weird things…he is now being moved out of his special class into mainstream primary school and whenever I mention to anyone that he has autism, they don’t believe it at all.
I assure you, the Lord can heal – you just have to take up the offer
yep, “god” is the answer….
guess science has “left the building”.
This blog and the comments continue to amaze me.. No real science here at all just a lot of fabricated conspiracy theories and rife with pseudoscience.
Mumof4’s viewpoint is hardly a universal viewpoint.
And I always find it amusing when someone throws around the word “pseudoscience.” If you read anything from the Cochrane Collaboration(the gold standard in unbiased science — though there really is no such thing), you quickly find out that industry-sponsored science is the most likely to truly be “pseudoscience.” As an example, John Oliver did a show on sugar. Industry-sponsored science almost always said sugar was not a problem, while independent research almost always said that sugar was having a huge detrimental effect on people’s health. Which one is “pseudoscience”? Having found out how manipulated two keys studies on the connection between autism and vaccines (Verstraeten, et al 2004, and DeSefano, et al, also 2004) by CDC epidemiologists (who were working under Julie Gerberding who later left to run the vaccine division at Merck), it’s also likely that anything they have published is just as likely to be “pseudo.” But who throws the word “pseudoscience” around, and what are they using it to refer to? It’s extremely rare that people are using it to condemn highly manipulated science (like that which is sponsored by their industries). No it is usually people who really don’t want to acknowledge the science that disagrees with their worldview. There is nothing more “pseudo” than that. Enjoy your ignorance while you can.
As per usual, you go off and say a lot of words that really do not mean anything as the “whistle-blower CDC” situation was proved to be a lie.
now, typical of this Blog, you will come up with some pseudoscience – here’s a definition instead of your twaddle-
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-pseudoscience.html
Here also is a page of citations ( not pseudoscience) that are peer reviewed and researched, hence Science backed.
http://justthevax.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/75-studies-that-show-no-link-between.html
Here also is again a peer reviewed research article in regards to ct scans and xrays.. but again I know you will find something to refute it as science doesn’t seem to mean much on this blog.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160203134456.htm
But I included these peer reviewed research articles in for those new to autism, who stubble across this site and want to know the truth. I gave up trying to convince anyone regularly contributing to this blog as it seems here opinion trumps any facts.
As someone who works in the field, has a teenager on the spectrum and continuing my post grad degree in autism, I pop by to see what new theory/ opinions ( mostly not factual conspiracy theory in basis) has been thought up. Because it’s so much easier to blame something, to see tour child as defective and needing fixing then realising they are neurodevelopmentally different, think and perceive the world differently. Those on the autism spectrum have bee around as long as humans have. Why didn’t we see them pre-1980’s? because we locked them up.
So many on the autism spectrum have co-existing conditions that ignorance is saying “is all autism” when it is not. Early diagnosis and interventions ( such as TEACCH, SPELL, PECS, SCERTS, OT, SLT) are key. Understanding and assessment for Learning Difficulties are key as many on the spectrum also have them. understanding their sensory processing difficulties and profile are key to addressing any “behavioural” issues and addressing them.
But to continue to tell your children, and you do, because just because you think they aren’t listening and maybe even aren’t speaking DOES NOT mean they do not understand and aren’t hearing your conversations about them; that they need to be “fixed” is wrong on so many levels. We all need support in some way, all of us, so why do those on the Autism Spectrum need to be “fixed” instead of supported?????
my child is not less than
my child is not defective
my child in NOT VACCINE INJURED!
my child has autism.
my child is wonderfu and worthy.
Just as he is.
NO ONE at TMR believes that children with autism are “less than” anyone else, and frankly we’re getting sick and tired of people like you implying that we do. Am I “less than” someone else because my eyes do not work the way they are intended to work and as a result I have worn glasses since I was in second grade? I sure as hell don’t believe that. Does that mean I should pretend that my eyesight is just “neurological diversity” and equally as good as perfect eyesight? Are children with type 1 diabetes “less than” other children? Fuck, no. Does that mean depending on insulin to live is “normal” and attempting to change would mean “not accepting them as they are”? I think you can see how ridiculous that is. Then why is it so awful to try and restore a child’s neurological system to full function? A child with any level of autism will have a majority of primary reflexes testing in the dysfunctional range. Those reflexes are neurological circuits that provide us with the ability to protect ourselves and serve as functional building blocks for further neurological development. Would I rather my children’s neurological systems were functioning at an optimal level. You’d better believe I would. I’d love for them not to have to struggle to do things that most human beings find simple to do. Does that mean I consider them any “less than” anyone else in this world? You’d have to be out of your ever-lovin’ mind to believe that.
It’s a shame that your “work in the field” has not opened your eyes to what is happening around you. It’s clear that you don’t really understand science, given the links you post. The Cochrane Collaboration amounts to “twaddle” in your eyes, but you link to one of the most unscientific blogs out there (which, by the way, I will be removing because we don’t send people to websites known for intellectual dishonesty). Hint: just because a blog has “science” in its name doesn’t mean you can trust the interpretation in the text. In fact, just like industry-sponsored “science,” you are LESS likely to be able to trust it: https://thinkingmomsrevolution.com/autism-gene-misinformed/.
Of course you are going to remove it. Regardless of the site, the links are valid.. But hey, they don’t subscribe to your “theory” so the cherry picking again happens…
“In fact, just like industry-sponsored “science,” you are LESS likely to be able to trust it:”
Of course again, cause “big pharma” is out to get us! They aren’t any scientists in the vaccine industry that aren’t money grabbing evil people trying to harm children..
THAT IS illogical.
Resorting to cursing I’m afraid shows a lot.
Good luck in your fantasy
You didn’t read the link, did you? The reason you are LESS likely to be able to trust it is because they are LESS likely to be being honest, whoever is sponsoring them. I don’t bother figuring out where the money is coming from. I simply evaluate the information they are presenting. If, like in the link, the blogger is using a scientific article or study to support a completely wrong conclusion (on the order of you “CT scans don’t cause autism because this link says they don’t cause cancer” conclusion), then they have made it clear that they don’t care the least bit about honesty or truth and we will not send people to their sites. The blog you linked is possibly the number one such offender.
Again, I never said, nor would I say “There aren’t any scientists in the vaccine industry that aren’t money grabbing evil people trying to harm children.” As a matter of fact, two of Merck’s OWN virologists are suing them because Merck forced them to produce fraudulent safety data on the mumps vaccine. Once again, you can’t accuse ME of being illogical for something that YOU made up: straw man fallacy, remember? I’ve noticed this pattern repeatedly in your comments. You might want to confine your counter-arguments in future to things people have actually said.
And “resorting to cursing” does show a lot as covered well in this article: http://www.star2.com/living/2015/09/27/big-smile-no-teeth-is-swearing-more-honest/.
Please don’t beat yourself up about these things!!! I really don’t think that you gave your son autism. You can’t live your life thinking this, I’ve done all the things on your list, my son doesn’t have autism. Just let it be, it is how it was supposed to be 🙂
Darla, you’re very kind. However, we want to work hard to prevent this from happening to anyone. It is never supposed to be.
Darla, thank you for your reply- saying specifically that your child does not have autism, yet you “did everything” warned about.
you know why that is?
Because it isn’t true. if it were then all who had CT scans, x rays, and vaccines would have children on the autism spectrum and guess what? they don’t.
This is a completely illogical argument. NO medical intervention affects all people the same way. There is too much diversity in human biology, and even more in the microbiomes we house. That means that no matter how one person reacts to a particular intervention, it cannot predict how another person will react. My mother chain-smoked most of her adult life, while my father never smoked a day. My father’s death certificate at the age of 68 says “lung cancer,” while my mother made it to 91 without a trace of lung cancer. If we were to go by the sample size of my parents, we would come to the utterly absurd conclusion that smoking has a PROTECTIVE effect against lung cancer, when we know from much larger sample sizes that cigarette smoking is so highly “correlated” to cigarette smoking that it’s clear cigarette smoking CAUSES lung cancer. The fact that lots of people exist who have chain smoked their entire adult lives without getting cancer doesn’t change that.
Ah but you still maintain X-rays, ct scans, vaccines DO cause autism???
Sorry, you lost me completely
Yours is a very illogical argument.
When have I, or for that matter ANYONE, EVER made the argument that CT scans or x-rays causes autism???? Much less “still maintain”??? The only one being “illogical” here is you as you are starting with a bogus premise. This is a fine example, in fact, of the logical fallacy known as “straw man”: https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/strawman.
By the way, CT scans and x-rays are performed so rarely in pregnancy that even if they DID cause autism, they could only be responsible for a very small proportion of overall cases. It’s already obvious that it’s wise to perform them in pregnancy only when absolutely necessary. And the link you posted on CT scans and x-rays was about cancer, not autism, which I am sure you will admit are hardly the same. Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. Has anyone implied that because that is true, that means it causes autism? Certainly not.
“We’re rerunning this blog because of the recent news that a CDC researcher has come forward to say that he and his colleagues committed fraud in a 2004 study on the relationship between the timing of MMR vaccines and autism.”
“Ultrasounds? I had FOUR, the obstetrician told me they were “required”. Now I am MAD! All they ever found were a bit of “gas bubbles” in the intestine. Vaccines? My child had them too and I should have stepped in and not allowed some of them–after some Human Anatomy and Phys. classes and my own […]
Stress definitely has an effect. It can directly affect the neurological system. In addition, according to a questionnaire that Svetlana Masgutova gives the parents of children with autism who come to her, a very high percentage of those children have experienced traumatic events.”
Oh forgive me, I meant Ultrasound…
And if you do not think those on the autism spectrum aren’t “defective ” then why , why pray tell are you trying to “fix” them or blame autism on vaccines???? What is the point of this blog?
As for your remarks on my profession, how dare you! You do not know me or what I do. I would never comment on your profession yet I challenge you and you remark on mine.
You have showed yourself well. I hope others see through your so called “science” and I might add rude and arrogant tone.
It’s been fun. Thank you for providing more information for my up-coming paper.
Oh, so YOU confuse “ultrasound” with CT scans and x-rays, and I’M “unscientific” and “illogical”?
I don’t know what you do in your profession and I don’t care, but you have repeatedly made it extremely clear that you do not understand science. Period. Rude and arrogant? Clear case of projection going on. You come to OUR website flinging insults and incoherent accusations right and left and have the gall to call ME rude and arrogant for pointing out the inconsistencies in your arguments? Good luck with that.
It’s called sarcasm…
It’s all illogical and I don’t have time to go and pull out individual deluded posts on here…
Again, it’s all research for me, so reply away and thanks
Oohhhhhhhhh, it’s sarcasm, duh! *face palm * Since it’s just sarcasm then of course the insults and the accusations aren’t rude and arrogant, after all! What was I thinking? *eye roll*
^ I’m sure you’re thinking THAT sarcasm was rude and arrogant, though, aren’t you? 😉
Actually I have no idea What YOU are thinking.. That’s THE point!
Thanks.
Again keep going…
There are two ways to know what people are thinking, 1) LISTEN to them, and 2) ASK them. And you absolutely cannot learn what people are thinking by projecting YOUR narrow world view onto them. Try either of those approaches, and you will learn a lot.
“There are two ways to know what people are thinking, 1) LISTEN to them, and 2) ASK them. And you absolutely cannot learn what people are thinking by projecting YOUR narrow world view onto them. Try either of those approaches, and you will learn a lot.”
Interesting…
I could have said the Exact same thing to You!
It’s been “fascinating”… But I’m done with this nonsense now.
You “could say the exact same thing to me” BECAUSE you are not listening. You are completely unaware of the fact that I DO know what you are thinking because I HAVE been listening to you. I just don’t happen to agree with you because I ALSO listen to others — many, many others with radically different stories, experiences, and viewpoints from yours. You are like the blind man holding the tail of the elephant and thinking he has a true understanding of the elephant, while missing 90% of the picture.
“You “could say the exact same thing to me” BECAUSE you are not listening. You are completely unaware of the fact that I DO know what you are thinking because I HAVE been listening to you. I just don’t happen to agree with you because I ALSO listen to others — many, many others with radically different stories, experiences, and viewpoints from yours. You are like the blind man holding the tail of the elephant and thinking he has a true understanding of the elephant, while missing 90% of the picture.”
Back at you, could say the same regarding you. Difference is, I know and have the privilege of being taught by the leading experts here in the UK..
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/education/acer/index.aspx
So your words are lost here…
Good luck in your delusions..
Sorry, but no. You have made it crystal clear to anyone reading your comments that you are not listening AT ALL to anyone who does not reinforce your current worldview. You JUST said you don’t know what I’m thinking, and I would bet that you have never made a truer statement. In addition, if that happened to be a lie and you WERE listening to me and knew what I was thinking, you would not have REPEATEDLY mischaracterized what I have said as you have done. Seriously, look back over previous interactions and note how many times you interact on the basis of ASSUMPTIONS rather than what someone has actually said.
I want to say more about Ultrasounds. Most people do not realize that a Doppler that is used to monitor baby’s heart is ultrasound technology as well and they scan your baby at every visit besides full Ultrasound screening they do. It’s also pretty strong. I researched it and said no to a Doppler. I was asked to leave the first midwifery and find some other group who can use fetoscope (I purchased it myself). Be aware new mothers! Especially, do not buy a Doppler to listen your baby’s heart at home several times a day. Ultrasound and brain damage in babies studies do exist. Do your research.
I would probably end up with the same problem you have if I did not loose my faith in traditional medicine while before I got pregnant. I don’t trust any doctor. I Had to pick temp Ped for my babies for a hospital delivery. We have family doctor who is very good and he does not think that vaccines are safe. As he said, he did his own research and he did not find any long term real safety studies.
Im response #2. I live with exactly what you live with. The guilt and the realization that you will never, ever, be able to take any of it back is the worst feeling in the world. Id do almost anything to turn back the clock. I was stupid. Good intentions count for nothing in the end.
Your story is so touching. You are obviously a person who has had a long and hard road and I think this article is not only courageous but a step to healing for all of you. I NEED you all to know that there IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO! I understand that some children are born with physical deformities that accompany their autism and there might not be much you can do for this but you can reverse autism in many cases. It has been done. One thing above all you can do now and every day is take zeolites. Zeolites are a class of minerals that are negatively ionized and attract everything from heavy metals to radioactive isotopes and trap them within their honeycomb like structure rendering them inert. You can heal the damage that has been done. Aloe vera, green smoothies, noni fruit, fermented cabbage, probiotics, and a healthy high raw diet can do amazing things for people (especially kids) with autism. But even if you don’t do anything else get your child zeolites! Put a bit in your water 3 times per day every day and you will notice differences within 3-months to a year. It takes time to detox that stuff but it happens. And to those people who have been saying they have or know someone who has autism without having done any of the things you have, you need to know that every generation accumulates chemical pollution from the environment and passes it on to the next generation. Pesticides have been around long enough that they alone have been causing complications for a long time and now we have soooo many other factors to worry about. Turn off the WiFi, eat organic, exercise, and eat zeolites to detox the heavy metals and chemicals that we get just from breathing the air these days. It is all we can do in our increasingly toxic world!
I kicked myself in the rear(and in the head, figuratively) for many of your same reasons:
Pitocin
Cirvidil, too (causes fetal distress)
Emergency csection
Fever reducers
Antibiotics after birth to prevent possible meningitis thought(From fever)
Vaccinations ( I stopped them at 6months)
Then I was introduced to the great drs Eric Rydland and dr Berger, and Stephanie cave’s book about vaccines, and I believe they helped me save my son’s life. I do sympathize with you. I was lucky enough to know of the hazards of sodas, fluoride, Tylenol, red 40 and antibiotics early on ..so I did my best to steer clear of those. But after a round of vaccinations that rendered our family in panic mode with our four month old seizures(he was given an old lot of dtap….expired and illegal) and a pediatrician who discouraged reporting an adverse reaction…nor agree to see my son without his six month shots agreed too, we were set free. I praise all if those around me who inspired me to go about my son’s future with grace and courage; and those who loved him and assured me nothing was wrong.
Bless you and your family. Hold on to your love. He will be better, one day! (You May also want to contact brain child Nutritionals, out of California, if you have not already)
Thank you for sharing and all those great comments ! I have lost faith in the Healthcare System a long time ago and I will always do my own research when it comes to my family health !
I live in Canada and do not need to vaccinate my child, but of course I have lost friends over this, been threatened already by one physician, that one day I will not get help for my child, when she gets sick ! People judge you and it takes a lot of courage to stand up to it, but we are not alone, there are many out there and its worth fighting ! I have been very sick many years ago, for reasons I don`t know, Doctors didn`t care, in there Eyes if your not dying it`s not important !
I did have a C section, because baby was small and breech, but very strong and sometimes I wish I would have at least tried a breech birth, since it is very common to have 5 pound babies in my family and I heard of a lot of healthy breech birth who happen by accidents, but I am happy my baby was born safe…… and sometimes one thing is ok. Except when it come to vaccines.
I have a great book suggestion, hope you guys will read it ! It has great info, well written and backed up by research, Jennifer Craig is amazing, she quotes a lot out of other books, which is great, cause she takes out an overview of many topics, just a great book to refer to !
http://www.amazon.com/Jabs-Jenner-Juggernauts-Look-Vaccination/dp/0955917743
Keep spreading the word and keep up your Courage Ladies !
Every point you made cut into my heart. I did not only made all those mistakes, I made them twice! And I could hang myself right now if I thought like you every moment of the day… I am a mom of two with Autism. My daughter is totally blind, medically fragile and diagnosed with ASD. My son, at first seamed perfect, but at 12 months old I started seeing the red flags that I knew very well from my daughter. He was diagnosed with PDD.
Days went by and I was miserable, to the point where I couldn’t think, talk, take care of my kids, just lied there. Started going to social worker, got on antidepressants, connected to some key people who thought me how to love my children for who they are. What’s done is done, you can’t go back, can you? I wish we all could with today’s knowledge, but it won’t happen. So, look forward! Look how to make your life happy with what you have. Don’t compare your child with others, but be happy about smallest achievement! Our children soak our emotions, anger, guilt, etc….Once I learned how to again be happy, I got happy children. Yes, every day is a struggle, but we dance, joke, sing,…. Work on yourself, you will help your child, too. Hugs.
You are a beautiful person. That was going to be part two of my story.
We turn out to be strong people! 🙂 XXX
I’ve read that a child with PANS/PANDAS (please google for lots of information on this controversial illness) can sometimes be misdiagnosed as being autistic or having OCD etc. I’ve also read that an autistic child’s symptoms can be exacerbated by PANS/PANDAS. VERY IMPORTANT – a negative strep throat culture and/or negative blood titers tests does NOT necessarily mean a child does not have PANDAS.
Good for you for putting the information “out there” so perhaps others may become more informed and militant about the healthcare their family receives. Your situation is awful, but it could be worse if you had remained a slave to the “idiot pediatricians”. (i will likely quote that frequently, props to you of course)
I have no human children, my own choice, but I understand the desire to do anything it takes to give them the best life I possibly can, and protect them from any form of harm.
Thanks for your website.
Thank you so much for sharing this my brothers severely autistic we think the mmr vaccine and a long birth/lack of oxygen may have caused it my little boy’s just turned 1 and they want him to have the mmr soon I’m so scared all the time as to if I’m doing the right thing I’ve been using floride toothpaste which I’m going to bin after reading your article!! just to think I been putting that poison near him is really upsetting so glad I found your article I was going to say my mum knows a lot about diet and vitamins that may help your son I don’t know if you have heard of dr rimland or Wakefield? But it’s seemed to make a big difference in my brother so if u like email me [email protected] and I’ll give u her number
I cannot begin to express how much I can understand your points. It’s amazing how much ignorance and naivety can impact so many lives when innocently you do what you think you’re supposed to in the name of bringing up a child.
When I was pregnant with my son, I like every other parent, day dreamed about what my child’s life could be someday. Today I look at what it actually is and it’s a nightmare! My son is 7 turning 8 and since about the age of 3 our lives have been a maddening blur of doctors, specialists, tests, treatments etc., something I never would have thought I’d add to my parenting repertoire.
I thank you for your post because it encourages me to continue the extensive research that is now an endless task for me being a single mom of a special needs child. There are so many aspects I can relate to in this post and so many ways I am guilty of the same mistakes. While I realize my own fault in all of it, I continue to focus my attention not on dwelling on faults, instead how I can find the best help for my son while continuing to educate others about these dangers too.
Again I applaud your honesty and efforts in spreading the truth we all should be educated on.
Thank you!
Thank you for writing this blog. I will not send it to my son and daughter-in-law because they got tired of all the books I sent and seem to think I am a radical nut. However, whenever their baby gets sick or reacts to a vaccination and they share the news with me, at least now I have some resources and hopefully their minds will open to some of the ideas you have put forth. Thank you. I am sorry. I do appreciate this very much.
I feel heartbroken for you. Honestly, I don’t think any of the things you mention did anything to harm your baby except 2 things (that the doctors assured you were ok-they alone are responsible). Antibiotics and vaccinations. How could a doctor vaccinate a sick baby? I also have a vaccine injured daughter (JRA from MMR vaccine). I have studied vaccine injury since my daughter’s injury in 1992. The common denominator that usually pushes a child over the edge is always vaccines given to a child who has also had a lot of antibiotics. People who support vaccinating always use the argument that if vaccines cause autism then why don’t all vaccinated kids have autism? I am not a professional, but my personal belief from all I have studied and witnessed over the years, is that it is the children who have been exposed to a large amount of antibiotics are the ones who are pushed over the edge. Their immune system is already compromised, and just can’t take it. Other children who have not had the exposure to all of the antibiotics may be fine. Well, what is “fine” these days? There are so many allergies, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, asthma, learning disabilities, on and on. My opinion is that ALL of these things are either brought on or worsened by vaccinations and antibiotics. I am 50 and I think I have only had about 3 vaccinations, back in the 60′- 70’s. I was on abx once in the 1980’s for strep throat. I am NEVER sick. People drop likes flies all around me who are really sick and I never catch it even if they kiss me or sneeze in my face. My older daughter was almost fully vaccinated and caught all of the sicknesses. After older daughter’s vaccine injury , my younger daughter (7 years younger) was never vaccinated and is 16 and has never been on antibiotics, literally NEVER gets sick. This is enough proof for me that the vaccinations and abx have literally obliterated childrens’ immune systems. Unfortunately, most still wont hear the truth, I have 2 nieces with gorgeous new babies who have given them the full vaccine schedule starting on the day the baby was born. They snicker behind my back and belittle me when I talk about my theories on vaccination. They say they will only listen to what their doctors tell them, which is beyond scary. MOST IMPORTANTLY……please don’t blame yourself or feel guilty, guilt is a useless emotion, just plow ahead and learn all you can to help your family through natural healing, diet, detox, etc. Your doctor was the one responsible for the lies and negligence, we were all taught to trust doctors. I am sorry for your suffering, and will take your advice and show your story to as many as I can. Thank you for sharing it.
Yes. Thus the initial posting mom shouldn’t blame herself. The vaccines and the antibiotics are a lethal combination… But her predisposition to stomach disorders indicated a sensitivity to some food.. Read Stephanie cave’s book.. She says the lethal combo is
Vaccination
Antibiotics
Gluten and
Dairy(cow)
i whole heartedly agree with the comment suggesting you be tested for lyme disease. i was infected in 1991 and went misdiagnosed until 2006. misdiagnosed with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, boarderline lupus, MS, early onset alzheimers, etc. by 2006 i had gone from doing 2 spin classes in a row for fun to not being able to get out of bed or out of a chair with out help, i couldn’t read, write or count and i couldn’t sign my own name or consistently recognize friends and family. since my diagnosis i have learned thru research and support groups that most people with auto immune diseases have undiagnosed lyme disease. the standard cdc test is only 30% accurate and they don’t tell patients that. if the test comes back negative you just get a fibro or MS or lupus, you name it, diagnosis. the bacteria and co infections that cause lyme hide within the cell and in white tissue, brain, joints, tendons, so it looks like the body is attacking itself. And with doctors being pretty damn ignorant about all of this they doom their patients with misdiagnosis’. and in the case of patients who are then prescribed steroids, the worst thing you can give someone with lyme, they write the patient a death sentence. The lyme infection and the other infections and blood born parasites that you get from a simple tick bite can be transfered inutero and thru breast milk. regular doctors don’t keep up on those things. so mothers with fibro or auto immune diagnosis’ never have a chance to protect their children from it. it has been proven that you can safely carry a child by actually being on the right abx while pregnant. who’d a thunk it? the blessing in all this is that lyme can be treated and can be at least partially if not wholey recovered from with longterm antibiotic or natural treatments. this wasn’t your fault. you were misdiagnosed and you never had a chance. this is an opportunity to learn and to heal for both you and your child. you should both be tested thru igenix.com. the only reliable testing. don’t forget to test for coinfections. you both can beat this. me typing this now is proof. God Bless.
My heart goes out to you. I did all the same things with my first child before I learned all this stuff and was able to change things for my second child. We do what we are told because we aren’t doctors, and we trust them. Thank you for getting the word out.
I fully agree with you regarding all of it. I vaccinated 2 of my 3 sons because the doctor I had told me they would die if I didn’t. I was young, stupid and very naive and he used that in combination with a fear that I might lose the person I loved most in the entire world my baby/ now babies. My older 2 sons are not autistic but both have attention problems and learning disabilities. All 3 were induced, my youngest was an emergency c-section. I made poor choices and did not properly educate myself. I applaud you for writing this article and will pray for you and your family. Thank you so much!
Get yourself and your son on the GAPS diet. READ THE BOOK from Fatigued to Fantastic. There is still so much HOPE for you to clear up not only your sons issues, but your own.
See a NATUROPATH, I guarantee you have the MTHFR mutation, which would explain not only your Fibro – but your sons sensitivities.
Iv had fibro symptoms since my teens, I would probably have been diagnosed ADHD, but Im too old. I always has sensitivities growing up.
After many years of off and on sickness, that sprang up when I was very stressed I got diagnosed with hyperthyroid and Fibro. HERES THE CRAZY PART. I cut gluten and sugar out of my diet. I tried gluten (the really shitty white flour) just to see what would happen after none for 6 months. IT WAS LIKE I TURNED INTO AN AUTISTIC PERSON WITHIN HOURS!!!! I am not joking. RAGE, hitting myself, crying, indigestion, muscle pain, itching, shaking hands, panic attacks.. IT WAS HELL! Your body compensates for all the toxins, but over time it cant anymore. You pass onto your child your own state of health.
We are being poisoned every day – but we have so much power to heal and clean things up.
I do not take anything but natural herbal supplements for my autoimmune disease, hyperthyroid, and Fibro. After three months seeing a natropath my thyroid is NORMAL!! After a few days on a Mitochondrial NRG supplement for the Fibro pain, MY GOD IM A NEW PERSON!
Your body is telling you something, and pharmaceuticals is not going to fix it, it is a band aid. Its a long road but YOU CAN HEAL THESE THINGS..find out what nutrients are low, change your diet, get stress under control, do yoga…
YOGA – Iv been practicing yoga for fourteen years, specifically KUNDALINI YOGA which is great for chronic illness. I actually am starting an online studio for people who need this..and are too shy etc to go to a class.
DO not carry ANY guilt! It is USELESS!! May you be blessed… Praying for all the people out there suffering, that they find solutions, and know there is hope for them.
What a positive and loving message. I love that you posted this.
Thank you!!! I am 25 weeks pregnant and am freaking out about strep B test, gestational diabetes test, etc. My family supports my concerns, my husband supports it, my friends and his in-laws think I am nuts. It articles like yours that confirm my concerns about what is “normal” and “recommended”
You sound like you are doing everything right by your son. Everyone makes mistakes, not everyone owns up to them!
Always listen to your instincts. DOn’t let doctors intervene. Your baby is not going to need goop spread in his eyes or vaccinations at birth. DOn’t even let them take the baby out of site. Do oral Vitamin K. Don’t let them push formula on you or tell you you don’t have enough milk. If you need to up a milk supply get a tincture or drink fenugreek tea (goat’s rue can make a non-lactating woman lactate) There is so much you can do to protect yourself. Don’t let them induce. If you don’t have a midwife or a doula get one so they can advocate for you during the birth. Good luck!
I should also add there is a lot of evil in the drug companies ethos, and GP’s, and all Drs. should first do not harm…….. that is part of their professional belief and is how they should practice. I do not believe a government that is funded by large powerful drug companies nor do I believe in government researchers who are funded in part of in any way by the drug companies. There is a lot of poor research being published and the good more damning research is being suppressed. I watched my colleagues given advice to women about vaccines in pregnancy and a little part of me died …… professionals be so blind, or is it me, am I just jaded and tired of midwifery.
It is hard for mums today to make informed choices. Very hard. I feel for every mum in the world who has to make choices for their children’s well being. The choices you make if they are not in the health professionals view sensible, are condemned not supported. Why is this, this child is yours not theirs. You have to make your own choices and ensure they are as informed as possible. That is all any of us can do.
But be cynical of drug companies, there is so much that is unsaid, so much more to be revealed.
Thank you to the poster of this article. You are a strong woman, but never blame yourself for your actions, if you have done the best you can do. I would change a million things about my parenting, but remember this:
You can only do your best. That is all any of us can do.
There is also a lot of rubbish on the internet, some is believable some is not.
I am not a great researcher, but vaccines scare me. IT scares me as a health professional who was supposed to advise pregnant women to have the flu vac in UK. I could not do it. I used to refer women to their GP. I used to tell them to research the subject first. Remember that UK GP’s get paid extra if they meet the herd vaccination rates of 85 or 95 % the exact figure I am not sure but here is the evidence of the hard sell techniques used:
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/3/e000851.full
Conclusions: Clear leadership, effective communication about performance and methods used to identify and contact eligible patients were independently associated with significantly higher rates of flu vaccination. Financial targets appear to incentivise practices to work harder to maximise seasonal influenza vaccine uptake. The strategies identified here could help primary care providers to substantially increase their seasonal flu vaccination rates towards or even above the Chief Medical Officer’s targets.
Yes, I agree pregnant women do have a lowered immunity but I do not recall as a midwife, women dying of flu in pregnancy, so where did this scare mongering come from or was I practicing with my eyes closed.
I refused ultra sound during my pregnancy both times. It was unnecessary for me as I knew my dates, but my obstetrician tried to bully me into having one, I simply refused. I did not have a high risk pregnancy but for those women who have problems in pregnancy I know it can be invaluable as a means of monitoring their babies well being, this is all a balancing act and I feel for anyone who has a child with autism.
Personally my family history.
My sister has a child with Autism and he was not vaccine damaged but autistic prior to birth I would have said. He was a vacant little soul from birth. Too easy as a baby, too compliant, too keen to sit and stare. We also have the Cystic Fibrosis gene running through our family genetics. I wonder if it is a combination, I am to be screened for ceoliacs disease. My family were RAF travellers, so we had many vaccinations to travel as children. I almost died at two after the insult of numerous vaccines which caused my immune system to be lowered and I caught measles, the vaccines as a child did nothing to protect me against this disease. I would suggest my bowel issues are due to vaccination problems. I suspect I am bipolar and again would suggest I am lucky because I do not have more to contend with. Vaccines will be found to be harmful in the future …. of this I have no doubt. The degree of harmfulness is to be discovered.
I am afraid I am not an advocate of them and I fly in the face of all the professional bodies I am a member of as a midwife. I have left midwifery because I cannot stand by and support these bodies in their quest to immunise pregnant women, I cannot advise a pregnant woman to have a vaccine that is untested and unresearched in the long terms effects of the vaccine. IT is in my view UNETHICAL to vaccinate pregnant women.
Look up GAPS Gut and Psychology Syndrome book. Possibly using this method you can help your child and yourself.
Thank you for posting this article. I hope it reaches the people who need to read it most. I will forward it to the women I know who may be helped.
As a mother who also has guilt for endless choices I have made I felt compelled to say,
You didnt do anything other then trust that we are a society that works together to protect each other, sadly this is false. We are cattle to milk for all we are worth. Profit before people n all. Like so many you wanted in your heart to do what is right for your child and followed all the advice given to you, you gave your son nothing, he was stolen from you by callous corporations, dr and the government.
DO NOT MISTAKE YOUR LOVE FOR YOUR SON AS GUILT, your pain is for what was done your family. After guilt comes anger then you fight back, like this article to stop other children falling into the same fate.
I’m not dealing with autism, but sever ADHD and “mood disorder” since he was 5. He is 13 now and I know I attributted to these issues. thank you foe speaking out because we have all done these things and as much as we want to trust these professionals, you have to educate yourselves too! Praying for you and that we all open our eyes!
Here’s another one for you to look into – Fluoroquinolone antibiotics – Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox. If you took them before you got pregnant (or while you were pregnant), they permanently and irreversibly damaged your DNA and encouraged the expression of Autism genes. If your son was given them for his ear infections they may have fried his brain. There are plenty of women who have taken fluoroquinolones that go on to have healthy children, but the factors that you listed above compounded your problems. Here is an article about how fluoroquinolones may have adversely effected you and your sons – http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/09/18/a-horrifying-cause-of-autism-dna-damage-from-synthetic-antibiotics/. Please note that I don’t think that any of the reasons that you listed above, or my conjecture that you used fluoroquinolone antibiotics, is your fault. It’s not your fault. Any fault that you may have is being repaid to you exponentially. I’m really, really, really sorry for your pain.
I am a mother of twins during my pregnancy I didn’t drink coke and tried to eat as healthy as I could whilst pregnant, I neither smoke or drink. Didn’t take any pain pills. Even so, Our twins came 7 weeks early, one of our twins is typical while the other was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. Both had the same vaccines at the same time…Same with my older children. Only one of my twins developed autism.
I do believe something in our environment, or even possibly our food chain maybe to blame….But.. How do you explain that both my twins were subjected to the same environment but one developed autism and the other didn’t. I’m angry with this disorder, and myself also, what could have been done???
My husband used to remind me(when I was especially down and feeling guilty) there are many other woman in the world who are lacking proper nutrition, abusing drug, alcohol, eat fast food, have also had vaccinations, drank water laced with fluoride, all that you described who still go on to give birth to typical children. I don’t understand what is causing this disorder, and at the rate it seems to be showing in children is scary.
I think making people aware is on some of these issues might be important, but I don’t know if it will solve this, I would have thought it would be on the pages of a medical journal.
I personally think vaccines are more help than hindrance. I know personally someone who suffered from polio as a child and have been wheelchair bound since. She is an older woman but just no way I’d risk one of these diseases for one of my babies. I myself had vaccines as a child, I rarely get sick, I may get a cold once every 2 years. Not sure if that is from living a healthy lifestyle? We do eat mostly organic foods, and we have no gmo foods in our diets, nor do we drink any types of soda.
But to be frank, since we do not know the cause of autism, I find for myself and other mothers I know of children diagnosed with autism, the last thing we need is an extra dose of guilt, and while I agree with a few points, some of your page feels like scaremongering.
Hi Mountain Mama,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for writing this!!! Although I am truly saddened that you had to experience what you have, you have written such an articulate and powerful article that is going to make a difference to everyone who reads it. I have just been deciding with my partner when to start trying for a baby and reading this could not have come at a better time. Everyone should know the cold hard facts about the things you shared, and tho I knew about some of them (totally agree on vaccines and fluoride etc) some of the other points you made I didnt even know about. I will certainly be doing alot more research before we start trying and what you have shared has already been a massive help. Bless you and I truly hope that one day you can forgive yourself. We are all guilty of making bad choices or ignoring our gut instinct, and the bottom line is you never intended to do your child harm.
I’m sorry to hear about your situation, and also thank you for sharing it. I hope it help many parents make more informed decisions. What I would like to suggest is that you look at what you can do NOW for your son. There have been many cases of autism improving with a GAPS or Paleo diet. I strongly urge you to get some information on this (if you haven’t already) and use it to help your son and yourself. There is a protocol you can download at noharmfoundation.org that explains yet another possible contributor to autism, as well as a diet protocol that has had amazing results. It is very similar to paleo, with the addition of white rice. I wish you all the best and do hope that someday God’s grace can trickle down on you and you will allow yourself to have grace and peace.
I haven’t read all the responses, so this may have already been stated.
I applaud your research and conclusions.
You may want to research the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride. The symptoms you describe regarding your son and yourself would suggest that you would both benefit greatly from that diet.
I urge you to read the book because she goes into the whys and wherefores of the syndrome and the reason for the different stages of the diet. And you can’t get all that by just looking online.
She reversed her own son’s autism through this diet and now works with many patients in her clinic in Cambridge, England. Even if it doesn’t cure him it would certainly sort out the explosive diarrhoea and help alleviate other symptoms too.
It would really help your fibro too.
Hugs
Genetic Testing: Autistic Children often have mutations of the MTHFR testings: C677T, and the A1298C. Please check this out as it DOES involve glutathione AND fibromyalgia. Sounds like there is some involvement here with you guys. God Bless
This is a great post. I did so many of the same things. My ped gave me fluoride tablets b/c my water is not fluoridated. I gave my son one and something inside me said investigate this before you continue. I listened to so many moms. I will take the word of a mother over a doctor any day. It was all the parents talking about vaccines that got me to question and to think.
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Why has’nt the media picked up on this. None of the mothers are to blame for trusting people who had our confidence, we all thought these people were the best in the world at health. How do we get the news out that our medical professionals are all idiots. My daughter had and did all of the comments for this blog. Funny thing that when my daughter had her first child, 18 women were in labor that day and all eighteen women has c sections because of complications! Are they frauds or idiots.
Grandpa
l too, have a child with Asperger’s syndrome, but way, way, way before we ever realised he wasn’t just “quirky” we had major issues with food intolerances. Just like so many of you l blamed myself for the way he was, but the journey we have gone on, has taught me so much about the role that food plays in our lives, and how amazingly important it is.
Because we didn’t know about autism in the beginning, we thought we were mad when we noticed how much foods affected his behaviour, his clumsiness, his thinking, etc.
We have since found a great book called GAPS – Gut and Psychology Syndrome, which gives a lot of scientific data amongst other things that explains how the foods we eat and the way we live over generations can cause our gut to deteriorate in health, and the connection the gut has to the brain. It is really an interesting read, but a full on journey for someone like me, who hates cooking, and would never have believed how much l do it of it now.
Like so many of you, l too believe, there are so many factors that contribute to all of this, ultrasounds included (l had a mass of them too). But food is definately worth a look in, even if it only makes a slight bit of difference.
I’m sorry that your son has autism. And I can see the pain in your blog. But you didn’t give it to him. And all of the bulleted items you posted didn’t give it to him either. It is genetic. He would have gotten it regardless of any of that stuff. Kids all through time have had autism. We just now are calling it ‘autism.’ You are a good mom- who is beating herself up for no reason.
No common gene has yet been found for autism – millions has been poured in to looking at this, because it is temptingly potentially cost effective for governments. Once you have a gene, governments can offer abortion, with huge savings because the uptake would be very, very high and the cost of treating and benefits for autistic individuals over a lifetime is ginormous.
Some genes have been found causing tiny sub-sections of autism. It looks as though it is more complicated than that. And even if there were a common gene, it is likely that it would be interacting with environmental influences. Think about celiac disease – there’s a gene, but you have to have a wheat heavy diet (or barley/rye heavy) to develop the sympoms. If you were in a country where rice and vegetables were the staples you might never develop it.
There are probably a number of sub-sections of autism. There will be different causes. It is looking more and more as though what happens in the womb may be important – why else is there an autistic face? It might be a nutrient deficiency, or a number of deficiencies. It may be exposure to environmental toxins which the mother cannot detoxify well due to nutritional deficiencies. Or it could even be that the grandmother or grandfather’s nutrient deficiencies may have an impact down the generations. Any other things this mother mentioned could possibly have made things worse – but I think they are unlikely to be the ultimate cause. We can only blame ourselves for the choices we make in knowledge – not for those we make in the dark.
I guess you haven’t heard of the MTHFR gene then. 98% of autistic people have it (and I’m sure the other 2% have a similar type of gene that hasn’t been discovered). This involves the methylation cycle. The methylation cycle is involved with detoxing the body. Hence why autistic people have accumulated heavy metals in their body.
50% autistic people have pyroluria as well. This involves the body losing zinc and B6. Low zinc increase gut permeability. Then you’re dealing with food intolerances and digestive issues.
It just breaks my heart to hear your grief. It is so painful, scary, and amazing to be responsible for another being. My 18mo was diagnosed with severe food allergies around 1, but I believe she started developing them around 3 weeks old – severe eczema, colic, poor sleep, etc. I too have run through the “mistakes” I made: I was on a class C drug at the beginning of pregnancy (a crucial developmental period), had a stressful pregnancy, and an even more stressful time after she was born (an emotionally abusive relationship that got way worse after my daughters birth).
The only way I can get through all of this is by telling myself “I did the best I could with the information I had. As I learn more, I do more”. I agree, I will be making this up to my daughter for the rest of her life, but I feel that it can be a positive thing. She snapped me into reality where I can no longer cruise by in naivete. And I welcome the challenge.
My son was diagnosed at the age of 2 with autism he is 8 now we work very hard to get him where hes at now he in gt classes straight a’s its not easy but we do it he was 1 when he could talk clear as day 2 months later he couldnt even say momma or dadda also had to repotty train him when he was 4yrs old he has trets (not constant) when he stressed out the only drug i was given when pregnant was to stop contractions no ultra sounds no drugs during labor he was in NICU for 2 weeks for him stopping breathing and never had an answer why it happened my other sons i had the ultra sounds (lots) lack of water induced labor emergency c-section and they are both healthy i will never understand where it comes from just try to do my best to give my son the best life he can have
Glad to see someone take responsibility because I did much like you did especially the ultrasounds… I’ll always walk beside my boy and risk every ounce of my life, lose a job and work day in day out to pay for therapy because i did this to him. Ill always be in his debt…
I f***ing hate myself.
As the mother of an autistic son, I have struggled with the issue of whether I somehow caused his disability for ten years. As a Catholic, I was helped by considering the issue of “pride”. We are fallible humans who don’t have perfect knowledge, and the issue of constantly going back over the choices one has made and thinking “why did I do this?” and “why did I do that” is actually a prideful rejection of our human condition which is that we are fallible and don’t have perfect information! This can apply to other areas, like agonizing over career choices missed, etc. Please consider that you did the best you could with the limited information available at the time. Don’t keep self flagellating! Many people could have done these things and had perfectly normal children. You are a conscientious parent now, and you were then, too!!!!! All you did was accept reasonable medical advice which is a normal thing to do!!! God bless you! Enjoy your child. I know mine is a joy, kind and innocent, and incapable of deceit and meanness, and I am willing to bet yours is the same.