The Age of Autism: Less is beautiful

[Guest guest]

http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060228-

060815-1812r

The Age of Autism: Less is beautiful

By DAN OLMSTED

UPI Senior Editor

Whatever the reason, a big decline in autism diagnoses would be

welcome news to anyone who cares about the nightmarish prevalence of

the disorder.

The latest signal that something may be going on comes from the

father-and-son research team of Dr. Mark R. Geier and A.

Geier. They report in the spring issue of the Journal of American

Physicians and Surgeons that " significant decreasing trends in newly

diagnosed NDs (neurodevelopmental disorders) were observed ... from

mid-2002 through 2005 " in two separate databases.

The first is kept by the California Department of Developmental

Services and is widely regarded as the most accurate barometer of

full-syndrome, professionally diagnosed cases of autism. Those

qualifiers are important because autism spectrum disorders run the

gamut from severe (full-syndrome) to milder (Asperger's disorder) to

hard to define (the awfully named PDD-NOS, or pervasive

developmental disorders, not otherwise specified).

So focusing on the full-syndrome cases -- the most easily identified

and indisputable -- is a smart way to go.

The other database is the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System

maintained by the federal government, to which health professionals,

parents and anyone else can report what they believe are side

effects of vaccines.

That's much less consistent and credible, of course, but the Geiers

see the VAERS information as an informal confirmation of the

California data --companion graphs printed side by side in the study

show remarkably similar rise-and-falls in autism.

" The consistency of the effects observed for the spectrum of NDs,

including autism and speech disorders, and the agreement between the

observations from two separate databases, support the conclusion

that the effect is real and not a chance observation. The magnitude

of the change in the trend lines is substantial, " the Geiers write.

The Geiers also cite another confirmation: " (P)rovisional data from

the U.S. Department of Education show a recent decrease of 529 in

the number of new autism diagnoses recorded among children 3 to 5

years old, after years of annual increases. There were 1,451 new

cases in 2001-2002; 1,981 in 2002-2003; 3,707 in 2003-2004; and

3,178 in 2004-2005. "

The Geiers attribute the rise and fall to the increasing use of the

mercury preservative thimerosal in childhood vaccines in the 1990s,

followed by the phase-out beginning in 1999. While federal health

authorities and mainstream medical groups say concern about

thimerosal is not founded on good science, the Geiers think the

trends ought to prompt a fresh look at the theory.

The people I talk to who think the preservative may indeed have

triggered the rise in autism don't know what to make of all these

numbers. While the autism rate may be falling as indicated in these

databases, they say it's far too soon to make conclusive claims.

Some, in fact, have told me they think it should be falling further,

faster if thimerosal is really behind the autism epidemic. Others

suspect the connection is already there to see in exactly those

numbers.

Then there's the possible confounding effect of flu shots for

children and pregnant women, most of which still contain thimerosal.

A number of other vaccines retain " trace " amounts of thimerosal.

And despite the welcome trends in data cited by the Geier, some

countervailing reports are troubling. For example, reporter

wrote in The Oregonian just last week that " ©hildren

diagnosed with autism, a brain disorder that disrupts a child's

communication and social skills, jumped from 5,070 in 2004 to 5,637

in December. Over five years, the number of autistic students rose

by 67 percent. "

I'm sure someone can reconcile that with figures suggesting autism

is on its way down, but I can't.

" We wish we knew exactly what is going on, " said an admirably

tentative Dr. Bob Nickel, a developmental pediatrician who heads the

Autism Training Network at Oregon Health & Science University. He

told environmental issues could be at work.

Certainly other neurotoxins -- mercury in fish, just to pick an

example often cited -- could harm kids' development whether the

mercury in vaccines was ever a problem or not. It doesn't take much

imagination to connect fish from the Pacific with mercury-laced

plumes wafting over from China with a long history of mercury mines

in the northwest -- and voila, rising autism in Oregon.

That's rank speculation. But some areas of the country probably do

create more autism than others -- " hotspots, " as they're called.

All this should make people cautious, humble and, as the scientists

always remind us, evidence-based.

Mark Blaxill, a director of the mercury-out-of-medicine group Safe

Minds, told me a couple of years ago: " By the time kids born in 2001

turn 5, we'll have a pretty good picture of the thimerosal effect. "

That's soon -- but not quite yet.

--

[Guest guest]

> Certainly other neurotoxins -- mercury in fish, just to pick an

> example often cited -- could harm kids' development whether the

> mercury in vaccines was ever a problem or not. It doesn't take much

> imagination to connect fish from the Pacific with mercury-laced

> plumes wafting over from China with a long history of mercury mines

> in the northwest -- and voila, rising autism in Oregon.

>

>Pregnant women pass toxins including mercury, on to their children. If

mercury is a cause of autism this should be taken into account.

[Guest guest]

While mercury cannot be ruled out, I also feel that there is a

genetic factor involved. People on the spectrum are very much alike

and it seems like spectrumites will find and marry spectrumites

rather than non-spectrumites if given the choice or the exposure to

one another.

Since some professions (such as computer programming) are

particularly appealing to Aspies, it stands to reason that Aspies

with similar interests will move to where the jobs are, cluster

there, find each other, and reproduce with the resulting offspring

being on the spectrum.

Also possible is that mercury poisoning has messed with DNA and so

the resulting offspring between Aspies will have the same messed up

DNA as a consequence.

But I really don't see AS as the result of mercury poisoning. There

are as many improvements to the human body and mind with AS as there

are deficiencies.

Tom

Administrator

> Certainly other neurotoxins -- mercury in fish, just to pick an

> example often cited -- could harm kids' development whether the

> mercury in vaccines was ever a problem or not. It doesn't take much

> imagination to connect fish from the Pacific with mercury-laced

> plumes wafting over from China with a long history of mercury mines

> in the northwest -- and voila, rising autism in Oregon.

Pregnant women pass toxins including mercury, on to their children.

If

mercury is a cause of autism this should be taken into account.

[Guest guest]

While mercury cannot be ruled out, I also feel that there is a

genetic factor involved. People on the spectrum are very much alike

and it seems like spectrumites will find and marry spectrumites

rather than non-spectrumites if given the choice or the exposure to

one another.

Since some professions (such as computer programming) are

particularly appealing to Aspies, it stands to reason that Aspies

with similar interests will move to where the jobs are, cluster

there, find each other, and reproduce with the resulting offspring

being on the spectrum.

Also possible is that mercury poisoning has messed with DNA and so

the resulting offspring between Aspies will have the same messed up

DNA as a consequence.

But I really don't see AS as the result of mercury poisoning. There

are as many improvements to the human body and mind with AS as there

are deficiencies.

Tom

Administrator

> Certainly other neurotoxins -- mercury in fish, just to pick an

> example often cited -- could harm kids' development whether the

> mercury in vaccines was ever a problem or not. It doesn't take much

> imagination to connect fish from the Pacific with mercury-laced

> plumes wafting over from China with a long history of mercury mines

> in the northwest -- and voila, rising autism in Oregon.

Pregnant women pass toxins including mercury, on to their children.

If

mercury is a cause of autism this should be taken into account.

[Guest guest]

I think " mercury causes autism " is too simple too. I just hear

the 'mercury causes autism' 'mercury doesn't cause autism' sides

talking about vaccines, often leaving out mercury pollution and

failing completely to mention mercury in pregnant women. They need to

look at that aspect more closely. They've discovered that genes

change expression generationally--that the genes themselves don't

change, but their expression does. Like if your grandmother went

through a famine while she was pregnant, your mother would have been

born with a small birthweight. Then, you would also be born with a

small birthweight even though your mother ate well while she was

pregnant with you. The expression of your grandmother's gene changed

and will pass down that way through several generations, eventually

going back to the way it was. They should look at that, too.

If we are only using one tenth of one percent of our brains as some

say, I can imagine alterations in the brain could bring out latent

positive qualities as well, yet still technically be brain damage.

But that seems too simple, too.

I can also see if we are a more sensitive genetic type, us being

wiped out, killed, or dying out throughout history. Not marrying, not

having children, becoming monks, a tribe of us being killed by a more

aggressive tribe, something environmental getting us possibly, killed

individually by some, depending on the times and culture. I can see

where what are called NTs now, dominating throughout history.

But everything I can think about in regards to us, seems like bits

and pieces in my mind.

>

> > Certainly other neurotoxins -- mercury in fish, just to pick an

> > example often cited -- could harm kids' development whether the

> > mercury in vaccines was ever a problem or not. It doesn't take

much

> > imagination to connect fish from the Pacific with mercury-laced

> > plumes wafting over from China with a long history of mercury

mines

> > in the northwest -- and voila, rising autism in Oregon.

>

> Pregnant women pass toxins including mercury, on to their children.

> If

> mercury is a cause of autism this should be taken into account.

>

[Guest guest]

I'm wondering if autism is some sort of evoloution thing? and maybe

there are some glitches in the process?

I also suspect autism has been around for a long time - but due to

how technology has increased and other factors that there is a rise

in it. Still not 100% sure about the rise, is it better dx

techniques? Is it because of more population? Or is there a genuine

increase? will it get to the point where non autistics will be the

minority? :-) I suspect also a lot of non autistics feel threatened -

and they say we (autistics) don't like change :-)

>

> While mercury cannot be ruled out, I also feel that there is a

> genetic factor involved. People on the spectrum are very much alike

> and it seems like spectrumites will find and marry spectrumites

> rather than non-spectrumites if given the choice or the exposure to

> one another.

>

> Since some professions (such as computer programming) are

> particularly appealing to Aspies, it stands to reason that Aspies

> with similar interests will move to where the jobs are, cluster

> there, find each other, and reproduce with the resulting offspring

> being on the spectrum.

>

> Also possible is that mercury poisoning has messed with DNA and so

> the resulting offspring between Aspies will have the same messed up

> DNA as a consequence.

>

> But I really don't see AS as the result of mercury poisoning. There

> are as many improvements to the human body and mind with AS as

there

> are deficiencies.

>

> Tom

> Administrator

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/3/2006 11:30:14 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, mikecarrie01@... writes:

Before 1930?

Yes, back at least to the 1840's.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/3/2006 11:34:03 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, mikecarrie01@... writes:

Can you point me to the research? I know the 1/10th of 1 percent is an old thought and I wouldn't be surprised if it is outdated. No one knows everything about our brains--they are too complicated and I can't imagine that any of us use them to their full capacity. My esp abilities for example--I wonder if everyone has the capacity but it is latent in most people.

I would like to, but I'm not sure I could point to any one source. I read in one article within the last couple of years this statement, but I seriously doubt I could find it again. The supporting evidence comes from all the studies done with functional MRIs that show the whole brain in use at different times. Basic biology also shows that the body would not keep the brain at its current size and energy use if it were not vitally important.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/3/2006 1:53:26 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, mikecarrie01@... writes:

Good to know. Can you give some descriptions on how you know they were Aspergers? I wonder if anyone else can identify ancestors as well

In my family it is a case of AS coming from the female side. My great great grandmother was artistic and a "character" but not overly social. At least one of her sons had traits, the man who was my great grandfather. He was in business and was also considered a character. His wife may also have been AS as well, or had traits because she was also very artistic and social enough to be proper, though she had a tendency to do things like shoot at noises in outside the house at night or at trespassers around the pond. My grandmother very likely was because she had artistic talent, in writing as opposed to the traditional painting, hated noise, and was hit or miss socially. My uncle probably was as well because of his great interest in trains, never getting married, preferring to alone and not liking noise, among other things.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/3/2006 1:53:26 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, mikecarrie01@... writes:

Good to know. Can you give some descriptions on how you know they were Aspergers? I wonder if anyone else can identify ancestors as well

In my family it is a case of AS coming from the female side. My great great grandmother was artistic and a "character" but not overly social. At least one of her sons had traits, the man who was my great grandfather. He was in business and was also considered a character. His wife may also have been AS as well, or had traits because she was also very artistic and social enough to be proper, though she had a tendency to do things like shoot at noises in outside the house at night or at trespassers around the pond. My grandmother very likely was because she had artistic talent, in writing as opposed to the traditional painting, hated noise, and was hit or miss socially. My uncle probably was as well because of his great interest in trains, never getting married, preferring to alone and not liking noise, among other things.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/3/2006 2:09:39 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, mikecarrie01@... writes:

That would at least show that the brain is used differently by different people and that the brain's potential is varied. I don't think knowledge of the brain is limited to what a scan can show--there's so much unknown about the brain.

We actually know very little about the brain. It is known that if part of the brain is damaged that other parts can compensate by taking over those functions. On the other hand, there are cases where damage to parts of the brain is never recovered. Even so, most cases of brain damage from accidents and such does not come back, except in the few miracle cases that one often hears about.

I think the brain is capable of doing all these things within itself. There are after all many billions of connections and, unlike in a computer, each connection is more than a simple on or off proposition. Each connection has several different chemicals that can act on it and these differing combinations affect connection to a fine degree of control. So, this would have a multiplier effect on the connections, though how great is a matter for someone more knowledgeable on the numbers of chemicals and how exactly they and their combinations would affect the connections.

[Guest guest]

>

>

> " I have family members who were either AS or had traits who were born

well

> before the vaccines came to be. "

Before 1930?

>

[Guest guest]

>

>

" This has been disproven with more modern research. We actually do use

100%

> of our brains, which should be no surprise. After all, the brain uses

20% of

> the calories the body burns, which is a tremendous use of scarce

resources. If

> we really only used 10%, then the brain would atrophy so only that

10% in use

> remained to cut back on energy use. "

Can you point me to the research? I know the 1/10th of 1 percent is an

old thought and I wouldn't be surprised if it is outdated. No one

knows everything about our brains--they are too complicated and I can't

imagine that any of us use them to their full capacity. My esp

abilities for example--I wonder if everyone has the capacity but it is

latent in most people.

>

[Guest guest]

When 100% of the brain reaches full blast activity - every brain-cell

with " pedal to the metal " all at once - doctors have a name for that:

" _grand_mal_ epileptic seizure. "

When 100% of the cells in a muscle contract at once - this sometimes

happens under great emotional stress - a ninety-pound teenager can,

for a few seconds, lift a car off her baby sister who got run over BUT

the ninety-pound teenager will break some bones in the process. (Our

bones' design expects shift-work from the muscle-cells, not every cell

" powering on " all at once.)

Be glad you DON'T use everything you have, at every moment, to its

absolute fullest potential!

Yours for better letters,

Kate Gladstone

Handwriting Repair and the World Handwriting Contest

handwritingrepair@...

http://learn.to/handwrite, http://www.global2000.net/handwritingrepair

325 South Manning Boulevard

Albany, New York 12208-1731 USA

telephone 518/482-6763

AND REMEMBER ...

you can order books through my site!

(Amazon.com link -

I get a 5% - 15% commission on each book sold)

[Guest guest]

My paternal grandma (born in 1900) and my father (born in 1931) showed

(or show - Dad still lives) at least as much " Aspieness " as me.

Yours for better letters,

Kate Gladstone

Handwriting Repair and the World Handwriting Contest

handwritingrepair@...

http://learn.to/handwrite, http://www.global2000.net/handwritingrepair

325 South Manning Boulevard

Albany, New York 12208-1731 USA

telephone 518/482-6763

AND REMEMBER ...

you can order books through my site!

(Amazon.com link -

I get a 5% - 15% commission on each book sold)

[Guest guest]

My grandmother too, born 1924. I don't know if she received

vaccinations in the '30s or not. Her family was poor and lived in the

country in South Carolina.

> > >

> > >

> > > " I have family members who were either AS or had traits who were

> born

> > well

> > > before the vaccines came to be. "

> >

> > Before 1930?

> >

> >

> >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

In biology class in college we learned that our pinky fingers shorten

by one millimeter with each new generation because of its continual

disuse, but it was predicted that this evolution could reverse itself

due to the increasin usage of computer keyboards.

Tom

Administrator

Basic biology also shows that the body would not keep the brain at its

current size and energy use if it were not vitally important.

[Guest guest]

Good to know. Can you give some descriptions on how you know they were

Aspergers? I wonder if anyone else can identify ancestors as well.

-- In , VISIGOTH@... wrote:

>

>

> In a message dated 3/3/2006 11:30:14 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,

> mikecarrie01@... writes:

>

> Before 1930?

>

>

>

> Yes, back at least to the 1840's.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

There's a theory that the brain works like a hologram--it projects

outside the actual grey matter. There's some evidence that this could

be so. It's thought that the actual grey matter is too small to

contain all the thoughts, memories and functions of the brain. That

makes sense to me, because even though synapses are very tiny the

brain really seems too small to contain what it does.

I've also seen where scans show that different parts of the brain are

more in use in different people. For example, I saw a program

regarding children born with water on the brain that caused brain

damage to one part of the brain. The part not damaged was working

harder, taking on some of the other functions and they were very

intelligent in the part that was used-in one case, math. A scan of

a 'normal' brain showed more coverage in the brain but less

concentration in any area, and less brilliance or intelligence in any

area.

That would at least show that the brain is used differently by

different people and that the brain's potential is varied. I don't

think knowledge of the brain is limited to what a scan can show--

there's so much unknown about the brain.

>

>

> In a message dated 3/3/2006 11:34:03 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,

> mikecarrie01@... writes:

>

> Can you point me to the research? I know the 1/10th of 1 percent

is an

> old thought and I wouldn't be surprised if it is outdated. No one

> knows everything about our brains--they are too complicated and I

can't

> imagine that any of us use them to their full capacity. My esp

> abilities for example--I wonder if everyone has the capacity but

it is

> latent in most people.

>

>

>

> I would like to, but I'm not sure I could point to any one source.

I read in

> one article within the last couple of years this statement, but I

seriously

> doubt I could find it again. The supporting evidence comes from all

the

> studies done with functional MRIs that show the whole brain in use

at different

> times. Basic biology also shows that the body would not keep the

brain at its

> current size and energy use if it were not vitally important.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Re:

> In biology class in college we learned that our pinky fingers shorten

> by one millimeter with each new generation because of its continual

> disuse,

If your biology teacher actually taught that disuse shortens

body-parts, s/he needs (if still living) to read some *good* biology

textbooks (or even web-pages) that explain why Lamarckianism doesn't

hold true.

If your biology teacher's theory held true, then by now all Jewish

males would exit the mother's womb already circumcised.

Yours for better letters,

Kate Gladstone

Handwriting Repair and the World Handwriting Contest

handwritingrepair@...

http://learn.to/handwrite, http://www.global2000.net/handwritingrepair

325 South Manning Boulevard

Albany, New York 12208-1731 USA

telephone 518/482-6763

AND REMEMBER ...

you can order books through my site!

(Amazon.com link -

I get a 5% - 15% commission on each book sold)

[Guest guest]

Re:

> In biology class in college we learned that our pinky fingers shorten

> by one millimeter with each new generation because of its continual

> disuse,

If your biology teacher actually taught that disuse shortens

body-parts, s/he needs (if still living) to read some *good* biology

textbooks (or even web-pages) that explain why Lamarckianism doesn't

hold true.

If your biology teacher's theory held true, then by now all Jewish

males would exit the mother's womb already circumcised.

Yours for better letters,

Kate Gladstone

Handwriting Repair and the World Handwriting Contest

handwritingrepair@...

http://learn.to/handwrite, http://www.global2000.net/handwritingrepair

325 South Manning Boulevard

Albany, New York 12208-1731 USA

telephone 518/482-6763

AND REMEMBER ...

you can order books through my site!

(Amazon.com link -

I get a 5% - 15% commission on each book sold)

[Guest guest]

Re:

> Good to know. Can you give some descriptions on >how you know they were

> Aspergers?

Everything I do that got me diagnosed as Asperger's, they also do -

strange use of language, tendency to monologue, tendency not to look

others in the eye, tendency to do amazingly well at systematizing and

amazingly poorly at empathizing, tendency to crave some textures and

crigne at others, and (to some degree or another) just about all the

other things that some folks imagine you need mercury poisoning for.

Yours for better letters,

Kate Gladstone

Handwriting Repair and the World Handwriting Contest

handwritingrepair@...

http://learn.to/handwrite, http://www.global2000.net/handwritingrepair

325 South Manning Boulevard

Albany, New York 12208-1731 USA

telephone 518/482-6763

AND REMEMBER ...

you can order books through my site!

(Amazon.com link -

I get a 5% - 15% commission on each book sold)

[Guest guest]

Re:

> Good to know. Can you give some descriptions on >how you know they were

> Aspergers?

Everything I do that got me diagnosed as Asperger's, they also do -

strange use of language, tendency to monologue, tendency not to look

others in the eye, tendency to do amazingly well at systematizing and

amazingly poorly at empathizing, tendency to crave some textures and

crigne at others, and (to some degree or another) just about all the

other things that some folks imagine you need mercury poisoning for.

Yours for better letters,

Kate Gladstone

Handwriting Repair and the World Handwriting Contest

handwritingrepair@...

http://learn.to/handwrite, http://www.global2000.net/handwritingrepair

325 South Manning Boulevard

Albany, New York 12208-1731 USA

telephone 518/482-6763

AND REMEMBER ...

you can order books through my site!

(Amazon.com link -

I get a 5% - 15% commission on each book sold)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/3/2006 5:05:01 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, julie.stevenson16@... writes:

I think it has been discovered that the brains of those on the autism spectrum are different? but I can't quite remember how - is it frontal lobe/cortex or something?

There is some difference, but I can't remember where that is either.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/3/2006 5:05:01 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, julie.stevenson16@... writes:

I think it has been discovered that the brains of those on the autism spectrum are different? but I can't quite remember how - is it frontal lobe/cortex or something?

There is some difference, but I can't remember where that is either.