Re: FW: Toddler TV causes autism?

[Guest guest]

I'm new to this (my son was diagnosed in July) so I don't mean to start a huge

debate or offend anyone who has been living with this much longer than I have

and has done more research, but it seems that everyone is dismissing this

hypothesis rather quickly. Obviously much more research is needed (including

researching vaccines as a possible cause) but to me, this hypothesis is not as

ludicrous as many of you seem to think it is. In the case of my son, I know

that he watched way too much TV as a toddler. I'm not proud of the fact, but

it's true. Prior to being diagnosed, I thought that his " differences " were a

result of his TV viewing.

To be honest if scientists are able to provide further evidence that this is a

cause, I would certainly believe it to be the cause in my son's case. Again,

I'm new but am I the only one who thinks that they might be on to something?

Toddler TV causes autism?

This is the most creative piece of research I've seen yet. , you ought

to share this one with your autism advocacy group and see what they say

about it!

stl

Web address: http://www.scienced aily.com/ releases/ 2006/10/06101715 0526.htm

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ images/logo. gif>

Source: Cornell University <http://www.cornell. edu/>

Date: October 17, 2006

Early Childhood TV Viewing May Trigger Autism, Data Analysis Suggests

A series of data sets analyzed in a paper by economists at Cornell

University and Indiana University-Purdue University suggest a connection

between early childhood television viewing and the onset of autism. And the

authors urge further investigation and research by experts in the field.

In a paper to be presented at a conference of the National Bureau of

Economic Research, Oct. 20, in Cambridge, Mass., the authors reviewed data

from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey on TV

viewership rates among children and compared it with data from the National

Climactic Data Center, which looks at the amount of precipitation

communities receive. This analysis showed that children from rainy counties

watch more television. When autism rates were then compared between rainy

and drier counties, the relationship between high precipitation and levels

of autism was positive.

" We tested our hypothesis using existing, well-known data, " said

Waldman, a professor of economics at Cornell's Graduate School of

Management and a co-author of the research paper. " The analysis shows that

early childhood television viewing could be an environmental trigger for the

onset of autism and strongly points to the need for more research by experts

in the field of autism. "

Thirty years ago, it was estimated that roughly one in 2,500 children had

autism, while today some estimate that number to have increased more than

tenfold, to as high as one in 166. At the same time, television viewing has

increased dramatically due to easy access to cable and satellite television,

more traditional broadcast offerings and the market penetration of VCRs and

DVDs.

Because there are no large data sets that track whether children who watch a

lot of TV when they are young are more likely to develop autism, the authors

examined the connection between autism and two factors that generally

increase the amount of TV that young children watch: precipitation and

access to cable TV. They find that current school-aged children who live in

California, Oregon, and Washington counties that received large amounts of

rain and snow when the children were young are more likely to be diagnosed

with autism. Furthermore, children who grew up in California and

Pennsylvania counties during the 1970s and 80s with high cable subscription

rates were also more likely to be diagnosed with autism. These analyses

control for differences between counties in income, population, and

demographic mix - other factors that may influence the autism rate - and

also examine changes in county autism rates over time as well as differences

at a point in time.

" Our analysis is not definitive, but it certainly raises questions that seem

to have gone unasked in autism research to date, " added Nicholson, an

associate professor of policy analysis and management in Cornell's College

of Human Ecology. " The medical community is increasingly convinced that

something is happening in the environment that triggers an underlying

biological or genetic predisposition toward autism, and these findings

strongly support the need for taking a closer look at early childhood

television viewing. "

Waldman and Nicholson were joined by Nodir Adilov, a professor of economics

at Indiana University-Purdue University, in their research.

Copyright C 1995-2006 ScienceDaily LLC - All rights reserved - Contact:

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401 W. 15th Street

Austin, TX 78701

[Guest guest]

I read a book not very long ago, and I apologize that I can't recall the

name, but she started out talking about how she noticed something different

about her son when he was born, before he even left the hospital. I know

there are parents of children with autism who have also felt that difference

before their child ever got a chance to watch tv.

When you look at things like how much more prevalent the rate is of autism

in boys, and the theory of testosterone and other hormones being a factor,

it makes sense. When you hear about a child who was perfectly " normal " until

the day they get a shot and then within days become strangers to their

parents, the theory of vaccinations as a factor, makes sense. Television

viewing causing autism doesn't really make a lot of sense to most of us who

hang on every report of studies being done and therapies that make a

difference. We're desperate for answers, but we need the right answers and

not a wild shot in the dark. This whole thing is purely a coincidence, IMO

and I can't even believe a University like Cornell would actually publicize

it.

For what it's worth, there's my 2 cents,

Anne

-- Re: FW: Toddler TV causes autism?

I'm new to this (my son was diagnosed in July) so I don't mean to start a

huge debate or offend anyone who has been living with this much longer than

I have and has done more research, but it seems that everyone is dismissing

this hypothesis rather quickly. Obviously much more research is needed

(including researching vaccines as a possible cause) but to me, this

hypothesis is not as ludicrous as many of you seem to think it is. In the

case of my son, I know that he watched way too much TV as a toddler. I'm

not proud of the fact, but it's true. Prior to being diagnosed, I thought

that his " differences " were a result of his TV viewing.

To be honest if scientists are able to provide further evidence that this is

a cause, I would certainly believe it to be the cause in my son's case.

Again, I'm new but am I the only one who thinks that they might be on to

something?

Toddler TV causes autism?

This is the most creative piece of research I've seen yet. , you ought

to share this one with your autism advocacy group and see what they say

about it!

stl

Web address: http://www.scienced aily.com/ releases/ 2006/10/06101715 0526

htm

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ images/logo. gif>

Source: Cornell University <http://www.cornell. edu/>

Date: October 17, 2006

Early Childhood TV Viewing May Trigger Autism, Data Analysis Suggests

A series of data sets analyzed in a paper by economists at Cornell

University and Indiana University-Purdue University suggest a connection

between early childhood television viewing and the onset of autism. And the

authors urge further investigation and research by experts in the field.

In a paper to be presented at a conference of the National Bureau of

Economic Research, Oct. 20, in Cambridge, Mass., the authors reviewed data

from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey on TV

viewership rates among children and compared it with data from the National

Climactic Data Center, which looks at the amount of precipitation

communities receive. This analysis showed that children from rainy counties

watch more television. When autism rates were then compared between rainy

and drier counties, the relationship between high precipitation and levels

of autism was positive.

" We tested our hypothesis using existing, well-known data, " said

Waldman, a professor of economics at Cornell's Graduate School of

Management and a co-author of the research paper. " The analysis shows that

early childhood television viewing could be an environmental trigger for the

onset of autism and strongly points to the need for more research by experts

in the field of autism. "

Thirty years ago, it was estimated that roughly one in 2,500 children had

autism, while today some estimate that number to have increased more than

tenfold, to as high as one in 166. At the same time, television viewing has

increased dramatically due to easy access to cable and satellite television,

more traditional broadcast offerings and the market penetration of VCRs and

DVDs.

Because there are no large data sets that track whether children who watch a

lot of TV when they are young are more likely to develop autism, the authors

examined the connection between autism and two factors that generally

increase the amount of TV that young children watch: precipitation and

access to cable TV. They find that current school-aged children who live in

California, Oregon, and Washington counties that received large amounts of

rain and snow when the children were young are more likely to be diagnosed

with autism. Furthermore, children who grew up in California and

Pennsylvania counties during the 1970s and 80s with high cable subscription

rates were also more likely to be diagnosed with autism. These analyses

control for differences between counties in income, population, and

demographic mix - other factors that may influence the autism rate - and

also examine changes in county autism rates over time as well as differences

at a point in time.

" Our analysis is not definitive, but it certainly raises questions that seem

to have gone unasked in autism research to date, " added Nicholson, an

associate professor of policy analysis and management in Cornell's College

of Human Ecology. " The medical community is increasingly convinced that

something is happening in the environment that triggers an underlying

biological or genetic predisposition toward autism, and these findings

strongly support the need for taking a closer look at early childhood

television viewing. "

Waldman and Nicholson were joined by Nodir Adilov, a professor of economics

at Indiana University-Purdue University, in their research.

Copyright C 1995-2006 ScienceDaily LLC - All rights reserved - Contact:

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ contact/> editorremoveme (DOT) sciencedaily. com

About This Site <http://www.scienced aily.com/ about.htm> | Editorial Staff

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ staff.htm> | Awards

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ awards.htm> & Reviews | Contribute News

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<http://www.scienced aily.com/ privacy.htm> Policy | Terms

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ terms.htm> of Use

_____

Improving the Health of All Texans

Texas Medical Association

<http://www.texmed. org/> www.texmed.org

401 W. 15th Street

Austin, TX 78701

[Guest guest]

If you have not found out thus far, you will soon see that people relate all

sorts of thoeries to autism. It is a very complicated disorder and in an

attempt to explain it, people go to desperate measures. The other day somebody

tried to tell me that autism is an evolutionary trait and that people with

autism are more evolved than others. This was the most bizarre theory I have

heard, but this t.v. theory is up there too. My son didn't watch t.v., which,

of course doesn't mean it is not true that t.v. could cause autism, but in my

son's case it is not possible. I need to look at the research done here about

the t.v. theory.

I know when I first found out my son is autistic I blamed myself and tried

desperately to figure out what went wrong, now I focus more on intervention it

seems to be working good. I found out almost 2 years ago this December and now

he is mainstreamed into regular kindergaten. Good luck.

Bernstein wrote:

I'm new to this (my son was diagnosed in July) so I don't mean to

start a huge debate or offend anyone who has been living with this much longer

than I have and has done more research, but it seems that everyone is dismissing

this hypothesis rather quickly. Obviously much more research is needed

(including researching vaccines as a possible cause) but to me, this hypothesis

is not as ludicrous as many of you seem to think it is. In the case of my son, I

know that he watched way too much TV as a toddler. I'm not proud of the fact,

but it's true. Prior to being diagnosed, I thought that his " differences " were a

result of his TV viewing.

To be honest if scientists are able to provide further evidence that this is a

cause, I would certainly believe it to be the cause in my son's case. Again, I'm

new but am I the only one who thinks that they might be on to something?

Toddler TV causes autism?

This is the most creative piece of research I've seen yet. , you ought

to share this one with your autism advocacy group and see what they say

about it!

stl

Web address: http://www.scienced aily.com/ releases/ 2006/10/06101715 0526.htm

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ images/logo. gif>

Source: Cornell University <http://www.cornell. edu/>

Date: October 17, 2006

Early Childhood TV Viewing May Trigger Autism, Data Analysis Suggests

A series of data sets analyzed in a paper by economists at Cornell

University and Indiana University-Purdue University suggest a connection

between early childhood television viewing and the onset of autism. And the

authors urge further investigation and research by experts in the field.

In a paper to be presented at a conference of the National Bureau of

Economic Research, Oct. 20, in Cambridge, Mass., the authors reviewed data

from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey on TV

viewership rates among children and compared it with data from the National

Climactic Data Center, which looks at the amount of precipitation

communities receive. This analysis showed that children from rainy counties

watch more television. When autism rates were then compared between rainy

and drier counties, the relationship between high precipitation and levels

of autism was positive.

" We tested our hypothesis using existing, well-known data, " said

Waldman, a professor of economics at Cornell's Graduate School of

Management and a co-author of the research paper. " The analysis shows that

early childhood television viewing could be an environmental trigger for the

onset of autism and strongly points to the need for more research by experts

in the field of autism. "

Thirty years ago, it was estimated that roughly one in 2,500 children had

autism, while today some estimate that number to have increased more than

tenfold, to as high as one in 166. At the same time, television viewing has

increased dramatically due to easy access to cable and satellite television,

more traditional broadcast offerings and the market penetration of VCRs and

DVDs.

Because there are no large data sets that track whether children who watch a

lot of TV when they are young are more likely to develop autism, the authors

examined the connection between autism and two factors that generally

increase the amount of TV that young children watch: precipitation and

access to cable TV. They find that current school-aged children who live in

California, Oregon, and Washington counties that received large amounts of

rain and snow when the children were young are more likely to be diagnosed

with autism. Furthermore, children who grew up in California and

Pennsylvania counties during the 1970s and 80s with high cable subscription

rates were also more likely to be diagnosed with autism. These analyses

control for differences between counties in income, population, and

demographic mix - other factors that may influence the autism rate - and

also examine changes in county autism rates over time as well as differences

at a point in time.

" Our analysis is not definitive, but it certainly raises questions that seem

to have gone unasked in autism research to date, " added Nicholson, an

associate professor of policy analysis and management in Cornell's College

of Human Ecology. " The medical community is increasingly convinced that

something is happening in the environment that triggers an underlying

biological or genetic predisposition toward autism, and these findings

strongly support the need for taking a closer look at early childhood

television viewing. "

Waldman and Nicholson were joined by Nodir Adilov, a professor of economics

at Indiana University-Purdue University, in their research.

Copyright C 1995-2006 ScienceDaily LLC - All rights reserved - Contact:

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ contact/> editorremoveme (DOT) sciencedaily. com

About This Site <http://www.scienced aily.com/ about.htm> | Editorial Staff

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ staff.htm> | Awards

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ awards.htm> & Reviews | Contribute News

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ contribute/> | Advertise With Us

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<http://www.scienced aily.com/ privacy.htm> Policy | Terms

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ terms.htm> of Use

_____

Improving the Health of All Texans

Texas Medical Association

<http://www.texmed. org/> www.texmed.org

401 W. 15th Street

Austin, TX 78701

[Guest guest]

I just have to add something additional- if you EVER could have gotten my

daughter to watch 5 minutes of television, I'd eat my hat.

My two neurotypical children watch far more television than she ever has (or

probably ever will).

angela miller wrote:

If you have not found out thus far, you will soon see that people

relate all sorts of thoeries to autism. It is a very complicated disorder and in

an attempt to explain it, people go to desperate measures. The other day

somebody tried to tell me that autism is an evolutionary trait and that people

with autism are more evolved than others. This was the most bizarre theory I

have heard, but this t.v. theory is up there too. My son didn't watch t.v.,

which, of course doesn't mean it is not true that t.v. could cause autism, but

in my son's case it is not possible. I need to look at the research done here

about the t.v. theory.

I know when I first found out my son is autistic I blamed myself and tried

desperately to figure out what went wrong, now I focus more on intervention it

seems to be working good. I found out almost 2 years ago this December and now

he is mainstreamed into regular kindergaten. Good luck.

Bernstein wrote:

I'm new to this (my son was diagnosed in July) so I don't mean to start a huge

debate or offend anyone who has been living with this much longer than I have

and has done more research, but it seems that everyone is dismissing this

hypothesis rather quickly. Obviously much more research is needed (including

researching vaccines as a possible cause) but to me, this hypothesis is not as

ludicrous as many of you seem to think it is. In the case of my son, I know that

he watched way too much TV as a toddler. I'm not proud of the fact, but it's

true. Prior to being diagnosed, I thought that his " differences " were a result

of his TV viewing.

To be honest if scientists are able to provide further evidence that this is a

cause, I would certainly believe it to be the cause in my son's case. Again, I'm

new but am I the only one who thinks that they might be on to something?

Toddler TV causes autism?

This is the most creative piece of research I've seen yet. , you ought

to share this one with your autism advocacy group and see what they say

about it!

stl

Web address: http://www.scienced aily.com/ releases/ 2006/10/06101715 0526.htm

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ images/logo. gif>

Source: Cornell University <http://www.cornell. edu/>

Date: October 17, 2006

Early Childhood TV Viewing May Trigger Autism, Data Analysis Suggests

A series of data sets analyzed in a paper by economists at Cornell

University and Indiana University-Purdue University suggest a connection

between early childhood television viewing and the onset of autism. And the

authors urge further investigation and research by experts in the field.

In a paper to be presented at a conference of the National Bureau of

Economic Research, Oct. 20, in Cambridge, Mass., the authors reviewed data

from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey on TV

viewership rates among children and compared it with data from the National

Climactic Data Center, which looks at the amount of precipitation

communities receive. This analysis showed that children from rainy counties

watch more television. When autism rates were then compared between rainy

and drier counties, the relationship between high precipitation and levels

of autism was positive.

" We tested our hypothesis using existing, well-known data, " said

Waldman, a professor of economics at Cornell's Graduate School of

Management and a co-author of the research paper. " The analysis shows that

early childhood television viewing could be an environmental trigger for the

onset of autism and strongly points to the need for more research by experts

in the field of autism. "

Thirty years ago, it was estimated that roughly one in 2,500 children had

autism, while today some estimate that number to have increased more than

tenfold, to as high as one in 166. At the same time, television viewing has

increased dramatically due to easy access to cable and satellite television,

more traditional broadcast offerings and the market penetration of VCRs and

DVDs.

Because there are no large data sets that track whether children who watch a

lot of TV when they are young are more likely to develop autism, the authors

examined the connection between autism and two factors that generally

increase the amount of TV that young children watch: precipitation and

access to cable TV. They find that current school-aged children who live in

California, Oregon, and Washington counties that received large amounts of

rain and snow when the children were young are more likely to be diagnosed

with autism. Furthermore, children who grew up in California and

Pennsylvania counties during the 1970s and 80s with high cable subscription

rates were also more likely to be diagnosed with autism. These analyses

control for differences between counties in income, population, and

demographic mix - other factors that may influence the autism rate - and

also examine changes in county autism rates over time as well as differences

at a point in time.

" Our analysis is not definitive, but it certainly raises questions that seem

to have gone unasked in autism research to date, " added Nicholson, an

associate professor of policy analysis and management in Cornell's College

of Human Ecology. " The medical community is increasingly convinced that

something is happening in the environment that triggers an underlying

biological or genetic predisposition toward autism, and these findings

strongly support the need for taking a closer look at early childhood

television viewing. "

Waldman and Nicholson were joined by Nodir Adilov, a professor of economics

at Indiana University-Purdue University, in their research.

Copyright C 1995-2006 ScienceDaily LLC - All rights reserved - Contact:

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ contact/> editorremoveme (DOT) sciencedaily. com

About This Site <http://www.scienced aily.com/ about.htm> | Editorial Staff

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ staff.htm> | Awards

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ awards.htm> & Reviews | Contribute News

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ contribute/> | Advertise With Us

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<http://www.scienced aily.com/ privacy.htm> Policy | Terms

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ terms.htm> of Use

_____

Improving the Health of All Texans

Texas Medical Association

<http://www.texmed. org/> www.texmed.org

401 W. 15th Street

Austin, TX 78701

[Guest guest]

I think probably our kids did watch more TV than most because they did not

relate well to people and it was easier for them to be in their own world with a

TV than try to cope with all that was going on in the real world.

Just my 2 cents worth

[Guest guest]

,

You are entitled to your opinion, but to a lot of us this study

just smacks of poor science. Television is such a common thing in

homes and peoples lives (even in the 70's/80's when cable was just

appearing) they really could have correlated this rain data with

anything common in peoples homes across all demographics and " see "

some sort of connection -they chose cable and television because of

someone's idea about how tv might be affecting children, and they

have what they feel is lots of comprehensive data to base the

results of their study on because of the availability of records

about tv ownership/ cable viewership etc. but that doesn't make it a

good correlation. For example, Why not try to say those kids ride in

cars more and the seat belts or watching the windshield wipers were

somehow a contributing factor.? To be a good study they would need

to look at other areas of the country where children spend more time

indoors for other reasons and look at the autism rates there - are

is the rate similar in areas like Alaska or Wisconsin? And what

about areas where there is a rise in autism at the same or even

higher rate where children don't spend extra time indoors in front

of the tv? If there is any connection between tv viewership and

children with autism it is more likely a relationship based on tv

meeting some need of the affected child thus increasing the time the

child wants to spend watching tv. Autism is marked by problems with

creative thinking, social impairment, language impairment etc. -

those kids with such problems may enjoy tv more than their

unaffected peers because they lack the social interaction skills or

language skills to play or understand social rules to games or

imaginary play by their peers, the tv might meet visual or auditory

stimulation needs of some kids, and some kids might prefer the

predictability of the television charaters and schedule to the

unpredictable nature of peers and people in general. Also, a lot of

our kiddos are very visual learners - tv may be giving them

information in a format that really draws their attention. I'm sure

if it's not mentioned in this study, any future study will bring up

the increase and the obsession some of our kiddos have with DVD's,

but again - I think it's more the predictability & the ability to

watch something over and over to understand it better (someone who

is struggling with expressive and receptive communication might need

more than one viewing to understand why the characters do what they

do or say what they say).

Personally, I think this study was insane to begin with - but my

kid doesn't watch that much tv - he likes what he likes (and prefers

videos of his favorite shows to new episodes) but the rest he tunes

out - his cousins zone out in front of the tv way more that he does

and there isn't anything wrong with them. But that doesn't mean I'm

in favor of leaving our kids to veg-out all day long in front of the

tv (not that anyone I can think of would even do that) -because

intervention that causes kids to interact with their environment

(whether you choose ABA or floortime or any other therapy) has been

shown to make a significant difference especially in their preschool

years while their brain is still doing a lot of the wiring.

I hope this explains a little better some of the problems that

I at least, see with this study & why you probably shouldn't get

your hopes up for this to be a definitive answer for you.

All my best,

>

> I'm new to this (my son was diagnosed in July)... ) but to me,

this hypothesis is not as ludicrous as many of you seem to think it

is...

To be honest if scientists are able to provide further evidence

that this is a cause, I would certainly believe it to be the cause

in my son's case. Again, I'm new but am I the only one who thinks

that they might be on to something?

>

[Guest guest]

Hello, and welcome,

Probably the best data available on the changing prevalance of

autism in the United States are statistics from the California

Department of Developmental Services (DDS). They normally quote

numbers of full-blown autism, so these rates are not as susceptible

to criticism for including many spectrum disorders that were

unrecognized in the past.

If you look at their data, there is a very sharp rise in autism

rates beginning in the late 1980's when two things occurred very

close together -- two new infant vaccines were added to the

immunization schedule, and the triple-jab live virus MMR was

introduced (previously the monovalent shots, separated, had been

used).

The sharp rise continues throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s,

and as other states got better at gathering statistics, the alarming

increase was seen all over the country.

When you've been to some of the national autism conferences, seen

many speakers such as Boyd Haley, Ph.D., Jill , Ph.D.

Deth, Ph.D., Martha Herbert, M.D., Jeff Bradstreet, M.D.,

Wakefield, M.D., Mark Blaxill, etc. etc. etc. (a list of extremely

intelligent names with impressive credentials goes on) the picture

becomes crystal clear.

I firmly believe nobody could possibly prove that, beginning in the

late 1980's, infants and children mysteriously began watching

television, maniacally, en masse, and each year for the next decade,

more children watched even more TV resulting in autism prevalance

rates skyrocketing. No offense, but it's too ridiculous when you

understand the historical data, and you've researched the clinical

data to support causation between toxins (including but not limited

to mercury and aluminum in vaccines), live viruses (both wild

viruses and vaccine-strain viruses which incidentally, we don't have

God-like control over as public health officials would have you

believe) and bacteria (ie. lyme, etc.)

The top officials at the CDC, FDA, the White House, etc., as well as

pharmaceutical companies, know the real cause. If they honestly

believed vaccination policy, which has been mismanaged as a giant

experiment on the human race, was not related to autism, they would

have long ago insisted on well-conducted research in the United

States with complete transparency comparing vaccinated and

unvaccinated populations. Instead, they stop at nothing to cover

their tracks. In their own words, the CDC and FDA were " asleep at

the switch " when it comes to oversight of the vaccine program.

It's really painfully simple. Dr. Haley recently said in an

interview, he feels as if he's been in an argument with the town

drunk for fourteen years, discussing whether or not it is a good

idea to, for any reason, inject human beings, particularly our most

vulnerable infants, with the second most toxic substance on Earth.

Lots of us are just tired of arguing with " town drunks " so we come

together in frustration on forums like this.

BTW, I know there are many on this list who might disagree with what

I've said so I don't speak for everyone on this list by any means.

There are certainly unvaccinated children with autism, but as I

said, vaccinations were not and are still not the only way to harm a

susceptible individual.

Sorry so long-winded.

Regards,

>

> I'm new to this (my son was diagnosed in July) so I don't mean to

start a huge debate or offend anyone who has been living with this

much longer than I have and has done more research, but it seems

that everyone is dismissing this hypothesis rather quickly.

Obviously much more research is needed (including researching

vaccines as a possible cause) but to me, this hypothesis is not as

ludicrous as many of you seem to think it is. In the case of my

son, I know that he watched way too much TV as a toddler. I'm not

proud of the fact, but it's true. Prior to being diagnosed, I

thought that his " differences " were a result of his TV viewing.

>

> To be honest if scientists are able to provide further evidence

that this is a cause, I would certainly believe it to be the cause

in my son's case. Again, I'm new but am I the only one who thinks

that they might be on to something?

>

>

> Toddler TV causes autism?

>

> This is the most creative piece of research I've seen yet. ,

you ought

> to share this one with your autism advocacy group and see what

they say

> about it!

>

> stl

>

> Web address: http://www.scienced aily.com/ releases/

2006/10/06101715 0526.htm

>

> <http://www.scienced aily.com/ images/logo. gif>

>

> Source: Cornell University <http://www.cornell. edu/>

> Date: October 17, 2006

>

>

> Early Childhood TV Viewing May Trigger Autism, Data Analysis

Suggests

>

> A series of data sets analyzed in a paper by economists at Cornell

> University and Indiana University-Purdue University suggest a

connection

> between early childhood television viewing and the onset of

autism. And the

> authors urge further investigation and research by experts in the

field.

>

> In a paper to be presented at a conference of the National Bureau

of

> Economic Research, Oct. 20, in Cambridge, Mass., the authors

reviewed data

> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey on TV

> viewership rates among children and compared it with data from the

National

> Climactic Data Center, which looks at the amount of precipitation

> communities receive. This analysis showed that children from rainy

counties

> watch more television. When autism rates were then compared

between rainy

> and drier counties, the relationship between high precipitation

and levels

> of autism was positive.

>

> " We tested our hypothesis using existing, well-known data, " said

> Waldman, a professor of economics at Cornell's Graduate

School of

> Management and a co-author of the research paper. " The analysis

shows that

> early childhood television viewing could be an environmental

trigger for the

> onset of autism and strongly points to the need for more research

by experts

> in the field of autism. "

>

> Thirty years ago, it was estimated that roughly one in 2,500

children had

> autism, while today some estimate that number to have increased

more than

> tenfold, to as high as one in 166. At the same time, television

viewing has

> increased dramatically due to easy access to cable and satellite

television,

> more traditional broadcast offerings and the market penetration of

VCRs and

> DVDs.

>

> Because there are no large data sets that track whether children

who watch a

> lot of TV when they are young are more likely to develop autism,

the authors

> examined the connection between autism and two factors that

generally

> increase the amount of TV that young children watch: precipitation

and

> access to cable TV. They find that current school-aged children

who live in

> California, Oregon, and Washington counties that received large

amounts of

> rain and snow when the children were young are more likely to be

diagnosed

> with autism. Furthermore, children who grew up in California and

> Pennsylvania counties during the 1970s and 80s with high cable

subscription

> rates were also more likely to be diagnosed with autism. These

analyses

> control for differences between counties in income, population, and

> demographic mix - other factors that may influence the autism

rate - and

> also examine changes in county autism rates over time as well as

differences

> at a point in time.

>

> " Our analysis is not definitive, but it certainly raises questions

that seem

> to have gone unasked in autism research to date, " added

Nicholson, an

> associate professor of policy analysis and management in Cornell's

College

> of Human Ecology. " The medical community is increasingly convinced

that

> something is happening in the environment that triggers an

underlying

> biological or genetic predisposition toward autism, and these

findings

> strongly support the need for taking a closer look at early

childhood

> television viewing. "

>

> Waldman and Nicholson were joined by Nodir Adilov, a professor of

economics

> at Indiana University-Purdue University, in their research.

>

> Copyright C 1995-2006 ScienceDaily LLC - All rights reserved -

Contact:

> <http://www.scienced aily.com/ contact/> editorremoveme (DOT)

sciencedaily. com

> About This Site <http://www.scienced aily.com/ about.htm> |

Editorial Staff

> <http://www.scienced aily.com/ staff.htm> | Awards

> <http://www.scienced aily.com/ awards.htm> & Reviews | Contribute

News

> <http://www.scienced aily.com/ contribute/> | Advertise With Us

> <http://www.scienced aily.com/ advertise/> | Privacy

> <http://www.scienced aily.com/ privacy.htm> Policy | Terms

> <http://www.scienced aily.com/ terms.htm> of Use

>

> _____

>

> Improving the Health of All Texans

>

> Texas Medical Association

> <http://www.texmed. org/> www.texmed.org

> 401 W. 15th Street

> Austin, TX 78701

>

>

[Guest guest]

I also want to welcome you. But I feel I must comment on this. My

son is 10 and I have done much research on the subject of vaccines

and autism. The timing of his regression and his MMR/Varciella is

no coincidence. Also, he did not watch an excessive amount of

television before his diagnosis. It might be easy for them to say

that TV might have caused something in their brains but my mom

mentioned something she saw on one of her other lists. Can it

account for auto immune disorder, sensory intergration problems,

gastro intestional issues etc etc all things that most of our

children suffer from ??? obviously the " researchers " dont have a

clear understanding of everything that comes along w/ an autism

diagnosis.... im sorry but it all points to vaccines compromising

our childrens immune systems, damaging their brains w/ mercury

during a crucial time of devolpment and also damaging their gut w/

live virus' and toxins ... there is so much more info out there than

there was 8 yrs ago for us!! you have a chance for early

intervention dont fall for bogus theories there really isnt time to

waste:) I wish you the best

April

> >

> > I'm new to this (my son was diagnosed in July) so I don't mean

to

> start a huge debate or offend anyone who has been living with this

> much longer than I have and has done more research, but it seems

> that everyone is dismissing this hypothesis rather quickly.

> Obviously much more research is needed (including researching

> vaccines as a possible cause) but to me, this hypothesis is not as

> ludicrous as many of you seem to think it is. In the case of my

> son, I know that he watched way too much TV as a toddler. I'm not

> proud of the fact, but it's true. Prior to being diagnosed, I

> thought that his " differences " were a result of his TV viewing.

> >

> > To be honest if scientists are able to provide further evidence

> that this is a cause, I would certainly believe it to be the cause

> in my son's case. Again, I'm new but am I the only one who thinks

> that they might be on to something?

> >

> >

> > Toddler TV causes autism?

> >

> > This is the most creative piece of research I've seen yet.

,

> you ought

> > to share this one with your autism advocacy group and see what

> they say

> > about it!

> >

> > stl

> >

> > Web address: http://www.scienced aily.com/ releases/

> 2006/10/06101715 0526.htm

> >

> > <http://www.scienced aily.com/ images/logo. gif>

> >

> > Source: Cornell University <http://www.cornell. edu/>

> > Date: October 17, 2006

> >

> >

> > Early Childhood TV Viewing May Trigger Autism, Data Analysis

> Suggests

> >

> > A series of data sets analyzed in a paper by economists at

Cornell

> > University and Indiana University-Purdue University suggest a

> connection

> > between early childhood television viewing and the onset of

> autism. And the

> > authors urge further investigation and research by experts in

the

> field.

> >

> > In a paper to be presented at a conference of the National

Bureau

> of

> > Economic Research, Oct. 20, in Cambridge, Mass., the authors

> reviewed data

> > from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey on

TV

> > viewership rates among children and compared it with data from

the

> National

> > Climactic Data Center, which looks at the amount of precipitation

> > communities receive. This analysis showed that children from

rainy

> counties

> > watch more television. When autism rates were then compared

> between rainy

> > and drier counties, the relationship between high precipitation

> and levels

> > of autism was positive.

> >

> > " We tested our hypothesis using existing, well-known data, " said

>

> > Waldman, a professor of economics at Cornell's Graduate

> School of

> > Management and a co-author of the research paper. " The analysis

> shows that

> > early childhood television viewing could be an environmental

> trigger for the

> > onset of autism and strongly points to the need for more

research

> by experts

> > in the field of autism. "

> >

> > Thirty years ago, it was estimated that roughly one in 2,500

> children had

> > autism, while today some estimate that number to have increased

> more than

> > tenfold, to as high as one in 166. At the same time, television

> viewing has

> > increased dramatically due to easy access to cable and satellite

> television,

> > more traditional broadcast offerings and the market penetration

of

> VCRs and

> > DVDs.

> >

> > Because there are no large data sets that track whether children

> who watch a

> > lot of TV when they are young are more likely to develop autism,

> the authors

> > examined the connection between autism and two factors that

> generally

> > increase the amount of TV that young children watch:

precipitation

> and

> > access to cable TV. They find that current school-aged children

> who live in

> > California, Oregon, and Washington counties that received large

> amounts of

> > rain and snow when the children were young are more likely to be

> diagnosed

> > with autism. Furthermore, children who grew up in California and

> > Pennsylvania counties during the 1970s and 80s with high cable

> subscription

> > rates were also more likely to be diagnosed with autism. These

> analyses

> > control for differences between counties in income, population,

and

> > demographic mix - other factors that may influence the autism

> rate - and

> > also examine changes in county autism rates over time as well as

> differences

> > at a point in time.

> >

> > " Our analysis is not definitive, but it certainly raises

questions

> that seem

> > to have gone unasked in autism research to date, " added

> Nicholson, an

> > associate professor of policy analysis and management in

Cornell's

> College

> > of Human Ecology. " The medical community is increasingly

convinced

> that

> > something is happening in the environment that triggers an

> underlying

> > biological or genetic predisposition toward autism, and these

> findings

> > strongly support the need for taking a closer look at early

> childhood

> > television viewing. "

> >

> > Waldman and Nicholson were joined by Nodir Adilov, a professor

of

> economics

> > at Indiana University-Purdue University, in their research.

> >

> > Copyright C 1995-2006 ScienceDaily LLC - All rights reserved -

> Contact:

> > <http://www.scienced aily.com/ contact/> editorremoveme (DOT)

> sciencedaily. com

> > About This Site <http://www.scienced aily.com/ about.htm> |

> Editorial Staff

> > <http://www.scienced aily.com/ staff.htm> | Awards

> > <http://www.scienced aily.com/ awards.htm> & Reviews |

Contribute

> News

> > <http://www.scienced aily.com/ contribute/> | Advertise With Us

> > <http://www.scienced aily.com/ advertise/> | Privacy

> > <http://www.scienced aily.com/ privacy.htm> Policy | Terms

> > <http://www.scienced aily.com/ terms.htm> of Use

> >

> > _____

> >

> > Improving the Health of All Texans

> >

> > Texas Medical Association

> > <http://www.texmed. org/> www.texmed.org

> > 401 W. 15th Street

> > Austin, TX 78701

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

If you're new, you might not realize that there were lots of people who

didn't think it was ludicrous to blame mothers for their child's autism.

There was not a shred of evidence to support this. A psychiatrist even

wrote a book stating this, but refrigerator mothers causing autism continued

to be the prevalent opinion for almost 30 years. So up until about 10 years

ago, when you took your kid with autism to the doctor to ask what was wrong,

the doc would respond, " You are. "

I think many of the kids are attracted to tv because it can be repetitive

(with videos) and directed views to the relative action. Also, many of the

faces are overexaggerated (esp. with ).

If it really were due to TV viewing, then why didn't it start in the late

70's? Why did the rate spike, go almost vertical on the graph, after

children starting being vaccinated for Hep B on the day of birth???????

The problem is that the CDC wants to move the attention to ANYTHING but

vaccines. They could probably also look at ultrasounds for my money, as

ultrasounds increased tremendously in the same time frame. How about cel

phones? Or Garfield? How about Reaganomics? Maybe Regan caused a spike in

autism rates. . . . . . . .add that to older dad sperm and uhhhhh I forget

what other nonsense has been spewed out lately.

S.

Re: FW: Toddler TV causes autism?

I'm new to this (my son was diagnosed in July) so I don't mean to start a

huge debate or offend anyone who has been living with this much longer than

I have and has done more research, but it seems that everyone is dismissing

this hypothesis rather quickly. Obviously much more research is needed

(including researching vaccines as a possible cause) but to me, this

hypothesis is not as ludicrous as many of you seem to think it is. In the

case of my son, I know that he watched way too much TV as a toddler. I'm

not proud of the fact, but it's true. Prior to being diagnosed, I thought

that his " differences " were a result of his TV viewing.

To be honest if scientists are able to provide further evidence that this is

a cause, I would certainly believe it to be the cause in my son's case.

Again, I'm new but am I the only one who thinks that they might be on to

something?

Toddler TV causes autism?

This is the most creative piece of research I've seen yet. , you ought

to share this one with your autism advocacy group and see what they say

about it!

stl

Web address: http://www.scienced aily.com/ releases/ 2006/10/06101715

0526.htm

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ images/logo. gif>

Source: Cornell University <http://www.cornell. edu/>

Date: October 17, 2006

Early Childhood TV Viewing May Trigger Autism, Data Analysis Suggests

A series of data sets analyzed in a paper by economists at Cornell

University and Indiana University-Purdue University suggest a connection

between early childhood television viewing and the onset of autism. And the

authors urge further investigation and research by experts in the field.

In a paper to be presented at a conference of the National Bureau of

Economic Research, Oct. 20, in Cambridge, Mass., the authors reviewed data

from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey on TV

viewership rates among children and compared it with data from the National

Climactic Data Center, which looks at the amount of precipitation

communities receive. This analysis showed that children from rainy counties

watch more television. When autism rates were then compared between rainy

and drier counties, the relationship between high precipitation and levels

of autism was positive.

" We tested our hypothesis using existing, well-known data, " said

Waldman, a professor of economics at Cornell's Graduate School of

Management and a co-author of the research paper. " The analysis shows that

early childhood television viewing could be an environmental trigger for the

onset of autism and strongly points to the need for more research by experts

in the field of autism. "

Thirty years ago, it was estimated that roughly one in 2,500 children had

autism, while today some estimate that number to have increased more than

tenfold, to as high as one in 166. At the same time, television viewing has

increased dramatically due to easy access to cable and satellite television,

more traditional broadcast offerings and the market penetration of VCRs and

DVDs.

Because there are no large data sets that track whether children who watch a

lot of TV when they are young are more likely to develop autism, the authors

examined the connection between autism and two factors that generally

increase the amount of TV that young children watch: precipitation and

access to cable TV. They find that current school-aged children who live in

California, Oregon, and Washington counties that received large amounts of

rain and snow when the children were young are more likely to be diagnosed

with autism. Furthermore, children who grew up in California and

Pennsylvania counties during the 1970s and 80s with high cable subscription

rates were also more likely to be diagnosed with autism. These analyses

control for differences between counties in income, population, and

demographic mix - other factors that may influence the autism rate - and

also examine changes in county autism rates over time as well as differences

at a point in time.

" Our analysis is not definitive, but it certainly raises questions that seem

to have gone unasked in autism research to date, " added Nicholson, an

associate professor of policy analysis and management in Cornell's College

of Human Ecology. " The medical community is increasingly convinced that

something is happening in the environment that triggers an underlying

biological or genetic predisposition toward autism, and these findings

strongly support the need for taking a closer look at early childhood

television viewing. "

Waldman and Nicholson were joined by Nodir Adilov, a professor of economics

at Indiana University-Purdue University, in their research.

Copyright C 1995-2006 ScienceDaily LLC - All rights reserved - Contact:

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ contact/> editorremoveme (DOT) sciencedaily. com

About This Site <http://www.scienced aily.com/ about.htm> | Editorial Staff

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ staff.htm> | Awards

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ awards.htm> & Reviews | Contribute News

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ contribute/> | Advertise With Us

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ advertise/> | Privacy

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ privacy.htm> Policy | Terms

<http://www.scienced aily.com/ terms.htm> of Use

_____

Improving the Health of All Texans

Texas Medical Association

<http://www.texmed. org/> www.texmed.org

401 W. 15th Street

Austin, TX 78701