No Autism Epidemic

[Guest guest]

Kirby

01.02.2007

There is no autism epidemic

It's been nearly two years since the release of my book, " Evidence

of Harm, Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic - A Medical

Controversy, " and I continue to be vilified by critics who insist

that mercury does not cause autism, that autism is a stable genetic

condition, and that it cannot be an " epidemic. "

I am going to declare a New Year's truce, and announce that my

critics are 100 percent correct.

This year, I hope we can ALL agree on one thing: There is no autism

epidemic.

Among my most spirited and articulate detractors is a group of

adults with autism who belong to a movement that refers to itself as

the " neurodiversity " community.

These adults argue passionately that autism is neither a disease nor

a disorder, but rather a natural and special variation of the chance

genetic imprint left upon human behavior. Most of them, I believe,

have what science calls " Asperger's Syndrome, " or very high

functioning autism.

From their eloquent and well reasoned point of view, autism has

no " cause, " and it certainly requires no " cure. " To suggest

otherwise is to brand these adults with the stigma of disease and

disability, which is patently absurd given their educational and

intellectual achievements.

It's like saying that left-handers or gays are deviant and need

treatment - something that reasonable people stopped doing years ago.

So maybe autism really is just an odd genetic peculiarity that

yields atypical people whose own set of talents and gifts can lead

to perfectly happy and fulfilled lives, with little or no dependence

on others for their survival.

If that's the case, then autism has always been with us at some

steady, but largely overlooked rate. Growing awareness and better

diagnostics have certainly helped us identify and count more people

with the condition, who might have been mislabeled as " quirky "

or " nerdy " a decade ago.

But if that's autism, then the kids that I have met suffer from some

other condition entirely. When I talk about " curing " autism, I am

not talking about curing the " neurodiverse. "

I am talking about kids who begin talking and then, suddenly, never

say another word.

I'm talking about kids who may never learn to read, write, tie their

shoes or fall in love.

I'm talking about kids who sometimes wail in torture at three in the

morning because something inside them hurts like a burning coal, but

they can't say what or where it is.

I'm talking about kids who can barely keep food in their inflamed,

distressed guts, and when they do, it winds up in rivers of diarrhea

or swirls of feces spread on a favorite carpet or pet (no one said

this kind of " autism " was pretty).

I'm talking about kids who escape from their home in a blaze of

alarms, only to be found hours later, freezing, alone and wandering

the Interstate.

I'm talking about kids who have bitten their mother so hard and so

often, they are on a first name basis at the emergency room.

I'm talking about kids who spin like fireworks until they fall and

crack their heads, kids who will play with a pencil but not with

their sister, kids who stare at nothing and scream at everything and

don't even realize it when their dad comes home from work.

These are the kids I want to see cured. And I don't believe they

have " autism. "

Scientists tell us that 1-in-104 American boys are currently

diagnosed with some form of autism spectrum disorder. But the

mildest, " high functioning " forms of autism have seemingly little in

common with the most severe or even moderate cases.

My hunch (and yes, that is all it is) is that most of these kids do

not have " autism " at all, and it's probably time we started calling

it something else.

American kids are in huge trouble. One in six has a learning

disability. Asthma, diabetes, allergies and arthritis are ravaging

their bodies in growing numbers. And little of this is due

to " better diagnostics " or " greater awareness. "

It can only be attributed to radical changes in our environment over

the last 10-20 years. There is something, or more likely some things

in our modern air, water, food and drugs that are making genetically

susceptible children sick, and we need to find out what they are.

Mercury remains a logical candidate for contributing to " autism

spectrum disorders, " either alone or in combination with other

environmental insults. Mercury exposure can kill brain cells. It can

cause loss of speech and eye contact, digestive and immune

dysfunction, social withdrawal and anxiety, and repetitive and self-

injurious behaviors.

So maybe we should leave the autistics in peace and focus on these

environmentally toxic kids and what it is that ails them.

Maybe what these kids have is not autism, but something like,

say, " Environmentally-acquired Neuroimmune Disorder, " which we could

call E.N.D. (Great slogan: " Let's End E.N.D.).

Maybe that would explain why a recent CDC-funded study of the San

Francisco Bay Area showed that kids with " autism " were 50% more

likely to be born in neighborhoods with high levels of airborne

toxins, especially mercury. If a second study underway in Baltimore

yields similar data, it will be that much harder to defend

the " better diagnosis " argument, (other studies have shown an

association between autism rates and proximity to coal-fired power

plants).

So maybe what we have here is just a semantic failure to

communicate. Columbus thought he had met " Indians, " and we only

recently began to use the term " Native American. "

Columbus was not in the Indies, mercury doesn't cause autism, and

there is no autism epidemic.

[Guest guest]

Good idea. See here:

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Research_Council_of_Norway)

"The Research Council of Norway (Norwegian: Norges forskningsråd) is a Norwegian government agency responsible for awarding grands for research as well as promoting research and science. It also advises the Government in matters related to research, and is subordinate the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. The Research Council of Norway total budget in 2009 amounted to NOK 6 165 million."

(http://www.forskningsradet.no/en/Vision_and_mandate/1138785841810)

"Three central areas of focus

The Research Council serves as an advisory body on research policy issues, identifies research needs and recommends national priorities.

Through the establishment and implementation of targeted funding schemes the Research Council facilitates the translation of national research policy objectives into action.

The Research Council serves as a meeting place for researchers, funders and users of research findings, as well as for the different sectors and subject fields that are affiliated with the world of research."

Winnie

no autism epidemic> > > http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228090611.htm> > > >

[Guest guest]

That is so vague it sounds like a politician wrote it! A whole lot of words that say nothing.Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by Cricket.From: wharrison@...Sender: Vaccinations Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:20:14 +0000 (GMT)<Vaccinations >Reply Vaccinations Subject: Re: no autism epidemic Good idea. See here: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Research_Council_of_Norway) "The Research Council of Norway (Norwegian: Norges forskningsråd) is a Norwegian government agency responsible for awarding grands for research as well as promoting research and science. It also advises the Government in matters related to research, and is subordinate the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. The Research Council of Norway total budget in 2009 amounted to NOK 6 165 million." (http://www.forskningsradet.no/en/Vision_and_mandate/1138785841810) "Three central areas of focusThe Research Council serves as an advisory body on research policy issues, identifies research needs and recommends national priorities.Through the establishment and implementation of targeted funding schemes the Research Council facilitates the translation of national research policy objectives into action.The Research Council serves as a meeting place for researchers, funders and users of research findings, as well as for the different sectors and subject fields that are affiliated with the world of research."Winnie no autism epidemic> > > http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228090611.htm> > > >