As a mother of a 4 year old son with autism , I have followed with interest the discussions about mercury exposure (through vaccinations, fish etc) being linked to the rising incidence of autsism within the western world, and like any mother I have pondered the possibility that my sons immunisations may have contributed to his condition. I have read everything I can find on the subject, talked to numerous professionals, including a leading autism expert from France, and have come the conclusion that this idea has very little real basis in fact , and that the hysteria caused by reacting to this theory is bordering on detrimental.
The French expert claimed on radio that no conclusive link could be made, (after exhaustive studies by independent scientific teams)and was disturbed by the possible trauma this belief was having on families, both the parents guilt and the child in question who may be undergoing chelation unnecessarily.
This was further supported by the fact that the autism gene has recently been discovered and isolated- this has exciting possibilities for learning more about the condition, and in the future he theorised It would be possible to recognise different types or severities of autism by linking them with the effected chromosomes. For example, if they can see that the gene for autism is affected by chromosome 18, then that will indicate it may be accompanied by epilepsy. This has positive implications for appropriate treatment and therapies at a much earlier age as we will have a greater understanding of the various traits associated with various places on the autism spectrum.
And how do you explain the fact that two autistic children I know had NO vaccinations (due to other concerns from the parents) and in one case the mother had no vaccinations either due to religious beliefs.she is also a vegan -the children have never eaten fish or any other animal products and have limited gluten-if any.
There is money to be made by selling and endorsing chelation(kits and the like) and yes I have read of many instances where results have been positive, but parents who are prepared to "assist" their child in this way are obviously very dedicated, caring and concerned. I am sure this treatment is being accompanied by solid ABA therapies, speech assistance and every other thing going. How do they know what has caused the improvement?
I havealso noticed a vast improvement in my son. I have been actively working with him, providing him with every therapy available. Occupational, speech, social skills language awareness, animal contact and medication. and slowly but steadily I can see his full potential may well be reached.
There IS NO CURE FOR AUTISM.
I get very concerned when people claim amazing cures by chelation- there are however many many things you can do to assist your child to grow, develop and participate in a meaning ful way.
I notice that most of the mercury information, comes from the States, can anyone tell me why this is?
Parents should also be aware that there are many groups operating that are very anti-vaccination, for whatever reasons they may have. parents of children with autism are vulnerable targets that may be able to support their cause. yes I know their are certain risks associated with vaccinations. But what has been proven time and time again that the chance of a person experiencing ill effects is so very slight compared to the risk of contracting the disease the vaccination would prevent. have you ever seen a baby with whooping cough or measles? I have and its very scary .
does anyone else out there share my views/? I would love to know.
aussie lee ↓
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| Name: Elizabeth | Date: May 2nd, 2006 3:34 AM |
| Okay, just a comment on this. I had my first son when I was 21 years old. After his 18 months shots, I noticed a halt in his development of language and communication. I had NEVER even heard of this being related. When he was 4, I had a battle with the public school on his placement for an appropriate education. During this battle, I looked up "vaccinations and autism" on the computer and my mouth dropped open. I thought I was taking a shot in the dark with my suspicions, but I obviously was not the only one that saw a correlation. ↑ |
| Name: aussie Lee | Date: May 2nd, 2006 6:49 AM |
Thanks for your comment and I'm truly sorry that you have had battles about your son's education. In Oz, schools are required to take any child unless they absolutely need one on one care-it is my belief that all children should attend mainstream school and that the system should accommodate them-I know this is not always financially feasible, but in a better world resources would be distributed according to need. we can only hope!
In regard to a possible link between autism and vaccinations-check out this address http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/h
i/health/3640898.stm
thi
s
is just one site of many that discusses studies to prove or disprove a link.
I'm sure you are aware that 18 months is the normal time for autistic symptoms to develop (vaccinated or not) and remember I know 2 autistic children who have never been vaccinated. I have also read that the rate of autism has not increased with increased vaccinations rather our diagnosis techniques have radically improved-so more children are being recognised as being on the spectrum. and if there is such a definite link, why aren't nearly all people who have been vaccinated show signs of autism?
Anyway .Elizabeth,everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but I'm concerned that the vaccination debate has been hijacked for the wrong reasons and that parents have been given false hopes about chelation etc, not to mention the money to be made by potential lawsuits from parents who want someone or something to blame.
Medical experts are already warning of a return to diseases virtually eliminated in the western world due to parents refusing vaccinations . You might be interested to know that child support payments are not made to parents in Australia unless their children are fully vaccinated. I don't agree with this policy, because everyone has a right to choose, but it shows how gung -ho our government is about this health issue.
On a final note a 2year old who lives in our area has suffered irreversible brain damage as a result of complications with measles. Her parents are naturally distraught and deeply regret not vaccinating their child. they did intend to but wanted to wait till she was 3-not sure why.
good luck with your son-we all need it
regards
Aussie Lee ↑ |
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