Free Republic

An 18-year-old woman is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful voices against transitioning children at a moment in which most politicians and media outlets lack the courage to speak out. Chloe Cole is a self-described “former trans kid” who de-transitioned after undergoing years of puberty blockers and an irreversible double mastectomy at the age of 15. Cole is now traveling across the country to share her story and raise the alarm about gender transition procedures on children, a growing trend she calls “child abuse” and “medical experimentation.” “I’m planning to keep doing this until it stops,” Cole told CNA...

Meghan Puglia, a neurologist at the University of Virginia, is working to detect autism in babies much earlier. Her goal is to help children with autism achieve optimal outcomes through earlier diagnosis. “We know early intervention is the strongest predictor of optimal outcomes for kids with autism,” Puglia said. Right now, she says the earliest age that autism can be diagnosed is at 18 months. “All babies, before they leave the hospital, get a hearing screening and metabolic tests. There is no screening for autism until the baby is toddling around and starting to talk,” Puglia said. Each week, Puglia...

When John Purnell’s 10-year-old son was diagnosed as autistic, he knew exactly how to respond. “I’ve always been fascinated by research, by detail, by finding out everything there is to find out about something,” he says. “So I did a really deep dive.” As he pored over academic papers and delved into medical science – including how many autistic people have a propensity and appetite for copious research – an unexpected realisation crept into his mind. “I was reading about the traits of an autistic person, the difficulties they often have in social situations, the need for order and planning:...

A drug used to prevent epileptic seizures and migraine has been found to double the chances of a child developing autism if their mother takes it while pregnant. An urgent review has been launched into topiramate, known by the brand name Topamax, which has been prescribed for decades. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has begun a safety review to assess the ‘benefits and risks’ of the drug, which is likely to raise the odds of other intellectual impairments, as well as congenital birth defects. It follows warnings about another epilepsy drug, sodium valproate, marketed as Epilim, which...

The number of children and adolescents with a diagnosis somewhere along the autism spectrum continues to rise. According to the latest research out of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University in China, as of 2020, one out of every 30 kids is now considered autistic, a 52% jump from 2017. Though data from the CDC puts the number closer to one in 44, the numbers are still rising, prompting many medical professionals, teachers, and parents to try to discover the cause. Thursday on Twitter, BlazeTV host Steve Deace posited the question, "What’s the benign, innocent explanation for this [rise in autism]?" The answer...

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade on Friday, the ugly mask worn by the liberals of CNN slipped to show the ugliness underneath as CNN Newsroom host Alisyn Camerota and faux “Republican” commentator and co-host of The View, Ana Navarro made the ghoulish argument that kids in foster care and relatives with cognitive disabilities should show the obvious need for abortion. These disgusting arguments came as the two tag-teamed against Republican strategist Alice Stewart who was defending the pro-life movement. “I can tell you, having worked and advocated in the pro-life community for many...

A great man once said, “It is best I had no learn­ing, for many learned men be great fools.”This great man was Thomas Fuller. He was born in 1710 in Africa. He was known as the Vir­ginia cal­cu­la­tor and Negro Tom.Thomas Fuller arrived on the Unit­ed States’ shores in 1724, when he was just 14 years old. Against his will, he was put on a boat and sent to America.Though he nev­er learned to read or write, Fuller could mul­ti­ply to 9 dig­it num­bers, state the num­ber of sec­onds in a giv­en time, and cal­cu­late the num­ber of grains of...

Differences in Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome (right) and a control (left) organoid. (Papes et al., Nature Communications, 2022) ================================================================== Scientists have uncovered changes in neurological structure that could underlie the autism spectrum disorder known as Pitt Hopkins syndrome, thanks to the help of lab-grown brains developed from human cells. Furthermore, the researchers were able to recover lost genetic functions through the use of two different gene therapy strategies – hinting at the possibility of treatments that could one day give those with the condition new options in improving their quality of life. Pitt Hopkins syndrome is a neurodevelopmental condition stemming from a...

An independent investigation into the suicide of 10-year-old Isabella "Izzy" Tichenor last November found "no direct evidence to support the allegations that Izzy was bullied on the basis of race and/or disability," according to a Davis School District report released Friday. The district announced its investigation in December 2021 following the T​​ichenor family's claim that Izzy, who was Black and the family has said had autism, died by suicide after facing discrimination and bullying at Foxboro Elementary in North Salt Lake and that school officials "knew of the bullying and failed to respond." A summary of the investigative team's findings...

Most autistic characters have been played onscreen by neurotypical actors. A new series bucks the trend, starring three leads who are on the spectrum.

I grew up hearing that mental health disorders and illnesses of every kind were evil. Because I was told these things from an isolated world of fundamentalist Christianity, I was not surprised to see Pastor Greg Locke’s sermon suggesting autism, epilepsy and other mental health disorders are actually demon possession. I’ve heard this countless times while sitting in the pews of independent fundamental Baptist churches. A screaming child was said to be a rebellious child who the devil was using. I recall the preachers saying often, “How many lost souls did those ‘tantrums’ lead into hell?,” berating children and the...

While talking to RFK Jr. about Jake Tapper, I learned what happened Simpsonwood. It's a fascinating story of corruption 20 years ago. Not much has changed it seems. The CDC is still corrupt.Steve Kirsch17 hr ago 343358 If you read my story about RFK Jr. and how he became an anti-vaxxer, it mentions the Simpsonwood transcripts.There is a book, “Evidence of harm” that talks about what happened there in detail. Some people think the author wasn’t sure who was telling the truth. That’s not true. The book author takes an objective viewpoint, leaving it to the reader to determine who...

I talked to him this morning about what led him down the anti-vax path nearly 20 years ago. Here's the story, condensed to make it a quick read.

Today I got the greatest gift EVER from one of my students. I am a National Board Certified Special Education Teacher with 21 years experience. Over the years I have gotten a variety of gifts from my students. The kids I work with have disabilities ranging from Autism, Learning Disabilities, physical impairments, etc. Today I got a hug from a student with Autism!!! It was totally spontaneous and totally unexpected. Anyone who has experience working with children or adults with Autism know exactly how special this is!! I am typing this with tears in my eyes and a heart filled...

I Have Been Through This BeforeDon’t wear a mask; you must wear a mask. Buy a pulse oximeter. Stock up on Tylenol, vitamin D, Pepcid. Whisper so you don’t spit. Stand six feet from others—no, 10. Wear gloves. Wear two masks! Open the windows. Close the schools. The dizzying madness of COVID, and the reliance on gurulike experts, has been eerily familiar.In April 1939—as the result of a backdoor bribe—a 35-year-old lumber baron named Bruno Bettelheim was released from the Buchenwald concentration camp on the condition that he leave Germany and never return.In addition to running his family’s sawmills, Bettelheim...

New UC Riverside research shows soybean oil not only leads to obesity and diabetes, but could also affect neurological conditions like autism, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and depression. Specifically, the scientists found pronounced effects of the oil on the hypothalamus, where a number of critical processes take place. “The hypothalamus regulates body weight via your metabolism, maintains body temperature, is critical for reproduction and physical growth as well as your response to stress,” “The dogma is that saturated fat is bad and unsaturated fat is good. Soybean oil is a polyunsaturated fat, but the idea that it’s good for you is...

There is so much in the news right now about hiring – people looking for jobs, employers who can’t fill jobs, etc. I want to shine a light that is relevant to all these contexts: Professionals with autism. I’ve noticed that many businesses (including Schnucks and Trader Joe’s) are transparent and show pride in hiring autistic employees. The fact that more companies are striving to have an increasingly diverse and inclusive workforce makes me smile. Hiring individuals with autism is just another indicator of how we are progressing as a society, recognizing that all individuals have a place to contribute...

RICHMOND, Virginia -- A 39-year-old internet personality, transgender, autistic man accused of incest with his believed to be senile 80-year-old mother has been remanded to a men's jail until his next court appearance Christine Chandler, also known as Chris Chan, was arrested Aug. 2 for incest, according to the Greene County Sheriff's Office. It is a class 5 felony in Virginia carrying a sentence of no less than one year, but no more than 10 years, plus up to a $2,500 fine if convicted. Chandler was formally charged with incest when she was in court Aug. 5 by Greene County...

The lawyer representing Christine Weston Chandler, the YouTube star also known as Chris Chan online, says it is important "not believe everything they learn on the internet" about his client and her case. Chandler was arrested on Sunday, August 1 and charged with one count of incest after the Green County Sheriff's Office received information about alleged "sex crimes against a family member, who resides in the Ruckersville area." In a statement issued to Newsweek, Chandler's attorney, David L Heilberg said much of the information being put out online in relation to the case needed to be "filtered by skepticism"...

Here is the full statement by current CDC Senior Scientist on Vaccine-Autism questions: Dr. William Thompson. update on the story, soon. I regret that my [CDC] coauthors and I omitted statistically significant information in our 2004 article published in the Journal of Pediatrics. My primary job duties while working in the immunization safety branch from 2000 to 2006 were to lead or colead three major vaccine safety studies. The MADDSP MMR-Autism Cases Control Study was being carried out in response to the Wakefield Lancet study that suggested an association between the MMR vaccine and an autism-like health outcome. There were...