According to what I have heard about this survey it’s based on parents answers to questions not doctor’s diagnoses.
It’s not vaccines. Anything mental gets diagnosed as Autism these days, because it turns on the money.
Call it the "behavioral-medical complex."
Also, look at disparate impact, by gender. That tells the tale.
Autism is today’s hot child buzzword. Any problems with a child from whining to lying to fighting are all tagged as autism. This was liberals can feel good about themselves and ruin the life of a child in the process, and they still get credit for caring.
Television and computers.
They really have increased dramatically since 1990, while the rates of vaccination have been the same.
Diet.
Lysine, Vitamin D, DHA...
All the things you get from meat and eggs and fish but don;t get from yogurt and smoothies...
I know that an article by the ComPost doesn't carry any weight in FR -- and normally it wouldn't carry any weight with me. But this seems a pretty straight-forward account of how the Vaccine Court, set up in 1986 under Reagan, operates and how it ruled in 3 recent cases that there is no "preponderance of evidence" linking vaccines and autism.
Before you sniff with disapproval in advance, I urge you to read the entire piece (it's not long) and to websearch the names and events it mentions if you want more detail.
I have a 10 month old boy who is going through the normal vaccination schedule and I am very interested in this issue and have read a lot about it. Our kid does not have autism (that we can tell) and I have no expectation that he will but because of his age the thought is scary and I pay close attention to this. I've read both sides. My gut feeling is that the Vaccine Court is right and there is not only a lack of any provable scientific link (which is a high standard) but no preponderance of evidence pointing to a link (which is a lower standard).
Again, if you really care about this issue, not matter what your opinion is already (and no matter what your opinion is of the Compost), I strongly suggest that you read this article.
In the research I have done it appears that autism is linked to genetic breaks associated with the body’s methylation cycle. Methylation is the process of getting rid of metals, virus’, and bacteria. If it is broken, these build up in the system and cause havoc. The havoc can be identified as autism or other illnesses. See the work of Dr. Amy Yasko. We live in an increasingly polluted world. It is no surprise that the PCBs in our water along with other unnatural things we ingest are contributing to these genetic breaks.
Generally speaking, if we look hard enough for something, we tend to find it.
Ever consider buying a red pick up truck and then see an increased number of red pick up trucks?
This may be a combination of refined screens to diagnose autism, increased self-reporting, and being more observant.
I for one don’t dismiss this thought so quickly. It is no secret that some vaccines can give a person the disease or sickness it is trying to prevent. I do not want to give my 14 year old son the Swine Flu vaccine. Nor will I take it.
More like an extraordinary broadening of the definition of autism.
The vaccines could be a problem but, the overall diet and exposure to modern chemicals, pesticides, illegal and legal drugs, the use of microwave ovens, tainted drinking water, lack of fresh air and lack of sunlight, etc....are more likely.
My MIL took a drug to lessen the risk of miscarriage back in the ‘60s. It was later to be found to cause problems in her grandchildren. It skipped a generation.
Recently, Autism Awareness advocates have “rounded down” the 1 in 162 figure to an even 1 in 150. I do not believe there is an explosion of this disorder. What other statistics have they been monkeying around with?
There is little if any scientific evidence to link the latter to the former, yet advocates (disadvocates?) get into silly conspiracy theories to support their views. Just a shame what happens to real science these days.
It is grossly irresponsible to claim vaccines cause autism. Autism spectrum disorders are genetic.
ping
At one point in grade school, the counselor suggested my very bright son was autistic and urged testing. To be honest, almost every teacher had a suggestions, because my very bright son was not doing well in school and was a space cadet.
I find the statistical correlation between the locus with highly intelligent people and autistic children very interesting. My grandson’s father was diagnoised as mildly autistic. He comes from one of those families of highly intelligent individuals in just such a corridor.
Vaccines, or maybe (a diagnosis of) autism opens the cash drawer these days.