Autism needs more study

Autism needs more study

EDITOR:

My friend, Kim, found out recently that her husband lost his job due to the crummy economy. Kim is the mother of three beautiful daughters who all have autism. I have one child with autism and it is absolutely overwhelming at times. Autism is tough. I really have no idea how Kim manages it all with three. Kim and her husband were struggling while he was working. I shudder to think about what they are facing now and how much harder life suddenly got for them.

Kim’s situation — all of her children having autism — is not as unique as you would think. Autism is just so common now. How many children with autism did you know growing up? I didn’t know a single person like my son, or even heard about someone like him. Now, I know more children like him then I care to think about.

Here’s what the latest statistics tell us: in Minnesota 1 in 81 children has autism; in New Jersey, 1 in 94. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control reports the occurrence of autism at 1 in 150 children. All of these figures are astounding. What is the future going to be like when we have so many disabled people? How will we care for all of them? But for right now, people seem to be pacified to hear, “We have more autism because we are better at diagnosing it.” Horse pucky.

Scientists tell us autism is genetic and Kim’s situation lends credence to the “it’s genetic” theory. Autism is an epidemic in this country, but it’s impossible to have a purely genetic epidemic. The most reasonable explanation I have heard to explain our autism epidemic is “genetics loads the gun, and the environment pulls the trigger.” So, what is it about our environment that is making our children develop autism at unprecedented rates? Childhood immunizations top the list of suspects. Countless parents have proclaimed that they vaccinated their babies only to watch them become ill and regress into autism. We have been told that this is merely a coincidence, and that just because our kids got vaccines and then regressed doesn’t mean the vaccines caused this. But, the vaccine schedule has grown from 10 vaccines spread out before school age to over 36 doses of various vaccines administered before the age of six. And shockingly, there are no safety studies to support this practice.

Over the last eight years “science” has worked so hard to disprove the notion that vaccines have caused autism in some children. More time was spent developing and tweaking industry funded studies to fit a preconceived conclusion — vaccines are safe — than finding better ways to treat autism, or planning for the future for when these children become dependent adults.

I am hoping that the Obama administration is up to the task of facing this crisis head on. We need people with integrity, and not with industry ties in cabinet positions that make important decisions that affect our children’s health. I can’t think of anything more important than our children, can you?

ANDREA KELLER

Canfield

Who should we blame?

EDITOR:

In the midst of our perilous economic crisis it has been natural for us to blame Wall Street, Congress and the White House. However the one person we have forgotten to blame is the person we see in the mirror.

Does not leadership often reflect the behavior of the people? Haven’t we been “consumer oriented,” living lifestyles beyond our income — always wanting bigger and better experiences, letting greed and coveting control our actions and behavior?

My prayer is we repent to Almighty God and ask Him to have mercy on America.

Pastor RUSTY WILLS

Poland