Below is an Op-Ed from contributor Laura Hayes, with a CSP (common sense plan) on what she'd like to see Secretary Kennedy do going forward.  Share your thoughts. We can't take our eyes off the prize.

By Laura Hayes

Here is my common sense plan for what HHS Secretary Kennedy needs to do with regard to vaccines if he is serious about stopping the epidemics of chronic illnesses and developmental disabilities in our children.

He must issue an immediate moratorium on each and every vaccine until the following conditions have been met:

1. Each state has fully restored individual and parental rights with regard to healthcare and medical decision making, which will automatically exclude any type of requirement or mandate, which will make null and void any need for exemptions, which will ensure that a simple “no thank you” will always suffice when one wants to decline or refuse any healthcare or medical treatment or procedure for oneself or one’s children, there will be no exceptions, and this will include members of the military, too.

2. A vaccine maker must produce only products that do not cause harm. Harm will be defined to include what they today call “most common”, “mild”, and “moderate” adverse side effects, in addition to the ones they call “serious”, which include various forms of lifelong illness, permanent disability, and death. It will no longer be acceptable to induce adverse direct effects of any form via a vaccine, be it a rash, fever, diarrhea, swelling and/or pain at the injection site, inconsolable crying, various skin eruptions, irritability, tinnitus, eye inflammation or other optic damage, ear infections, deafness, seizure, paralysis, anaphylaxis, vascular issues, heart issues, nervous system damage, encephalitis, death, etc.

3. A vaccine maker must remove any ingredient from its product that is already known and established to cause harm. Examples include mercury in the form of thimerosal, aluminum, lead, any ingredient with a MSDS (material safety data sheet), etc. A vaccine maker must also remove any ingredient that is a known or suspected carcinogen, a known or suspected fertility reducer or sterility inducer, a known or potential allergen, a known or potential mutagen, etc.

4. A vaccine maker must remove any ingredient from its manufacturing process and/or final product that comes in any way, shape, or form from a baby killed in utero.

5. A vaccine maker must remove any ingredient from its manufacturing process and/or final product that originates from another species, such as monkey, dog, cow, pig, chicken, insect, etc., due to already-known, and unforeseen, adverse effects.

6. Vaccine testing/experimenting on children of any age, from gestation through age 18, will no longer be permitted. Violators will be punished to the full extent of the law.

7. Congress repeals the 1986 NCVIA and returns liability to those who manufacture and administer vaccines. No longer will vaccine victims, or their parents and families, be rendered unable to sue those who have harmed or killed via vaccines.

The above conditions are common sense and straightforward. If I missed something that needs to be added to this list, please post a comment.

"...stringent safeguards need to be in place to guarantee that personal privacy is maintained and the use of data must be carefully monitored to ensure that there are no privacy violations or research fraud."

By Judith Pinborough Zimmerman, Ph.D. and Ronald Mortensen, Ph.D.

With one in thirty-one  American children now estimated to have autism and with associated projected costs estimated to be $5.54 trillion/year by 2060, more research is needed to identify the factors driving the explosion of autism. To do this effectively, researchers will need to access multiple population-based datasets on individuals who are on the autism spectrum. In addition, stringent safeguards need to be in place to guarantee that personal privacy is maintained and the use of data must be carefully monitored to ensure that there are no privacy violations or research fraud.

In March, just the mention of a national autism registry drew swift public backlash driven by very real concerns about the potential misuse of the highly sensitive, identifiable, personal medical information that would be made available to researchers. What most Americans likely don’t know is that state autism registries and nationally funded autism surveillance grants have been collecting and sharing personal identifiable information (PII) for years. In addition, most  Americans are likely unaware of the existence of state All-Payer Claims Databases (APCDs) that include billions of their identifiable medical, pharmacy, and dental insurance claims, complete with diagnostic codes, that are collected and then shared complete with identifiers.

The benefits of these highly sensitive datasets are many and include such things as determining the magnitude of a health problem, identifying trends of specific health conditions, assisting with service delivery models, and identifying the underlying causes and treatments for medical conditions, including autism. 

Governmental entities that collect this information are subjected to unrelenting pressure from universities and a wide range of private entities to access these records. This all too often results in serious personal and medical privacy violations that can have serious long-term consequences for the victims.

 In Utah, for example, a state autism registry was established along with a robust APCD that has been data mined for years. Regrettably, Utah’s elected officials have permitted the sharing of vast quantities of highly sensitive PII and medical information held by the state for a wide range of medical research and other purposes without first obtaining Utahns’ consent—all that is required for the release of PII for research purposes is for an unelected state employee to determine that “the value of the research is greater than or equal to the infringement upon personal privacy.”

Given the high value of this data and the potential for its misuse, threats to the public are very real. In fact, in 2012, one of this article’s authors, Dr. Zimmerman, reported serious federal privacy violations, uncorrected data errors, and other research fraud involving a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) autism surveillance grant and the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. However, despite both state and federal jury verdicts in Dr. Zimmerman’s favor, the researchers who participated in the fraud still have not been held accountable, continue to receive federally funded autism grants, and may continue to access large datasets such as the Utah APCD along with vast quantities of other highly sensitive PII available in the Utah Population Database.

Additionally, data sets containing significant errors have been left uncorrected by the CDC and are still being used for autism-related research. This type of research malpractice can literally ruin any statistical results and conclusions, undermine public confidence in science, and potentially cause serious harm to the very people the studies are designed to help.

Despite these challenges, we support Secretary Kennedy’s efforts to identify the driving forces behind the autism epidemic, including national autism data platforms. However, to do this effectively, Kennedy and the CDC will have to rebuild public trust, implement more stringent safeguards to protect individual privacy, which is further complicated by AI, and ensure research integrity. 

Here are a few initial suggestions that Kennedy may want to consider. First, no state or federal agency should be allowed to share any person’s identifiable medical and educational records with outside entities and/or researchers unless written, informed consent has been obtained, and the individuals are given the ability to opt out of study participation at any time.

Next, transparent, fail-safe federal protocols need to be established to protect the data with periodic, rigorous audits and increased protection for whistleblowers. Any researchers and/or institutions that fail to comply with stringent research agreements, federal privacy laws, and/or who commit research fraud need to be held fully accountable and barred from receiving further federal funding.

Lastly, individuals who consent to participate in autism-related research studies should have a private right of action against any researchers and/or institutions that misuse their data and/or who commit research fraud using that data. The autism epidemic must be better understood. Data already exists to help do that, but it must be used judiciously and accurately to ensure that privacy is protected and that research findings are reliable. 

Judith Pinborough-Zimmerman, Ph.D., was an assistant research professor at the University of Utah from 2005-2013 and a program manager and speech pathologist at the Utah Department of Health from 1978-2005. She was Utah’s lead principal investigator on multiple autism CDC grants from 2002 to 2013. She has prevailed in state and federal court on whistleblower related claims.

Ronald Mortensen, Ph.D., is a retired Foreign Service Officer who was the driving force behind Utah’s first-in-the nation voter registration privacy legislation and he has helped pass bills that allow Utahns to protect their personal identifying and medical information collected by the state. Dr. Mortensen is also a Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.

By Cathy Jameson

Last week I wrote about how much I was loving summer views and quiet mornings when I’m not running off to work.  This week, an email jolted me right out of that relaxation mode. The Children’s Health Defense invited me to a webinar about Vaccine Exemptions.  It wasn’t a bad email; I just hadn’t had school on my mind just yet.  With school right around the corner in some states, eek!, that topic is actually perfectly timed. 

I’ve shared several posts about vaccine exemptions over the last several years.  My quest to learn about those and how to use them came when my children were very young.  Back in the early 2000s, I would ask the school nurse or the school secretary my questions.  They could tell me the information, but some chose not to share everything.  That made me want to know more.  So, I looked at who might know more.  I got the information I needed from parents a few steps ahead of me.  I could also easily find it online and began to share that with others myself.  

2023 article https://www.ageofautism.com/2023/07/-exemptions-to-attend-school-exist.html

2015 article https://www.ageofautism.com/2015/08/back-to-school-shots.html

2014 article https://www.ageofautism.com/2014/09/back-to-school-shots-you-have-exemptions.html

This one isn’t specific about exemptions, but it sure can get a good convo started with a medical provider who may not think exemptions aren’t necessary.  

I am confident that what is included in the CHD’s webinar will not sound like a broken record to those who are already fully aware of their rights and who have exemptions solidly in place.  For those who may just be coming on the scene and who did not know that vaccine exemptions exist and can be filed – through the college level, I suggest they tune in on the 22^nd. If you find you have questions, please come back here and ask them.  Being an informed parent is important.  Sharing what’s helped us make better, healthier decisions is even better.  

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.

If Kennedy intends to reform it, Offit opposes it.

Lou Conte reports that our very own Moriarty (Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and criminal mastermind created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be a formidable enemy for the author's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes) has been pulled from the bullpen to fight the work at HHS.  Paul Offit was tabled for the most part during the Covid vaccine years. He resurfaced and shocked us when he admitted the booster was unnecessary for many. But the HHS look at pediatric vaccines has put pep in his step. 

###

Paul Offit: Legacy Media’s Go To Anti-Kennedy Guy 

By Louis Conte, Health Freedom Editor, The MAHA Report

Dr. Paul Offit is often the ‘go to guy’ when legacy media decides to criticize the changes that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making to the federal vaccine apparatus that has evolved into a behemoth over the past forty years.

Offit is presented as an expert who opines that Kennedy's proposed changes are radical and dangerous. He's aligned with the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and its funders – Pfizer, Merck and Novavax - as described in this MAHA Report article, The Plot to Oust RFK Jr. , written by Dr. James Lyons-Weiler.

Confirming his alliance with Big Pharma, Offit recently told NBC news that removing Kennedy from leadership “is what we have to do.”

Offit said Kennedy’s plan to overhaul the federal vaccine injury compensation will make it easier to “bring bogus lawsuits to civil court claiming vaccine injuries.” He claims Kennedy’s plans will force vaccine manufacturers to walk away from the market.

Offit has no respect for people who say they are vaccine injured — and one wonders how Offit can claim that “bogus” lawsuits will be filed when Kennedy’s proposed reforms have not yet been announced.

It does not matter. If Kennedy intends to reform it, Offit opposes it. Read Conte's full article here. 

Seventeen years ago, Rebecca Estepp asked two Presidential candidates to go on record about vaccine safety. We've come a long way baby. President Trump has allowed the topic to take up a lot of space on the table, where previous administrations tabled the conversation. We have progress. Or do we have poppycock? Not perfection by any measure.We can must and will can hold feet to the fire and continue to push for more. As usual, the links on an old post are mostly dead. C'est la guerre.There were many dark years where our work was scuttled by Big Techaceutical. I'm talking to you, YouTube. But we have given our hearts and souls for so long, even reading this post will remind you of names you haven't heard for years, and of the quest we will never abandon.

###

By Rebecca Estepp - August 2008

In May, I sent out a video of Vaccine Safety Requests to all three Presidential candidates. The rationale behind this video project was to get the Presidential candidates to go on record about vaccine safety.  For those who have not seen the video you can access it HERE. (2025 note, YouTube long deleted the video for violating standards, but you can read a transcript at the link.)

To refresh memories, here are the two Executive Orders I requested:

The first Executive Order I would like you to consider is within the first 100 days of taking office, would you issue an Executive Order requiring the removal of MERCURY from all vaccines by January 1, 2010?

For the second Executive Order, within 100 days of taking office, would you issue an Order requiring a Moratorium on the addition of new vaccines to the recommended list for children, until the current vaccine schedule can be proven safe?

Since May, several things have changed regarding this project. 

Of course, the most obvious change is that Senator Clinton dropped out of the race.  Instead of sending emails and letters and making phone calls to three campaigns I only have to deal with two. This welcomed reduction in work has been dampened by the fact that the Memorial Day deadline came and went without any candidate responding to my challenge.  While disappointing, it was expected.

Good things have occurred too, while in Washington DC for the “Green Our Vaccines Rally,” I was able to meet with the Disability Advisor for the McCain campaign.  The advisor was gracious and listened to my vaccine safety concerns very seriously.  I appreciated the time I was able to spend at the McCain campaign headquarters but I still came away with no answer to my requests. 

Immediately following the Rally on June 4th, I went to the headquarters for the Democratic National Committee. Again, I met the Disability Advisor for the Democratic Party. And again, I had a very sympathetic ear.  And yet again, I came away from this meeting with no answers.  I was discouraged, especially since I had to walk through a tornado on the way back to my hotel, but that’s another story.

In an effort to get more exposure for my video, Unlocking Autism and The National Vaccine Information Center invited me to be part of their booth at the Netroots Conference in Austin, Texas.  Netroots is a conference of political bloggers. The Conference had an impressive line up of speakers to include: Al Gore, Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, and Ariana Huffington.  It took me a split second to decide that I wanted to be part of this booth.

The day before leaving for Netroots, I received this letter from Barack Obama.

Click on the letters to see the full sized version in a pop up window.

 
I knew I would bring this letter with me to Austin to show the bloggers that I had been in dialogue with at least one candidate.  I quickly reached out to my contact at the McCain campaign to give them a chance to respond.  In a matter of hours, she sent me this letter:

This was great.  I now had proof that I had been in contact with both Senators and campaigns before leaving for Austin.   When I got to Austin, I saw that Shelley Hendrix Reynolds and Barbara Loe Fisher put together an amazing booth. The booth focused on the themes of vaccine safety and the notion of vaccination choices. Kevin Barry, Theresa Wrangham, Mark Blaxill, Jim Moody, Chris Fisher (Barbara’s son), Paul Arthur and myself were all assembled to work the conference.

At one point during the weekend, my fellow booth workers and I decided to grade the letters that I had received from the candidates. While I was still happy to have received correspondence from both candidates, neither had answered my requests. We thought grading their letters like a school teacher would be a good way of letting them know of their shortcomings.

Barack Obama received an F+ on his letter.  Harsh, I know, but his letter was boiler plate. He acknowledged that autism is a problem and that he had voted in favor of the Combating Autism Act, but his letter lacked a sense of urgency.  More importantly, his letter had nothing to do with the issues I raised brought up in my video.  I did appreciate that his letter was addressed to me, which is why he earned the + in F+.

John McCain’s letter earned a C, even though his letter was written for the Autism Society of America and was not a response to the video I sent him. The reason for Senator McCain’s better grade was that he recognized autism as a “national crisis” and that “the federal government must respond accordingly.” That one sentence distinguished Senator McCain’s letter from Senator Obama’s.

After assigning grades, we put the letters in frames so conference goers could read them easily.  We had many people stop by the booth and comment on the letters and their grades.  I was even able to show the Obama campaigners Senator Obama’s F+. 

Netroots was an interesting experience.  Overall there was a mixed reaction to our booth.  Many parents and grandparents of children with autism stopped by and said, “Right on. My child/grandchild was just fine until those vaccinations.” There were attendees who really had an open mind and became educated on the vaccine issue.

I also encountered opposition.  I was called a baby killer by a woman who wore a “Science 2008” political button. I found this so ironic. We were discussing the science of vaccine safety when she launched into her Ad Hominen attack against me. Ms. Science 2008 did not like it when I converted 25 mcg of mercury (the amount of mercury found in most flu shots) into 50,000 ppb mercury (hazardous waste is measured in parts per billion.)  She did not want to hear that anything over 250 ppb was considered hazardous waste by the EPA. I told her that when you do the math 50,000 is the product of 250 x 200. So the majority of flu shots are 200 times more toxic than toxic waste. That’s when I became “a baby killer.”   Later during the weekend, Shelley found out that Ms. Science 2008 had tried to shut down our booth and asked that we be removed from the conference because our message was so vile.  Ms. Science 2008 was not alone. It turns out there were about a half dozen requests for our booth to be removed.

While I did not enjoy being called names, it was at that point that it became apparent to me that our community must educate the masses about vaccine safety. At times, it is not going to be fun.  However, it does not do us good to spread our message back and forth at our own conferences and functions, talk about “preaching to the choir.”  We must educate America.  We must encourage discourse.  It’s not going to be easy and I hope the Vaccine Safety Request Video will have a small part in getting our message out.

I have another meeting scheduled with the McCain campaign this week.  Here is to hoping that I will get further with my Vaccine Safety Requests. As we get closer to the election, I am going to need our community’s help to get answers from Senator McCain and Senator Obama.  I hope I can count on you all.

Rebecca Estepp is Parent Support and Media Relations Manager for Talk About Curing Autism.

Ginger Taylor has a Substack account called In Many Words. If you don't know Ginger, she's an OG autism Mom whose blog "Adventures In Autism" was an integral part of the autism vaccine injury communication push of the 2000s. We're sharing her most recent article about CDC Whistleblower (insert meek "toot" here) William Thompson. He could have changed the course of thousands of lives. Instead, he admitted to CDC changing data. Maybe one day we'll learn the how of it. We'll never comprehend the why. Is there a woodshed in Atlanta?

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In Many Words - Substack from Ginger Taylor

Timeline of events in the William Thompson #CDCwhistleblower Scandal- the Subject of the VAXXED Documentary

Senior vaccine safety research scientist Dr. William Thompson confesses that he and his research team at CDC have been hiding vaccine autism links from the public.

Everybody remembers that William Thompson still works for CDC right?

Bobby has been in charge of HHS for four months now, and he has visited the CDC in Atlanta. Certainly by this time he's come across William Thompson and some sort of discussion about the MMR study fraud must have happened. I've just been sitting quietly and wondering what and what what is going to come of this scandal, and when Secretary Kennedy is going to discuss the scandal publicly. He may be waiting for his permanent CDC director to be confirmed, or for some other development to take place.

In the meantime I thought I would post the developments in the timeline of the scandal to refresh our memories for the day that this becomes national news again. It has now been 11 years since this scandal broke. It is one of a number of open developments that have never been handled properly.

READ MORE AT GINGER'S SUBSTACK HERE.

"Psychology shows that when autism parents live in constant survival mode, their bodies and minds adapt to ongoing stress. They stay alert, hyper-aware and emotionally drained always bracing for meltdowns, judgement or the next unexpected challenge. Even in quiet moments, true rest feels impossible. It's not overreacting, it's the nervous system forgetting what peace feels like." Source: @theautismdad

I read this yesterday in a meme (whose photo will not seem to appear on the site today), just after I'd removed the broom from blocking the back door. Sudden Onset Insomnia has struck again here. We have door chimes, but I can't always hear them from my bedroom, so I use the broom as back up noise. 

Our autism mindset affects other relationships. All relationships. Like how I assist my 85 year old Mom via Ring cameras set up 140 miles away. My observations are mostly predicated on constant disaster, worry, thinking ahead. I make different suggestions than my brother (no children) and sister (1 son, married.)  My ex-husband has taken me to court assuming that when I say, "No" to something he wants, it's about an ex-wife just being contrarian, that it's a power play about him. Never. It's always built on worry for my daughters.

I took a computer program class in college. There, I learned about the concept that would come to rule my life: Boolean logic. "And, Or, Else." It's our constant autism companion, "If, Then." The worry machine.  From Grok: if-then statements are fundamentally tied to Boolean logic. The "if" condition evaluates to a Boolean value—true or false. If the condition is true, the "then" block executes; if false, it skips or executes an "else" block if present. The condition itself is typically a Boolean expression, like comparisons (`x > 5`) or logical operations (`is_active && has_permission`). So, at their core, if-then statements rely on Boolean evaluation to control program flow.

I got my only college C in that class.

By Cathy Jameson

I love the summer months.  I especially love alarm-clock free quiet mornings when the kids sleep in.  You’d think I might take advantage of that quiet time and do something constructive while I have the house to myself, but I don’t.  I will sometimes just sit with my coffee and look out the kitchen window.  Beyond the window is my backyard filled with trees and squirrels.  I haven’t turned into a birdwatcher yet like other people close to my age have, but birds are back there also and will sometimes catch my eye.  My favorite view on a sunny, quiet morning is when the sunlight is soft, and when a slight breeze makes the shadows dance across the yard and onto the kitchen table.  It’s here at my table that I think, reflect, and wonder what might come next.  

Next for me in the most present sense is hearing the kids finally stirring.  Ronan will sleep as late as his college-aged siblings.  He may not have the best communication still, but he loves them so much and shares that with them throughout the day.  He also seeks them out, and not just because he wants them to change a Wii game.  Normally, he’d come to me to ask for help.  But when the kids are home, he goes to them.  Ronan will sometimes treat them as if he is a taskmaster, though.  He acts like that when he signs all kinds of signs to get their attention, to get them to do what he wants them to do, and to call them right back to change what they’ve just done.  There’s some frustration in that – for both Ronan and the sibling as he makes some pretty rapid-fire directions for them to follow: 

Ronan: (signs to sibling) Change Wii help. 

Sibling: You want this one?  (sibling asks while sifting through the discs that still work)

Ronan:  Yes, yes! (he smiles when sibling finds the ones he thinks he wants)

Sibling:  Okay, here you go. (inserts disc and starts to walk away)

Ronan:  (immediately and emphatically signs) No, no, change!

Sibling:  But you just said Yes!  (sifts through discs again)

Ronan:  (picks the exact same disc and signs less emphatically…almost smugly) Yes.

Mom!!!  “I know,” I tell them.  “He does the same thing to me.”

Looking at my summer view in the near future has Ronan joining the college-age siblings for move-in day.  He’s done well the last few years in accompanying us to campus, and I think we’ve done a good job of exploring campus with him when we get to visit the kids after they’re settled.  The best part of those visits is seeing the kids’ friends take Ronan in.  I’ll never forget the first time I got to bring Ronan to see his little brother for dinner one evening.  Willem asked his friends – all of them – to meet us and to join us for that dinner.  He even went so far as to say, “Mom, can Ronan sit next to me?”  Ronan’s a messy eater.  He needs assistance.  He can be very demanding at the table wanting this sauce, not that one.  This bite, not that one.  Oh, and your drink, not mine.  I could tell by the way that Willem asked that he remembered all of that and didn’t care if Ronan was going to be a rotten pickle at the dinner table that had us surrounded by 12 other young adults; he wanted to sit by his big brother.  So, I put my worries aside and watched the brotherly love in action, which was a bit messy with putting too much ketchup on French fries but was also beautiful.  Even more beautiful was witnessing the others, my son’s new friends, trying to engage with Ronan.  

When summer ends, Willem will return to those friends, and I have no hesitation in sending him back to them for another successful year on campus.  Before that occurs, we’ll start working on how to tell Ronan who has grown accustomed to typical brother rough housing like wrestling and being lifted and carried around the house like a sack of potatoes.  The two go out every few afternoons for a drive.  They sometimes get fast food that their mother doesn’t buy but knows that this time together is so precious that she doesn’t balk too loudly.  They spend a lot of time together, and it’s been beautiful to see.  

One day, when Willem ran out to do a quick errand to a store that Ronan doesn’t usually like to go into, Ronan looked at me, got up and grabbed his shoes.  He told me with his actions that maybe he did want to go in the store that day.  

But little brother had already left.  

And it hit Ronan hard. 

Just like the last time Willem had gone out to do something without Ronan.  He was just so sad.  Letting me know just how much he wanted to be with his best guy friend, Ronan went to his brother’s room, took one of Willem’s blankets and put it on his own bed.  My heart sank for Ronan, but it also burst with gratitude knowing how connected the boys have become.  

Soon, but not too soon, before the house becomes a little less active and when the older sibs go back to school, we’ll work on a few things.  We’ll look at pictures of our previous visits on campus.  We’ll talk about the friends the kids have there.  We’ll plan a few weekend trips there and back, too, so that Ronan knows that when summer ends our fall routine will begin.  I don’t want to think about that too much just yet because I am absolutely loving the view I have. It’s a wonderful thing to see the kids making the sweetest bonds with their brother right now.  

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.  

Enjoy the holiday weekend. Here's to protecting all children,  and the freedom to do so. 

By Kim Rossi

In 2023, I found this meme on social media. Can anyone explain the deliberate confluence of autism spectrum disorder and the TQ+ social construct that emerged in 2020. We've never been known for keeping quiet at Age of Autism. We rabble. We rouse.

Here's the disclaimer. 

I personally know or have known 3 trans individuals. Yadda, yadda, right? No, I won't say "Some are my friends." They are people who crossed my path. One is a trans male, just starting to transition. The born daughter of a friend. The second is a trans woman, whom I knew as a sweet natured, kind sales clerk at a natural food store some 20 years ago. He went missing for months. When I saw him again, he was she. I called him by his male name and told him how happy I was to see him again. He gently corrected me, "My name is Jasmine." And so I reintroduced myself to Jasmine. She left smiling. Third, a trans male who worked with my daughters for many years. Someone casually mentioned, "Oh yeah, he's trans" a few years ago and I was surprised. I had no idea. Nor did I have any objection. Trans people are people.

My question is how and WHY did autism become intertwined with trans so quickly. The dilution of autism over many years, starting with neuro-diversity back in the 2000s has worked against those fully, diagnostically and staunchly ON the spectrum. My kids. Maybe your kids. If you recall the outrage when Secretary Kennedy discussed the harsh reality of profound autism, you know that even those organizations and people tasked with protecting and helping autistics turned away from them in another round of fauxrage. 

You can not cosplay autism. 

Managing Editor's Note: This post ran in 2009. That's 16 years ago. Note that the Huffington Post piece bears the byline of both Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and David Kirby, two men who staked their reputations for our kids. How we miss both David and Dan Olmsted, our founder.

By Dan Olmsted 

Just two weeks after the U.S. Vaccine Court haughtily dismissed claims that vaccines can trigger autism, David Kirby and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. report another quietly settled case that shows the same court ruling exactly the opposite: 

Vaccine Court: Autism Debate Continues
We would love nothing more than to reassure parents that the nation's current vaccine program is 100% safe for all kids, and that zero credible evidence links vaccines with autism. But that simply isn't true.
By  Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and David Kirby 491, Contributor
Chief Prosecuting Attorney for Riverkeeper; Professional journalist
Mar 27, 2009, 06:12 AM EDT
|Updated Nov 17, 2011

Clearly, there's something wrong with this picture when the same court can't get its story straight while the fate of thousands of children and their families hang in the balance.

The truth is vaccines can and do cause autism, and even the federal government seems to know it, except when it comes to actually uttering the "A word."

And congrats to our friends and colleagues David and RFK Jr. for relentless pursuit of this important and still-unfolding story.

To read the .pdf file of the 2007 Banks v. HHS Vaccine Court ruling, click HERE.  Or you can read the transcribed copy that follows:

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
No. 02-0738V
Filed: 20 July 2007

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
BAILEY BANKS, by his father
KENNETH BANKS,

Petitioner

v.

SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,

"Follow your nose. It always knows. The flavor of froot." That's the old Toucan Sam advertising line.  The Froot Loop branch of the MAHA tree has been flourishing. It seems to have been pretty easy to get Kellogg's and other food companies to agree to remove some of the artificial colors from their products. Coincidentally, we would call this "low hanging fruit." Though we acknowledge the health benefit to children especially. We want Secretary Kennedy's mission for health to succeed, and we recognize the immense, crushing institutional, industry and political pressures he is facing. Imagine if someone else was heading up HHS - someone who actually exists, not a wish list person.

That said, the OG autism vaccine injury community looks forward to our turn. Last week the new and improved ACIP recommended the RSV vaccine for infants and sugarcoated that mercury laced flu shots were to be avoided when and where possible. There aren't enough decoder rings at the bottom of the cereal box to explain how that fits into MAHA as we see it. 

AofA's Laura Hayes summed up ACIP as sharply as eating a bowl of Shredded Wheat without milk: (Shared with permission.)

The results of yesterday’s ACIP meeting: No elimination of any vaccines currently recommended for pregnant women, children, or adults. No required elimination of mercury-laden thimerosal from vaccines, or aluminum for that matter, or any of the other toxic, poisonous, heinous ingredients that comprise each and every vaccine. No recall or withdrawal of any improperly and unethically tested and approved vaccine, which is all of them. No moratorium on vaccines issued, despite known corruption and fraud from manufacture to mandate, and known dangers, including death, disability, chronic illness, and infertility. No declaration that bodily autonomy, parental rights, religious freedom, informed consent, and the ethical practice of medicine cannot take place in the presence of mandates, and therefore, mandates must be eliminated. And it was apparently more important for the panel to discuss the chikungunya vaccine than what happened to your children and mine after their “routine” vaccines. More of the same. Unacceptable. Inexcusable. A travesty.

Then there are the medical wearables. From Secretary Kennedy's X account, whoever does the writing: Wearables put the power of health back in the hands of the American people.We’re launching one of the largest HHS campaigns in history to encourage their use—so every American can take control of their health, one data point at a time. It’s a key part of our mission to Make America Healthy Again.

Perhaps HHS will enlist Oprah to help distribute them. "You get a tracker! You get a tracker!" Who gets the data? Tracker rhymes with ------.  What if wearables had been required to track Covid vaccine status instead of paper cards? So many nefarious uses. Will there be any guardrails?

So, like the misfits Hermie the wannabe dentist and cast off Rudolph, (whose song my 30 year old has been listening to for days) we will remain independent in our thinking.  Feel free to tell us how you are feeling about what's happening in just 5 months. It's remarkable. There is progress. And we won't punish it. 

Nor will we forget our "raisin" d'etre.

Autism is a man made epidemic, and we finally have a chance to end it.  

By Cathy Jameson

We were able to get away to the beach last weekend for a few days.  Always a place of refuge for my family, we are happiest there and feel refreshed upon our return home.  I should stay off my phone while we are on vacation, but I was finishing the last week of a 5-week course and needed to stay connected to receive messages from my professor.  In the midst of looking through my emails for some information I needed for a final paper, I saw an email from the post office.  Several packages were going to be delivered while we were gone, which, thankfully, a kind neighbor offered to retrieve for us.  I opened one more post office email, thinking it was for one more package, and saw that it was just for the regular mail that would be delivered.  

Most of the time, I see the junk mail being scanned and scroll quickly through.  This time, the return address of one envelope had me stop scrolling.  

UGH.  

It was an official looking piece of mail from a pretty official group with letters that are usually time stamped with a return reply immediately requested.  I made a mental note to pull that envelope out of the pile of mail when we were back home.  

Once home, I saw that the group had set up a phone call for me: Your appointment is on Tuesday between 9am and 3pm.  Please be available by phone during that time.  It had been about a year since they reached out, so I figured it was an appointment asking for a review of current needs and services.  When the call came in at 1:15, I was in the car with my daughter, who had just finished her PT appointment.  I let the caller know that I was driving, and that Ronan’s sister was also on the call with me since I had the speakerphone on. “Oh, then let’s reschedule for when you are not driving.  I can call you back anytime this week.  What day can I do that?”  We picked a day later in the week, and I stressed out a little bit until she called back. 

I know I shouldn’t stress, but anytime I have to prove that Ronan is completely dependent and requires 24/7 care, I worry.  We provide exactly what he needs.  We do more than the basics.  We work to keep him happy, healthy and safe.  We do the same for our other children, but our other children don’t have agency representatives calling, emailing, or mailing us to prove their health status.  No one monitors their abilities or their disabilities.  No one holds us accountable for their development or a lack of development.  Parenting them carries different responsibilities, ones we’ve managed on our own.  For Ronan and for his different needs, I understand that groups want to ensure that we are being honest.  They ask and expect us to promise to uphold whatever standards and regulations they demand, especially the ones that provide monetary support.  It’s a terrible thing that we can’t just give our word.  We are truthful, but others havechosen to abuse the system.  So, regularly, our integrity is put under a microscope and checked.  

We’ve followed the rules, we’ve filled out the forms, we’ve disclosed all that’s been requested, so I shouldn’t have the slightest worry.  But it’s still stressful.  

The highlight of the latest call, besides securing the care and services that Ronan does need on a daily basis, was when the caller asked if anything had changed in the last year.  Has he moved?  No. Has he gotten sick for more than 30 days?  No. Has he gotten married?  

What?!  No!  Ha!  

“That would be something, now wouldn’t it,” I chuckled.  

The rep said, “Well, if he had, there’s another program that he could qualify for,” and she told me a little about it.  

I wasn’t expecting that answer, so I thanked her for the information just in case that were to happen.  Giving the woman much more information than she probably needed, I ended with, “You know for Rone to be married would be the biggest miracle of all, which we do pray for.  For a very long time, we’ve hopedand prayed for full healing, for him to regain full function.  You know, for us…that would mean to be independent, on his own, and, I guess, one day married.  That would be the best, so thank you for that thought…” I trailed off. 

In all the years that I’ve had to respond to calls, email, letters, and intense inquiries about Ronan’s health and abilities, that call ended up being the best one.  The representative and I talked about several other items, ones that no one in her agency had either thought to tell me or bothered to tell me.  

With more knowledge, I feel confident that his next year of care is not just secured, but with an added a benefit, it could be a better year for him than previous ones.  Despite the stress, the detailed record keeping, and the frequent invasion of privacy, I’m more than okay with being able to provide that for my son.  Forever and always, I will hope and pray that our little family can give Ronan exactly, if not more, than what he needs to be happy, healthy and safe. 

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism. 

If the photos don't drop, sit tight. Our platform is having some issues. Aren't we all??

It's tough to respond to this gaslighting from AAP. American children's health has plummeted inversely with every vaccine added since 1986. Fire your pediatrician. You're better off going to the local dog catcher for care. End ALL vaccine mandates and the market will do the rest. Vaccines will go the way of cigarettes. Smoke 'em if you want. Know the liability you bear. CHOICE is what the USA is all about, right? Freedom to choose many different things. Some you might not agree with at all. 

Looks like the AAP has hired a night shift. All their shifts are graveyard.  Now they are defending the BIRTH DOSE of Hepatitis B, an IV drug/sexually transmitted disease vaccine.

Good Lord. It's 2025 and much of America does not know that there is still mercury in vaccines. Most of the much haven't seemed to care. I found an ancient text from prototype Age of Autism back in June 2007. Kids born the day I wrote it can vote today. The links are all dead. Generation Rescue is gone. And Kim Stagliano hasn't been Kim Stagliano for eight+ years. Still, read the incredulity. Parents were expected to ask for vaccine free flu shots for their kids. Pediatricians were never required nor morally interested in doing so. 

We're waiting for the vote from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (The meeting is today and tomorrow) on the continued use of mercury as a preservative and cleaning agent during manufacture. From Children's Health Defense, which was FOUNDED by the very women who exposed the bolus (too, too much) doses of mercury in the pediatric vaccine schedule in the late 1990s. After Years of Silence, New CDC Vaccine Panel to Vote on Mercury in Flu ShotsAfter Years of Silence, New CDC Vaccine Panel to Vote on Mercury in Flu Shots

In 2005, our dear friend David Kirby (RIP) wrote the definitive book on mercury called Evidence of Harm. Many of us met each other because of that book. He was a friend to us, he risked his career (like so many) and spent years helping to spread the science and sleight of hand behind Thimerosal. We miss him.

June 2007

By Kim Stagliano

Kudos to Fox 6 San Diego for their, dare we say it, "Fair and Balanced" treatment of the Generation Rescue vaccinated versus unvaccinated study. 

We might have to ask our friends at "A-B-C" (the affiliate in Washington DC) to go back to school, however, for their one sided approach to the same information.  You can check it out here.  Kathy Fowler, medical reporter says, "If parents are concerned they can request Thimerosal free flu shots this fall."  How about, "If parents aren't concerned, they should have their heads examined?"

Kathy seems to be unaware that few pediatric offices and retail flu shot clinics have the Thimerosal free version of the flu vaccine available.

Is the "concerned" Mom supposed to stamp her feet and demand the Thimerosal free version? It takes chutzpah to ask the doctor if he is injecting mercury into his patients. And most of us, myself included, are taught to respect and even revere our doctors and to trust them. Plus, the doc or nurse is likely to assuage Mom's fears with a "Tut, tut, there, there silly woman" and inject the child with the full 25 micrograms of mercury anyway, using the, "You DO want to protect your child, don't you?" tactic.

I stopped into every flu shot clinic I saw last fall and asked the nurse, "Are you offering the Thimerosal free shot here?" I asked with my sweetest smile and went out of my way not to put the staff on edge. It wasn't easy. Most of the nurses or aides administering the vaccinations did not know what I was asking about.

At my local Target I asked the pharmacist if they brought in the pediatric flu vaccine.  "No, we only have what they send us and it has Thimerosal." At least he knew what I was talking about. I admit to announcing my own version of the old K-Mart blue light "not-so-special" that day when I used my "outdoor voice" to inform the parents in line that the shots contained mercury.  I left my cart full of unpurchased merchandise and skedaddled out before an angry mob came after me.

These two media reports from FOX and ABC show the disparity in how a story can be presented.  Although at least ABC chose to cover the Cedillo case and the Generation Rescue study. I have to give them credit for trying. 

The onus is on you Mom and Dad to guard your chicks well. Don't let the fox get them. And not injecting mercury into your child is as basic as, well, "ABC."

Kim Stagliano is the mother of three children with autism, a fiction and non-fiction writer and editor of The Rescue Post.  She is a featured author in an autism anthology for educators due out in Spring 2008, with her chapter titled, "Three Special Kids. No Apologies Necessary." You can see her blog entries as "An Autism Mom" at The Huffington Post and read her own blog here. She lives in Connecticut with her husband Mark and their daughters, Mia, Gianna and Bella and is usually darn tired, but always willing to fight for all kids with autism.

We need a guardianship autism agent/manager business for when we're gone or too old. Paid. Professionals. Like business managers or major domos. Us.

I just read an X from an autism sibling that needs amplification. But it disappeared into the scrolliverse. It stated bluntly that his/her childhood was sacrificed & compromised. It wasn't cruel or whiny. Just from the heart. Families who "expect" a sibling to take guardianship or even take over housing and full time care at any level might be in for a shock. My daughters have no one to do the work when I'm gone. I'm thinking hard.

This is a critical conversation. What happens when we die? 

Happy Summer 2025!

I saw this park sign on a Facebook post and immediately "liked" it. I love it. It's old school PECS icons for easy access to communication at a town playground. I repeat, EASY ACCESS TO COMMUNICATION. 

Imagine taking your non-speaking child to the pool, park, amusement park, mall, school or town playground, anywhere and having appropriate signage to help them communicate? Heck, add a letter board too for Spellers!  Make the icons age appropriate, NOT just for children. Kids grow up. This would be helpful for stroke patients, non-speakers with any diagnosis or condition. And also for non-English speakers. 

Maybe you don't want to shlep an iPad that can also be a huge distraction. Let's face it, AAC on an iPad has its drawbacks. Mostly YouTube! And while Spelling is fantastic for many, there's something to be said for the ability to point and say what you want in one tap. And anyone with a non-speaker can use it, staff, caretaker, grandparent, including other children. 

Do you have one of these nearby? 

By Cathy Jameson

Last week I got an automated call where you say hello and have to wait for a human to be connected to you.  I hesitate to answer those kinds of calls.  But I knew this could be important.  The area code gave that away.  I answered and stayed on the line longer than expected.  Static, a slight beep sound, oh, dang it.  Is it a scam call?  I wondered.  I know not to answer those.  About to hang up, a robo voice popped on the line, “This is ____, your insurance company.  Please stay on the line if you are … Ronan … Jameson.” 

He can’t answer phone calls himself, so I stayed on the line.  “If this is … Ronan … Jameson … please press 1.” 

About to press 1 to see what it was all about, another call from my daughter’s provider came in.  Ugh.  She’s still recovering from an injury from earlier this year.  In her second week of therapy now, I needed to touch base with the provider who I know would actually be on the line.  So, I hung up with the insurance company.  It’s all over Ronan’s files that he has intellectual delays and is non-verbal though.  If they really needed to talk to him, or me, a live person would’ve initiated the call.  If it’s really, really important, I know they’d have called right back. 

They didn’t.  Strike 1.

That same day, I followed up with a medication order that I placed over a week ago that was still not delivered.  It should’ve been at our front door over the weekend but wasn’t.  The minor delay had Ronan 2 days off one of his seizure meds.  It wasn’t the one that I think will save his life, but it’s still one that is part of his daily med routine.  Talking to the pharmacy tech, I said that I used the automated line this time to order the medication.  She asked, “Did you remember that it takes 7 – 10 days for the order?”  I did, I told her.  “But still,” I questioned, “We should have had some movement on the delivery.  It’s not slated to go out until Wednesday.  If it’s filled, why hasn’t it gone out?”

She quickly said, “Let me see if the pharmacist can squeeze the order in to be delivered tomorrow.” 

Grrr.  If it’s easy to “squeeze” in only because of a call I made, why not just push the order out when it was initially received?    

“Mrs. Jameson?” the tech came back on the line. “The pharmacist can send it overnight, so you’ll have it tomorrow.”  I thanked her and before hanging up asked if it would be wiser to just call the order in like I had been doing.  It never took as long when I called, so maybe the automated process was less reliable I thought.  “You could call.  There’s still the part that the pharmacist wants you to remember – orders take 7 – 10 days to process,” she added matter-of-factly. 

She got the last word, not that I’m keeping track.  But Strike 2 for how things seemed to be going.

Later, I got something in the mail that I wasn’t expecting.  One of the agencies that provides a service sent a Second Request form.  Second request?  I wonder why when I filled out and mailed back the original time-sensitive form in March.  Opening the envelope, I saw a letter stating that if the form wasn’t returned timely some of Ronan’s services could be in jeopardy.  Dang it!  I mailed it!  I have proof, too. 

We rely on this group for several services, so I quickly gathered the documents being re-requested, addressed the envelope, and went out to mail it.  Missing the morning delivery/pick up, I felt apprehensive at trusting the postal service (again) to get this now very time-sensitive information to the right people.  Trying to get to the post office before it closed on Wednesday, because Thursday’s national holiday would delay the pick up/delivery, I missed the drop off window.  The earliest it would go out would be Friday morning.  Having to leave it in the maildrop hoping it wouldn’t get lost or forgotten, I walked away feeling defeated.

UGH.  Strike 3. 

I wait, pray, and hope that that envelope gets to the office it needs to get to. 

One praise report did come in in the midst of the hoop jumping I did last week, and that was Ronan’s meds finally arrived.  If you’re at the mercy of others to do their job, it takes faith to believe that they will follow through.  It’s not a celebration when they do their job but a huge relief that it got done.  When your child depends on people doing so much more – like securing and maintaining appropriate services, the stress of ensuring all of that remains accessible is even greater.  No wonder it’s said that parents of a child with special needs have stress levels comparable to combat veterans. They are not lying. 

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism. 

I wrote this post after the massacre in the Uvalde, Texas in 2022.  "We have a generation that literally has the WORLD in their palm of their hand, and yet are so very alone. Without coping skills. We say it's a gun issue. We say it's a mental health issue. It seems like a radically altered childhood issue. And no one wants to talk about it. What the hell has happened to our kids?"

Three years later, we are at least talking about the catastrophic health, mental and physical of American children on a Federal level. Is it enough? Is it accurate?

The Fractured Fairytale of Autism

By Kim Rossi

Those readers of a certain age will remember the Fractured Fairy Tales cartoons that aired during Bullwinkle. Today's post is about the fracturing within our community. Ignored. Disregarded. Glossed over. Not here.

Many of our readers are drowning in ever deeper waters as their children head into adulthood. There are few supports once school lets out. Day programs are turning down autistic individuals with high levels of need.  Jobs are grim for those who qualify for viable employment with or without supports.  Medical freedom and Covid have eclipsed autism everywhere - even within organizations that were founded by warrior families. Biomedical treatment is a distant memory. Spelling has become the new darling.  New reports of beautiful Elizabeth Bonker, who was Valedictorian for her college class, they mention, "She lost her speech at 15 months," but none asked WHY??? It's as if they said, "She got glasses in 3rd grade." Perfectly normal. Spelling is wonderful, I've seen my own daughters intelligence shine through. I am a big fan. 

“These discussions do not point to a disability, but highlight a different way of understanding and interpreting the world. These people share personal experiences, where these are not necessarily interpreted in a negative way. The focus is on neurodiversity, not on a disorder.”

Imagine reading 700,000 Reddit posts and drawing broad conclusions about autism. We suggest the researchers track clicks on Sesame Street, Thomas the Tank Engine and Oreo unboxing Youtube videos to glean additional data. When Secretary Kennedy spoke on live TV about the 25+% of people with profound autism and the list of "nevers" we know all too well, the outcry was deafening. Even from organizations like ASA which was founded back when autism was indeed called a disability. 

Nothing About Us Without Us goes both ways. Our Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill wrote the book on the negative impact of airbrushing our loved ones out of the autism picture. Denial: How Refusing to Face the Facts about Our Autism Epidemic Hurts Children, Families, and Our Future

Read the full reporting at Neuroscience News.

###

Summary: A massive study of over 700,000 Reddit posts has given researchers a unique window into the lived experiences of autistic individuals, revealing a focus on community, personal interests, and coping strategies. Using natural language processing, the team grouped posts into recurring themes like music, food, friendships, and emotional challenges.

Rather than pathologizing autism, the conversations emphasize neurodiversity and celebrate different ways of thinking. The findings highlight the emotional toll of masking behaviors and call for clinical approaches that reflect the real concerns of autistic individuals.

Key Facts:

Massive Dataset: Researchers analyzed over 700,000 Reddit posts to understand authentic conversations in autism-related communities.
Themes of Connection: Common topics included favorite music, food, social interactions, and navigating neurotypical expectations.
Call for Change: The study urges clinicians and educators to prioritize neurodivergent voices and move away from deficit-based models.

Source: University of Trento

A group of researchers from the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science of the University of Trento, together with colleagues from US and British universities and departments, delved into the world of people with autism through their conversations, learning about their interests, the topics they discuss, their needs, tastes, and experiences.

They worked from the ground up, examining discussions and narratives to shed light on things that usually remain unknown to outsiders.

The results of their work are described in a paper published by Autism Research: “Autism Spectrum Disorders Discourse on Social Media Platforms: A Topic Modeling Study of Reddit Posts”.

They examined more than 700,000 posts from all over the world that were published anonymously on Reddit in discussion forums on autism. A huge amount of data that the researchers analysed with natural language processing techniques that have made it possible to group writings by macro-themes and thematic content.

The researchers found out that among the recurring topics in these forums are music, favourite foods, and social life. In fact, some ask for suggestions on how to make friends, while others talk about musical preferences or eating habits. In general, the participants have a supportive attitude towards each other.

The results of this study offer an unprecedented look at the online conversation on autism, which calls on a different approach to neurodivergence, one that doesn’t view it as a disadvantage but rather values differences.

Gianluca Esposito, the author of the study, explains in this regard: “These discussions do not point to a disability, but highlight a different way of understanding and interpreting the world. These people share personal experiences, where these are not necessarily interpreted in a negative way. The focus is on neurodiversity, not on a disorder.”

In recent years, much has been written and said about autism, often underlining its symptoms and difficulties. But what emerges from this work is different.

“We started from the analysis of spontaneous daily life posts to investigate what are the most recurrent topics of discussion and what are, potentially, the more or less functional strategies that people put in place to cope with challenges,” says Esposito, who adds: “It is important to understand that autism is not a cognitive disability. Many people still believe this stereotype, but years of research and clinical practice demonstrate that this is not always true.

“There are a number of neurodiversities, which must not be understood as a set of difficulties but as a set of individual identities: a variety of ways of thinking and perceiving the world that can offer valuable contributions to society and enrich our understanding of human functioning.”

It is important to note, as the article reads, that the discussions among the participants also reflect a deeper challenge: an effort to tune one’s interpersonal feelings and emotions with external social norms.

They somehow would like to mute the desire for authenticity in contexts where societal expectations might require masking or adapting behaviours.

This is highlighted by Alessandro Carollo, one of the authors of the work: “One aspect that impressed me a lot is to see people with autism suffer and struggle when they are forced to conform to neurotypical standards.

“The difficulty is not so much related to what we think is a symptom of neurodivergence but to the request to standardize, to mask their identity in favour of what is considered a neurotypical behaviour.”

What will be the clinical impact of this study?

“The collected data – clarifies Carollo – can help design educational actions to address the real concerns of people with autism, that must be taken into account in general and that may not always emerge during therapy or more conventional research protocols.”

Note: Barbara Loe Fisher, founder of NVIC, posted this yesterday on X. The repopulation of ACIP will shape future vaccine policy. Removing members is only the start. Yesterday, I read that by revamping ACIP, FDA approval will mean "less" as there won't be a rubber stamp awaiting from ACIP.  It's been almost 40 years since "The Act" that removed product liability to protect the vaccine industry. It's been 4 months since vaccines have really been on the radar for change. Discuss freely - that's what AofA is all about.

###

Dear NVIC Family,

I am delighted to share that our longtime colleague and friend Vicky Pebsworth, OP, PhD, RN—a woman of faith, devoted mother of a vaccine-injured son, NVIC Board member and tireless volunteer—has been appointed by Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as a voting member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Her appointment, announced on June 12, 2025, means that parents who have personally witnessed vaccine injury will again have a seat at the table on a federal vaccine advisory committee where national vaccine policy is made.

For nearly two decades, Vicky has poured both heart and scientific rigor into NVIC’s mission. Since joining us in 2006, she has led our research and patient-safety initiatives, drawing on 35 years of experience as an ICU nurse, health-policy analyst, and expert in health research methods. Her prior service as a consumer representative on FDA’s VRBPAC and work with NVAC’s Vaccine Safety Working Group have earned her a reputation for asking the hard questions and demanding transparent evidence.

Vicky’s presence on ACIP is a milestone for every family that values the right to make voluntary vaccination decisions and informed consent. I know she will carry to each meeting the stories, hopes, and prayers of parents whose children have been harmed, and she will speak with the courage that can only come from lived experience and unwavering commitment to safeguarding the health and freedom of future generations.

We congratulate Vicky and lift her up in prayer for wisdom and strength as she undertakes this solemn responsibility on behalf of America’s children.

In the Spirit of Truth and Freedom,

Barbara Loe Fisher

Co-founder & President, National Vaccine Information Center

#NVIC #ACIP

I popped up a quick post yesterday to say, "Happy Father's Day," but took it down to let Cathy have the Sunday spotlight. And when you have a child of any age with autism, every day is Father's Day. Just as it is for Moms. The work doesn't end. Nor the worry. 

So, if you provide, protect, participate, plan, produce and sometimes just plain poop out, we get it. Families share the load differently. Worries vary depending on where the individual falls on the spectrum. But the love, oh yes, the love, that's what drives us to keep on keeping on, isn't it? 

Happy Father's Day!

By Cathy Jameson

I got a call from a group that helps with some of Ronan's services that I knew would take awhile, but I couldn't stay on the phone when the lady called.  Setting up an appointment for the next day, the call was not quick like the lady said it would be.  Like how long it took for Ronan's vaccine injury to set it, slow and painful, so was our conversation.  I've had plenty of these kinds before.  But the longer Ronan cannot, will not, and would not do many of the tasks that I had to go over, the more depressing things get.  The lady quickly picked up on that, like other reps have, and that's when the apologies began. 

At minute 20

I'm sorry, it's taking so long...

After 47 minutes

Here's one more I'm sorry I have to ask...

At a little over an hour

We're almost done, thanks for your patience...

If only the chronic conditions could end like this phone call finally did.  But because of those conditions, long phone calls and securing existing services are still part of life.  What's next brings a new set of emotions, including apprehension.  

Before we hung up, the lady shared a promise of reviewing his file.  “His file goes to those consulting on the case.  After that will be a determination of what will be done next, which includes considering the services he currently uses.”  For his health and safety, we depend on specialists, services, and interventions that we receive.  We are grateful for the coverage, the assistance, and the peace of mind that comes with being part of organizations whose mission it is to reach out and deliver services to people like Ronan.  

Always mindful of how detailed intake and renewal paperwork must be for continuity of care, I'm respectful and thorough with my answers, even if they conjure up everything my son can't, won't, and may never be able to do.  In order to give a solid answer for some of the questions, I know to share more.  Some responses could be a quick yes or no reply, but others required more information. 

Is he able to tell you what he needs? 

Well, yes. But no.  He signs.  But it's not American Sign Language (ASL); it's Ronan Sign Language (RSL). 

Does he make his own meals?

He tries.  But he needs total assistance.  

Can he toilet on his own?

We've set up a bathroom schedule.  But he doesn't always make it. 

Is Ronan able to make his own bed?

He tries, and it's the cutest thing to watch.  But no, he can't… 

Other questions were ones that had me answering if what he can do today is the same, better, or worse than last year.  I knew how I answered could either secure a current service we have, or an answer could have that change—possibly eliminating what he receives.  Talking about some topics was tough, especially having to describe the medical issues Ronan faced last year that landed him in the hospital.  During that time, his abilities worsened and caused an inordinate amount of worry.  He faced unknown issues that caused new problems, problems that welater learned could've been avoided.  

Like how he got sick in the first place all those years ago, a lot of this could've been avoided. 

It can be overwhelming when one agency or another asks for an update.  But I know that the sooner I answer their questions, the sooner those updates can be processed.  Rone's vaccine injury has been never ending, so the services we rely on to keep him safe and healthy also needs to be.  Ronan needs constant care, so I get back to work getting done what need to be done.  The sooner I go through the emotions, the sooner I refocus.  It’s work, and it’s hard, but it’s the most worthwhile work I can and will continue to do for my child. 

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism. 

I saw this on Facebook from an account called "Special Soul Mamas." While I've never believed we are special souls hand chosen for beatification or that any of us is Mother Teresa, her post is pitch perfect. We are all of what she describes to varying degrees:

###

I don’t get a break.

I get five-minute windows of not being needed.

That’s not rest. That’s survival.

There are no holidays from this.

No weekends off.

No sleeping in, no switching off.

And even when I do get to pass the baton - to a support worker or my husband -

every drop of me is still needed.

Mentally. Emotionally. Physically, too.

I never fully leave the room.

I’m always listening. Anticipating.

Reading the signs, planning ahead, managing what’s next.

Always on.

I sit down for a moment or busy myself with another task,

then hear the noise, or the quiet that means something and I’m needed again.

I pour a coffee I won’t finish.

I plan a call I won’t start.

I breathe - but not deeply. Not fully.

Every second is accounted for.

Every moment measured in needs.

I’m not saying this for pity.

I’m saying it because it’s true.

Because someone out there is feeling like they’re failing, 

when really, they're just exhausted from doing the work of ten people with zero pause.

So if you're in it too - if your “break” is standing in the laundry room breathing for 30 seconds while chaos hums in the background - 

I see you.

That’s not weakness.

That’s devotion.

That’s the kind of love that doesn’t clock out and I just want to remind you;

We’re not doing nothing.

We’re doing everything.

Love, Christine x

Special Soul Mama

#SpecialSoulKeeper #ThisIsLoveToo #NoBreaksJustWindows #UnseenUnheardButHere #ForTheMamasInTheThickOfIt

Information is flowing on social media about the radical changes made by Robert Kennedy, Jr. to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, under CDC.

One such post from Substack well worth a read is below. Hulscher points out that one of the former ACIP members was Dr. Paul Offit. A name we know too well.

Named: The Most Compromised ACIP Members

Among the worst examples:

Dr. Paul Offit — Participated in the ACIP’s rotavirus working group while holding a patent on a competing Merck rotavirus vaccine. He also received a $350,000 grant from Merck and served as a Merck consultant, yet still voted on recommendations that would eventually benefit his product.

We've written about Dr. Offit as far back as 2009, including:

Offit Cashes In: Closing the Books on the Vaccine Profits of a Merck-Made Millionaire

The Offit Index: Tracking a Patent Owner’s Ongoing Financial Interest in One Vaccine’s Sales

Voting Himself Rich: CDC Vaccine Adviser Made $29 Million Or More After Using Role to Create Market

Counting Offit’s Millions: More on How Merck’s Rotateq Vaccine Made Paul Offit Wealthy

Dr. Offit was opining on X yesterday that Kennedy was using fear as a tool to prevent parents from vaccination. It was laughable. Fear and guilt have been the primary bludgeons used by men like Offit, CDC, AMA, AAP and pharma for decades. "Children will die!" has been their scalpel.

I reminded him of this ad from Glaxo telling grandparents they would kill their grandkids without a DTaP booster.

Nicolas Hulscher, MPH on Substack

Report Confirms CDC’s ACIP Has Been Compromised Since the 1990s

As RFK Jr. resets the CDC’s vaccine panel, vaccine ideologues spiral into panic—conveniently forgetting that Congress exposed ACIP’s systemic corruption over two decades ago.

Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the removal of all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—the powerful panel tasked with recommending vaccines for the American public.

The reason: systemic corruption, chronic conflicts of interest, lack of transparency, and a well-documented history of rubber-stamping every vaccine placed before it, regardless of emerging safety concerns.  Read more at Hulscher's Substack, The Focal Points.

Dear readers, I'm so happy to tell you about the DEBUT of a new book called "Love in the Age of Autism Navigating a Joyful and Romantic Marriage in the Face of Adversity." No, not this Age of Autism, but the life so many of us lead. And written by the most amazing family. Gayle, Jonathan and Jennifer have contributed to AofA over the years. Gayle passed away in 2022. We all deserve love, joy and the security of partnership, even as we devote our lives to our children, whether married or not.

Gayle DeLong was an Associate Professor of International Business and Finance at Baruch College CUNY. Jonathan Rose is the William R. Kenan Professor of History at Drew University.  Together they raised two autistic daughters, Jennifer and Flora.

Jonathan emailed me yesterday to say both Flora and Jennifer are doing well in their living situations. 

Leave a comment and email me [email protected], we have 5 copies to give away! 

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Love in the Age of Autism: Navigating a Joyful and Romantic Marriage in the Face of Adversity 

Gayle DeLong was a well-known activist in the autism community, the ‘Warrior Mom’ of two autistic daughters. She worked closely with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on vaccine injury issues. This book is a record (based largely on her diaries) of her happy marriage to Jonathan Rose. Love in the Age of Autism does not sugarcoat the stresses and heartbreak of raising autistic children: it is more honest about that than most other books on the subject. But it is also an inspiring love story, which can help autism parents find profound joys in spite of all the pains. It offers practical advice and models for sharing the burdens and pleasures of life, based on a strong sense of family values. This book frankly (and with an earthy sense of humour) illustrates how autism parents can continue to enjoy passionate, monogamous physical love – and it explains how to provide sex education for autistic girls. The tale that Gayle and Jonathan tell is intensely romantic and life-affirming.

BREAKING: Kennedy Dumps Big Pharma-Aligned CDC Advisors, Vows to Earn Back Public Trust in Science

By Adam Garrie, Breaking News Reporter, The MAHA Report

On Monday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), declared war on the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), members of which help the CDC decide who should be given specific vaccines.

Kennedy announced he is retiring all 17 members of the ACIP, some of them last minute appointees of President Biden. Read more here.

By Anne Dachel

Open letter to HHS Sec Robert Kennedy Jr. on teaching medical students about good nutrition

Who decides what good nutrition is?

June 4th ABC News announced that HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy will soon require doctors to learn about good nutrition as part of their medical school training.

RFK Jr. to tell medical schools to teach nutrition or lose federal funding—The health secretary says he will issue the edict within a year

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he plans to tell American medical schools they must offer nutrition courses to students or risk losing federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Speaking at an event in North Carolina in April, Kennedy lamented, "There's almost no medical schools that have nutrition courses, and so [aspiring physicians] are taught how to treat illnesses with drugs but not how to treat them with food or to keep people healthy so they don't need the drugs."

He added, "One of the things that we'll do over the next year is to announce that medical schools that don't have those programs are not going to be eligible for our funding, and that we will withhold funds from those who don't implement those kinds of courses." . . .

A study published in the Journal of Biomedical Education in 2015 surveyed 121 American medical schools in 2012-2013 and found that medical students spend, on average, only 19 hours on required nutrition education over their four years.

Those numbers have frustrated some nutrition experts, who argue doctors should focus more on preventing diet-driven conditions like obesity and diabetes and less on prescribing drugs that treat the problems.

"I think there's a great sense of urgency that we have to do something about this," said Dr. David Eisenberg, a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who told ABC News that requiring nutrition education at all medical schools is "long overdue." . . .

A representative for the Association of American Medical Colleges, which counts more than 170 medical schools among its members, declined to comment but told ABC News that an e-survey of medical schools the group conducted last year found that every school that responded reported "covering nutrition content in some form."

By Cathy Jameson

Cathy has the day off for a family event.  Here's her 2025 intro to a Best of post. Dive in!: Our neighborhood pools opened for the summer last weekend. Ronan doesn’t so much like to go swimming anymore, but this story reminded me of a time when he did. 

--

With as much traffic our floors and carpets get, I've often wondered if it would be wise to purchase a steam cleaner. During Ronan's de-robing phase a few weeks ago, I came to a conclusion that YES, we do need our own steam cleaner.

During that phase, I scrubbed Ronan's bedroom carpet daily.  The cleaner I got his carpet, the dingier other carpeting in the house started to look.  While trying to recall the last time we had them professionally cleaned, I remembered a conversation that the carpet cleaner guy and I had.  

We were talking about our kids, the summer ahead, and fun family things to do in town.  Halfway through the conversation, Ronan walked into the room where we were talking.  Boy was he was a sight!  Ronan had tried to put on a bathing suit over his shorts, two pair of swim goggles, and swim floaties--both of them on one arm.  

The carpet cleaner guy stopped mid-sentence.  Ronan, taking no notice of him, stood in front of him and then stared at me.  Signing 'swim, water, boat', his way of saying that he wants to go to the pool, Ronan reached for my hand.  I offered it to him but didn't leap into action.  Tugging on my hand, Ronan looked puzzled.  It would be at least another hour before the carpet cleaning crew was done.  That, and because it was raining, had us staying home with no plans to go to the pool that day at all.  

But Ronan didn't care.  

He wanted to go swimming.  

Now!  

What followed wasn't pretty.

Click below to watch on Friday, June 6 at 10:00am EDT

Thank you to Children's Health Defense for sharing one of the biggest autism origin stories: The Simpsonwood Meeting. From this story many heroes were born. In the idyllic setting, one of our nation's worst cover ups, scandals and sins was born. FDA, CDC and pharma made the autism signal "disappear." How many thousands of families have been thrown into chaos in 25 years? How many more will yet join us?

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From CHD: The orchestrated autism cover-up from 25 years ago continues today. It’s time the truth is revealed.

After 25 years, CHD will expose what happened behind closed doors at the secret Simpsonwood meeting in June of 2000, where CDC, FDA, and pharma officials reviewed explosive data linking vaccines with autism and neurological damage… and then buried it.

We’re uncovering what they have tried so desperately to hide.

Join us this Friday as we uncover the truth behind this cover-up and its lasting impact on the autism crisis.

SIGN UP TO WATCH

Once you sign up, you will receive a follow-up email with a direct link to the event stream on June 6.

To uncovering the scandal,

The Children’s Health Defense Team

Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Ralph Waldo Emerson

By Kim Rossi

If only this advice was a easy as it reads. This tiny book meme reminded me of a gift from my Dad when I was a child. He gave me The Nutshell Library, four tiny story books written by Maurice Sendak in a wee cardboard bookcase. 

Chicken Soup With Rice: A book about the months (and my favorite food as a child.) 
Alligators All Around: An alphabet book
One Was Johhny: A counting book
Pierre I Don't Care: A cautionary tale

There are days recently when I envy Pierre, who said nothing but "I don't care!" to his parents and then to a lion, who threatened to eat him. Pierre was blase to his very core. If only we could channel some of that nonchalance. The news, the politics, the MAHA brouhahas, the we were here firsts, the we are the newcomers who know best, the too muchers, the not enoughers, the our way or the highwayers, the new pathers, the grand-standers, the old timers are taking a toll on me. Progress won't mean perfection. It never has. Nor should it mean giving up our dearest needs.

The lion ate Pierre. His parents saved him. And then Pierre DID care. 

Age of Autism has been publishing non-stop since November of 2007. Thousands of posts. More than a hundred thousand comments from you, our readers. We've been through many storms, all rotating around our children and their autism. Around the lies spun about vaccines. About the trauma and trials of this life, and gratitude we share for the heroes who have tried so hard to help. Heroes like Dan Olmsted and David Kirby who chose to fight for this cause.

Many of our children are adults. We are approaching or in our senior years. And despite the neverending worry, we care. Despite all the blunders and absurdities and doubt that creeps in. We must.

Kim Rossi is Managing Editor for Age of Autism. 

You can find Dr. Moskowitz' books on Amazon including Vaccines: A Reappraisal and Conscientious Objector: Why I Became a Homeopath. Dr. M has many decades of medical experience over the course of his career and his keen insight into vaccination is invaluable. Why is it one Harvard trained MD was able to see so clearly when thousands have not?

By Dr Richard Moskowitz

As a practicing physician, the bulk of my learning was the direct result of one-to-one personal encounters with patients, on what contemporary medicine almost scornfully dismisses as “anecdotal evidence.” Of course, it’s true that such evidence is subject to error, and that randomized control trials, when properly designed and impartially conducted, can provide valuable confirmation or refutation that brings us closer to objective truth.

But, in my own case at least, it was solely and precisely my clinical experience that dictated what such research studies should measure, which was something that hadn’t been measured before, and is still widely ignored, overlooked, or discounted despite its having been pointed out. So I will take a little time to summarize the anecdotal evidence that turned my whole practice around, to reinstate its explanatory power.

I should also preface it by saying that I never felt comfortable with giving vaccines routinely on a mass scale, especially to prevent illnesses that were not serious or life-threatening, let alone depriving kids of their right to an education if their parents refused them. But in the early years of my practice, in the late ‘Sixties and ‘Seventies, it was only a gut feeling, with no evidence to back it up, a suspicion that, insofar as they were effective, they were altering the natural microbiome of whole populations in ways that we could scarcely imagine and in any case were paying no attention to.

By Anne Dachel

Why is the CDC still in charge of the autism rate?

Why is complete incompetence being rewarded?

May 22^nd President Trump met with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. He talked about the progress they’re making, namely removing toxic food dyes, eliminating conflicts of interest at FDA, reforming public health and reducing prescription drug prices. Trump described drug companies as the “most powerful lobby in the world.”

They have tremendous power over the Senate, over the House, over the governors, over everybody.

It was one in 10,000, and now it’s one in 31 for autism. I think that’s just a terrible thing. Has to be something on the outside, has to be artificially induced, has to be. I will not allow our public health system to be captured by the very industries it’s supposed to oversee. So, we’re demanding the answers. The public is demanding the answers, and that’s why we’re here.

The media trashed the idea that there’s any problem with the autism rate.

NBC News: Autism rates have risen to 1 in 31 school-age children, CDC reports

A researcher attributed the increase to awareness and improvements in detecting the developmental disorder.

By Cathy Jameson

I’m learning a lot from my recent master’s courses.  The best part is when I can double dip and share something I’ve learned there over here.  The course I’m taking now is about ethical dilemmas in special education.  Did you know that ethical principles are in place, and have been for quite some time, that promote and respect the needs of students with special needs?  Principles guide educators to seek and maintain high levels of expectation for the student and for themselves as well.  For all the years that my son was in special education, I had no idea!  I knew that ethically, teachers should do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do and that they had to be highly qualified to work in the field.  I also knew that the Individualized Education Program (IEP) they helped draft had to ensure that he received a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment LRE).  I knew that the general education teacher must be involved and contribute to Ronan’s program also.  Related services, like speech therapy, were something the entire team had to consider, too.  But the ethical principles, standards, and policies that special educators refer to for guidance while teaching children like my son were completely foreign to me.  I felt a little dumb when, in my first assignment for my latest class, I had to describe an ethical dilemma I experienced in the classroom and which principle or principles I felt most connected to.  

Ummm, I didn’t even know about these principles, so….

But in finding them and then taking a look at them, as a parent of a child who did go through the special education system, I was strongly pulled to the ones that have educators advocating for their students and their families.  

That hasn’t always happened for us.  Protections are in place – on paper.  But not always carried through on site.  I won’t go into the details now, but when your child is not receiving FAPE and when they get hurt in the classroom, things have to change and you quickly have to learn about the other side of special education – the law.  The law should always be on the side of the student and their parents, but for some, that isn’t the case.  

Our elementary dream team ensured that it was on his side the entire time Ronan was with them, but earlier and later teams did very poorly in that department.  During those years, I poured myself into learning how to help my son retain the help he needed, but it was exhausting.  The amount of time I spent to know all that a parent must know went beyond just reading a little bit every day.  That reading went well into the night – every book, every website, every email from every parent who also faced inadequate special educational practices from their teams, it was a lot.  It was too much in fact. 

Had I known prior to enrolling Ronan in some of the schooling he did go to, I may have opted out.  The negative impact those years had affected him, my other children, and our family as a whole.  If adults don’t know how to protect all students at all times, if they don’t know that parents must be partners at all times, if they don’t put their best foot forward every day for the students, they shouldn’t be anywhere near the field of education.  

I can say that now, but back then, in the mid2000s, we needed and expected help from the professionals who said they could help.  At no time did we think they wouldn't until we discovered his education and care was lacking.  He, of course, couldn’t tell us that himself because of his severe expressive speech delays, but his behavior said otherwise. 

I know now that the more a non-verbal child refuses to go into a room with adults, you absolutely must trust the child.    

Now that I’m back in an educator role and working with children and their families, I can’t help but draw on my past personal experiences in the hopes of being a better advocate than some of Ronan’s educators were.  I advocate for the whole child.  I work to build a positive relationship with their parents.  I aim to provide meaningful interactions for the child, their parents, and the professional educators around them.  I remain hopeful that my purpose for being part of the programs I am part of blesses all of us.  With time and commitment, juggling the child’s needs, the staffs’ professional development, and the programs’ requirements can be done and done well.  I have so much more to learn and give, so I’m happy to continue to do that – to serve and to grow both at work and while I study late into the night for this class and others I'll take as I complete this degree. 

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.  

Julie Kelly (formerly Obradovic) wrote this post on Facebook back in 2016. It's just as valid today. 

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Being a part of the autism controversy has been life altering in ways beyond description, and many of those ways haven't always been good. Doing this advocacy work is hard. It breaks your heart. Beats you down. Tests your faith. Alters your relationships. Changes people's perception of you. It costs you spiritually, professionally, financially, and emotionally. It can even cost you your reputation.

And to make matters worse, when doing this work is the absolute hardest...media on a relentless war path....made up stories and scare mongering...censorship... being called a liar for the fiftieth thousand time...we can sometimes turn on one another. That's when it's the worst, I always feel. Always hardest to see your family in turmoil. 

There are many days I think, you know what...it's been a good decade. I gave it my best. I played the role I could. I wrote my book. I've said what I have to say. I've helped raise a ton of money. I've testified. Been to DC three times. Been to the UN. Let's put this behind us and move forward. Eve is doing great but could still use your help. Focus on that. Focus on you. Move on. And honestly, that was my plan. 

And then nights like last night happen. I see #Vaxxed for the first time. I see the whistleblower story put on film. I see so many friends on the screen that I have been lucky to know and work with over the years. I see an audience in front of me inspired to help take up the work. (I see Donnie and Jenny literally in front of me!) And I am grateful. This work is heavy. We need more hands.

But that's not what invigorated me last night to keep going. It was actually a random conversation in the hall before the movie. A mom was with her affected (and well recovered!) son as we were getting our tickets. She had just come out of the film and said she recognized me. Wanted to say hello.

I asked if I needed a tissue and if it was going to be hard to watch. She said, yes, and I told her that I don't know how many more tears I can cry. Told her I just finished writing a book and that I hope that really moves me forward once and for all.

She says, "Well, I've been able to manage my tears and pain pretty well over the last many years, so this wasn't too hard tonight. There's this article, "A Bump in the Road" that was written years ago. I take it out and read it every six months, cry my eyes out, and get it out of my system. It's me. Every word of that article is me. You should read it. It's amazingly therapeutic."

I stand there shocked for a moment before responding humbled. 

"I wrote it." And that's true. I wrote it. In 2009, I think?

Her eyes widen and she says she never put that together. Thanks me profusely and says she can't wait to read my book. We hug, and she thanks me again. Says I have no idea what I gave her by writing that.

My only point in bringing this up is that a lot of people have asked me over the years what they can do. Not the folks so much with an affected child, but the folks who love the families dearly that do.

People desperately want to help, but they are conflicted and confused about their roles. On the one hand, they don't want to put themselves in the line of fire. On the other, they want to help. They want to do something. But for whatever reason, people usually think it has to be some grand gesture. It doesn't.

So here's what I always say. Do what you have the ability to do. I was given the ability to write, so that's primarily what I have done. That's really all there is to it.

However, there a MILLION other things you can do besides writing. Here are just a few ideas.

Have a fat wallet? Write a check for a grant for medical treatment for an affected family to Generation Rescue. Donate to TACA. Donate to Thinking Moms Revolution Team TMR grant. Donate to Age of Autism, a non-profit blog giving you the daily news about the epidemic. Donate to the cause closest to you. There are dozens of them, many not listed here.

Have a big heart? Befriend the mom and dad down the street whose child will never be in dance, baseball, or whatever with your child because their money goes to speech therapy, doctor visits, and tutoring...invite them to be a part of your neighborhood social circle...over and over and over until they realize you mean it. They need you.

Have a big mouth? Share your story. Share your friend's story.

Go see the documentaries on this subject and then tell everyone to go see it. 

Legally minded? Call your legislators. Write your legislators. KNOW WHO THEY ARE. Share info about special needs trusts. Be an advocate for special education families. Go with them to their IEPs for free.

Religious? Offer to watch special needs kids during service, mass, whatever, so that those parents can still attend together. Put together a special needs care room. Educate the religious groups at your church. Imagine never being able to go to mass as a family. That's a reality for a lot of families many people don't think about. Help them. Pray for them.

Socially gifted? Tweet. Share a post that will start a conversation. 

Crafty? Make a craft and donate the sales at a fair to the cause of your choice. Do the same if you host house parties for jewelry, etc.

Book worm? Buy books about the subject and give them to the library. Host a book talk or sponsor an author to come speak.

Grandparent? Find the other affected grandparents in the area and start a social group.

These are just a few ideas. We all have different gifts. We all bring unique talents to the table. Find yours. Then use it. You never, ever know who you will impact or how profoundly by doing so. 

If each and every one of us who truly cares about the truth, this issue, and making things right once and for all could do that, I am confident the time will come very soon we will no longer need to fight anyone, but rather just help those who have been affected.

But as I learned last night, it may be that not a single thing you do ever moves the needle towards justice a little bit. That's part of the difficulty of this issue. You work and you work and you work, and these people still aren't even subpoenaed. Maybe never will be.

Even so, your true role just may be that you let someone know that you get it...that you're there for them...that you see them, feel them, and that they and their child matter. 

And you know what? That's equally if not more important.

By Kim Rossi When I was a child, my Dad would recite "To market to market" when we returned home in the car. (A gorgeous '68 Bonneville.) "Home again home again jiggety jog," never failed to make us giggle. I still recite it all these years later, often with significantly less enthusiasm. The calendar shown is the call out schedule for two of my three daughters' day programs .

Up to 20% of my daughters' day program staff is out on "family leave." This means a freeze on ability to function. Call outs for individuals who must stay home. More work for managers. Chaos for a company doing its best to serve the population. There are very few curbs on FMLA in Connecticut.  Staff are mostly under age 35. Not sandwich generation. When my daughters are home, my day changes. I can not work with the same focus, if at all. Where I go, they come with. And that's not often easy for us. They miss their routine. 

The funny thing? I have no idea where the budget money goes. If the girls aren't clocked in, their program does not get paid. So I guess the money stays in State coffers, maybe Federal for the Medicaid reimbursement. I'm tickled pink to know my daughters are doing their part to cut spending. (Sarcasm emoji here.)

Autism adulthood in my home is exactly what that headline says. A slog. A rough road, fraught with detours, closures, quicksand. Sometimes I am drowning in it and choking on it. Is it any wonder so many of us have tried to spare other families from this fate? Or why we are champing at the bit for faster changes? 

I am the coyote, hoping that the tunnel ahead isn't just a painted boulder. I am the road runner, zooming along trying to outsmart autism's challenges at every tumbleweed. For my daughters. Who are beautiful women who deserve so much more. And there's always an anvil just overhead.

Kim

Yesterday, Laura Hayes, long time AofA supporter and valued contributor, wrote this comment below on the 10,000 Sick Kids post. Our platform had a tech issue and simply would not publish it. Jut as well. It deserves attention for discussion. You can read Laura's body of work on AofA here.

Age of Autism was founded by Dan Olmsted because autism is a man made epidemic. Our site name is from the title of his book, co-written with Mark Blaxill.What is the cause? For most of us, it wasn't baby food. It wasn't sugary cereals and Coca Cola. It wasn't red M&Ms.  It wasn't the Covid vaccine. It was the pediatric schedule for millions of American children. Discuss.

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By Laura Hayes

Progress is taking and making meaningful steps toward improvement or toward a solution. Kennedy has done neither as Secretary of HHS when it comes to stopping the autism epidemic and myriad other vaccine-induced epidemics destroying the health, well being, development, independence, fertility, and longevity of our children.

As Secretary of HHS, Kennedy oversees both the FDA and the CDC. He is the head honcho to whom the heads of those 2 agencies report. See here: https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/orgchart/index.html The FDA, which is now under Kennedy’s control, is in charge of recalls, market withdrawals, and safety alerts, including for vaccines. See here: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts And here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/recalls/index.html

Suffice it to say that there is copious evidence that each and every vaccine should be withdrawn from the market due to reports of injuries, deaths, and failures (admitted to in the package inserts, and confirmed in post-licensure use). Suffice it to say that not one should be on the market due to deception, fraud, and corruption in the testing, approving, and recommending processes. Aaron Siri covers all of these facts in his recent testimony, see here: https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Siri-Testimony.pdf"

Kennedy’s very first act as Secretary of HHS needed to be, and should have been, to instruct the FDA to issue an immediate recall, market withdrawal, and safety alert on each and every vaccine in our country. If one truly cares about stopping the epidemics of autism, additional neuro-developmental disorders, and chronic illnesses in our children, that would be the first step to take, followed by many others, as our children are being poisoned and harmed from every angle, with vaccines being the earliest, most egregious, and most universal assault on our children.

There is a growing demand on social media and elsewhere to make sure that HHS Secretary Kennedy's efforts include the perils of vaccination. Once bitten. We've had the football yanked away so often, we start a kick from our backs.

Many years ago, a group called ASAN (Autistic Self-Advocacy Network) was given political power and clout. Their leader Ari Ne'eman was appointed to the Federal autism committee, IACC. ASAN coined a phrase:  Our Motto: What is “Nothing About Us Without Us”?  Nothing About Us Without Us” means that autistic people need to be involved whenever autism is discussed. When non-autistic people make decisions about autism without Autistic input, those decisions are usually bad. This makes it harder for us to get by in the world. Decisions about autism need to be made with autistic people. That way, we can make policies that help us live our lives, and teach people how to be understanding and supportive of the autistic community.

Ne'Eman actively fought against an ICD insurance wandering code for autism elopement. Why? He said that autistics should have a right to walk (or run) away from negative situations, and a medical code could impinge upon their freedom. The neurodiversity movement grew and had significant control over political and social decisions. 

I often write, "Don't punish progress." And we will not. Secretary Kennedy's announcements to date were unthinkable an administration ago. It has never mattered who was in the White House. Today, as we see a strip of pink on the horizon, I say, "Nothing about them, without them." Our children. And that means US - the parents, siblings, dedicated therapists, doctors, teachers, researchers, media, caregivers. And even the politicians and appointees. Kim

By Anne Dachel

'What have you done about the epidemic of chronic disease?' Robert Kennedy to Senator Patty Murray

About 20 years ago I started monitoring how the media covers autism. Back then I used to write to reporters and editors who covered autism to alert them to the epidemic that was just getting started. As the mother of a son with autism and as a teacher, I could see something was really, really wrong. There were never kids like this filling our classrooms previously. IDEA (1975), the federal law requiring schools to provide for all disabled children, had been around for 25 years back then, but it was never like this before.

Back in 2004, the autism rate was one in every 166 children, one in every 102 boys. By 2007, it rose to one in 150 children, one in 92 boys. And by 2009, it was one in 110 children, one in 68 boys. Without exception, all these increases were dismissed as no real increase at all, just better diagnosing, greater awareness. The press unfailingly promoted that official decree, and I finally gave up on contacting members of the media because they had absolutely no interest in what autism was doing to children.

By then I was writing for AGE OF AUTISM, the daily online news source for the autism epidemic, and in 2014, I wrote a book called, The Big Autism Cover-Up, How and Why the Media is Lying to the American Public. (By then I had acquired graduate level knowledge on how deceptive the media was when it came to reporting on autism.)

Loss of Brain Trust: 10,000 stories and counting

On my website, Loss of Brain Trust , where I’ve posted news stories on the declining health of children starting in January, 2017, I’ve now reached and greatly surpassed 10,000 news reports.

I long ago realized that what was happening to children wasn’t just autism; our children were increasingly physically and developmentally disabled. That became the focus of Loss of Brain Trust—the end of healthy children everywhere in the 21st century.

The sickest generation of children

By Cathy Jameson 

It’s Friday night of a long weekend, and I'll be working late into the night on a paper for a special education college class I'm taking.  Every extra minute I have lately goes into brainstorming, writing and reading for weekly assignments.  I’m thankful to have some extra time on Monday to stay ahead of my studies.  

Each course in the master's program I'm in seems to follow the same assignment outline - reply to a discussion question, write a paper analyzing a weekly topic in special education, read a handful of scholarly articles, listen to a lecture, take a quiz, and prepare for a final at the end of the course.  It's predictable work, thankfully, so I have been able to (mostly) manage the rest of my life (and my families' lives) around my desire to complete this degree.  My family misses me some nights when I’m reading and writing, but they know that this program is important to me. 

I've pushed myself to stay on target with school deadlines, but the extra reading I end up doing takes up so much more of my time.  The longer I read, the more rabbit holes I find.  Like when I used to research vaccines every evening, one rabbit hole I fall into leads to another.  Some nights, as I shut everything down, I’ve read until my eyes burn, but I haven’t written a blessed thing.  I know that I won’t finish a whole paper in one sitting with how much research and citing I’m required to do.  So, I end up writing one paragraph at a time, hoping to piece them altogether before the 11:59pm deadline each weekend. 

Some weekends, especially the busy ones, have that deadline looming quicker than on other weekends.  

I'm not one to give up, so each time I start to feel like I’m falling behind, I rethink how to time the next paper a little bit better.  I'm four classes in with a solid A, which has me thankful that something I'm doing is working in my favor right now.  

This 5-week session is all about ethics in special education, something I've never formally researched.  I knew I'd be spending tons more time reading the last few days just to get a feel for the current writing assignment.  The topic?  I've been tasked to pick two people who I feel have contributed in the most valuable ways to the field of special education.  The first few classes in the program pertained to which disabilities fall under special education and which laws protect students with disabilities, not the founders in the field.  That meant I didn’t have a top two list of who's who in the field.  And that meant I’d have to read quite a bit to feel confident about the two people I would pick.

After hours of reading, I decided on Edward Seguin and Dr. Maria Montessori. 

Having never heard of Edward Seguin (Édouard Séguin), it was truly inspiring to read his contributions to the field.  Dr. Montessori, on the other hand, was someone I was familiar with.  I wasn’t aware of her entire background, though, or that she was inspired by Seguin's work, so I carved out even more time to read through a book about her life, her discoveries, and her dedication to the care and instruction of intellectually disabled children.  

My paper is mostly written, but I need to go back and add citations from the research I was able to do.  While I do that, I wondered who you might feel were two people who have contributed in the most valuable ways to the field of special education.  If I could add two actual people we encountered during my son’s special education experience, I could name them quite quickly, Kate and Kelly who put a plan in place that saw Ronan thrive.  I'd immediately add a third person, Dr. E. from all those years ago. 

 While she didn't know Ronan, the knowledge she imparted to me in that one summer class has stayed with me for three decades.  Others certainly blessed us in other ways and in other areas of development (like Erika, Robin, Katie, and Erin to name a few) and are forever respected by me and my family. 

For many parents like me, we didn’t know that our children would need as much care and attention as they do.  I know for certain that I never expected my typically developing child to end up needing specialized medical care, specialized education, and specialized therapies and medications like he did and still does.  It’s a path that was unknown to me then, and one that, some days, feels strange to still be on.  Even so, I’m thankful to those who set the stage for special education when they did, like Seguin (and way, way back in the mid-1800s!) and my professor of that one class that I took way back in the early 1990s.   

To the trailblazers who recognized that some children need more time and more attention, thank you.  The compassion shared and the support offered will never be forgotten. 

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism. 

From Secretary Kennedy yesterday on X. This doesn't sound like "no mandates." It leaves room for compliance demands, if FDA says the "Gold Standard" has been met. Have at it in the comments.

"Under the leadership of FDA Commissioner @DrMakaryFDA and CBER Director Vinayak Prasad, @US_FDA is finally breaking away from the one-size-fits-all vaccine policy that authorized COVID shots for every American over 6 months old. The era of rubber-stamping COVID boosters is over. Boosters will now focus on high-risk groups, and low-risk individuals won’t face new authorizations without gold-standard clinical data. This shift marks a long-overdue return to scientific integrity and medical freedom."

This was my Facebook memory on the 2oth.Will we finally see changes to this blind acceptance of poor pediatric health?

Gianna has an 8th grade event tonight. Swimming, tie dye, party - it's called Spring Fling. Instructions read, "Children should bring Epipens and Inhalers." Welcome to the new childhood normal - it's not normal at all. It's life threatening sickness. We need to do something about it, rather than just say, "OK, kids are sick!" don't you think? Stay tuned.

Let's see where this goes, today at 2:00pm. If there's a link, we'll share it.

The Corruption of Science and Federal Health Agencies: How Health Officials Downplayed and Hid Myocarditis and Other Adverse Events Associated with the COVID-19 Vaccines

US Senate Hearing The Corruption of Science and Federal Health Agencies Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Homeland Security Government Affairs

Sen. Ron Johnson, Chair
May 21, 2 pm EST

Hart Senate Office Building
Hearing Room SH-216
Washington, DC

Speakers:

Aaron Siri, Esq.

James Thorpe, MD

Joel Wallskog, MD

Peter McCullough, MD

Jordan Vaughn, MD

By Kim Rossi, Managing Editor

Times change. People change. Organizations change. Last week, I saw a Facebook post from ARI, Autism Research Institute, that turned the original ARI mission on its head.

ARI: There is no significant difference in the effectiveness of how autistic and non-autistic people communicate, according to a new study, challenging the stereotype that autistic people struggle to connect with others. Autistic people communicate just as effectively as others, study suggests

The study, led by experts from the University of Edinburgh, tested how effectively information was passed between 311 autistic and non-autistic people.

Participants were tested in groups where everyone was autistic, everyone was non-autistic, or a combination of both.

The first person in the group heard a story from the researcher, then passed it along to the next person. Each person had to remember and repeat the story, and the last person in the chain recalled the story aloud.

Second, the mean IQ of the participant groups were high, and participants all engaged in verbal communication;

My comment to ARI: Dr. Rimland is weeping in his grave. You and his beloved ASA have become barely tangential to his compassionate mission. You could at least provide some clarity in your description to include those for who ARI was founded. Stephen Edelson, you should be ashamed at what ARI has become under your hand. I'm glad Dan Olmsted doesn't have to witness this betrayal. Kim, Age of Autism

See quote above. ARI was founded by Dr. Bernard Rimland. Previously, he had founded ASA - Autism Society of America. He was one of the first doctors to set aside the theory of refrigerator mothers, of maternal fault and nurture as the cause of the autism that he saw back in the 1960s. This autism was Kanner autism. Today, we call it Level 3 or profound, or even regressive. Suffice it to say, none of the study participants were non-speaking. 

Dr. Rimland named the treatment arm of his organization, DAN! Defeat Autism Now! Other organizations bore similar names. CAN! (absorbed by Autism Speaks) was Cure Autism Now! TACA (now The Autism Community in Action) was Talk About Curing Autism. Cure became a dirty word. DAN! had a list of doctors who were brave enough to try to treat our children's medical issues, including heavy metal chelation.

ARI was one of Age of Autism's primary sponsors when we launched. Our Founding Editor Dan Olmsted had a close relationship with Steve Edelson, who remains at the ARI  helm. ARI shared a study on social media with NO EXPLANATION to soften the blow. That's all they needed to do. Talk about missing social cues. 

Here is what Autism Society of America is about in 2025. Who the heck wrote this word salad?

The experience of Autism is not one thing. It is many things. It’s dreams, talents, relationships, victories, hurdles, and everything in between. The connection between those experiences is you.

You break the mold. No matter who you are, the person you are is infinite—and you are the only you there is.

ASA has been vehemently against The Secretary of Health and Human Services' quest for improved science and overall health.  Here's why: Vaccine Education Initiative Through the VEI program, the Autism Society works with its nationwide affiliate network and healthcare partners to achieve national reach with local impact. Our goals include:

And in an April 17 press release, after Secretary Kennedy's autism numbers announcement:

Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism. Decades of scientific research confirm there is no causal link. Public health messaging must be grounded in science and protect all communities.

Defeat Autism Now. Then. And tomorrow. Because we are approaching an autism society of all of America.

Kim

We know that the tortoise beats the hare in Aesop's fable. We know that slow and steady wins the race. We know that good things come to those who wait.  A watched pot never boils. We know. We know. We know. Still, it's DAMN HARD to be patient.  Especially since we know first hand the damage. I always say, "Don't punish progress." We're trying. 

I used to read Leo The Late Bloomer to my daughters' schoolmates to help explain their autism. Patience is hard.

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Kennedy Considers Removing Covid Vaccine Recommendation for Two Key Groups

By Louis Conte and Staff of The Kennedy Beacon

No one can say that they didn’t see it coming.

For the past few weeks, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, Marty Makary, had been making statements suggesting Covid vaccines for children would soon be on the chopping block.

Kennedy previously said that recommending the vaccine to children was “always dubious” due to the extremely low morbidity and mortality rates of most children who contract Covid. Makary announced that all future vaccines would be subject to double blind placebo controlled testing – in other words, actual science.

So, on Thursday, as parents of vaccine-injured children, health advocates, farmers, scientists, government officials and other leaders of the MAHA movement gathered in Washington, D.C., to launch the MAHA Institute, news broke in the Wall Street Journal: HHS would no longer recommend Covid vaccines for children up to age eighteen and pregnant women. READ MORE HERE.

By Cathy Jameson

It’s ridiculous how long it takes and how many hoops we have to jump through for our children to receive the care they need.  Nine months.  That’s how long it took to get a procedure done in the specialty clinic.  What you or I, without complications, could have scheduled, had performed and recovered from within a few weeks, took nearly forever.  Originally scheduled for December, it didn’t help that last summer someone in the specialty clinic put Ronan on the wrong doctor’s schedule.  Their ineptitude caused further delays that already exist for patients with special needs.  Unable to get him on the top of the correct doctor’s schedule, we waited through another rescheduling. 

Booked way back in August, the original December appointment got moved to January, then got moved again, then landed on a date in May.  Asked to please have Ronan put on their cancellation list, we were offered a spot in April.  “Mrs. Jameson, we have an appointment that just opened.  Would you like it?” 

Oh, yes!  Let’s do it! 

Then the scheduler told me the date.  “It’s on the 9^th.”  I went from elated to absolutely crushed all over again.  “We can’t.”  That was the day after Ronan’s sister’s second surgery for an injury that had her back home from college.  While Ronan’s needs were great, his sister’s immediate need was greater. 

Having to pick which child needed care over the other was agonizing. 

So was pushing away others who wanted to help us.  Another specialist said he could piggyback on Ronan’s procedure, which we welcomed, but his office couldn’t manage the changes and delays.  Even though no fault of their own, that doctor’s staff apologized, “It shouldn’t be this hard for you.” 

But it is. 

Two weeks before the long-awaited appointment, the scheduler called once again, “Mrs. Jameson, I have another opening – it’s next week.  Do you want to move Ronan’s appointment up?”  It was late Friday afternoon, and a confirmation was needed immediately.  She knew I needed to work some things out, so she said, “Call me back, I can hold this spot for you while you figure things out.”  She gave me ten minutes.  Ten minutes to decide how to arrange, rearrange, and hope to God that everything that needed to be done could get worked out.  That didn’t just mean work things out for Ronan but for our other children, and for me and my husband who now needed to request a different day off from work.  The timing wouldn’t be the greatest as we would have to rush to get a pre-op health physical done, too, and faxed to the clinic by Monday, but I confidently said yes.  Calling the office back, I said, “Let’s book it.  We’ll see you next week.”  Hanging up, I raced to get things ready. 

If it’s meant to be, I said to myself, every door would open.

Thankfully, every door opened.  Preparing to be gone all day, and possibly overnight if any complications popped up, my nerves were a bit high as I packed for the hospital.  It wouldn’t be much I’d need to bring, but I still made sure to give myself time to have everything ready – a change of clothes, a few extra diapers and pull ups, Ronan’s meds, some snacks for me and my husband, and our guardianship paperwork.  We usually carry those in Ronan’s bag, but I made sure to put that envelope in my backpack.  Sure enough, that paperwork was needed.  The hospital hadn’t had those on file, but one of Ronan’s amazing nurses made sure to document that we could – and always will – speak on Ronan’s behalf.

From start to finish, the staff who walked into and out of the exam room, the operating room, and the recovery room were phenomenal.  I won’t say it was worth the wait.  That would make it sound like I accept the unnecessary and long delays.  I don’t.  Ronan should’ve had that December appointment.  Someone within the system should’ve fought for him to be moved up to the top of the correct doctor’s list, not add him to the bottom of the correct list and hope he moved up.  

While the procedure itself was not too complicated, Ronan’s health was compromised having to wait so long to correct a few issues.  Forced to make decisions we were not expecting to make while Ronan was under, I appreciated it when the doctor updated us during the procedure, especially when we had to make decisions about those issues before proceeding.  Giving us good information to help us know all options the team could do, the doctor added, “You know Ronan better than anyone else.  We’ll do what you think is best for him.” 

What’s best for Ronan – to keep him safe, happy and well cared for.  Always.

If Ronan was seen sooner, I know that some of the work that had to be done during the procedure could’ve been avoided – because it would not have gotten to the point of needing as much medical attention.  Ronan’s doctor recognized that and later told us he did not want that to continue for Ronan or for other patients like Ronan. 

I welcomed his frustration.

Had we had that original appointment when we booked the procedure last year, that conversation may never have happened.  Waiting almost ten months for Ronan to get the care he needed helped the doctor understand our frustration.  Already fueled with a desire to make some necessary changes, he had made it known to hospital admin that things have to change.  Not just for the patients and their families, but for the facilities who are not serving patients well.  The wait time, the additional difficulties that begin while waiting for appropriate medical care, the faith lost – in everything, must weigh on him because he has a plan to fix that. 

And I fully support it and him. 

“If you ever need parent input, call us.  We’ve been dealing with this sort of stuff for years now.  And the one who suffers the most is Ronan,” I shared. 

Before we leave, we usually joke with staff who we’ve loved getting to know while they’ve been assigned to work with Ronan, “We hope we never have to see you again.”  This time, I do hope we do get to see this doctor again.  I hope he does reach out to us because yes, we do know Ronan better than anyone else.  And he respects that and wants to do better for him.  I’ll never be thankful for the massive delays these last few months, but I am thankful for the time this doctor could finally give to my son.  We need more advocates like him.  

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism. 

By Anne Dachel

Ken Stoller, MD and Incurable Us

Incurable Us Book

"Why the best medical research does not make it into clinical practice"

I am afraid that only a full-on system collapse of our disease care system will allow for a new paradigm to evolve— Dr. Stoller

In an opinion piece on April 29^th the Washington Post announced that Robert Kennedy Jr. is wrong in calling autism, now affecting one in every 31 children, one in every 19 boys, an “epidemic.”

For over two decades the mainstream media and public health officials have done everything in their power to normalize autism. They’ve promoted the ideas of “greater awareness,” “broader definition” and “better diagnosing” to explain away the nonstop increase in the number of affected children.

Having someone like Kennedy in a position of power as head of HHS means their efforts will have to be stepped up, and the WaPo did just that.

WASHINGTON POST

In What Kennedy gets wrong about autism’s causes—We already know a lot about the disorder and why its prevalence has increased by Leana S. Wen, we were told that when Kennedy talks about preventing autism, he’s blaming the parents.

The article included Christopher Banks, president and CEO of the Autism Society, who challenged the whole idea that autism can be prevented.

The WaPo went on to list the possible ways parents’ behavior led to autism in their child

In fact, decades of well-designed, long-term studies have examined the complex interplay between genes and the environment, said David Mandell, director of the Center for Mental Health at the University of Pennsylvania. These studies found a number of factors can increase risk, including low-birth weight among premature babies and older paternal age, though the exact mechanisms for how these cause autism are unclear.

Whatever the “factors,” it happens before birth

What is clear is that “to the extent there is an environmental factor, it is almost certainly in utero,” Mandell said.

Experts deny any increase

The expanded understanding of autism as a spectrum disorder means that many children being diagnosed with ASD today would not have been considered autistic before.

Subscribe to James Lyons-Weiler's Popular Rationalism Substack.

By James Lyons-Weiler, PhD

What Has to Happen Before mRNA Vaccines Are Pulled: Why RFK Jr. Hasn’t—and Why He Might Soon

Legal and regulatory options and requirements point to the pathway to freedom

The continued use of mRNA vaccines in the United States remains one of the most politically and medically contentious issues of our time. As public awareness grows around adverse event profiles and the questionable regulatory processes that ushered these products into global use, many are now asking an urgent question: why hasn’t HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acted to revoke them?

To the untrained observer, Kennedy’s hesitation might appear as political caution or betrayal of his vaccine-critical roots. But the reality is far more complex. Pulling a product authorized under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or granted full Biologics License Application (BLA) approval is not a matter of executive decree. It requires a coordinated, multi-agency reckoning with evidence, policy, and law. And the legal scaffolding built to protect vaccine manufacturers—particularly under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act—was designed precisely to prevent the kind of abrupt retraction the public is demanding.

Yet the fortress is beginning to crumble.

The Nature of the Authorizations

Most Americans believe the mRNA vaccines are "approved." In fact, the vaccines administered to the majority of the population have remained under EUA, not full licensure. The FDA granted BLAs to Comirnaty (Pfizer) and Spikevax (Moderna), but those exact products are often not available in the U.S. commercial supply chain. This bait-and-switch has significant legal implications, particularly around informed consent and product liability.

Under 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3, EUA requires that the Secretary of HHS determine that there is a public health emergency, that no adequate approved alternatives exist, and that the known and potential benefits outweigh the known and potential risks. But what happens when emerging data calls that balance into question?

What It Has Taken to Pull Vaccines Before

History tells us that only under grave circumstances does the FDA pull a vaccine. The Cutter Incident in 1955, in which live polio virus in inactivated vaccine batches caused paralytic disease and death, is one example. RotaShield, pulled in 1999 after being linked to intussusception in infants, is another. Pandemrix, used during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, was withdrawn in Europe after post-vaccine narcolepsy cases.

But unlike those cases, mRNA vaccine injuries are statistically diffuse, often delayed, and obscured by passive surveillance systems with notorious underreporting.
The Collapse of Confidence: What the Data Are Saying

The CDC’s V-safe program, made public only after legal action, revealed that over 7% of vaccine recipients sought medical care after vaccination. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has registered more deaths, heart attacks, strokes, and permanent disabilities post-COVID vaccine than all other vaccines combined over 30 years. Independent reanalyses of the original clinical trial data (e.g., Fraiman et al.) have shown more serious adverse events in the treatment group than in the placebo group.

Myocarditis risk in young males, stroke risk in older populations, menstrual disruptions, and autoimmune relapses have all been documented across peer-reviewed studies. A special case involves the discovery of plasmid DNA contamination in mRNA vaccine vials by McKernan et al., raising questions about the adequacy of manufacturing quality control.

The Peter Marks Problem

For years, the man sitting at the nexus of vaccine authorization has been Dr. Peter Marks, former director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). No individual has done more to uphold the facade of unassailable safety and effectiveness surrounding the mRNA platform. Under his leadership, concerns over myocarditis were minimized, booster authorizations were rushed, biased testing drove us to the brink of collapse, and product labeling was never updated to reflect new risk profiles,

Marks, reportedly resistant to any form of transparency regarding the V-safe and VAERS data, remained a blockade to reform. He was the final bulwark of the pharmaceutical status quo—“the last person on Earth who would ever take action,” as one insider put it.

His resignation earlier this year, amid rising tensions with Secretary Kennedy, was not only overdue—it was pivotal. Read more here.

However once we put him in our van he started punching the windows, so we brought him back inside.

Angela K from Connecticut wrote this post on Facebook after her adult son with severe, profound, DefCon level 500, wicked terrible, call it what you will autism suffered not only from the migraines that landed him in the hospital, but the hospital "care" as well.  She wrote to the Commisioner of the Department of Developmental Services and the head of the hospital. I asked for, and received, permission to share her plea.

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By Cathy Jameson

I saw a video on Friday night that went viral not too long ago.  It was of a driver who slowed down then completely stopped on a major freeway.  Two lanes away from an exit ramp, the driver sat in the lane he had been traveling for what seemed like a good, long minute.  During that time, other drivers were forced to stop and wait for him to move.  Easily, he could have and should have continued on, but he made a disastrous decision.  

Instead of continuing ahead and rerouting, the driver inched his way to the right toward the exit-only lane he initially missed.  In doing that, a pretty significant multi-car accident occurred.  Where his vehicle sustained a bump, others were left crumpled in a heap surely causing delays for other drivers approaching that area.  I didn’t follow up with the story to know if the driver who stopped on that busy road was charged with any moving violations.  What I did do later was think about how simple and logical it would’ve been for that driver to just keep going straight.  

To let the GPS reroute him.

To take the next exit.

And to work his way backwards toward his destination.  

But he made a choice that will take time for others to heal from.

I’ve wanted to blaze ahead and just get done what I wanted to get done.  But something held me back. 

I’ve wanted to ignore the rules and skip through a line faster, too. But something told me not to. 

I’ve wanted to back out of a situation quickly.  But something later told me had I done that I’d have missed learning a lesson from it.  

In our little community here, we’ve learned lessons we never thought we’d have to.  And we’ve done that with each otherbecause of each other’s experiences.  Our experiences are painful, especially when we dwell on what happened to our child and their health.  And I promise you I wish what happened never did!  But had they not, would we be who we are today?