Is Paul Offit's Wife Internet Troll/Autism Father "Sullivan"?
Is Dr. Bonnie Offit masquerading on the web as an autism parent and prolific blogger named “Sullivan”?
By J.B. Handley
Bonnie Offit, a pediatrician, tours the autism Web sites late at night after her husband goes to sleep. "He's not the man they've created an enemy out of," she says. She wishes his critics knew him the way she does—a gentle, sweet, salt-of-the-earth guy. "What I've learned in all this is to stick to the truth, talk about the science," says Paul Offit. "It's not about me, it's about the data." Above all else, it's about doing right by the children.
* Newsweek Magazine October 25, 2008
When it comes to her husband’s welfare, Bonnie Offit is fiercely protective. A pediatrician with a thriving group practice, she still makes time to monitor the blogosphere. (Her husband refuses to read the attacks.) She wants to believe that if you “keep your finger on the pulse,” as she puts it, you can keep your loved ones safe.
* Wired Magazine, November 2009
The press has been very clear because Bonnie Offit has told them: she takes the time to watch the blogosphere, monitoring the pulse of those against her husband. Yet, for all the time Ms. Offit reportedly spends on the web, I can’t find a single comment or post in her name. Unless of course she calls herself “Sullivan,” and then everything makes perfect sense.
Background: Bonnie Offit
Dr. Bonnie Offit is a pediatrician at Pediatric & Adolescent Care, Haverford Pediatric and Adolescent Care Haverford , a division of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her practice has one of the most draconian pro-vaccination policies I have ever seen, and includes the following statements:
“We firmly believe in both the effectiveness and safety of the currently recommended vaccines for children and adolescents…We firmly believe that vaccinating children may be the single most important intervention we perform as health care providers…Again there is plenty of research to reassure us that giving multiple vaccines at once, though stressful, is not overwhelming to the immune system of any aged child…Finally, if you should refuse a recommended vaccine or delay vaccinations despite our efforts we will ask you to find another health care provider who shares your views.”
Of course, Dr. Bonnie Offit is also the wife of Dr. Paul Offit, a person who many in our community, myself included, consider to be a self-interested, wildly-conflicted, one-sided blowhard who will do or say anything to protect a vaccine schedule that has generated millions for him (and his wife). He is the de facto spokesperson for the other side, be it CDC, AAP, or Big Pharma, and AoA has demonstrated that he has both voted himself rich by adding his own vaccine to our kid’s schedule and never never treated treated a child with autism, despite inserting himself into our debate as some sort of expert.
Background: “Sullivan”
“Sullivan” is a prolific, anonymous blogger. In the last few years, Sullivan has essentially hijacked a website, LeftBrainRightBrain --a site that used to be dedicated to the concept of “Neurodiversity.” Sullivan’s subject matter, in dozens of blog posts, is the vaccine-autism controversy, and really nothing else. Sullivan is also a prolific commenter, both in the blog posts written by Sullivan and in other forums.
I first came across the name Sullivan after I appeared on the TV show “The Doctors” because this Sullivan character was absolutely dominating the discussion boards about the show, as you can see for yourself HERE. In fact, Sullivan has posted comments at The Doctors website an amazing 223 times, as I learned from reading Sullivan’s profile on The Doctors website HERE.
Sullivan’s profile from The Doctors:
“I am the parent of a child with autism. I follow autism science and politics closely, and have spent many long hours looking into claims about what causes autism and what can treat autism. As a parent, I have to look at these claims very seriously and with an open mind--my kid depends on it.
Unfortunately, the autism world is filled with people with false claims of causes and treatments.
While much of my blogging time is taken up combatting false claims about causes and treatments, my main concern is to create a better world for all people, but especially for people with disabilities. Autism is a great challenge. People with autism deserve respect and support.”
From the profile and post above we gather three things: Sullivan is a man, a layperson (rather than a doctor or scientist) who has spent long hours looking into the vaccine-autism connection, and is also a parent of a child with autism. A perfect cast if you will: a parent just like you and me, with their own autistic child and their own opinions, borne of long hours of research.
Sullivan: Not a man, probably not a layperson, probably not a parent of an autistic child
Before I present evidence that Sullivan is actually Bonnie Offit, let’s look at the evidence that Sullivan isn’t who Sullivan claims to be. Commenting at the Squidalicious blog, Liz Ditz, another blogger, made the following comment:
Sullivan (who, like you, I know in real life) writing at Left Brain Right Brain, links to this post Two of her points I found particularly important: #4 -- the lag in diagnosis & treatment for African American, Asian and Hispanic children #7 -- There are many adults with autism, some diagnosed in adulthood. (6:04 PM)
If you read the above post again closely, you’ll see 2 things: 1) Liz Ditz claims to know Sullivan personally, and 2) Liz Ditz refers to Sullivan as “her.”
Conclusion: Sullivan claims to be a man, and is actually a woman. Anyone who reads dozens of Sullivan’s posts, as I have, would probably reach the same conclusion. It’s hard to hide your gender when you write, much as it’s hard to hide your nationality (Sullivan is clearly an American, too).
Sullivan also claims to be a layperson. If you read many of Sullivan’s posts, you’ll quickly see you are dealing with a person who is smart, organized in their thinking, and extremely facile with complex medical terminology. One example:
“Kev,all mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited. There is one case in the literature of someone inheriting the mDNA from a father, but it is called, “the exception that proves the rule”.
Mitochondrial disorders are not caused always by mDNA. The mitochondria processes material which is determined both by mDNA and nuclear (nDNA). So, if the cell is creating proteins that are incorrect for the needs of the mitochondria, the mitochondria will malfunction.”
This is just one of hundreds of examples. Sullivan writes with great clarity and ease on very complex medical and scientific processes and cites published medical research ad nauseum.
Conclusion: Is Sullivan a layperson with a remarkable gift for explaining complex medical and scientific issues? I highly doubt it.
The final point is, admittedly, the hardest to refute. Sullivan claims to be the parent of a child with autism. Is she? Here’s what I know:
* I have yet to see a single post where Sullivan mentions her autistic child in any material way or reveals anything about the pain of caring for an affected child.
* What parent of an autistic child would write, “my main concern is to create a better world for all people, but especially for people with disabilities. Autism is a great challenge. People with autism deserve respect and support”? Give me a break! A real parent would only have one main concern, the concern we all share: giving our own child the best possible life!
Does the evidence show that Sullivan is actually a woman, a doctor/scientist, and not a parent of an autistic child? I’ll let you be the judge.
Is Sullivan actually Bonnie Offit?
Let me be clear: I have circumstantial evidence that points to Bonnie Offit being Sullivan. I will spell out what I have, and let you be the judge.
Evidence #1: Sullivan brings up and protects Offit at every turn
I ran into Sullivan again, after my appearance on PBS’ Frontline, once again going out of her way to comment about me. Check out this dialogue:
Sullivan: JB Handley in his own words: "With less than a half-dozen full time activists, annual budgets of six figures or less, and umpteen thousand courageous, undaunted, and selfless volunteer parents, our community, held together with duct tape and bailing wire, is in the early to middle stages of bringing the U.S. vaccine program to its knees." That's his goal. To bring the vaccine program to its knees. It really is a war on vaccines. Kids like mine need advocates who will do something valuable, not work to hurt children like Mr Handley.
Compassionmom: Do you think he declared war because vaccines caused his son to have a lifelong neurological disability? Seems like a decent reason.
Sullivan: I don't know why JB Handley does the things he does. I just know he does things that are dangerous. He is quite capable of, how does he say it, expanding and exaggerating the truth. Take a read of his pseudo paper on childhood mortality and vaccines. It is a case study in misusing facts.
Compassionmom: Reading his actual quote, he seems to be implying that until the program is brought to its knees, no one will compromise? He's probably right.
Sullivan: He is saying that his community is working to crash the vaccine program
Sullivan: CompassionMom, are you aware that the number of people who filed with the vaccine court claiming autism as vaccine injury has dropped off dramatically? At the peak, 2,700 families filed in one year. Last year only 11 families. Sure, many people follow JB Handley. But his day has past.
Sullivan: Many people believed him when he said that autism was merely a misdiagnosis for mercury poisoning and all you had to do was chelate for 2 years. Many years later here we are--JB Handley was clearly wrong. I haven't seen his apology
Compassionmom: And, many of us parents side with JB. There, are we any better off. Sullivan, you appear to follow JB like some kind of stalker, no?
Sullivan: CompassionMom, that would be "no". Would you call JB a stalker for his obsession with Paul Offit?
I remember reading this exchange at the time and thinking what an odd non-sequitor Sullivan added to the conversation by bringing up Paul Offit. It makes more sense now.
Later, Sullivan went out her way to drop a huge shout-out, probably to her own husband:
Sullivan: This autism parent offers his gratitude to Dr. Offit for his efforts to correct the misinformation that is causing so much harm to the autism communities
How many random fathers of children with autism feel compelled to give Paul Offit a shout-out? He’s not even an autism doctor.
Evidence #2: Sullivan is in communication with Paul Offit, with great insight
Here’s an exchange between Sullivan and our very own Jake Crosby at the LBRB Blog:
Jake Crosby: Paul Offit, if you are reading this, I would really appreciate a straightforward answer to the question I sent to you via email. Thanks.
Sullivan: Jake Crosby, in my experience, Dr. Offit doesn’t read blogs.
Jake Crosby: He doesn’t? [Jake offers a link where Offit is clearly in the blog mix] HERE
Sullivan: I’m aware of that comment, Mr Crosby. Can you find a second? I am not aware of any others. I am aware that when I have mentioned blogs in emails to Dr. Offit and he was unaware of them. I have been known to bring some to his attention that were particularly bad. I don’t expect or have any experience that he reads lbrb.
Why does the random father of a child with autism have such a great take on Paul Offit’s computer viewing habits?
Evidence #3: Sullivan has spent considerable time clarifying how much money Paul Offit made from the Rotavirus vaccine, with remarkable insight and detail.
Sullivan writes:
“I have repeatedly discussed Paul Offit’s patent situation. When I pointed out to Mark Blaxill and Dan Olmsted that they made some very large mistakes and that those were easily confirmed (which begs the question as to why an intellectual property expert and an investigative reporter couldn’t find the information in the first place) I was basically informed that the incorrect information would remain in place until such time as Paul Offit met their demands.”
I asked Mark and Dan about Sullivan. Mark Blaxill noted that Sullivan, “seemed to have an unusually good knowledge of Offit’s finances as well as terrific research skills in finding old CHOP policies.”
Here’s an email Sullivan wrote to Mark & Dan:
From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 7:24 PM
To: Dan Olmsted, Mark Blaxill
Subject: Your calculation of Dr. Offit's royalty payout from CHOP
Mr. Olmsted, Mr. Blaxill,
I am sure you are interested in accuracy whenever possible in your blog posts. I assume you want to know and want to correct errors.
In a recent post of yours, you estimated the royalty payment for Dr. Paul Offit from CHOP's sale of it's rights to the rotavirus vaccine Dr. Offit, Dr. Plotkin and Dr. Clark invented. Your post makes an estimate that is markedly higher than the real number. This is in large part to two errors you made.
First, the Patent and Intellectual Property Policy you used is incorrect. You rightly note that this is a new policy and that the rotavirus patent was likely covered by a previous policy. The details of the previous policy are included in this document, which can be easily found with the following google search:
Patent and Intellectual Property Policy site:chop.edu
Using the older policy and the $182M reported as the payment CHOP received for their patent, you can calculate an inventors share of $18,550,000.
The second mistake in your estimation is in assuming that Dr. Plotkin and Dr. Clark. did not share in the CHOP inventor share. This is incorrect. Again, a quick google search will demonstrate that Dr. Plotkin and Dr. Clark were, indeed, CHOP faculty. Therefore, the $18,550,000 is divided by 3, resulting in an inventor share of $6,183,333.
The CHOP 2006 annual report page 42 clearly states that Dr. Plotkin and Dr. Plotkin were part of the CHOP team that invented the vaccine. Other pages on the CHOP site note that Doctors Plotkin and Clark were, indeed, faculty there.
I have already emailed Dr. Offit to check that this is an accurate representation of the facts, and he confirmed this.
I look forward to seeing how you make use of these corrections.
[Author’s note: Dan & Mark made an update to their first report, a detailed analysis of Offit’s patent royalties called Counting Offit’s Millions HERE. This revision incorporated the new information Sullivan provided them. Unfortunately for Sullivan, this new information didn’t make Offit any less less rich, it actually showed that Offit was sharing income from another royalty deal that gave him on ongoing interest in Merck’s Rotateq revenues, a crucial piece of the puzzle Sullivan withheld from her attempted “correction.” Mark and Dan had a brief exchange with “Sullivan” who, despite repeated requests from Mark, refused to disclose her true identity.].
Why does the random father of a child with autism, a layperson, care so much that the exact number of millions Paul Offit made be clarified? So he’s a multi-millionaire, not a multi-multi-millionaire? What’s in it for Sullivan?
Evidence #4: When Barbara Loe Fisher sued Paul Offit, Sullivan didn’t even mention the case until the suit had been dismissed, despite the fact that Orac (a blogger who Sullivan cites frequently) had discussed the case 3 months prior.
When Barbara Loe Fischer sued Paul Offit for libel, Dr. David Gorski, aka “Orac” was quick to discuss the suit in January 2010.
When did Sullivan, a nearly religious chonicler of all things autism first discuss this case? In March 2010, three months later, THE DAY THE SUIT WAS DISMISSED. Why was there such a time delay on a topic—anything to do with Paul Offit—that Sullivan is so quick to discuss?
Evidence #5: Sullivan knows what’s in Paul Offit’s new book, Deadly Choices, even though it hasn’t been released yet
Sullivan writes:
While the word “autism” doesn’t appear at all on the Amazon.com page for the book, it will come as no surprise that the autism/vaccine parent groups play a prominent role in the book’s discussion of the modern anti-vaccine movement.
Dr. Offit’s books get read. By important people. I have little doubt this one will too.
As I said with my discussion of Panic Virus, there is no joy in realizing that some of the vocal autism-parent groups are being chronicled in this way. There is, however, relief that books such as these signal that perhaps the worst is over. The public and the press are no longer giving the idea of the vaccine-induced-autism-epidemic the credibility it enjoyed only a year or two ago.
The book isn’t out until January? Why does Sullivan already know what’s in it?
Evidence #6: If it has to do with Offit, Sullivan will defend the most arcane of topics (especially the Rotavirus vaccine)
In a post titled “Storm in a Teacup, “ Sullivan goes out of her way to defend Paul Offit’s rotavirus vaccine, after it was determined that the vaccine contained a pig virus:
“We have to start getting over our collective heebie-jeebies every time something perfectly safe is found in a vaccine and start realising that the people who are advocating that we do have an attack of the heebie-jeebies are those who have a single item agenda – promoting anti-vaccineism.”
Why does this random father of an autistic child give a crap that they found pig virus in the rotavirus vaccine?
Evidence #7: Sullivan is obsessed with the same topics that obsess Paul Offit
Take a tour of LeftBrainRightBrain’s blog. What does Sullivan, a layperson father of a child with autism write about? Hannah Poling, Barbara Loe Fisher, Andy Wakefield, Generation Rescue, and Jenny McCarthy. Anything that exonerates vaccines from causing autism, and anything Paul Offit.
Paul Offit could not have asked for a better random father to come along out of nowhere:
* a father with a child with autism
* a father with a child with autism with remarkable ease at dissecting complex medical topics and forming the same exact arcane one-sided arguments that Paul Offit makes
* a father interested in topics, almost exclusively, that impact Paul Offit and his legacy
Check out this absurd fax signed by “Autism Parent” that Sullivan sent to Katie Couric, definding all things Paul Offit:
“It is with great dismay that I, a parent of a young child with autism, have watched the ongoing series on autism by Sharyl Attkisson. This series’s angle was illustrated in her interview with Dr. Healy, which was tainted by the unfounded statement, “There is a completely expressed concern that they don’t want to pursue a hypothesis because that hypothesis could be damaging to the public health community at large by scaring people.” I feel a good journalist would have asked for Dr. Healy to support this statement. Given the stakes involved, that would be the minimum required before airing it. I expect you will not be surprised that I also have concerns over the recent piece questioning the independence of vocal supporters of vaccines. In particular, the part discussing Dr. Paul Offit was lacking in facts and in real analysis of those facts…Given these facts, what we have is a scientist who has over 25 years’ experience researching vaccines and infectious diseases, and has no financial conflicts of interest in the present or future. Isn’t this exactly what we want in a spokesperson?”
You know, I’m starting to hope this is Bonnie Offit, because if it isn’t we have one really, really troubled father on our hands. Get a life, father of a child with autism, Paul Offit is not going to help your child…unless Paul Offit is the father of your children, and then, once again, it all makes sense.
(One small point: I’ve read Sullivan elsewhere explain that her children were born before the year 2000…so how young is your child, Sullivan?)
Conclusion
AoA’ers, please look into this, do your own research, and share it. I believe there is compelling evidence to implicate Bonnie Offit as the blogger known as Sullivan. If true, then Bonnie Offit:
* Is posing as a parent of a child with autism to engender sympathy and credibility for her point of view. This is dishonest and, well, absolutely reprehensible. In fact, I’d even call it disgusting--Offit’s wife is pretending to be one of us!
* Is writing under false pretenses to provide support for topics that protect her husband’s legacy, confusing the reader who is unaware of the biases and conflicts she is bringing to her writing.
* Wagging the dog, if you will, by trying to steer the debate on the Web as a neutral party when, in fact, she and her husband are major players in the whole debate – it is wildly fraudulent. Recently, she is spending her blogging time attempting to declare that this debate is over, perhaps hoping it will be if she says it enough times.
So many questions emerge if Bonnie Offit is Sullivan. How much of Paul Offit’s upcoming book is written by Paul Offit? As an inside joke, does he thank “Sullivan” in his acknowledgements? Will the book’s writing style and Sullivan’s writing style be eerily similar? Is Sullivan the thoughts and words of Bonnie Offit, Paul Offit, or both?
Does the evidence I have presented prove anything? Again, I’ll let the reader decide, and either add to or challenge my argument.
I’m personally convinced, I think Bonnie Offit is Sullivan.
I don’t think a father of a child with autism exists who would devote himself to the hundreds (if not thousands) of hours it would take to compile Sullivan’s body of work on the web, a work so completely dedicated to topics that impact Paul Offit. In fact, the only person capable of doing this, I would argue, is Paul Offit or his Pediatrician wife.
Bonnie spends an inordinate amount of time blogging, she herself admits this. Yet, we can’t find anything she has written anywhere on the web. Or can we?
Bonnie, you have every right to have an opinion. You have every right to defend your husband’s legacy. But, for goodness’ sake, have the decency to do it honestly, openly, courageously, just like the rest of us do, the real parents of kids with autism, the people who are actually suffering in this whole debate. You’re not suffering--you have two healthy kids and a few million in the bank.
I know for certain Bonnie Offit does seek to defend her husband’s legacy, as this recorded recorded message (this is a .wav file) from Bonnie Offit demonstrates. As you can hear, she’s asking someone to take the Pauloffit.com website down, because it damages her husband.
Bonnie Offit, or Sullivan for that matter, I have a simple offer:
If you can produce a dad with a child with autism with a remarkable grasp of the medical and scientific literature who blogs under the name Sullivan, a man who has an inordinate grasp of the details of your husband’s patents, lawsuits, published studies, and web habits, I will make sure that the pauloffit.com website is given to you and your husband for good.
In fact, if you can produce this father, I promise to never, ever publicly write about or utter the name “Paul Offit” again.
I’m waiting, Bonnie, and I have a funny feeling I will be waiting a very long time.
Author’s Note: I emailed Sullivan to ask him/her to respond to this story and/or call me on my cell. I have not heard back.
J.B. Handley is co-founder of Generation Rescue.
Vaccine injuries happen daily. That is why the CDC has a link citing who should and shouldn't vaccinate. Funny Offit has never referred to it. Sullivan,,, have you?
Any doctor who doesn't show that to parents pre vaccination should be removed from the profession for neglect.
Posted by: Billie Joe | April 04, 2014 at 12:00 PM
Oh, and you're so right. You know why? Because Bonnie Fass-Offit is on Facebook and one of her friends is Liz Ditz. You mentioned Liz Ditz as another blogger, right?
Wow. Strange world we live in.
Posted by: Confused-Not anymore | January 09, 2011 at 10:52 PM
Wow. That's crazy. What a weirdo she is this Bonnie Offit. Really, she has two beautifully HEALTHY children and she's gonna go out of her way to make her disgusting husband appear to be good. Yuck.
Its their own fault. Paul put himself out there. He doesn't have to be the spokesperson but he did, I guess its true what they say...money talks.
Posted by: Confused | January 09, 2011 at 10:46 PM
I think GR should start selling bumper stickers that say, "Vaccines don't cause autism, pediatricians do".
Posted by: KM | December 07, 2010 at 05:07 PM
Danielle:
Of course it is suppose to be funny.
First because Handley has a dark sense of humor. Most parents of childern with autism do.
And second: The SHE God (Offit's wife): So much smarter than the rest of the poor stupid masses; - She thinks if they were smart they would have all made doctors - but they were not so the just settled for something less- so thus they all have weak minds and all she has to do is lie a lot of times to influence our weak minds. Now come on that is a sit-com comedy right there - the elite, above all of us is just as lying, convining as a common crimnal.
Posted by: Benedetta | December 04, 2010 at 09:23 AM
Wait, is this a parody? Because it's kind of funny but then I can't tell whether it's supposed to be funny or whether that's just accidental...
Posted by: Danielle | December 04, 2010 at 05:59 AM
Excellent!
I don't know who Sullivan really is but it is so obvious to me, as a real parent of a child who was vaccine injured, is a SHILL! SHILL! SHILL!
I have actually had someone attack me online when I my son was recovering through biomedical treatment & who claimed they had a friend with a child diagnosed with autism.
If I hear of parents having success recovering children I am overjoyed (usually makes me cry!) & then learn as much as I can about what they are reporting.
The people responsible for hosting & posting disinfo which prolongs the harm being inflicted on our children are criminals who have blood on their hands.
And because of increasing awareness & a savvy blogosphere, they are more & more transparent as this house of cards falls.
Truth is the new black...
Posted by: mothafunka | November 28, 2010 at 04:18 PM
Benedetta and mitomom, my wife is actually the stronger of us two. She also has a much bigger heart. The bigger the heart the more it hurts when it gets broken. When we used to continue to take Ben to the doctors we would do it together, I'd sit in the car with Ben and she would sit in the doctors office waiting for his name to be called. One time she came out and I noticed an odd look on her face. I was busy getting Ben prepped for the transition and suddenly she fell to her knees just before making it to the car. Her hands went to her face and I could see her sobbing. When I asked her what's wrong she said a year old just left screaming, she said she knew it had just gotten his vaccines. It's a slaughterhouse for her. We left.
This is god awful pain moms endure knowing they were betrayed, yet somehow feeling as if they should have known better. After-all my wife asked, "are they safe" just before the shots and the doctor said yes.
If my wife were any less of a mom, a woman, a champion she might fall victim to that pain and deny it, rationalize that it must be "just one of those things" like a car "accident" nothing anyone can do about it. that would mean anyone who confronts and questions that defense mechanism instantly becomes the enemy. How dare they. That's why I think we see so many times on LBRB or some of the other site of the same that some members will post vicious attacks, even wishing us dead. I see it all the time.
I don't believe I have ever read where one of the "anti-vax" members will attack anyone with such viciousness. We are a threat, a threat to a wall built to protect a fragile emotional state.
Some wise person once said, we hate the things in others that we hate most in ourselves. Makes sense but I suspect we also hate what threatens us, real or imagined.
You have Brian Deer on LBRB posting, "Is it just me who regards Age of Autism as like something from the mid-levels of the Inferno: beings condemned for all eternity to squat round a bottomless pit, venting bile?" in an obviously hate filled attack against something he projects about himself and a scientist working in the vaccine field for a major pharmaceutical company saying, "Just look at this "Ben's Dad" person. Perfect example of a person who left to their own devices would seriously risk the health of his child and our children as well. This is the type of person who apparently doesn't have the capacity to understand the benefits. . .but the benefits are proven, so why do we need every idiots opinion. This is the type of decision that can't be left in the hands of the individual or you will have crazy people making decisions." on another site projecting a bit too much his own shortcomings.
So where is the hate filled mother of a child with autism who knows deep inside there is a great likelihood that her child was injured by a vaccine who makes it her mission to destroy all those who disagree?
Alison Tepper Singer, said in a film sponsored by Autism Speaks that she seriously contemplated driving her car, with her autistic daughter inside, off a bridge. Her only reason for not acting on this, according to her own statements, was that she had a neurotypical daughter waiting for her at home who needed her. By her own admission, apparently, she would have preferred to murder her own child than to have an autistic child.
By the way, as I remember it, she said this right in front of her daughter.
Posted by: bensmyson | November 19, 2010 at 05:45 PM
So Sullivan really hasn't turned up yet? Next thing you'll be telling me there's no Santa Claus.
Posted by: Jen | November 19, 2010 at 02:14 PM
bensmyson - "By proxy these deniers want others to undergo unsafe vaccinations in order to prove that there was nothing that they could have done to prevent it.
Guilt seems to be right up their with fear of death as a motivator."
I had never thought about it that way. I really think you are on to something there. I hope your wife can put her feelings of guilt to rest someday and be at peace with the fact that if she had known better she would have done things differently. They way I see it, the only people at fault are those who should have known better. The doctors and nurses that we trusted to guide us in the care of our children. Like JB has said...vaccines don't cause autism, pediatricians do. There is enough information out there right now that we could stop this epidemic dead in it's tracks. I think it's time the people who are really responsible are held accountable.
Posted by: mitomom | November 19, 2010 at 11:10 AM
This is not the only false name/id that she is using. She's on all the lists and message boards using several names and false identities, almost always pretending to be a parent of a child with autism that's willing to help parents in need of help. If she wants to help she and her husband would turn in their medical license. That would be the greatest gift they could give the children they claim to protect.
Posted by: Whatever Name You Want To Give Me Today | November 19, 2010 at 10:09 AM
Jake Crosby;
I thought I read every article since I joined and have even gone back in the achives of "Age of Autism"
I missed this article of yours back in Jan. Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention. It is really good.
I live with a bipolar person, Now! Before last May she just had a mood disorder - not extreme. Bipolar people are really smart, but their critical thinking is not always soooo --- critical as they think! She is great with word puzzles, and rote memory, what is taught she can retain. Any kind of really creative thinking --- I hate this the most --, but she thinks she is?
Benmyson: That was a good description of guilt ridden, as was John Stone's. I think you may be on to something. On a Kawasaki website I ran into a similiar situation of the main mother that blogs on that site, a lot! In the Kawasaki archives she claimed it was vaccines, that her daughter had reacted to, and she had decided before Kawasakis that she was not going to get anymore vaccines, but her husband did not know that and allowed it - during a visit to the doctor. Now she is very hateful about anyone that thinks the same thing.
She had adopted her daughter as a small baby. She blogs about meeting her duaghter's birth daddy and that he had a skin disorder psoraisis (I think) - but his hands and feet peel often (sign of Kawasaki - only after a high fever) she then decided it was all genetics.
Benmyson: Tell your wife - we all held our kid's, and she must forgive herself. After all how were we to believe anything different -we who were raised from birth to believe that the men of science had this all taken care of? You tell her that I held mine more times than she knowing each time there were signs that were not right. She can take some comfort that there was some one out her far more foolish/slower than she.
Posted by: Benedetta | November 19, 2010 at 10:01 AM
John Stone said- "Incidentally, irrespective of who or what Sullivan is, I believe there is a psychologically plausible answer to be borne in mind as to why a parent of an autistic child might obsessively defend the vaccine programme: guilt."
Guilt is one of the hardest aspects of autism to overcome for my wife. She was the one that held Ben as he was injected with the toxins that injured him. It is extremely hard for her to overcome this image. I relate it to victims of rape and childhood sexual abuse. "If I would have....."
There is a phenomenon associated with this kind of victimization that is called "re-victimization" It's why statistically so many rape victims will suffer more rapes and why so so many victims of childhood sexual abuse will become offenders. People will put themselves in similar situations, either by proxy or they themselves to understand the crime better.
By proxy these deniers want others to undergo unsafe vaccinations in order to prove that there was nothing that they could have done to prevent it.
Guilt seems to be right up their with fear of death as a motivator.
Posted by: bensmyson | November 19, 2010 at 08:08 AM
is kev and ther other LBRB bloggers on the payroll of ASF as adviser(s) ?
"Ms Tepper-Singer and I have been communicating via Facebook for the last few weeks. The ‘Autism Every Day’ video has been discussed as well as a few other things. I also discussed this with a few close friends (some autistic, some not).
In the interest of totally coming clean, I’d like to therefore say that we have been talking about the ASF for a few days. I have made clear to Ms Tepper-Singer that my clear priority is the friendships I have and community I am part of. The website is very new and therefore the language on it could be very much better and should be for example. This is one case of where I would very much like to see more respectful and accurate language being used.
But overall, I would like to see an autistic person in at least the same position as I am – advising."
"I will be utterly transparent and as I have told Ms Tepper-Singer no doubt I and the other adviser(s) will have plenty to say. And if things do not work out then the onus falls on me to explain myself and me alone."
http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2009/04/autism-science-foundation/
Posted by: parent101 | November 19, 2010 at 05:05 AM
Hi Jake,
Yes, I partly had Kev in mind, but hadn't remembered your remarkable article.
John
Posted by: John Stone | November 19, 2010 at 01:47 AM
John Stone;
You obviously have a better handle on how the human mind works than me.
I suppose it could be that way, (divorced for sure, though), and it would sure have to be a messed up human being - which looking at some of these blogs - even on Huffington Post - there are a lot of messed up human brains typing away.
Posted by: Benedetta | November 18, 2010 at 08:26 PM
Benedetta
Yes, I think there might be more than one kind of guilt. I don't know whether I have guilt: I feel foolish for having trusted people and even continued believing them when it should have been obvious that it wasn't safe and had gone wrong. I only really became convinced they were all lying because of the political signalling that I witnessed c.2000 onwards (I could read that better than the bad medical advice).
The sort of guilt I had in mind would be someone, for example, who stood up against a partner insisting a child was vaccinated when the partner was against it. They might afterwards have an extreme need to prove they were right and bury all their own nagging self-doubts.
But I agree with Funny Onesies too - there are people who go on the basis of what well-informed and sensible people think. In the UK this usually means believing what they are told on the BBC, which long ago ceased to be an independent new service.
Posted by: John Stone | November 18, 2010 at 06:17 PM
Kevin Berry;
My kid's ped group was able to have their vaccines subsidized by the federal government.
They acted like they had hit the jack pot.
Between May of 1986 to Feb of 1987 I got to hear their joyful proclaimation that the government was subsidizing them and it meant a great deal more money. So, no need to go the the health department just get it in their office now. It would be more convenient. Feb. 1987 I walked out of their office with no vaccine given. I was beaten up verbally and intellectually. I was a stupid parent . I got the shot for my son later on that day at the health department - after all the subisidized peds said to get it that day somewhere, but I was tooooo get it! six hours later he had a stroke.
How about that for guilt - John Stone! There must be two different kinds of guilt because I would never be blogging that vaccines aren't a problem, because of that guilt?
Posted by: Benedetta | November 18, 2010 at 05:03 PM
At least Dr. Bonnie Offit's pediatric practice is no longer called Kids First. Profit margins and vaccine inventory cost management appear to be far more important than actual kids in her practice.
"Doctors, in order to make a profit on administering a vaccine, need to recover from the patients' insurance companies more than just the cost of the administered vaccine itself. Medical offices also need to recover the cost of ordering and shipping the vaccine, refrigerating it, insuring it against a refrigeration malfunction, theft or damage, purchasing the needles to administer it, paying the nurses who care for the patient before, during or after the vaccination, and any other costs associated with administering a biologic .... Traditionally, doctors shell out the money from their own pockets and then bill the insurance companies as they administer the vaccine to patients. Insurance companies, in turn, have typically reimbursed doctors anywhere from 10 percent to 17 percent over the retail cost of the vaccine to cover their additional expenses in stocking it. But in recent years, insurers have been cutting that reimbursement .... The insurance companies, for their part, are fighting what they see as excessive reimbursement for biologics. Their position, highly simplified, is that since many doctors buy vaccines in bulk and are therefore getting it for less than retail, doctors are already recovering their additional storage and administration costs when they receive payment for the retail price of the vaccine. They say they have been over-reimbursing doctors for decades."
http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cancer/cervical/gardasil-availability.htm
Posted by: Kevin Barry | November 18, 2010 at 04:27 PM
@Carol: I also want to say thank you for the link to Wakefield's address before the European parliament. Is this as huge as I want to believe it is, that he was asked to make a presentation in this setting?
@John Stone: I know very well about the guilt. I think for some there is a strong preemptive need to prevent that experience and that they are hardly even conscious of it.
I also think that for some even just considering this as a possibility requires the destruction or at least significant shaking up of some very cherished or comfortable views of how things are.
Posted by: JenB | November 18, 2010 at 03:50 PM
Some of the "give me vaccines or give me death" bloggers have "past" connections to either pharmaceutical companies or public relations firms.
Posted by: Carol | November 18, 2010 at 02:41 PM
I'm not sure if "guilt" is the psychological reason for everyone. Take Shannon Des Roches Rosa for instance. Or Emily Willingham. They just think they are right and apparently enjoy the debate and disparaging others who disagree with them. Did everyone catch this post over on "Shot of Prevention"?
http://shotofprevention.com/2010/10/04/why-my-child-with-autism-is-fully-vaccinated
Many of the usuals came out to play. They're all good buddies. The infamous "Sullivan" was even mentioned by Liz Ditz. Unfortunately, I got caught up in it some. But, debating is not something I have time for, either. Steve Michaels did an awesome job, though!
Sara
Posted by: funny onesies | November 18, 2010 at 10:10 AM
Incidentally, irrespective of who or what Sullivan is, I believe there is a psychologically plausible answer to be borne in mind as to why a parent of an autistic child might obsessively defend the vaccine programme: guilt.
Posted by: John Stone | November 18, 2010 at 07:15 AM
Polliwog
Yes, but you are confusing the semantic point with the pragmatic one (which has been a technical stumbling block in the vaccine court). Vaccines cause autism. And actually Offit is saying all the things you say he can't.
Posted by: John Stone | November 18, 2010 at 07:05 AM
Here's the problem.... Offit is right about vaccines. They don't cause Autism. Autism is an untreatable incurable neurological disorder according to "the experts". Until the Autism Community drops the label, children will continue to be ignored. Most kids these days who are labeled with Autism are injured by their environment. That is something totally different than the diognostic label Autism. Parents... Do not allow your child to be labeled with Autism or any ASD. It is a tactic being used by the insurance and medical community to deny proper medical assessment and treatment. Sue any doctor or clinician who labels your child with a neurological disorder without giving your child proper medical assessment. I truly believe that his is the only way we will ever stop the madness. Here's the bottom line....Paul Offit can't say that vaccine injury is not caused by vaccines. Paul Offit can't say that mercury poisoning is not caused by vaccines containing mercury. The reason he gets away with all he gets away with is because he uses the term Autism. Drop the label and start the healing... Just my humble opinion...
Posted by: polliwog | November 18, 2010 at 12:36 AM
Carol, thank you for sharing the link to Dr. Wakefield's talk. Wonderful, thorough, enlightening.
Posted by: MinorityView | November 17, 2010 at 10:53 PM
The evidence may be circumstantial, but I'm convinced. I always wonder, when I read over the extremely pro-vaccine comments at huffpo, whether this is a full time job for some of the commenters and how much they get paid by pharma. (Any chance, could you answer this one, Daniel?) I get so furious at their comments sometimes, I would like to sit there and refute everyone, but my day with my child (mostly recovered due to Specific Carb Diet and meds for autistic enterocolitis) has always been long enough, so I never post, even tho my life is now much easier than it used to be. That always makes me think those posts are not usually a parent - who would have the time and energy for that? Unless it affects you monetarily. Nice sleuthing.
Posted by: Patti | November 17, 2010 at 10:29 PM
Incidentally, I have just been having a look round the LB/RB site and I notice that Anthony Cox is now editor of the 'science and vaccines sections'. He also holds a post part funded by the UK's medicines licensing authority managing the West Midlands yellow card scheme. For some reason the word 'pharmacosomnolence' has entered my head.
Cox once co-authored an absurd paper attacking Andy Wakefield in which he claimed that AW had published a misleading graph in a letter to the Lancet in 1999. However, he completely ignored the text of the accompanying letter in which the layout of the graph was fully explained: there was not a single reference to it in the entire article. A very extreme case of quoting out of context. Even Brian Deer could apparently make nothing of it.
Posted by: John Stone | November 17, 2010 at 07:26 PM
I decided to post this here because as I was watching it, it occurred to me that I cannot think of an instance of Andrew Wakefield making a personal attack on those who have personally attacked him. It's an extraordinary quality.
Anyway, here's Dr. Wakefield speaking at European Parliament headquarters. His talk is first up at the time of posting:
http://autismfile.com/category/media/videos/
Posted by: Carol | November 17, 2010 at 06:37 PM
I think Benedetta hit the nail on the head however the real reason behind this post is that JB can't imagine a parent of an autistic child who wouldn't agree with him on the vaccine-autism link.
@Daniel
I don't agree that JB can't believe that someone wouldn't agree with his "vaccines can cause autism" view. He just can't believe that someone would be so upset about this viewpoint that they would spend countless hours online rebutting it. Most people I know who don't believe that vaccines caused their kids' autism spend time doing autism awareness or just focus on taking care of their kids. They don't get up in arms because other parents believe in the vaccine/autism theory. They just live their lives. That is why JB posted this. Sullivan, whoever he or she is, is NOT the parent of an autistic child. The extreme focus on "anti-vaccine" sites just doesn't make sense.
Posted by: Julie Leonardo | November 17, 2010 at 05:58 PM
Jim Thompson
Thanks, I think!
Bioscience - gee a magazine just made for biology majors. Nothing really deep in scientific facts! That might be the problem with majoring in biology.
Posted by: Benedetta | November 17, 2010 at 04:52 PM
Benedetta:
http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/pdf/10.1525/bio.2009.59.5.12
or
use a search engine for
“Science under Attack: Vaccines and Autism”
Posted by: Jim Thompson | November 17, 2010 at 02:23 PM
Mr.Handley has made a prima facie case. Let Sullivan produce him/herself or stand comdemned.
Posted by: Theodore Van Oosbree | November 17, 2010 at 12:57 PM
One of the more enjoyable parts of kicking the hornet's nest is watching the Keyboard Courage Club, aka anonymous bloggers, all get together to defend one of their own. It's a society of chicken-shits. The more I read Sullivan's posts, the more I hope, for Sullivan's sake, this is really Bonnie Offit. Otherwise, "Sully", you have got yerself a creepy case of hero worship.
Posted by: JB Handley | November 17, 2010 at 12:52 PM
A stalker of any kind would be an aweful thing to have to deal with. Also, having a person attack one's reputation repeatedly and anonymously would be extremely frustrating, especially knowing that courts may decide similarly to the decisions rendered on Mercola and Barbara Lo Fisher even if one pursues legal remification against a known person. So, if J.B.'s post sounds confrontational, I understand. And if he wants to confront and expose, go for it, even if he ends up being wrong. Maybe he is being stalked, for all I know, in which case I think a person is entitled to try and defend himself and put it as publicly as possible. And if he's wrong, at the very least it draws out clues to the truth and a reminder of how pervasive and deceitful shilling is. Win/win. Could Sullivan be a name being used by multiple people? Why not? If anyone wonders how a person could spend that much time blogging when he or she should be trying to make a better life for his or her child, maybe it's because one person doesn't have the time and so many are used. Maybe shills are like sleeper cells and they don't truly know about each other and just get their information from above, in which case the folks "above" are simoultaneously controlling multiple puppets with the same goals in different locations possibly sharing shilling identities. Doesn't seem past them as far as I can see.
Also, to imply that J.B. would be better spent otherwise engaged, my guess is that he's done more to help children and families dealing with ASD than most and has earned the opportunity to call out a few challengers. He stands human, but tall, in my book. It's the people who will publicly, relentlessly continue their pursuit of the truth, the source, and the cure who will take it on the chin more than most, and I bet they already have. If they are not right 100% of the time, well, neither am I, so I'll take the other 99% and be grateful.
In all this commotion hopefully everyone will still pay attention to the food safety and supplement politics going on today at the federal level.
Posted by: Jenny | November 17, 2010 at 12:44 PM
Interesting that Sullivan felt the need as an autism dad, to post both to the LA Times and the Chicago Tribune to praise Trine.
sullivansjourney at 4:38 PM June 24, 2010
http://discussions.latimes.com/20/lanews/sns-health-illegal-autism-therapy/10
Trine Tsuderos should be commended for taking on these tough stories. It isn't easy facing the wrath of angry parents who defend people like Boyd Haley.....
sullivansjourney at 6:12 PM July 13, 2010
http://discussions.chicagotribune.com/20/chinews/ct-met-autism-chemical-20100623/10
I appreciate the Tribune taking on this story........
Remember that Trine is connected with Alison Singer and Alison is connected to Paul Offit:
Alison Singer, MBA
Founder and President of Autism Science Foundation ASF
Dr. Paul Offit, Autism Science Foundation board member and Chief of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Posted by: She, He, It- | November 17, 2010 at 12:23 PM
benmyson:
Oh Deer but that was cute comment!
Daniel:
I have been in the midst of autism community meetings and not one parent starts railing at me about the saftey of vaccines when I state that my son had a stroke/life long epilepsy/autism right after a vaccine. They may say it was not the vaccines in their child's case, or I may get silence as I watch their eyes as the little hamester turning the wheel in their brains that this might be a clue to their child's autism. A clue, that it might be an immune problem at least!
An immune link that needs to be studied. Even an article in the "Scientific Americian Magazine" found a link to autism and the immune system.
Posted by: Benedetta | November 17, 2010 at 10:12 AM
Jim Thompson Your link - says article not found or has been moved, but it is no longer there?
Posted by: Benedetta | November 17, 2010 at 09:49 AM
Thank you Concerned Mom!
I would enjoy writing an article of that nature, though I am afraid it would be pretty long.... lol!! I just don't have any idea who would post it! I have thought about it though many times.
I've read through this again, and I am starting to wonder if this wasn't written as half rant, half tounge in cheek. In that case, I will apologize, as then my judgement will seem harsh.
If not, well, I would prefer a little more ranting and a lot less speculation on faulty evidence, if that makes sense. Once again, I don't wish to anger anyone with this. I just would rather not see us resort to using the same tatics and sink to the same lows that others have. That's all. Two wrongs have never made a right.
Posted by: Theodora Trudorn | November 17, 2010 at 09:47 AM
Thank you JB, I think you were totally right in posting this, even if it is only your suspicions. Lord knows there is SO LITTLE transparency for our community. We’ve been fighting in the dark for so long- it’s about damn time we get some light. No matter how irrelevant others find it to be. I appreciate it so much! And I did not just fall off the turnip truck- of course “Sullivan” is an Offit. Yuck.
If “Sullivan” is reading this, which I am sure he/she/it is, please go take your millions and retire somewhere very far away (Mars?) where you can’t damage children anymore. And by the way, I chelated my son for 2 years (among other bio-med interventions) and he is RECOVERED. We went from a non-verbal self injurious behavior non-potty trained shell of a boy (whose pediatrician also followed a Draconian vaccination schedule), to a happy healthy mainstreamed off IEP, lost his diagnosis little boy. I have the blood, urine toxic metal, stool, and educational diagnosis (both private and state) showing his amazing progress to recovery. Now that the worst is over for him, I’ll be damned if I sit by and let other children come to harm by your ignorance and refusal to listen to parents and study the facts.
Unfortunately, I am sure developmental delays in your practice are astronomical and you can nicely fill a script to keep them zombies on further damaging drug.. no skin off your back. But, I am here to tell you that more and more parents are fed up- they know the truth. There are too many of us to shut up now. It won’t be long now…
Posted by: casey | November 17, 2010 at 09:40 AM
@Daniel who said:
"That your opinion that Sullivan knows to much for a simple parent runs contrary to the entire ethos of this blog in which parents always know best."
Parents do always know best, Daniel - but not about millionaire vaccine developer Paul Offit. Parents know best if their child was healthy when brought into a pediatrician's office, and then had a severe reaction to vaccines, never recovered, and became autistic.
Parents know best not about Paul Offit's financial arrangements with CHOP, but about their autistic child who may have stopped self-injuring and screaming and started sleeping through the night and saying words after a therapy that wasn't blessed by mainstream medicine.
Parents know best not about Paul Offit's blogging habits, but about what months of Hbot or B12 shots or anti-fungal therapy or supplements or gf/cf diet did for their child.
Parents know best not about the content of Paul Offit's book before it's released, but about the vastly greater number of children with autism today, compared to 20 years ago, which is plainly evident to anyone who doesn't have a stake in the vaccine industry or in the ND world.
Parents know best not about Paul Offit's apologist's inability to select the correct pronoun, but about their child. Yes, their child. Not Paul Offit's agenda for what their child represents to the vaccination program, from which he profits handsomely. But their child.
Do you think you understand the ethos of this blog better now? Good. Now go crawl back in your hole so you can get back to defending the vaccine industry, as I'm sure you will. They're counting on you.
Posted by: Autism's False Offits | November 17, 2010 at 09:19 AM
I'm sorry, I just find it harder and harder to come over here any more. I miss the days when it was Olmsted style, stick with the facts muck-raking. IMO, this is so circumstantial that it borders on libel. I want not part of that.
Posted by: AnaB | November 17, 2010 at 09:18 AM
Yesterday I read this post for content and learning. Today I've taken another look and listen this go round, and it's pure entertainment. AoA has compiled a brilliant collection of music to punctuate JB's points.
The images and songs from the Troll doctor, to "Lies" to Aretha to Pink Floyd to Tammy Wynnette and more. Such creativity should not go unrecognized or unappreciated.
If you didn't take time yesterday to enjoy the humor that the pix and music add to the piece, take time to do so today. It's hilarious and deserves it's own round of applause!
Posted by: Beth | November 17, 2010 at 09:15 AM
"She also neglects to point out that in places like California with public access to data on disability caseloads, there has been a big drop in the number of people in the "mental retardation" category."
Where the heck did this info come from? It is exactly the opposite. The number of people in the "mental retardation" category did not drop much. And aside from that, even the government admitted that the increase is real.
Posted by: Julie Leonardo | November 17, 2010 at 09:04 AM
Please consider a statement of the obvious.
The fact that AoA and J.B. Handley can counter misinformation is crucial to providing some parental oversight of a Pharma driven medical community.
For example look at a review of False Prophets by Patricia Rodier at http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/pdf/10.1525/bio.2009.59.5.12.
Look at the incorrect statements that “The case for ethylmercury in thimerosal causing autism was always without merit. This claim was based not on falsified data, but on no data at all.”
Now this misinformation would go on unchallenged without websites like AoA and caring parents like J.B. Handley.
So if Sullivan truly is a parent of an autistic child then the child’s family members are well served by this community.
Posted by: Jim Thompson | November 17, 2010 at 08:44 AM
@Daniel -
I read the blog post comment by Liz Dietz and indeed this is a shaky evidence for Sullivan being a woman (though I agree with JB and others here that the tone of writing is that of a woman).
However, the strength of case lies with the other issues raised: how can a random autism father have such intimate knowledge of Paul Offit intents, coming book content, monetary arrangements, etc?
And what's the motive for all this writing? Why should he care so much about Paul Offit?
Pls explain.
Posted by: Vaccine.Explorer | November 17, 2010 at 07:00 AM
Daniel,
I'm not sure why you have read dozens of Sullivan’s posts, but your use of the word "smear" again indicates you are defending "Sullivan."
You do not seem to be objective at all.
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | November 17, 2010 at 07:00 AM
@Daniel -
I read the blog post comment by Liz Dietz and indeed this is a shaky evidence for Sullivan being a woman (though I agree with JB and others here that the tone of writing is that of a woman).
However, the strength of case lies with the other issues raised: how can a random autism father have such intimate knowledge of Paul Offit intents, coming book content, monetary arrangements, etc?
And what's the motive for all this writing? Why should he care so much about Paul Offit?
Pls explain.
Posted by: Vaccine.Explorer | November 17, 2010 at 06:52 AM
Bravo JB!
Finkel is Einhorn!!
Posted by: jim | November 17, 2010 at 06:11 AM
As a vaccine blogger myself - hats off to JB Handley. This post is the ultimate in blog authoring.
My money is definitely on him.
The Offits exposed. End game.
Are we expected to see Bonnie run off with 2 million dollars? ;)
Posted by: Vaccine.Explorer | November 17, 2010 at 05:45 AM
Why? Because the article is a smear campaign and this has been about the only article for a very long time in which the comments haven't been heavily censored, allowing me to respond. The fact that someone is disputing JB's article does not automatically mean that article has merits.
The article doesn't even convincingly establish Sullivan is female, all it does is misinterpret a statement by Liz (which can be clearly seen simply by following the link) and then states "Sullivan claims to be a man, and is actually a woman. Anyone who reads dozens of Sullivan’s posts, as I have, would probably reach the same conclusion." So the evidence breaks down to JB stating he thinks Sullivan writes with feminine prose. That isn't strong evidence, it's completely speculative. Which is exactly what this article is speculation with zero corroborating evidence.
I think Benedetta hit the nail on the head however the real reason behind this post is that JB can't imagine a parent of an autistic child who wouldn't agree with him on the vaccine-autism link.
Posted by: Daniel | November 17, 2010 at 12:25 AM
Count me as convinced! How dare she pass herself as a parent of a child with autism. I went on the LBRB site once and thought it was just another channel for "Offit" or "pharm" companies to try to brainwash the low information parent. In pretending to be a autism parent, Bonnie Offit mocks the pain and struggles with our children and grandchildren with autism. Let us hear from Sullivan about "his child with autism."
When did she learn he/she have autism? Where is her child attending school? Is he potty trained? Did she ever have to unscrew the light bulb in the bedroom at night so the light would stay off even if he stemmed all night? Has she had people stare at her because the child with autism is making funny noise or loudly laugh for an extended time while you are standing in line at the grocery store? Is her child a runner? Does her child talk? Did your child stop eating? How has her child's stems changed? Does your child throw himself/herself on the bed making a loud crashing noise all night? How about if its a boy say about twelve...and you have to take him in the womens restroom in public...did people make comments and stare? Does your child looks absolutely handsome and normal like my son and grandson? How about allergies? Does your child have any friends? Have you had to be warrior Mom to have the public school have appropriate education plan? What are your plans for adulthood?
Posted by: Lynn Bardsley | November 17, 2010 at 12:05 AM
If it's "completely baseless" Daniel, why did you feel the need to venture over here at all? If it has no merit why waste your time?
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | November 16, 2010 at 11:53 PM
Danny boy
It don't sound baseless to me!
I have lived with three vaccine injured family members for the past thirty years and the only people that don't listen to my story with surpise, a caring attitude, and horror are the brain washed medical professionals. They say hurtful things like - my family is just a statistic and vaccines are really good except your family had to go and ruin it for everybody else, so suck it up and shut up!
So, who are all these people on the internet that are so evil and blog with such fury that I am so so wrong when I state that I have witnessed vaccine injuries??????
There was a time that I thought it might (blush)actually be people from "Age of Autism" saying all these mean things just to fire us up. Because really unless a person is personally affected - they could care less. Because really, if a parent has a child with autism and don't think it is a vaccine, why do they care that someone else thinks it is so????
Then I remembered the non-caring attitude, as well as lies, and cover ups from some doctors and some nurses that my family has had to suffer under over the years.
So mean ol'e Sulivan being a ped - don't sound base-lessssss to me, more like a bull's eye on the target, direct hit,right on the mark!
Posted by: Benedetta | November 16, 2010 at 11:48 PM
I never said anything to "defend the Offits" I said the accusation that Sullivan is Bonnie Offit is completely baseless.
Posted by: Daniel | November 16, 2010 at 10:29 PM
Perhaps Sullivan will be singing this one someday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5vALLPvSvY&feature=related
Posted by: Jim Thompson | November 16, 2010 at 10:14 PM
Daniel,
You are new here -- interesting.
You do a familiar and poor job
defending the Offit's -- typical.
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | November 16, 2010 at 09:35 PM
I'm convinced. Now I feel like I'm slacking as a wife. Thanks, Bonnie.
But if it's not Bonnie, I sure wish I had some random person working so hard, for free, for me and my family. I don't particularly need anyone defending me on the internet, but I could sure use some help around the house. Hey, any parents of autistic children have time to work for me, for free?
Posted by: Kristina | November 16, 2010 at 09:12 PM
Whoever Sullivan is, he/she is in bed with Paul Offit. But the pseudonym "Sullivan" is probably more tasteful than the more descriptive "Offit's Bit**".
Posted by: Sylvia | November 16, 2010 at 08:44 PM
How does Mrs Offit prove she isn't Sullivan? She can't without opening a Pandora's box of conspiracies. Oh Deer.
Posted by: bensmyson | November 16, 2010 at 08:43 PM
I'm not familiar enough with the postings of Sullivan to have a personal opinion of his/her identity, but I think this highlights an important element of the autism-vaccine disaster: that there are people actively employed, hired or personally invested, to shout down this "theory." I hope that any reforms that come out of these events will incorporate awareness of this, and individuals will make more effort to independently study up on the actual safety/benefits of "healthcare" interventions.
I don't believe these bloggers do much to hinder the truth coming to light, though. When I was trying to make my own conclusions, I think the tone and persistent resistance of some to the autism-vaccine connection only served to highlight the political landscape behind this issue and the weaknesses of existing "vaccine safety" research.
Posted by: JenB | November 16, 2010 at 08:43 PM
I'm with Evelyn. My money's on JB!!
Posted by: Nicole | November 16, 2010 at 08:42 PM
Few problems, like if you follow the link you'll see liz isn't referring to Sullivan as "her" but to Holly Peete.
That Sullivan never got the financial information from Paul Offit but from another blogger called David Brown.
That your opinion that Sullivan knows to much for a simple parent runs contrary to the entire ethos of this blog in which parents always know best.
That contrary to your claim Sullivan writes frequently on issues effecting parents, in fact his most recent post is a response to an article entitled "Special ed students could bankrupt districts".
That all your points linking Sullivan to Offit are woefully nonspecific and could be applied to any of the anti-antivaccine bloggers.
That multiple people have either met or talked to Sullivan and confirm he is male.
Yet people are still taking this accusation seriously?
Posted by: Daniel | November 16, 2010 at 07:41 PM
Sullivan is Offit. It's evident. Can't be Bonnie... Now that his cover is blown, I suspect he'll change tactics and we should be seeing some Sullivan clones across the blogosphere, and less of Sullivan.
Posted by: NoMuteSpectator | November 16, 2010 at 06:55 PM
Ok. Now who is Sheldon on huffpo?
Posted by: HFAmomto3HFAgirls | November 16, 2010 at 06:44 PM
For the sake of discussion, assume Sullivan is either a man or a woman or a parent or not a parent. No matter. Anonymity is completely acceptable on blogs.
But what is important here (and what seems to be J.B.’s main point) is that it is important to be aware of potential conflicts of interest, i.e. the real possibility of someone that profits from vaccines (and posing as a family member with an autistic child), in the context of a discussion. Even though that is also allowed, it is intellectually dishonest not to disclose this in a forum.
Posted by: Jim Thompson | November 16, 2010 at 06:31 PM
Good Job JAKE!
See this is why not everybody can blog on this site. Too many trolls could drown out the truth that is coming from witnesses to vaccine injuries.
That is why the wise ones started their own web site "Age of Autism". God Bless them everyone, including you Jake!
Posted by: Benedetta | November 16, 2010 at 06:02 PM
HOLY Bs! Add that to "ich".
A crystal case of career social crime.
Thanks for shattering that hog on the high.
MAKE AUTISM STOP
Posted by: MAKE AUTISM STOP | November 16, 2010 at 05:56 PM
So Bonnie, or Sullivan, or the Liar/Fraud, or whatever your name is, get some rest, honey.......
Posted by: Virginia | November 16, 2010 at 05:25 PM
Great analysis JB!!!
Like cmo said, peoples' writing style is almost as good as a fingerprint (with props. to JB for his logical easy style).
For the record, "Sullivan" is NOT ME. I only blog under "Bob" or sometimes "Michael'sDad" or something close to those.
My last name really is "Sullivan",
but i am a REAL father of a REAL 4-1/2 y.o. son w/ regressive autism (onset at 18mo after 5 vaccines in one day while on antibiotics for an ear infection, etc.).
I believe vaccines play a significant role in the pathogenesis of autism.
To Bonnie Offit - stop using my name in vain!
Posted by: Bob | November 16, 2010 at 05:24 PM
Love this post, JB!! I can't even count how many people I've emailed JB's articles to, all with great response. You see, no matter what Bonnie or Sullivan, or Tranny?, says on whatever dorkosphere "science" blog, the truth about vaccines is resonating with people in the real world. You know, the world that doesn't have time to read all those "science" blogs. In the real world, I am the mom to a beautiful, remarkable, RECOVERED son. I have approx 150 people (and growing) on my email list who have asked me for vaccine info. I'm not up til the wee hours on every site trying to spread my message; people ask me!!! Many of these same people forward my info to others. The truthful warning to parents about the dangers of vaccines is being told! People are more and more aware of who Paul Offit is, and what his conflicts of interest are. Seriously, all I really have to do is copy and paste his famous "100,000 vaccines at once" ridiculous statement, and Offit is immediately discredited!!
Si
Posted by: Virginia | November 16, 2010 at 05:22 PM
If I were a betting gal, which unfortunately I'm not, I'd put my money on JB.
And I sure hope we can get to the truth of this matter because I've said for years that anonymous bloggers should not be allowed to post on serious topics because they can get away with murdering the facts for their own agenda without any consequences or ways for the rest of us to refute what is said.
Good work JB.
Posted by: Evelyn Pringle | November 16, 2010 at 05:05 PM
J.B. Handley has a knack for smoking out lower forms of life. Maybe that was his intention.
One thing seems certain - whoever is blogging as Sullivan is working with Paul Offit, if not married to him. Why else would Sullivan have advance knowledge of Offit's book and be privy to obscure details about his vaccine earnings? Would Offit call up "just an autism Dad" to discuss these things?
And why does Offit leave Sullivan's LBRB off of the lengthy list of blogs on www.paul-offit.com? He seems to want to publicly distance himself from the blog, even though LBRB had much more to say about him than most of the others.
Posted by: Autism's False Offits | November 16, 2010 at 05:05 PM
It would be nice if the Pro-Offit Campaigners put as much deductive reasoning behind their understanding of the problems with vaccination as they do behind their reasoning that Sullivan couldn't *possibly* be Bonnie Offit.
Posted by: MA | November 16, 2010 at 04:49 PM
Talk about kicking over a hornet’s nest. First we got some big names from the ND/pharma crowd crowing about the ridiculousness of JB’s speculation. Next came a series of comments saying Sullivan is actually Matt Carey, when yesterday the identity was a hollowed secret. Now we are getting the “concern trolls”. The basic format is along these lines:
“I’m a long time reader of (insert name here) and have always been a staunch advocate of (insert cause here), that being said, the article regarding (insert subject here) has me deeply concerned and is over the line. It is mean-spirited and distracts us from our true mission regarding (cause again).”
Next will probably be vague references to legal action. Way to go JB, looks to me like you scored a direct hit.
Posted by: Jeff C. | November 16, 2010 at 04:20 PM
Writing styles are almost as good as fingerprints, and can be analyzed against known work to determine the author.
The timing and content of some of the "Sullivan posts" are a bit telling. The scammers have been caught again.
JB's writing style is always easy to determine, as it simply makes sense.
Posted by: cmo | November 16, 2010 at 04:11 PM
Love it. Game on. It is disgusting that the whole Adam Blye "everyday science blogs" are paying people to do their dirty work. Especially now that more researchers are coming out and saying the science is f'd. on HuffPo right now in the Health section Dennis Whittle has a little article on " How much can we rely on the medical experts? "(based on John Ioannidis's review of medical research- and he takes a pretty dim view of it). check it out.
Posted by: Jen | November 16, 2010 at 04:11 PM
JB - you did it again! I am grinning from ear to ear and hope that Sullivan's presence on these blogs drops off from the face of the earth. Obviously he/she does not have a child with autism... even folks in our community that feel there is no link will still convey their feelings, wants and desires for their children. What a fraud - the lack of ethics in the medical community is sickening! Be gone Proffits, I mean Offits - you don't belong here!
Posted by: Son in Recovery | November 16, 2010 at 03:51 PM
The vaccine policy at her practice is positively frightening. What about medical exemptions? Religious exemptions? What is someone wants to delay vaccines because their child is sick...or has a damaged sibling. I would LOVE to know what the autism rate in that practice is. Probably WAY above average...I don't know how these people sleep at night.
Posted by: 4Bobby | November 16, 2010 at 03:32 PM
As a second-time poster I must add my voice to those who say this post seems unwise and appears to based on fairly thin evidence.
It is clear that many people invested in this argument have a variety of motives that are not particularly clear and not always pure, but unless you have hard evidence, speculation seems inflammatory.
The Internet has really led to a strange phenomenon in which all sorts of people begin to personally identify with a cause, person or subject that really has nothing to do with them. I've seen people argue with similar fury over movies, hardware and sports.
That having been said, I would agree that the prolific nature of posts on the subject by the Sullivan blogger have come close to making the poster's identity ethically within the public domain. Why? Because the poster repeatedly uses part of his/her identity to gain credibility. That, to me, makes the subject of his/her identity completely on-topic.
A column asking for the blogger to voluntarily come out, or undergo some other sort of identity confirmation might have been wiser.
Still, I think the primary battleground for this topic is not the blogosphere, which is drowning in arrogance and hero-worship. I think its really a struggle over research agendas, public-health policy and personal liberty. I won't be cowed into not questioning the safety of vaccines because of the threat that my concern may ultimately be unfounded. And I am unimpressed by the idolatry of the medical and pharmaceutical professions that incredibly are occurring at the same time that big pharma/CDC are being outed for corruption and fraud in so many other arenas! Just look at the lead in water issue in Washington DC for a case study in how CDC can misrepresent data to calm public fears and pronounce case closed....it took Congress to expose that CDC based the pronouncement on data they knew was incomplete and possibly fraudulent.
Posted by: Victor | November 16, 2010 at 03:31 PM
Sullivan is a soldier in the propaganda war the CDC and Big Pharma has waged against those who dare question the safety or necessity of vaccines. His/her anonymity is one of their weapons. Why shouldn't we call them on it?
Posted by: Sylvia | November 16, 2010 at 02:55 PM
Offit and his wife are part of the porn director gene pool. They are really good at convincing their patients into doing things that they themselves would probably not recommend for their own family. Recently I suffered a corneal ulcer while renovating one of my building. I got help from the local hospital. One of the physician wanted me to submit a corneal tissue sample to assess bacterial resistance. When I refused, he threatened that the ulcer might permanently damage my eyesight. I then recommended stronger antibiotics. Only after the tissue sample he said. I left. I have since contacted five other emergency care physicians and ophtalmologists, it turns out that this physician was not recommending standard of care. This was two days ago. I am fine. All I can conclude is that physician who wanted the tissue sample from my eye was also part of the porn director gene pool.
Posted by: talitutor | November 16, 2010 at 02:50 PM
"Sully is definitely a man."
SeMANtics?
"Sully" vs. the blogger "Sullivan" cited in Dachel's comments?
Who IS Kev talking about?
Posted by: Depends on the definition of "IS" | November 16, 2010 at 02:33 PM
If you don't agree with JB, let's try to agree that a parent of an autistic child deserves to vent carelessly once in awhile. We have to endure the lies of mainstream media all the time. So what if Sullivan is not Offit's wife. I think Sullivan is either Offit's accountant or lawyer.
Posted by: Diane W Farr | November 16, 2010 at 01:41 PM
Kev
you know full well you are breaking the TOS for google news .
and that demonstrates exactly the way you think.
thanks for the peek into your "world"
and send my regards to the sullivans
Posted by: parent101 | November 16, 2010 at 01:34 PM
How telling that Sullivan defends Offit everywhere! This is NOT a dad of a child with autism.
http://actionforautism.co.uk/2008/08/01/voices-for-vaccines/
Comment by Sullivan | August 1st, 2008
Attkisson’s story was pretty odd, to say the least. No new content, and what she had wasn’t always accurate, as you note.
The big question is why is she allowing herself to be used as part of the preemptive strike on Offit? We all know (and they have stated as much) that the groups represented by Age Of Autism are trying to counter “Autism’s False Prophets” before the book tour, but why is CBS joining in?
http://autism.freedomblogging.com/2008/10/05/review-autisms-false-prophets-chapters-4-7/545/
October 7, 2008 at 8:19 am
“Parents should not worry about the safety of vaccines. The current levels of thimerosal will not hurt children, but reducing those levels will make safe vaccines even safer.”
Thimerosal is perfectly safe … but removing it makes vaccines safer. How’s that work, exactly?
Sam,
It would be good if you made it clear that Dr. Offit is very critical of that statement as well. He uses the same argument as you do, in fact.
The mercury panic was launched partly because a CDC bigwig thought it was better to be safe than sorry — what’s known as the precautionary principle.
I believe you are talking about Neil Halsey here. He was (as made clear in the book) with AAP, not CDC. Dr. Offit makes the argument that had Dr. Halsey gone through the usual procedure, which includes engaging the CDC in the discussion, the rush to remove thimerosal and the confusing statements likely would not have been made.
Lastly, I believe you may be using “credulous” incorrectly. Dr. Offit certainly doesn’t fit the defiinition:
willing to believe or trust too readily, esp. without proper or adequate evidence; gullible.
He does have a presentation style that first gives the entire argument for MMR or thimerosal, with little counter information, followed by the arguments against.
One could argue that his chapter for thimerosal is a posture, although even that I don’t believe is accurate. But, credulous doesn’t fit.
And here is Sullivan posting an OPINION PAGE ( after the PBS Frontline show:
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/pbs-frontline-the-vaccine-war
PBS Frontline: The Vaccine War
Opinion by Sullivan
(April 16, 2010) in Health / Autism
"I first heard that the show Frontline, from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), would be doing a show on “The Vaccine Wars” by reading comments posted online by supporters of groups like Generation Rescue. I was somewhat taken aback that they were happy to hear this was coming as Frontline is a very evidence-based show. I couldn’t see it being very supportive of Jenny McCarthy......
.....One way to tell for certain if Generation Rescue and other groups are afraid of upcoming media attention is when they start attacking spokespeople like Paul Offit (chief of infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and co-inventor of the RotaTeq vaccine against rotavirus)."
BTW- google "precautionary principle offit" -- It is an Offit calling card term.
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | November 16, 2010 at 01:23 PM
Theodora Trudorn,
I agree with you! There are better things that the parents of autistic kids can do than argue over the identity of a blogger. For instance, they could write about things that actually help autistic children. Speaking of which, I greatly admire your ability to overcome obstacles and I am so impressed by your mother's efforts to help you. It would be so great if you could write an article about your experience and how your mother helped you. We parents could probably learn so much from both you and your mom about how to help our kids.
Posted by: Concerned Mom | November 16, 2010 at 01:18 PM
What I find interesting about Sullivan is that he/she has gone after me a number of times for claiming that ...
AUTISM IS AN EPIDEMIC...
and
AUTISM IS PRIMARILY A CHILDHOOD DISORDER....
Age of Autism Abandon Pretence part II
Author: Sullivan
http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/06/age-of-autism-abandon-pretence-part-ii/
http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/05/anne-dachel-age-of-autism-editor-makes-remarkable-claim/
Sullivan
May 28th, 2010
20:08:48
The entire "autism didn't exist before such-and-such a date" is beyond silly. My guess is that Anne Dachel just forgot the usual talking point that the rate used to be reported at a much lower rate.
another note-the CDDS has records on autistics born pre 1920. That's pre thimerosal.
Congental Rubella Syndrome is a cause of autism. Are we to believe that CRS didn't exist before thimerosal? I would love to see the explanation for that.
Sullivan
July 18th, 2010
06:19:34
Ms Dachel,
Why hasn't the CDC, with billions in their budget, found the missing autistic adults here in the U.S.?
Can you point to the CDC studies which have been looking for autistic adults? The main focus for their epidemiological team on autism, as you well know, is on 8 year olds.
Now for the hard question, the one you avoid every time it is brought up. Can you point to the efforts in identifying autistic adults which have been undertaken by the groups represented by the Age of Autism? Please, I'd love to see the links to, say, SafeMinds' or Generation Rescue's advocacy efforts in this area.
Are the needs of AUTISTICS different from those of other disabled adults? I would say yes. Is it possible that there are large numbers of autistic adults who are yet undiagnosed? If you don't think so, I'd love to see the data you rely upon which is conclusive.
The fact of the matter is that your organizations are interested almost exclusively in the idea of vaccine causation. Anything which lessens the "epidemic" is vigorously denied by your organizations.
In short, your organizations are willing to sacrifice advocating for undiagnosed adults in order to promote your own agenda.
Now, if you could identify where in the above piece I say that there aren't adults and young adults who are more "obvious", I will gladly address the rest of your comment. I didn't, so I won't.
http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/07/more-unidentified-autistic-adults-found/
Sullivan
July 18th, 2010
06:24:19
Ms. Dachel,
as long as you have been kind enough to comment here (a fact I do sincerely appreciate), I would love to hear the Age of Autism's response to the fact that the latest Hewitson/Wakefield study makes some amazingly odd claims-such as it is normal for infant monkeys to see their brains shrink and, therefor, it is somehow abnormal for infant monkeys to have their brains grow with time.
Sullivan
July 19th, 2010
22:29:55
AoA had a post in the last year by someone critical of Lupron. Kent Heckenlively did write some posts on lupron, and Anne Dachel defended the Geiers and lupron after the Chicago Tribune exposed Lupron therapy as unfounded.
Sullivan
July 22nd, 2010
06:50:46
"In a city of 70,000 people, they identified fourteen individuals that fit a classification of autism that didn't have that diagnosis to start with"
This statement is misleading. The authors made no attempt to identify autistics within the full 70,000 population. They only looked at a small subset. I could say, "they only found 30 adults with autism in a world population of many billion".
This is not "The" missing group of adult autistics. There is no single group. We have obviously undercounted AUTISTICS (both children and adults) in the past and are probably still doing so. The question is not "if" but "how many" have been uncounted in the past and whether this number is sufficient to account for the apparent disparity in the number of adults and children AUTISTICS.
_________________________________________
....having read Offit's book False Prophets very carefully, I know that two of his main points are...
THERE IS NO EPIDEMIC
and
ADULTS ARE EQUALLY AFFECTED BY AUTISM.
Sullivan parrots Offit's claims to the letter. Even talking about a drop in MR labels to offset the autism increase (something no one has ever shown to be true.)
Whoever Sullivan is, he/she is a devoted fan of Paul Offit.
(And I've noticed that Sullivan, the supposed father of an autistic child, has used the word AUTISTICS several times in comments. I've never called children with autism "autistics" myself. It's demeaning and insulting. I've never known another autism parent to use it either. Whoever this person is, I feel they're not a parent.
"Autistics" is a medical term, ....SEE WRITING ABOVE.
lbrb Sept 09 by Sullivan:
http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2009/09/dr-bernadine-healy-talks-about-vaccines-and-autismor-does-she/
"I will go out on a limb and state that it is likely that most autism parents and AUTISTICS would agree with me on that. See, one can reject some ideas even without a complete understanding of autism."
Sullivan is someone not interested in autism as a health care disaster that's leaving parents broke and desperate about the future. He/she is someone hell-bent on defending the claims of Paul Offit.
Anne Dachel
Media
Posted by: Anne McElroy Dachel | November 16, 2010 at 01:17 PM
If what JB suspects is true, this is very damaging to the Offits.
This is the height of unethical behavior. Even if Matt Carey is the assigned "real person" to the pseudonym, the ethics here are questionable at best and completely absent at worst.
If either of the Offits or both of them on occasion are ghostwriting his material, then its still:
completely unethical.
Posted by: Magnanimous Mom | November 16, 2010 at 01:12 PM
"In fact, if you can produce this father, I promise to never, ever publicly write about or utter the name “Paul Offit” again".
JB would NEVER make a promise like this unless he was 110 percent sure who Sullivan actually was. My gut feeling is that neurodiversity apparently has a trusted "Dr. Benjamin Church" (http://tinyurl.com/2c74ej3) surrititiously passing confidential information through the lines.
Thanks Ben!
Posted by: Traitor in their ranks? | November 16, 2010 at 01:09 PM
Sullivan is familiar to me as someone who's personally criticized my writing and someone who slams AoA whenever possible.
In the comments on this FORBES piece,
http://blogs.forbes.com/sciencebiz/2010/03/15/vaccine-court-ruling-thimerosal-does-not-cause-autism/
Sullivan wrote:
Joe,\n\nI am a parent of an autistic child. My employment has nothing to do with the CDC, pharmaceutical companies or healthcare in general.\n\nMs. Dachel seems to be trying to imply that there is an epidemic and that this some evidence that thimerosal causes autism.\n\nThe epidemiologist for the families in this proceeding stated the opposite. He stated that if there are any cases of autism caused by thimerosal, they are so few in number as to be missed by most epidemiological studies. I believe he put the estimate at under 4% of all autism. That would be Saunder Greenland, if you wish to check his expert report and testimony.\n\nMs. Dachel is rather imprecise when she makes statements on the internet. She will comment about 1% having autism (meaing all autism spectrum disorders) and then talks about the $3.2M figure for the cost of each adult with so-called "Full Blown Autism". She neglects to point out that "Full Blown Autism" is only a fraction of the 1%. She also neglects to point out that in places like California with public access to data on disability caseloads, there has been a big drop in the number of people in the "mental retardation" category.\n\nAutism is a serious disability, and autistics often have other serious disabilities as well. The level of support for disabled people is not adequate in the US. Further, we don't have good data on what types of supports are appropriate for autistic adults-of all levels of capability.\n\nThis is one place where groups like Generation Rescue have failed miserably in their supposed goal as an "autism advocacy" organization. Rather than acknowledge the huge population of unidentified adults and call for research into their supports, they have actively denied the existence of autistic adults.\n\nIt is a shameful page in disability rights history.
Anne Dachel Media
Posted by: Anne McElroy Dachel | November 16, 2010 at 12:52 PM
I usually agreewith many of the articles here, but this is a bit ridicolous. I don't understand the logic behind writing and posting this article, particularly when the evidence is incluclusive.
I may not agree with what said blogger says, but I am not going to accuse him about being dishonest about his gender or being a parent of an asd kid. My mom is also leary of EVER using her real name online. She also never speaks in public on these topics, so to speak.
But I guarentee you, when she says that she is the mother of a adult daughter with AS, she is speaking the truth. I would rather read articles that take on what said blogger is actually writing about and saying than if they personally are or are not someone.
I don't mean to anger anyone. I was rather shocked to find and read this article on here. I would just rather debate the contents of said bloggers entrys than read something like this.
Posted by: Theodora Trudorn | November 16, 2010 at 12:50 PM
Things that make you go hmmm....
Jeff C. wrote:
So Sullivan has long blogged anonymously. Suddenly his/her allies are ready to out him as Matt Carey within a few hours of a single post? Nice friends.
*****************************
He, She, It wrote:
"The book isn’t out until January? Why does Sullivan already know what’s in it?"
How about it Sullivan??
*****************************
From Sullivan’s Doctor’s profile:
“I follow autism science and politics closely, and have spent many long hours looking into claims about what causes autism and what can treat autism....
While much of my blogging time is taken up combatting false claims about causes and treatments, my main concern is to create a better world for all people, but especially for people with disabilities.”
So Sullivan has a child with autism, does not believe in the vaccine->autism link, but spends the bulk of his/her blogging time writing about subjects s/he does not believe in. And how does this help his/her child? Seriously....Sullivan has disposable time and s/he chooses to use it to engage in matters s/he believes have no bearing on their child? Because it seems to me that if vaccines are all fine and good with you, go ahead-vaccinate, end of. Move on. Furthermore, why when there is no shortage of pro-vaccine reading material, would anyone spend so much time coming to the defense of someone like Offit who has agencies/associations to back him up?
Well, Sullivan(s)?
Posted by: sulliedman/woman | November 16, 2010 at 12:40 PM
The internet is full of paid pharma trolls to "control the message" on sites like HuffPo, Yahoo and elsewhere.
My suggestion, awhile back, would have been to start a fake neurodiverse site on your own domain, bait it and wait till Sullivan posts several times. Then you'd have an IP (or IP's) and location(s) to narrow down your evidence.
Posted by: Sullyvandownbytheriver | November 16, 2010 at 12:23 PM
Liz Ditz
And who are you?
Why, would you make friends with someone on a blog in the same area?
I've made friends on other blogs on other sites, that are in my area, but I don't bother to have them over for a meal! I've got other friends break bread with!
You have so much in common like a child with autism but it has noting to do with vaccines, and you have no idea were this brain injury came from but it sure wasn't from a a a vaccine?
Norton:
I hate it when some one links me somewhere else to prove what they said is true,and it is nothing more than a link to a place that the same person (Norton) is saying what they already said to begin with on the blog!!!!
That is just plain silly!
Posted by: Benedetta | November 16, 2010 at 12:10 PM
People lie about who they are out here on the internet all the time. Get over it. If you think someone is lying about who they are, ignore them and move on. I don't see how in the world 'exposing' someone's 'true' identity on the internet (as if that could even really be done out here) is helping kids with autism. I think one's time would be better spent researching the latest developments in therapies, teaching methods, medicines, etc. that might actually HELP AUTISTIC KIDS and report that information. Isn't that why we're all out here in the first place?? I think that would be more useful than reporting the blogging habits of people we don't really know but can only speculate about.
Posted by: Concerned Mom | November 16, 2010 at 12:09 PM
This is hilarious!! I have always felt that "Sullivan" was a female, it just seems obvious to me in the "tone" of the writing. He/she is right up there (or better yet down there) with Autism News Beat...I have never understood how these people are able to spend endless amounts of time arguing with the parents of vaccine injured children online. No one would devote that much time to defending vaccines unless they had something to gain from doing so. I would expect the ND crowd to come out of the woodwork to try and cover this up. I would even expect them to come up with someone to pin it on. Either way, I find the entire thing to be quite entertaining!
Posted by: mitomom | November 16, 2010 at 12:08 PM
Say this one hundred times: "Must use weasel words."
Apologize if necessary. Do not give up domain name.
Posted by: Carol | November 16, 2010 at 12:08 PM
Judging from the Doctors link this "sullivan" character looks like your ordinary run-of-the-mill pharma-troll. Whale.to will have to update their list!
http://www.whale.to/a/newsgroups_h.html
Posted by: Genny GC | November 16, 2010 at 11:49 AM
The Neuro-denuded blogs (lbrb and others) are abuzz over this... since Offit has a good level of plausible deniability over whether she blogs as "Sullivan," JB's post is being devoured like low-hanging fruit for the rabid scavangers of neurodiversity.
Did JB get this wrong? Was it a misstep? It shouldn't matter. He's usually right on the money with everything he posts... and whether Bonnie Offit blogs under pseudonyms, or not, I see this post more of an exploration of how desperate neurodiversity has become... and what industry shills may or may not be willing to do to spin-doctor their public image.
Neurodiversity belongs to big pharma. I've never seen more rabid defense of the vaccine industry than from these "parents" who should probably, if anything, be ambivalent about the vaccine safety debate. Instead, they defend the industry with every ounce of their strength. And they defend folks like Paul Offit, who only cares about his financial interests... he could give a s-it about them. Or us.
Posted by: Erik Nanstiel | November 16, 2010 at 11:43 AM