Denial and the "Normalization" of The Age of Autism
By Anne Dachel
I was thrilled to be at the University of MN December 4th when Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill were there to give a talk on their new book, The Age of Autism. They presented the history and the facts about the use of mercury in a clear and concise manner that anyone, even those not familiar with the topic, could understand. It made me feel that the medical community should be utterly embarrassed and discredited for using mercury for centuries and to still be doing it today. It's an established fact that mercury can kill and damage. It's a known neurotoxin. What’s also clear is that because of the commercial uses in lumber, fertilizers, medicine and vaccines, profit overcame safety as a motivating factor.
(In addition, because the effects of mercury poisoning are slow, subtle, and easy to dismiss as something else, its use became very wide-spread.)
At the end of the talk, I had a chance to ask the question that's always on my mind: How long can the denials go on?
(My son John Dachel recorded this for me and put it on Youtube.
And while I'm extremely grateful for Dan’s kind words, I'm very aware of my role. I should have the initials JAM after my name--Just a Mom—because that’s what I am. Everything I say about the autism epidemic has been said before. I just repeat it sitting at my computer. It's not hard to do. I don't do the enormous work that so many others in the autism community do. And I don't have a severely affected child like countless friends of mine. I have it easy. But Dan's so right about one thing: I'M NEVER GOING TO STOP! And I don't know any other parent who will either.)
This was how Dan and Mark responded to my question:
Dan: "What about denial and how long can it go on? I think we're all trying to stop it. There is a significant percent of people in this country who vote and have children who are very concerned about vaccine safety and about links of autism to environmental causes. They're not stupid. These numbers are getting higher and higher. Eighty-nine percent on vaccine safety concerns. Twenty-five percent believing there is a connection with vaccine and autism. Fifty percent on vaccine side effects. These numbers will drive politicians who can reach the bureaucrats who operate as an independent entity right now. They're 'the experts.' They say whether there's 'a problem.' They tell everyone else to shut up. And we've got to stop them."
Mark: "Denial can go on for a long time. The denialists can win. You can find these examples where the medical industry has 'normalized' an epidemic and successfully persuaded themselves that either a new disease has always been with us or some old disease has disappeared and it's inconsequential that it did. Denial and the ability of the medical industry to write the rules about how we interpret trends are both powerful forces. And there's a real risk that we'll 'normalize' autism. We'll deny the epidemic. We'll declare it a normal condition of mankind from the beginning. And there are powerful forces -- industrial forces, political forces -- that want to write history that way.
"I started all this out thinking that if we just wrote down the facts and shared the evidence, if we did it in a professional and responsible way, well-meaning people would listen and they'd do something about it. And I was sadly mistaken. I think all of us are learning that powerful forces like the ones we're facing are often blind -- blinded by their own interests. It's not that they're evil or malicious, [although] some of them might be. I'm certainly willing to accept that notion. But the vast majority is more content not to confront the problem and it's our job as a community to force them to. It's one of the reasons we wrote the book. It's one of the reasons we write the blog. It's one of the reasons you e-mail, Anne. I think we are not winning. That doesn't mean we shouldn't keep fighting. But we have to find new ways to engage."
Mark's comments were stunning and he is absolutely right.
I remember years of big things happening....
-- David Kirby's Evidence of Harm came out in 2005
-- RFK Jr's Deadly Immunity was published in 2005
-- Dr. Bernadine Healy, former head of the National Institutes of Health, appeared on CBS News saying the science isn't in on vaccine and autism in 2008
-- The Hannah Poling case was conceded in 2008
-- The autism rate made another huge leap to one in 110 in 2009
I remember getting excited over each of these. And there were other things that should have also raised red flags and led to a demand for answers. But they didn't. None of them did. Nothing, it seems, can make autism a crisis for U.S. health officials.
"NORMALIZING AUTISM"
Look at recent Google News stories and you'll see that Mark is right. Autism is now an accepted part of the childhood landscape. News reports talk about autism endlessly, but no one is ever worried.
We've been led to believe that bad genes alone make kids autistic...
-- December 5, 2010: NEWSDAY---Scientists finding genes related to autism HERE Dr. Eli Hatchwell, a geneticist from Oxford: 'There may be a small number of individuals who are reacting badly to something in the environment, but I don't believe that to be the case for everyone. Autism is 90 percent genetic in my opinion.'
We are used to hearing about autistic kids wandering off...
November 30, 2010: ABC7--TEMECULA, CA--Teenager with autism found safe in Temecula
We're routinely told about the abuse of students with autism....
December 3, 2010: NEWS-JOURNAL DAYTONA BEACH FL--Aide charged with abusing autistic boy
Mostly, we're given lots of "feel good" stories about autism--literally thousands every week.
December 5, 2010: WDTV BRIDGEPORT, WV--"Sensitive Santa" Helps Autistic Children Enjoy Holiday Traditions: "Nearly six out of every one thousand kids have Autism, making simple holiday pastimes, like getting a picture taken with Santa, near impossible. But the Morgantown Mall held a special event on Sunday to reach out to these kids."
December 3, 2010: NEW YORK TIMES--Hanukkah, Autism and One Temple's Run at a Miracle
December 4, 2010: EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE, MESA, AZ--AMC and Autism Society team to show movies for noisy autistic kids:"The lights are only slightly dimmed, the sound is turned down low and the theater's ‘silence is golden’ policy is thrown out the window. The audience is encouraged to get out of their seats, dance or walk in the aisles and make noise if they want. For those with autism, that means freedom."
December 3, 2010: LEXINGTON KT HERALD-LEADER--Hearing, speech center will offer program for autistic children:"Asked to assess the demand for autistic-focused classes, Offutt said a number of educators had told him, 'You won't believe how much need there is.' "
November 28, 2010: USA TODAY---Airport Check-in: Autistic kids learn about flying
November 29, 2010: KHOU-TV HOUSTON-- New research sheds light on early signs of autism, treatment
November 29, 2010: PENSACOLA NEW JRNL FL---Christmas party for autistic children is
Saturday
November 29, 2010: WCHL, NC--:OC Main Library to Host Autism Information Session "About two families have a child diagnosed with autism every day in North Carolina. The disorder affects communication, social interaction and behavior. There is no known cause or cure."
December 1, 2010: TIME MAGAZINE-- New Version of an Old Drug Could Treat Autism (and Addiction Too)
The media talks about autism as if it's always been around. With the public now used to hearing about it, articles don't even need to describe what the condition is like. We have "normalized" autism. Even though most adults can’t recall kids they grew up with who were called autistic or who displayed the signs of autism, we’re not asking why it’s happening. Within a few generations, autism will affect one percent of the entire population and we won’t be able to remember a time when it wasn’t a common condition.
This brings us to what we're really doing about autism. ANSWER: NOTHING. The latest news of any importance comes from MI. December 2, 2010: WILX-TV Lansing, MI--End of Lame Duck Session Focuses on Autism, Tenure, Pure Michigan HERE
It’s about the debate in the MI state house over requiring insurance companies to pay for therapy for autistic children. The MI State Assembly passed it but the State Senate voted it down. There are 15,000 autistic students in MI schools and yet lawmakers are willing to ignore their needs. Here's how State Senator Tom George (R) defended the action: "This is a serious condition for which we all have sympathy. But to pick it out among the basket of conditions that aren't covered or for which insurance is inadequate is just unfair."
MI State Senators who voted against helping autistic kids aren't worried. The numbers don't scare them. If autism were a crisis, U.S. health officials would be talking about it. They're not. Autism is therefore lost amid the "the basket of conditions" affecting our kids. Autism happens. We'll take care of it like we've always done. Everyone's gotten the message.
--
Anne Dachel is Media Editor of Age of Autism.
For parents with an autistic child, autism is THE medical issue in their lives.
How sickening it is for me to hear all the propaganda being disseminated about "The Genetic Basis of Autism" as if our genes changed in 1985 with the "vaccination schedule".
For society autism SHOULD be like the disease canary in the medical coalmine. The truth about autism COULD reveal MUCH about the "Medical Industry" that those who run society do not want revealed.
To seek anything less than the complete REVEALED TRUTH about autism is impossible for me and I have no autistic children of my own. I have LOTS of autistic children I care deeply about.
We live in a sea of "Medical" lies. Autism is but one.
http://healthyprotocols.com/2_vaccine.htm
Posted by: Lou | December 10, 2010 at 02:39 PM
Theodora, you do make a great point. We want the same things but we all see different ways of solving our problems.
However, have you ever felt that a cure would ultimately get rid of your personality? It would be like starting all over again as a young adult. I'd essentially become a different person. This is the biggest reason I don't want a cure. I don't ever want to become a different person. Neurological conditions differ from physical ones in that they take much more of a role in creating your personality and more importantly the way you see the world.
Posted by: Aspie | December 09, 2010 at 09:41 AM
“The truth is frightening, disheartening, alarming, and now self-evident.
ALL vaccines are causing immediate and delayed, acute and chronic, increasing and decreasing, impairments to blood flow, throughout the brain and body. This IS causing us all to become chronically ill, sick, and brain damaged along a continuum of other symptoms, some of which are clinically silent until death. Vaccines are causing ischemic "strokes". Since the damages are microscopic, we cannot see them as they occur. However, we can now see the neurological aftermath of these damages - within hours and days of vaccination - all vaccinations.
There is a direct and statistical correlation between the diseases that affect a given population (in developed nations) and the frequency of vaccines administered. That being said, there is an excellent probability that hundreds of diseases in the modern world are simply a by-product of the harmful effects of vaccines.”
"Vaccines Are One Big Experiment Causing Hundreds of Diseases In The Modern World" on September 21, 2009.
http://www.blackherbals.com/vaccines_are_one_big_experiment.htm
Posted by: patrons99 | December 09, 2010 at 08:33 AM
“Shaken baby syndrome appears to often be a political crime created to cover for the damage often done by vaccination.”
http://healthyprotocols.com/2_Dr_Moulden.htm
I would add that Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, see the Arizona 5, also appears to often be a political crime created to cover for the damage by vaccination.
Pharma and their scurrilous minions are now redefining “normal” and committing political crimes to create cover for the damage often done by vaccination. This is all taking place below the public’s “radar screen”. We need at least one brave journalist to disclose, in the mainstream media, the horror of what’s really going down. It’s also time that some of our elected officials' feet were “held to the fire”. We need at least one brave elected official to champion the cause of medical freedom.
VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM
MAKE AUTISM STOP
MEDICAL FREEDOM NOW
END MEDICAL FASCISM NOW
Posted by: patrons99 | December 08, 2010 at 02:50 PM
Pharma and the Dark Lords of the vaccine industry are forced into periodically redefining “normal”. They have no choice. ASD must be considered "normal" by orthodox medicine. How else can they justify leaving their blinders on. It’s another important part of pharma's orchestrated false flag campaign to control us. Without redefining “normal” someone might actually “wake up” to the frightening truth of the holocaust of iatrogenic diseases. The “real” WW III is well underway - it’s a war against medical fasciism.
“Vaccines Are One Big Experiment Causing Hundreds of Diseases In the Modern World” on September 21, 2009.
http://www.blackherbals.com/vaccines_are_one_big_experiment.htm
http://preventdisease.com/news/09/092109_vaccines_responsible_for_all_diseases.shtml
Posted by: patrons99 | December 08, 2010 at 11:52 AM
A story from England that should be known
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/1099972-Has-there-been-a-thread-on-the-man-campaigning-to-get-his-20yo-autistic-son-out-of-care
http://www.annaraccoon.com/politics/the-orwellian-present-%E2%80%93-never-mind-the-future/
Posted by: Anonsorry | December 08, 2010 at 09:43 AM
Aspie, as an fellow aspie, I have a confession to make.
It deeply saddens me, the devide that has has come into the autism movement. Everyone here really do love and care about thier children, and do find joy in them. Like all parents, they just want to do what is best for them.
But, they are realists. They know (as I know) that the world is a cruel place. They have seen how it treats not only those like thier own children, but children with other developmental disabilities as well.
They have watched thier children struggle and fight. They have watched them go through medical nightmares the likes that not even I with my now multiple medical issues can't even imagine. And they all watched it begin all at the same time.
Is it unreasonable for them to question whether or not there is one cause for all of it? Especially since not only did it all happen all at once, but there are so many children who HAVE THE SAME STORY!?!?!
Watching thier children struggle and go through all those things, it is only natural for them to want to take away the pain they watch thier children go through. And (also like me) when they found regular medical things would not help, they have gone alternative.
And it DOES WORK!!! Not all of it, and there are some snake sailsmen, but there are many things that do work. Who are we to tell them they are wrong?!
In the end we all want the same things. I have been an advocate for those with AS (like myself, I have a dual diagnoses of AS and PTSD)for a decade now, and on both sides of the community, our goals ARE THE SAME!!!!
We all want those on the spectrum to be happy, to be healthy, to have friends, relationships, and families of thier own some day if that is what they choose. To have the opportunities to succeed in life. Instead of attacking one another because of our different views on HOW to achieve this, we should be reinforcing and supporting one another!!!
After all, for better or for worse, we are all in this thing together, and we are all in it for the long haul!!
Posted by: Theodora Trudorn | December 08, 2010 at 09:40 AM
Anne,
I have an idea for your next article. The backlash from the public who almost seem angry with us and our disabled children. I know you read all the articles pertaining to autism. Have you read any of the articles having to do with Alex Barton's (survivor style boy voted out of classroom) $350,000 settlement? The comments are quite telling. The hatred for his mother and the anger that he is being compensated in palpable. Another suit filed by a mother in Oregon because her son broke his ankle at school and no one at the school even bothered to tell her what had happened. The comments on those articles are hateful towards the mother who brought the suit. They question "non verbal-ness". How can anyone know what happened to the boy if he can't talk? They speculate if the mother let the kid break his ankle at home and she is just suing the school to get paid. Disturbing, hatefilled comments.
There seems to be little if any compassion or tolerance.
They don't care that our kids have the problems they do and only see them as expensive liabilities and nuisances.
The American public doesn't want to flip the autism bill. They want us to go away and say we should take care of our own.
What are those cost of a life time care projections for autism?
The future scares me.
Posted by: Andrea | December 08, 2010 at 09:12 AM
In my son's school, there are no ASD kids or aspie kids in the kindergarten or first grade. The second, third and fourth graders are mildly affected but the fifth graders, WOW!!! Now, that's autism. Sorry, not buying in to the pharma talking piont that mercury is taken out and the numbers are still rising. Not seeing it here. The young parents that I speak to are stunned at how many ear infections my son had as a baby. Seems their kids are not getting those either. In a few years, autism will but a memory in the elementary schools.
As I was picking up my son the other day, and all the ASD kids in the school were all be dismissed at the same time. I asked my son's teacher "Isn't it obvious how the younger kids are more mildly affected." She said "yes."
Posted by: Mary | December 08, 2010 at 07:14 AM
Hi Aspie-
I saw you make nice to Kim and that was a good thing. She is such a good mom but please stop berating so many others for wanting to help their children, too.
You said - "However, I want to make it clear that some people are just differently wired. Their skill sets may improve in time."
That may be true for a very small subset but honestly many, especially teens (born in the early 1990's and after) are very affected and struggle with significant health issues. My daughter will be 18 in March and she just has begun to have severe grand mal seizures - now -. That tells us that something has become worse -- and that is heart stopping for me.
Autism for her and many others is a biomedical illness that touches every sense organ in her body and thus causes behaviors and social-emotional enjoyment or distress. For many it can be distressing hours and hours daily until we find treatments that end pain, inflammation or sensory overload.
I just wanted to point that out as you sometimes can appear uncaring but I think you must or you wouldn't hang out here -- right?
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | December 08, 2010 at 12:46 AM
Great post Vaccine.Explorer!
Posted by: Beth | December 08, 2010 at 12:29 AM
Aspie, thank you.
Off to bed. My Mia, who is 16 next week, said "I love you" when I tucked her in tonight. And Bella waved bye to her Dad. Those are highlights for us and we don't take them for granted.
Kim
Posted by: Kim Stagliano | December 07, 2010 at 09:44 PM
Jennifer S., there are many many sources of mercury, unfortunately. My kids never had mercury in a vaccine either. They are, in fact, affected and on the spectrum in the order and amount they were breastfed. You see, I have a mouthful of mercury amalgam fillings. My *most* affected kid was breastfed while I had 2 of these fillings removed to place a bridge. My dentist *assured* me it was no problem to breastfeed. Yeah. Right. He doesn't have the autistic kid now.
I know someone else who has an autistic kid that never received mercury vaccines either. Turns out his mom helped his dad paint a boat. While she was pregnant. BUT, they did it outside to keep down the fumes. Marine paint was LOADED with mercury. So much for staying away from those dangerous fumes!
I guarantee you those who are vaccine free and also autistic have been around mercury. Somewhere. It isn't just in the vaccines.
Posted by: HFAmomto3HFAgirls | December 07, 2010 at 09:44 PM
I agree with Donna L. (her comments are worth reading!) While I want my child to be accepted nobody really knows what it's like. Everyone seems to think that there are tons of services out there for autism and that it's all taken care of. When I tell kind-hearted people how bad autism can be, what we have gone through, how much we have paid out of pocket, and how inadequate services and medical care is they are outraged but it is always the first time they have heard this and they say something like "But I thought there were tons of services for special needs kids."
Posted by: vvtl | December 07, 2010 at 09:41 PM
Kim: I don't believe you think your daughters are idiots. I want to make it very clear to you. I understand if you want your daughters to never face abuse and learn how to safely cross the street. These are very important concerns. Continue to work with them and improve their help. However, I want to make it clear that some people are just differently wired. Their skill sets may improve in time.
Posted by: Aspie | December 07, 2010 at 09:41 PM
Kim: As for your comments, I was referring to all of those who refer to their children in pejorative terms. I am affected, just in different ways than they are, my social skills for example. In my opinion, autism is uneven brain development. It causes both my skills and deficits.
Posted by: Aspie | December 07, 2010 at 09:36 PM
Aspie! Shame on you. We do not look down on our children as idiots. For goodness sake. My girls can not cross a street safely. One was physically abused last year because she can not speak or defend herself - we have a criminal trial pending. I know my girls are smart inside their autism. But they have far more than just a "brain imbalance." Their autism hinders their very lives every darn day. Count your lucky stars you are not as affected as they are and do not accuse us of thinking our own children are idiots. Not nice.
Kim - in full blown mother mode.
Posted by: Kim Stagliano | December 07, 2010 at 09:11 PM
"we do need to find new ways to engage"
If everyone's house with autism caught fire on the same day they would notice. I'm not suggesting that, but short of something on that scale the denials, willfull blindness and all the institutions and industries that thrive on those behaviors, will continue unchallenged.
Posted by: michael framson | December 07, 2010 at 08:23 PM
I'm pretty sure your children are so happy you look down at them as idiots. I'm autistic and I can assure you I'm not lacking in intelligence. If your child has mental retardation along with autism, that is a comorbid disorder. It's not required for a diagnosis.
Posted by: Aspie | December 07, 2010 at 08:09 PM
In the early 1990's I was part of an autism support group. Nearly all the children were born normal and then regressed. That seems to be one point of modern diagnosing criteria. They all regressed around the age they would have received the MMR. MMR never had any mercury. So, you could argue that vaccine viruses (or the other ingredients) are causing autism. You could argue that the vaccine assault on one's immune system causes all kinds of physical problems. When these problems are addressed, autism gets better. Ask the warrior moms. I would argue that we should try not vaccinating with MMR and see if autism goes down. That would sure take the whole mercury question out of the debate. And you could argue that autism is not the only problem. There is ADHD, asthma and diabetes. Maybe some kids get those and others get autism. It is a matter of health you are debating. The one-on-one debate is where this fight will be won. Keep it up.
Posted by: Cynthia Cournoyer | December 07, 2010 at 08:08 PM
Anne, your writing here and all of the comments are just so true! Glad Dan and Mark could make it and share their well discovered facts.
One thing that I am starting to wonder about is that it seems that some in the public do not want autism to be environmental. Those who have healthy kids, are pregnant, recently married, have a foot in some industry implicated, etc etc want autism to be genetic. The thought of some scary unknown monster (or related to their finances) behind that vaccine-environmental door is too much. If they have no autism in their family, they can breathe a sigh of relief. It is denial a la "you anti-vaccine folks" -- it helps out our adversaries who prey on denial and use it to their advantage.
It is the enlightened ones, those who are not afraid of the truth - who open the closet door and check it out instead of closing it in fear. Most of the teachers that I talk to do believe that the environment, and that includes our vaccine program, has done something negative to many of the students who struggle academically, socially and emotionally. Autism is the most visible (and frightening) case scenario.
And Jennifer S., we are not losing the PR war on mercury being a huge culprit. That is what THEY want you to believe. Read "Age of Autism, Mercury, Medicine and a ManMade Epidemic" and you will believe.
All of those facts are still hovering around the "mercury can cause autism" theory. Don't fall for the dishonesty.
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | December 07, 2010 at 07:38 PM
Jennifer S.
As they took mercury out of some vaccines, there is still a trace.
As they took mercury out of some vaccines, they started giving pregnant women the flu shot. Multi-dose vials are full of mercury. Flu shot not OK for a 5 month old but OK for a fetus.
As they took mercury out of some vaccines, we still have aluminum.
As they took mercury out of some vaccines, they increased the number and they increased doses.
As they took mercury out of some vaccines, they kept promoting the hepatitis vaccines.
As they took mercury out of vaccines, some speculate that viruses in a vaccine can also cause damage. Read Callous Disregard. What if the viruses in the measles vaccine acted with other vaccines that were given at the same time?
As they took mercury out of vaccines, and autism continued to go up, did they ever look at unvaccinated populations? No. Because they wouldn't find autism.
Taking mercury out of vaccines does not take vaccines out of the child.
Posted by: Cynthia Cournoyer | December 07, 2010 at 07:18 PM
I know it is hard to accept, but the parents I spoke to had checked their kids' vaccine records and verified for themselves that they did not get any mercury. And no flu shots either. They argue very strenuously that mercury cannot be a factor.
You see, those parents are not just statistics. They are real parents of real children diagnosed with autism. And they are convinced that it's not mercury.
BTW, I'm in Canada. There is no mandated HepB at birth in my province. And IIRC, mercury was removed from vaccines earlier in Canada than in the US (at least that's what they say). I just can't go on arguing that it was the left-over shots.
Posted by: Jennifer S. | December 07, 2010 at 07:14 PM
Over a year ago:
http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/08/and-the-band-plays-on-autism-is-now-1-in-100.html
"If kids had 1 in 100 tuberculosis or 1 in 100 AIDS, they would wake up and look for a cause simply BECAUSE there are no mandated vaccines for these. The fact that these statistics of 1 in 100 and 1 in 58 does NOT alarm anyone enough to find the "real" cause, shows a motivation to support their future position that autism spectrum disorders are all just normal. And 1 in 7 is about as normal as freckles.
Is there a better way to make a problem disappear than to blend it in with the entire child population and call it normal?
What is the loss of potential? What are the lost IQ points in "typical" kids, not quite on the spectrum? Prepare for the NEW normal. It is the next step in vaccine-damage-denial.
Cynthia Cournoyer"
The band is still playing.
Posted by: Cynthia Cournoyer | December 07, 2010 at 07:03 PM
I just read a story about, I think, a neurologist of all things being charged with SBS ("shaken baby syndrome") and being in jail with all his legal costs destroying the family. It is their belief that their only baby ( a girl) died due to vaccine complications. I think things like this are just widening the gap of trust and that the dam will burst. That and the fact that the army can't keep ruining young people's loves with vaccines and not be worried about it. It must be tough enough to recruit people but hearing all the horror stories about vaccine-induced illnesses, like ALS, must be hurting them.
Posted by: Jen | December 07, 2010 at 06:56 PM
It's so saddening to me to see that our children are the Thalidomide babies of the new millenium. However they aren't being recognized as such. Every time I see my daughter go through the motions of watching one of her Barney episodes because that is what she is "supposed to do" but she is bored and she starts crying because she doesn't know how to do anything else, I feel so devastated for her. Where is the recognition?!!!! And if you bring up the diagnosis to people, they talk about the importance of early intervention and how it will help. Well, she also has Down Syndrome, so she's been in early intervention since birth and it hasn't helped one iota!!!! And no one thinks anything of it....just another developmental disability. No it's not! My child was poisoned!!!!!!! And the worst part about it was that I bought into the fear mongering and the worries of her daddy and didn't listen to my sister who warned me about vaccines. Now my baby is paying the price. I want justice, and I want a cure....NOW!
Posted by: Julie Leonardo | December 07, 2010 at 06:28 PM
Anne,
It saddens me to read your pessimistic words.. But hey, it's a long road and one can get tired along the way, right?
I'm a blogger writing in Hebrew about vaccines dangers, etc. I'm a father of a NT toddler, but I was drawn into this issue after realizing that vaccines are basically a big sham. I'm aware of this 'sham' for about a year and a half.
However, I was quite surprised to see that AoA has just turned 3. The flagship of the vaccine awareness battle is just... 3 years old? If I were to bet I would say it's 6 years old, at least.
And "Evidence of Harm" is only out 5 years?
Wow... I thought it's at least 10 years old.
We are dealing with a system that is revolving for more than 50 years. The vaccine industry is devious - they plant the seed of deception in every one of us since the day we are born. I for one, like many others, had no idea what's REALLY going on before my son was born.
It is impossible to overturn such a system of thought (and mainly interests) in the course of a few years. Hey, if we didn't have the web it would have taken possibly 50 years or even more.
In Israel, the autistic community are mostly in the dark. Bio-treatments are very rare. Parents are mostly (as far as I can tell) in the 'autism is genetic' phase.
However, there's some good news, too. Last winter, only 7% of the population bought into the swine flu vaccine, though they were promoted heavily by the DoH here. Lousy s-e-v-e-n percent!
This year influenza vaccine is doing pretty much the same.
Also, children/babies vaccination rates are falling. There are no official numbers but I know they are. How do I know? The DoH is embarking on several pathetic moves in order to up the vaccination rates. These steps will backfire, I'm sure.
Parents here are becoming more and more aware. These are educated parents, of higher socio-economic strata.
The lie cannot go on forever, not in the age of internet and autism.
In my view, the first steps are bound to be slow. But revolutions such as this one tend to gain momentum, and when they do - it's a landslide. Like with the Berlin wall.
Once the rate of those who don't vaccinate or vaccinate-with-caution will reach a certain level, it will grow ever faster.
When people will realize that their neighbor's daughter is healthier because she wasn't vaccinated - they will raise their eyebrow. When they will see the 3rd neighbor with healthy unvaccinated daughter - they will not vaccinate their next child. And this is the time the house of lies will start to visibly crack and shorly thereafter - will completly break.
I believe!
Posted by: Vaccine.Explorer | December 07, 2010 at 06:23 PM
Jennifer S., my son was born in 2004 and had TWO full mercury-laden flu shots in the following two years, one in combo with his MMR, varicella, Hep B and some other garbage.
The mercury is NOT out. If those parents you speak of allowed their children to get a flu shot, chances are, they received a mercury shot. This whole "mercury is out of vaccines" myth flat-out lie, and I have no idea why it's so hard to get people to comprehend that.
Posted by: JessicaF | December 07, 2010 at 05:30 PM
I was absolutely thrilled to have had the chance to meet, Dan, Mark and Anne. As well as numerous other warrior parents. It does my heart and soul good to be in such good company despite such trying times.
Posted by: Lin | December 07, 2010 at 05:30 PM
Anne, thanks for the article. So true! I wonder if we need an "autism reality show" where the public can come into our homes, schools and therapy sessions, etc. to see how horrific the situation can be. Also, parents can be interviewed on how they first noticed autism in their child. "Well, first I took him for his shots and then he had a fever, and, and, and, ..., etc., and you know, he never had a normal pediatric evaluation again!"
Posted by: A. F. | December 07, 2010 at 03:17 PM
Oh my son was born in 2007, but he was still getting shots with Hg up until 2008, and there is still Hg in most flu shots. You have to read the fine print.
Besides, it might not be ONLY the Hg, but what about the other nasty adjuvants in the vaccine that are also neurotoxic?
Posted by: casey | December 07, 2010 at 02:59 PM
When my son was diagnosed with autism nine years ago, nobody around here really knew what autism even was. Friends and relatives responded to the news of his diagnosis with shock and horror. And in the early years, when my son would have meltdowns in public places, the response from onlookers was also shock and horror. The looks that said, "What on earth is wrong with that kid??" I still remember the relief I felt the day I received those little autism cards from the autism society, you know, the ones that explained in tiny black print that this child was behaving this particular way due to a psychological condition called autism, and that observers shouldn't stare, that this behavior was being dealt with by the parents, etc. Those little cards were basically the first little 'awareness and acceptance' appeal presented to the community-at-large. Then we started seeing the puzzle-piece ribbons, the Autism Awareness car magnets, the occasional nod to autism on regular television shows, and on and on...
Fast forward nine or ten years, and now when my son melts down in public, there is very little shock and horror. Most people seem to methodically look away, not stare, go on about their business, or if they do make eye contact, their looks seem to say "Oh, it's okay! We know he has autism!". Or sometimes you get the nice little grandma who comes right out and says with a smile, "My grandson has autism. Take care, dear." There is no real shock or horror; instead, there is obvious and quite determined awareness and acceptance. (I should say, for the most part. There was one little episode involving soap smeared onto a mirror in a public restroom that very clearly evoked a 'shock and horror' response. I'm still hanging my head in shame over that ordeal.)
I want the shock and horror back. And this seems to be the prevailing theme behind most of Anne's exceptional pieces - where is the shock and horror? Where did it go? In roughly a decade, we have traded bewilderment and outrage for yawning complacency and an "I'm just glad it didn't happen to my child" attitude. We inadvertently generated public acceptance for a condition that should, quite frankly, be unacceptable. But our children are suffering in ways that should never elicit public acceptance. And autism parents are suffering in ways that are completely unacceptable, as well. My front teeth were knocked loose last week during one of my son's fits of rage. My arms are covered with bruises from his pinches and slugs. I don't want acceptance, I want outrage at this condition. I want to know that people are appalled and horrified, and that they will leave no stone unturned when seeking out ways to stop this dreadful epidemic in its tracks, no holds barred.
Maybe in our efforts to obtain awareness and acceptance, we missed a really crucial point: What does autism really, really look like? What does it really look like inside the family's home? What does it really look like behind the doors of the classroom or on the school bus? What does it really look like inside the inflamed brain of the child, or the inflamed gut of the child?
Mark is right, we do need to find new ways to engage. We do need to become more politically active. But as we do that, I think it is time to present autism in all its ugliness, to show exactly why it is unacceptable. Both the general public and the politicians who can (hopefully) shape and change policy in order to serve the affected individuals as well as prevent more kids from being added to the epidemic, need to see precisely why this disorder is devastating to children, families, and society as a whole. It is time to bring back the shock and horror.
Posted by: Donna L. | December 07, 2010 at 02:42 PM
I don't know. I found that long list of community events for autistic children rather encouraging. At least these poor kids are finally being acknowledged in the community and not only that, they are also being included in the kinds of events (going to the movies, pictures with Santa) that the parents of NT kids take for granted. This kind of acknowledgment of autism shouldn't be mistaken for the 'normalizing of autism.' If anything, it's more likely a signal that autism awareness is alive and growing in the general population. In time, perhaps in a good long time, it's likely that the general population will start asking, "Why is this happening?" What we have to remember is that the lesson learned from Big Tobacco was that the war wasn't won overnight. Likewise, the autism war won't be won overnight. Just as lung disease patients (with many who died during the judicial process and never saw its fruits) wanted to see justice done, so do the parents of our afflicted children. But it's going to take time and as difficult and agonizingly aggravating as that is, that's just the way it is. It will take a long time. In the meantime, though, as long as there is treatment with only the hope of recovery rather than treatment with the rock-solid promise of a cure, it's comforting to know that awareness, programs, and events for autistic kids (with many who won't recover) is growing.
Posted by: Concerned Mom | December 07, 2010 at 02:22 PM
Back when I was first sarting to advocate a advocate from the People First group once told me that WE, THE ONES WITH THE DIAGNOSES, are the first experts on said diagnoses. The second are our parents. Next comes other family, AND LAST comes the doctors and specialists.
It's about time the medical community figured that out and actually begin to LISTEN TO US!!!!!
Posted by: Theodora Trudorn | December 07, 2010 at 12:19 PM
When I was young, before I had my children, I read a story in the "Readers Digest" about a pharmacist and his wife. They worked hard all their life, and put away money for their son that was not quite normal. They lived in a small house in town for years and when they died their son continued to live there untill the taxes did not get paid.
The state, the town auctioned that house right out from under him. The day of the auction their son was an anxious, nervous wreck.
Is this to be the new normal for our kids?
Posted by: Benedetta | December 07, 2010 at 11:21 AM
My son presents very well. That is what our lawyer repeated to me that the judge for SSI said about my son.
They then preceeded to tell all about what he can do for a living - all so normal sounding. However, it was all generalized - something about working in mail rooms??? What is a mail room? Is that something that is in big cities? I don't know of any mail room jobs around here?
I was hoping for more reasonable suggestions of jobs that actually exist in this part of the country.
But they were reading off of something - put out by --- people that live somewhere else besides here??? They were reading off of something that made it sound all so normal.
Then again homeless people have become a normal thing too.
Last night was brutal cold, all of us came in from feeding the geese, and cows. I commented that it was nights like this that made me gratful we are not outside like the animals or the homeless.
It struck a cord with my son, his eyes became huge at the horror of that thought and he knocked on wood, that this would not happen.
Posted by: Benedetta | December 07, 2010 at 11:04 AM
Jennifer S:
Regarding the "rise" in autism after the "removal" of thimerosal see my article:
http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/07/thimerosal-and-autism-rates-a-minnesota-perspective.html
"Thimerosal and Autism Rates: A Minnesota Perspective"
You will see that at least in Minnesota, it is clear that the vast majority of autism diagnosis since 2003 have been in the age groups that received preservative level infant vaccines.
Also from the article:
"It is legitimate to question the ability to determine the rates of autism in younger children, those born after the “reduction” of thimerosal in vaccines in 2003. For instance, read what the Minnesota Department of Health has to say about it. In their study Autism Spectrum Disorders Among Preschool Children Participating in the Minneapolis Public Schools Early Childhood Special Education Programs they report:
“Current statistics accurately characterizing baseline ASD prevalence in populations of preschool children were not available for Minnesota or the U.S. Therefore, the MDH determined that a reanalysis of the MPS dataset using epidemiological methods and definitions was a necessary first step toward better understanding the occurrence of ASD among children attending MPS preschool programs.”.
If the Minnesota Department of Health, with the assistance of the CDC, could not receive accurate statistics on the autism rates of preschool children, those born after the reduction of mercury in vaccines, how could anyone else? How could a reporter be hoodwinked into even asking such a ridiculous question? Because the CDC carefully parses their words so they are not incorrect, but too often results in the reader leading themselves to the wrong conclusion."
Posted by: Tim Kasemodel | December 07, 2010 at 10:04 AM
I understand Jennifer's concerns, this is how it IS presented. When a study comes out in 2010, suggesting the rate of autism is 1/80 to 1/240, the emphasis isn't put on the age of the study group, or the year of the completion of the study. The huge rise in autism, corresponded with a birthyear that wasn't boldly put out there. Even I don't remember it, I believe it was 1998, but not sure. The children, the recipients of lowered thimerosal have not been studied, they are entering kindergarten this year. The statement about removal doesn't match the dates of discontinuance of use, yet MOST, including myself feel somewhat certain it left the shelves by 2004/2005. There is unlikely a rise in autism among this group, and while flu vaccines and "trace" levels supply the newer generation with a dose, it would seem unlikely their numbers would be as high as those children born before 2005.It's quite possible, as well, that there would be no benefit to the cdc/drug companies to assess them. At this point we may learn more by asking kindergarten teachers, and I have, and the news is good. One approached me with the telling of unusual empathy among them, another said, fewer speech and behavioral problems. We will see. In conversation one ninth grade teacher was so concerned about her incoming class this year, that she wasn't sure she was up to task . They are the 1996 babies,just entering high school.
Posted by: barbaraj | December 07, 2010 at 09:05 AM
Jennifer S-You have to tell them that the mercury is NOT out of all vaccines. In 2004 it went into the flu vaccines in copious amounts/ Tell the naysayers that it wasn't out in 2001...it was a very gradual process and bottles were left on shelves for years afterwards that were not outdated and were still being used. Sometimes you have to argue til you're "red" in the face. Hopefully some people will come around.
PS John, that's a terrific You Tube.
Posted by: Maurine Meleck | December 07, 2010 at 08:40 AM
I am dropping giant tears right now.With the Somali population and autism there, everyone should be using a bucket and then doing something about it. I hope you had a giant crowd. Being from Mpls. I still have lots of relatives there who are doctors and not one of them believes it's an epidemic or vaccines play a role. Thanks Dan and Mark and Anne. I hope you all infected their minds with the truth.
Maurine
Posted by: Maurine Meleck | December 07, 2010 at 08:11 AM
Cancer has been "normalized". The media has conditioned people to believe that it is genetic or inevitable. In articles or TV spots about cancer I am struck by how similar the language is to that used about autism. The implication is that causes are unknown and not really important. Childhood cancers are staggeringly common in my part of the country. But nobody talks about it or asks why.
The good news is I think the public is increasingly suspicious of vaccines.
Posted by: julie | December 07, 2010 at 07:20 AM
Anne, one thing about your article really leaped out for me. You say you got excited about when the autism rate went all the way to 1 in 110. That's not exciting. That's terrible.
In my discussion with local parents, that's one of the biggest sticks they have against our movement. They say that mercury was taken out of shots in 2001, but the rate keeps on rising, so it can't be mercury. It's very difficult to argue against this. I know parents of young children with autism, and they've even asked to look at the vaccine records, and their child had no mercury. So then they don't take you seriously anymore when you talk about mercury.
I know that it's not JUST mercury, but this is part of the reason why we are losing the PR war.
Posted by: Jennifer S. | December 07, 2010 at 07:00 AM