Clever Parents Autistic Kids?
It's one micron better than being called a cold refrigerator mother - Simon Baron-Cohen is again looking at Mom (and Dad) as causing their children's autism. Autism May Be Linked To Clever Parents. I thought we were stupid for believing our kids are physically sick and/or vaccine injured. And for attempting to recover our kids from a lifelong can't do a darn thing but ABA and LUV diagnosis. So which is it? Are we clever or are we ding dongs? And how do high IQ parents have children who can not provide basic care for themselves and whose IQ is almost untestable or so erratic as to shuffle them into DDS programs nationwide? Sorry, but the smart Mom and Dad hypothesis leaves me as cold as a Whirlpool side by side. Although Mr. Baron-Cohen is certainly clever in that his funding seems endless. KS
There are signs that adults who work in science and maths-based jobs are more likely to have autistic children.
"A clear test of the hypothesis will enable us to test if couples who are both strong systemisers, for example, those who studied and works in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineerings and maths) and other fields related to systemising, are more likely to have a child with an autism spectrum diagnosis than couples where only one is a strong systemiser, or where neither is," he said.
The study will involve recruiting graduates to survey the development of their children along with the subject studied at university to test the theory, which has already been highlighted in other research.
The investigation will look at whether a couple of systemisers had a higher chance of having a child on the autistic spectrum.
Participants will be graduates with a child of 18 months or older.
More information is available online and the results will be available in 12 months.
Neither of us were "clever" enough to prevent our daughter from getting 5 vaccines on the same day she had a slight fever - nor was her pediatrician for that matter.
Posted by: Julie | November 24, 2011 at 08:52 PM
That would explain why my grandson, who I am raising and who is the product of dopefiend alcoholic parents who have not even a high school diploma between the two of them and who was a child who was developing normally even though he was exposed in utero to drugs and alcohol, became autistic after receiving double vaccines and a flu shot while he had ear infections and a virus, then, right? Because his parents are so bright and talented and clever and geniuses?
Posted by: Sue M | November 24, 2011 at 01:10 PM
FedUp wrote : How come the parents don't have autism?
********
Awesome comment!
It’s like when the "experts" say that autism is a genetic disorder. In our case, our son was the first case of autism on either side, as far back as we've been able to trace. If autism is genetic... then who the heck did our son inherit it from??
Similarly, the "experts" contend that the exploding incidence of autism is completely attributable to THEIR improved diagnostic abilities. In our case, it took 9 months for us to convince our son’s doctor that our son was autistic. And when she did finally concede that our 3 year old non-verbal son might be autistic... she suggested that he most likely had Aspergers. Think about that for a second.
While the medical community keeps fumbling around with these preposterous excuses, the only thing they seem absolutely sure about, is that the vaccines THEY administer have nothing to do with the autism epidemic. Funny that.
Posted by: Barry | November 24, 2011 at 07:10 AM
Cambridge? Wellcome Trust funded.
Publish or perish eh Simon? No matter what bunkum you spew, you still get paid because of your 'status' in the UK.
You, Simon, together with the other UK based 'experts' - Pat Howlin, Tony Attwood, Gillian Baird, Lorna Wing - it's all the same camp really.
Let's talk endlessly about how 'complex' autism is, how it presents with core deficits, unchangeable, a forever thing.
That way we never had to treat it but can make a lot of money along the way. It's about time these so called 'experts' (and Simon you are sooooo on the spectrum, very monotropic) were challenged en masse.
Cambridge or no Cambridge, my granny who never finished High School has more insight into my child's autism than you Simon and Co.
Posted by: Jeanette Florence | November 24, 2011 at 02:23 AM
So what kind of parents produce scientific shysters like Paul Offit, Bruce Gellen, David Gorski, and July Gerberding?
What kind of parents produce scoundrels such as Brian Deer?
What kind of parents produce crop after crop of brain-dead journalist?
The parents are probably wondering that themselves.
Posted by: michael | November 23, 2011 at 11:27 PM
Simon Baron Cohen has funding because this no common sense
study is to delay time and confuse the people.Our children
deserve better than this silly study.(My son's Audiology
test was abnormal at age five and six,his activities were slow and difficult. After several years of support with
private teachers and myself his fine motor skills and listening had improved (as we broken down the activities to small steps and built small questions from beginning to the end to solve one big problem.)Yes,the auditory system could be damaged from the vaccines.I am just a university educated
ding-dong and I no longer care what my name is as long as my son is improving continuously and steadily.Presently we are doing a high-anti-oxidant diet,high organic fibers,Omega 369 fish-oil and a small amount of medium chain triglicerides (organic coconut oil).Mental stimulation,new skills building on a daily basis.I also included non-GMO
Lecithin in his diet to nourish the brain cells.We are not
waiting for this non-sense study to come out,with no solutions.
Posted by: oneVoice | November 23, 2011 at 10:19 PM
Maybe if Universities were built on toxic waste sites it could be a factor. Wonder if they checked chemical exposure levels rather than interests or I.Q.s?
Uh-oh...could be a new fundraising research idea I might have cashed in on :/
Posted by: Liz | November 23, 2011 at 10:00 PM
Who is it that funds all of these exceedingly dumb studies ? or are they so dumb ? A little sugar coated plum for Christmas and irrespective of the outcome it is still your fault! When dealing with the dripping needle wielders there is only one result .. Its all your fault.
Cure cancer and go to jail, such seriously twisted points of view espoused by the AMA needs to be cured by heavy duty purging, cupping and blood letting or even a good dose of chemo.
Posted by: Ivor Hughes | November 23, 2011 at 09:21 PM
We had a genetics appointment yesterday. I asked if testing is based on sub-groups or is it just across the board "Autism" testing. Guess what the answer was? I was also told it would probably come back entirely normal because that is usually the case in Non-Fragile X Autism (They order ten thousand dollars worth of tests that they know will come back normal?!). Sounds like SBC is the only one looking at subgroups, too bad it is in the wrong people.
Posted by: AnaB | November 23, 2011 at 07:50 PM
I wouldn't mock this - plenty of people have noted that autism seems to strike children of "nerds" more.
It goes to the idea that high visio-spatial ability is linked to higher testosterone levels in the womb. Higher testosterone has been shown to increase lethality of mercury (per Boyd Haley). If the results of such a study would be actually used for good purpose, this would be good news - of course it won't be.
Posted by: Sonja Grear | November 23, 2011 at 06:54 PM
It only means that highly intelligent, educated parents connect the dots of vaccine injuries and autism faster than the rest. Highly intelligent parents also have stopped vaccinating their children and this is what irritates the vaccine mafia and their lobbyist most.
Posted by: veritas | November 23, 2011 at 06:28 PM
Jen:
Glad to give you a chuckle for the starting of the holidays.
Have a good Thanksgiving!
Posted by: Benedetta | November 23, 2011 at 05:57 PM
Spot on Taximom! I don't know if I'm a systemiser, but I am conscientious. I tried to do the best for my son and stuck to the rules, got him vaccinated and so here I am in my dotage manically surfing the Internet each night for a scarp of good news about vaccines! Lol. I should be out at the theatre or something? Nah - I'll stick with the life I have. It has rich rewards - look at the people I have come in contact with. Amazing human beings.
Posted by: Seonaid | November 23, 2011 at 05:46 PM
This looks like a rehash of the geeky IT parents mating theory. Isn't that one pretty old? I have spoken to a couple of parents of mildly aspie kids who are very excited about this study and are looking to sign up. They are highly educated and intelligent and so I guess self-selection is going to be strong factor. Then, S B-C will generalize the findings to the whole spectrum.
On this journey, the parents I have met have been from all walks of life, all professions, intelligence levels, etc. A very diverse group, but mostly pretty ordinary people. I honestly could not make any generalizations about the parents of ASD kids.
Posted by: tiredmom | November 23, 2011 at 05:41 PM
My husband has a LL.B (Law Degree) and I was in the middle of studying my BC (Bachelor of Commerce-Accounting). My intentions were to complete the degree once our son (second born) was old enough to attend school.
I never returned to studying because my son recruited me to look after him, being Autistic, non-verbal and vaccine injured.
Hey! Perhaps Baron-Cohen's theory does work! My husband has a degree and our son is Autistic, I didn't finish my degree and our daughter is normal!
And there goes a pig flying backwards! Another time-waster to steer everyone away from the real issues.
Where is that study-Vaccinated vs Unvaccinated?
Elizabeth
Posted by: AussieMum | November 23, 2011 at 04:33 PM
How come the parents don't have autism?
Posted by: FedUp | November 23, 2011 at 03:44 PM
Kim, Thanks, and the responses so far underscore the weaknesses of the proposed research. The biggest weakness is trying to relate a behavioral trait directly to hereditary influences without considering what brain systems might be involved. For starters, systemizing could be considered a strength, a so-called islet of intelligence in a neurologically afflicted child.
The first focus of autism research should be developmental language disorder, even in high-functioning children who were late learning to speak but seemed to blossom once they gained a good command of language. Then, what brain systems vulnerable to all of autism's many causes underlie language development?
I have tried many times, and will continue to try to point out the peculiar vulnerability of the auditory system to toxic insults and any other factor that disrupts aerobic metabolism.
Posted by: Eileen Nicole Simon | November 23, 2011 at 02:56 PM
Well, Benedetta, LOL, I have a nice picture of you having more articles to make notes in the margins of while you're killing time at the doctors office.
Posted by: Jen | November 23, 2011 at 12:24 PM
Simon Baron-Cohen Is microbiology/environmental biology one of those "systemising" thingeys?
If so, then you caught my husband and me. He majored in chemistry and was an engineer. How dare we have children. What were we thinking.
Yes, what were we thinking? I will tell you. Being science majors we committed the ultimate sin that God warned us about "Having no other gods before us" I think that really means truly putting faith in nothing else but God, and nothing manmade. Yeap we swallowed the whole vaccines will never harm, and just keep vaccinating even when the signs are there - because it is really just our imagination that those signs are there.
Those with less education were a lot smarter about it. Nothing like a good education.
Posted by: Benedetta | November 23, 2011 at 11:58 AM
I guess "clever" equates to mathematical and scientific proclivity.
Simon Baron-Cohen, just go ahead and demonstrate that "over-emotional," "confused," "irresponsible," "paranoid," autism parents tend to be "mathematical and scientific."
I wonder if we'll have any further evidence with this study of that mainstream autism researchers have "mathematical and scientific" abilities.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | November 23, 2011 at 11:42 AM
If this is to be a 'clear test' how is he controlling for variables. Seriously, will he have vaccinating systemisers parents VS non-vaccinating systemiser parents, etc.
Posted by: Jen | November 23, 2011 at 10:20 AM
Anybody else notice that the parents who are "strong systemisers" ARE THE ONES WHO ARE LIKELY TO GET THEIR CHILDREN VACCINATED ACCORDING TO THE RECOMMENDED SCHEDULE???
Even when they try not to, they are proving the vaccine-autism link.
Posted by: Taximom | November 23, 2011 at 09:08 AM
WTF? If you click through the site and hit the Volunteer button, looks like anyone and everyone (um, you and I) can participate...which makes the whole study nothing more than some yahoo health group poll. If WE tried to pull off such a stunt, we'd be made the laughing stock of the entire "Science" world.
(by the way, both my husband and I completely suck at math and technology; both our kids are on the spectrum.)
Posted by: Donna L. | November 23, 2011 at 08:39 AM
He is no dummy! Keep your research focused on odd psychological theories that have nothing to do with the issue of regression, vaccines, viruses, bacteria, etc, etc and you get the rubber stamp approval every time. But he must be running out of material as this is a rerun, and a poor one at that.
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | November 23, 2011 at 07:43 AM
John .. the answer to your question regarding how such studies get funded .. can probably be found among the correspondence between US public health officials and Dr. Poul Thorson .. PRIOR to receiving the millions to conduct a study in Denmark .. regarding the removal of thimerosal from their vaccines. Thorsen's indictment for "stealing millions" is nothing compared to the CRIME of producing a study so flawed it actually "implied" that thimerosal "prevented" autism.
Now THAT was Thorson's real CRIME.
Unfortunately, the ruse perfected by corrupt researchers like Thorson and Simon Baron-Cohen to gain access to lucrative, unlimited public research funds will .. in all likelihood .. remain secret .. absent any serious investigation by CRIMINAL AUTHORITIES.
Hopefully, the day will soon come when studies blaming "clever parents" will be investigated by justice department officials .. to ascertain if there is a pattern of criminal activity by prominent university research departments .. that seeks to defraud public health agencies .. by producing fraudulent research that favors the pharmaceutical companies that .. in all likelihood .. PAY FOR THE STUDIES .. AS WELL AS .. REWARD INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY'S RESEARCH DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR WILLING COMPLIANCE.
Just like Penn State .. only CRIMINAL action will finally bring an end to powerful university officials who "turn a blind eye" to the many dubious financial "conflict of interest" relationships prominent professors enjoy with a pharmaceutical industry that benefits greatly from the research they produce in that university's name.
Posted by: Bob Moffitt | November 23, 2011 at 07:17 AM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2064478/Autism-linked-clever-parents-Are-high-achieving-parents-rise-autistic-children.html.
What kind of dumb graduates would be prepared to take part in this very unscientific time wasting exercise?
Posted by: Jenny Allan | November 23, 2011 at 07:01 AM
An obvious problem with the study design (if it is supposed to be representative of the autism population as a whole) is that the subjects will be self selecting: I don't see how this could be a representative group. We had this before with the comical and related hip measurement study where subjects were recruited through SB-C's organisation.
How does such a study design get authorised and tax-payers money get spent on it?
Posted by: John Stone | November 23, 2011 at 06:25 AM