MSN Money

"Lost amid the recent coverage about the frightening rise in reported cases of autism is any discussion of the costs to families -- which can be staggering.

"According to data from the Autism Society, the annual cost to society from the illness is $137 billion, greater than the state budget of California and more that twice the market capitalization of General Motors (GM +0.39%), North America's largest automaker."

What till the money people start calculating the cost of all the "better diagnosing."  I think the horrific numbers will get everyone's attention. (I posted a comment.)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Yes, Autism Speaks funds research, which is desperately needed as we hear from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that one in 50 school children have autism spectrum disorders and we don't know why."

So why does AS refuse to fund vaccine research?  I posted a comment and asked.

Fox 59

"A new study is shining some light on the growing numbers of autism, which local advocates say is no surprise to them. The CDC announced a 72 percent increase in the diagnosis of autism in just the last four years. And now they say one in 50 children is somewhere on the spectrum. Just ten years ago, that number was 1 in 50.

"Local parents had a chance to find much-needed resources at an expo in Carmel, hosted by the Autism Society of Indiana. Organizers of the expo say they're not surprised to see the results of this latest study. "When you work in this environment, you know that the numbers are high, you know, there's a lot of people out there that need help" says Beth Schweigel. "The awareness is growing in the regular communities as well. School systems, other businesses, employment places are all starting to realize that the need is out there."

"Of course, from food to vaccines, there's been a lot of debate about those numbers and other potential reasons for the increase. But organizers say they just want to raise awareness for local families. The expo is held every year in several different locations around the state."

No one wants to talk about vaccines, we're told.  They're only promoting "awareness."  (I posted 2 comments.)

NJ.com

"Still, there is no denying that the instance of autism is steadily increasing. ...

"Clearly, a coordinated, comprehensive and national approach is needed to address a problem that continues to become more apparent each year.

"The first step should be more funding for research. Advocates point out that, while the National Institute of Health spends more than $3.5 billion every year researching AIDS, only about a tenth of that funding goes toward researching autism - even though the two affect roughly the same number of Americans."

THIS IS FROM NEW JERSEY. It's about time someone in New Jersey asked what's going on.

This editorial is obviously written by someone who thinks that if we just put enough $$$ into autism research, we'd have answers. Clearly that's never going to happen because those in charge will never honestly address what autism is doing to our children.

I posted two comments. (No links were allowed.)

WICU12/WSEE Erie PA: Barber Center Celebrates Autism Awareness Day

"The Barber Center invited the community to celebrate Autism Awareness Day at the Millcreek Mall."

There isn't a comment section on this I can't post the questions I'd ask the staff from the Barber Center:

Why does one in every 50 kids/one in every 30 boys now have autism?

Why can't anyone show us a comparable rate among adults?

Why, after 20 years of soaring rates, do officials still know nothing about autism?

How are we ever going to be able to support a million children with autism when they age out of school and become dependent on the taxpayers for their support and care?

Be prepared.  Starting NEXT WEEK, stories about awareness and celebrating autism will be smothering us in the news. 

Columbus OH Inquisitor

News video: "The problem is, the parents did not approve the use of a body sock."

No, the problem is, our schools are having to deal with increasing numbers of children with developmental/learning problems and no one is able to tell us why. In the last 20 years, more and more children have conditions like ADD, ADHD, autism and other neurological problems. One in every 50 children now has autism, and among boys alone, it's one in 30. One in every six kids has a learning problem.

Why are terms like seclusion room, restraints, and body sock used in our schools? Why are there so many stories about special needs kids being bullied, abused, and neglected in our schools? Why do teachers today have to be taught how to deal with students who can't speak, can't learn, and can't behave?

We need to get serious about addressing what's happening to the health of our children.

AZ Daily Star: Vaccine billboard in Tucson misleads, health officials say

"A billboard along Interstate 10 is disingenuous and misleading parents about childhood vaccinations, some local public health officials say.

"The billboards urge parents to learn about the 'risks and failures of vaccines' and are accompanied by a photo of a mother and her baby. The group behind the advertisement, the National Vaccine Information Center, says it has put up billboards in several cities, including Tucson, Chicago and Austin, Texas."

Notice that medical officials talk only about the benefits and want discussion of risks censored. 

NorthJersey.com

"When New Jersey reported one of the nation's highest rates of autism last year - doubling in six years to one in 49 children - researchers described it as "beyond an emergency."

"But a federal study released this week indicated that the high rate appears to be the norm nationally. Autism spectrum disorder now affects one in every 50 children, well above the one in 88 previously reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"'The good news is that the increase in autism isn't special to New Jersey,' said Walter Zahorodny, an autism researcher at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. 'The bad news is that it's a significant increase and it's registering everywhere.""... 

Actually this story doesn't try to convince us that one in every 50 children with autism is just even better diagnosing. Still---this is strange. There is real concern here BUT NO EXPLANATION. "Environment" is mentioned ONCE, with nothing specific being talked about. So New Jersey is no longer alone with a two percent autism rate. It's like that everywhere. So shouldn't we all be in a panic? Shouldn't this be a national emergency? Shouldn't we stop this from claiming more children?

Notice the chilling statement: "Eighty percent of the children with autism in the New Jersey study were identified as having the most severe form of the disorder." I posted comments.

TV New Zealand

(Video)

I'm sure the medical community would not be troubled by this story. After all, thousands of children haven't suffered the reactions talked about here. And as they always like to remind us---vaccines save so many lives.

New Zealand health authorities say the same things they do in the U.S.: vaccines are safe, vaccines save lives.

"The Hidden Face of Vaccination" ....Damaged children.......

WI State Journal

The "Great American Brain Drain" was a label applied to the loss of scientific expertise to other countries. Now Centers for Disease Control studies show another brain drain.

Identified by autism rates of one in 50 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, this brain drain indicates significant numbers of our most precious resource - children - are now put at a disadvantage because of challenges to their ability to learn, think and act normally.

The rates also demonstrate that most of the rapidly increasing problem can't be genetically linked, but rather environmentally triggered. The sooner we can nail down the environmental causes, the sooner we can create effective treatments and even implement preventive measures on these causes.

It's time to answer the questions on what environmental exposures trigger learning and developmental disabilities like autism by increasing and shifting federal research dollars to end our nation's new brain drain.

Eric Uram, Madison, executive director, SafeMinds

USA Today

Watch this video from USA Today.

At the start of the video, you can hear the mom, "They're not wrong; they're just different.

Autism is everywhere. Regression happens. It's a normal part of childhood today.

"Knowledge and testing have pushed that statistic."

"I don't think there are more kids who have autism now. I think it's becoming better known, easier spotted. "

News anchors:

"I understand that another too is that if your child learns a skill and then regresses, that can be another sign."

"I've got a grandson with autism and I have a nephew with autism. And it's night and day, where there are different forms of autism. My grandson does different things than the nephew. The nephew does different things than the grandson. Not all autism cases are the same."