Business Insider: Investigators Found Books On Autism And The NRA At The Home Of The Newtown Shooter 

"The state of Connecticut on Thursday released a round of court documents detailing what investigators found in Newtown, Conn., shooter Adam Lanza's home shortly after he killed 27 people in a horrific December massacre.

"The books investigators found could spark a new round of discussion on some of the issues that have pervaded the national discussion since Newtown — especially on gun control and mental health."

It seems that again autism (specifically Asperger's Syndrome), is being tied to the mass shooting in CT. I hope someone remembers Dylan Hockley, one of the victims at Sandy Hook who also had autism. And so did seven year old Josephine Gay, who died that day.

The disorder that affects one in every 50 children in the U.S. and receives almost no attention from mainstream medicine, deserves better. It should be pointed out that autism is not a mental health issue as we're told here. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition. These children struggle everyday. They are most often the victims. Alarming stories are published on a regular basis telling us about autistic children being abused, bullied, restrained, and neglected in our schools. This is what needs to be remembered about autism.

(UK) Daily Mail: Swine flu jab wrecked our children's health

"The uptake of the MMR vaccine during the measles epidemic in Wales has been so low that it could take two years to vaccinate all those at risk, health officials have warned.

"Public Health Wales said that just over 1% of the 3,800 unvaccinated children in the Swansea area had received the MMR jab in the past week, despite warnings that the disease was spreading at an 'alarming rate.'"

Notice the vague reference to "the vaccine scare" and false information presumably from the Internet.

(UK) Daily Mail 

"Children developed sleep disorder after jab to protect them from swine flu

"UK Health Protection Agency found jab increased chance of narcolepsy

"Investigations focusing on element of vaccine called 'adjuvant'"

I'm sure these children are seen as an acceptable loss.  I posted a comment.

YNN New York

"The cause has been the center of controversy. The target? The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, which is given as a combined shot.

"'Study after study continues to show us that vaccines do not cause autism.'

"Other theories have linked vaccines containing mercury as the cause, but in the 90s, the mercury was removed. The rate of autism kept increasing, but this has not stopped many people from blaming the vaccines. In fact, it is theorized that giving three vaccines all at once to a child is too much for the child's immune system to manage."

This is goofy. The headline is about autism numbers yet half of the story is about how vaccines don't cause autism--and don't worry there's been no real increase. I would have pointed that out, but there is no place for comments. More proof that no matter how bad the numbers, it's never an epidemic and vaccines don't cause it.

CBS Baltimore

"A new government report suggests the number of children with autism in the U.S. is underestimated.

"The new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows one in 50 school age children has autism. That figure is much higher than a recent government estimate of one in 88 kids.

"Health experts say the new estimate doesn't necessarily mean autism is rising. It suggests that doctors are diagnosing the disorder more often, especially in older children with milder cases.

"'While this study is showing us that prevalence is increasing in part because we're getting better at identifying cases, the cases are still being identified too late,' said Michael Rosanoff, the associate director of Autism Speaks."

Underestimated? Really? Then things may be much worse? No problem because, as we hear here, "We're getting better at identifying cases." (So why don't these BRILLIANT DOCTORS start showing us the 30, 50 and 70 year olds with autism?)

Fox2 St. Louis 

VIDEO: "Everyday emergencies require first responders to interact with all types of people including those who have autism. That's why the 'Autism Safety Project' was created in 2009."

Pattonville Fire Protection District's Lori Taylor (mother of a daughter with autism:

"As we know the numbers with autism seem to be increasing. We encounter people more with autism in our daily more than we ever have before."

NEW ANCHOR: "I heard earlier in the week, we discussed this topic and I mentioned that just about everyone, they believe, has some form of autism, just at different degrees."

That was an outrageous comment.  If that were true there'd be no reason for training in autism. We'd all be familiar with the disorder.

Autism is a diagnosis that has specific criteria and there has to be significant impairment in three major areas. Even the high functioning children I work with have serious deficits. The vast majority of ASD young adults are unemployed. This article from 2012 puts the unemployment rate for autistic adults at almost 90 percent. 

To offhandedly remark that everyone has autism does a huge disservice to the hundreds of thousands of children with autism in the U.S. and to their families who struggle everyday.

San Francisco Chronicle 

"One in 88 children are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. A recent study has put this number as high as one in 50. Although these reflect U.S.-based statistics, they apply to the global population, many of whom are under-served. Consider this scenario:

"Imagine a mother in Kenya whose child has some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

"Every day she lives in fear that he will run out on the street when she's not looking. An oncoming car will hit him. He will die.

"She has so much else going on that this scenario is all too possible. She'll turn to the stove for a minute and he'll be out the door again.

"Her solution: burning the soles of his feet so he can't walk from the pain.

"Yes, it's difficult to do that to one's child. But what other option does she have? She can't even begin to understand why he behaves this way. Did she do something to deserve this?

"Maybe. Sometimes she ties him up to the bedpost. Sometimes to a tree. Whatever works best to keep him still and away from harm. This is the only way, she convinces herself.

"Unfortunately, this story happens over and over again. There are literally countless individuals, families, and communities throughout the world that are affected by autism. Many of these are under-served, lacking the knowledge and understanding to properly deal with autism."

This is the insane. It describes a severely affected child in Africa and why we need to help families learn to deal with autism---but nowhere does it ask why we have these severely disabled children everywhere. April is the month when the whole world will have to learn how to live with autism---'cause it's here to stay.