Then Shall The Eyes of The Blind
By Teresa Conrick
The video below is not from this holiday time but rather from my daughter, Megan's, past March birthday. She is happy and pain- free in it but there are other days when she is agitated with distressing physical discomfort. Look at her wrist and you will see bite marks. Meg turned 22 and is now an adult in the world of severe autism.
I bought her the special chair swing as she would no longer have access to the M-F Occupational and Recreational Therapy swings and sensory rooms from her excellent school, specifically tailored for children with an Autism diagnosis. If you listen to the background music, you will hear Handel's Messiah, a Christmas favorite for me, and also for Meg who is nonverbal. She listens to The Messiah before, after and of course, during the Christmas season, which translates basically into all year. I realized that one of her favorite songs was Then Shall The Eyes Of The Blind (soprano recitation) as she will often repeat playing it over and over on the CD player. You can read the words below and listen here .
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. (Isaiah 35:5-6)
Both my heart and head feel this realization. Meg is able to communicate her very basic needs to those that know her well but this need is well beyond basic, the need to let us know what is in her thoughts - her hopes - her future. Is Meg telling me that she believes her diagnosis of Autism -- ie -- her autoimmune diagnosis, her Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, the chronic bacterial and viral infections, inflammation and seizures need to be treated, stopped and cured? In this season of Christmas, faith is even more firm for parents like me. I talk to Meg about her medical issues and how we are treating issues related to her IMMUNE SYSTEM and the MICROBIOME. I also talk about HOPE.
For me, I hear those words -- eyes of the blind be opened, ears of the deaf unstopped, lame man leap and tongue of the dumb shall sing and I envision both treatments and cures for Autism but also opening up the eyes, ears and mouth of America. It would be awesome to no longer hear the lies and denial of how children are regressing into an Autism diagnosis. No longer would we see news stories minimizing the suffering of so many. Misery from the physical pains and the dysfunctional Microbiome that research shows to correlate and be the epicenter of regressive Autism behaviors -- anxiety, OCD, restrictive interests, loss of language, tics, repetitive movements, toe-walking, hand-flapping and self-injurious behaviors.
Lately, it appears that America is accepting Autism. It's a good change from these horrid stories, but they too are reality -
5 Ohio teens charged with dumping urine on autistic boy in fake ‘ice bucket challenge http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/10/15/5-ohio-teens-charged-with-dumping-urine-on-autistic-boy-in-fake-ice-bucket.html
The current news stories are heart-warming about sensitive Santas , basketball heroes , and high school rock stars . I am all for it! These kids and adults deserve acceptance and our respect BUT there is an enormous missing component.
Like Megan, there are many other children who regressed into a hideous side of Autism . Research shows over 50% of those being diagnosed with Autism are typical toddlers who then lose skills, lose language and then begin displaying the symptoms of often severe and debilitating Autism http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/5983 . Many are in special schools unable to tolerate the noises of a typical school, often displaying self-injurious behaviors to handle the pains related to their gut and the inflammatory cascade of symptoms. Most will never work or live independently. Is America ok with that or are we going to put money into the research and studies that will help both prevent and treat those stricken?
Research studies show ENVIRONMENTAL factors are involved, for example:
1- Developmental regression and autism reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.
2- Hepatitis B vaccination of male neonates and autism diagnosis, NHIS 1997-2002.
3- The value of ecologic studies: mercury concentration in ambient air and the risk of autism.
4- Proximity to point sources of environmental mercury release as a predictor of autism prevalence.
5- Pesticides and Autism Spectrum Disorders: New Findings from the CHARGE Study
8- Gastrointestinal Microflora Studies in Late-Onset Autism
10- The intestinal microbiome in early life: health and disease
Modern changes in lifestyle, including improved sanitization, cesarean sections, antibiotic usage, and immunizations are among some of the factors that can shift the microbiota, and are being studied as potential drivers of the sudden increase in immune-mediated diseases in the developed world.
Celebrating awareness and acceptance is wonderful but lets remember that for over half with an Autism diagnosis, there is regression, GI pain, seizures often, and debilitating behaviors. Is America ready for the truth about Autism? Shall the eyes of the blind be finally opened?
Teresa Conrick is Contributing Editor to Age of Autism.
O.A.I.S.D,
Many of us here are old enough to have HAD the diseases that vaccines are supposed to protect us from, and no, they were not at all scary! But I don't expect you'll ever come back to read the replies to your questions, let alone apologize for your mistake.
Posted by: Grace Green | April 12, 2019 at 06:37 AM
Dear O.A.S.I.D.,
The government push vaccines hard due to profit incentives and zero liability. They write-off vaccine damage the same way a large retailer writes-off shoplifting - as a cost of doing business. Aluminum adjuvants makes vaccines dangerous. The government has not done adequate safety testing of vaccines. Yes, I have read books about infectious diseases that are not deadly to clean, well-fed, healthy people in a modern society.
Posted by: Beleaguered Autism Mom | April 11, 2019 at 08:55 PM
music works wonders, doesn’t it? thank you for your story. however, most of these sources are 1-2 paragraphs reporting on a study that’s not linked. please ask yourself these questions: why would the government push vaccines so hard knowing these adverse effects? what specifically makes vaccines so dangerous? why does the government even do tests on vaccines and change its ingredients due to the public’s concern if its goal is to hurt people? more importantly, have you read up on the diseases vaccines protect you from? scary.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/autism.html
https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2727726/measles-mumps-rubella-vaccination-autism-nationwide-cohort-study
https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/do-vaccines-cause-autism
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_immunity
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polio
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetanus
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measles
Posted by: the original antivax study is disproven | April 11, 2019 at 05:29 PM
Every year,I convince myself "this year could be the year" which covers all my autism dreams for all and us.
Fingers crossed guys.
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | January 02, 2016 at 02:03 PM
Great article. May all people hear your message and may their new year be filled with hope. Keep up your very important work and keep the articles coming.
Posted by: Sue a/k/a Bess Marvin | January 01, 2016 at 11:23 PM
Music is a big solace for our children on the spectrum. I felt less alone reading your article as it's the same story at my house and you seem to have the same thoughts and feelings as me. May 2016 find solutions that bring relief to our children's suffering bodies so that they have the freedom to be the people they were meant to be.
Posted by: AutismGoAway | January 01, 2016 at 10:41 PM
TONE the vagus nerve
Posted by: Benedetta | January 01, 2016 at 09:56 PM
They are saying that hummmmmmming is good to ton the vegus nerve
Posted by: Benedetta | January 01, 2016 at 09:31 PM
Thank you for sharing.
Before my daughter on the spectrum was able to speak many (any?) words, I would put on a tape recording of the Messiah to try to help my daughters sleep. I realized eventually that the "ahhhhhhhh, ooh, ah" she sometimes sang/spoke, repeatedly (actually practiced repeatedly, as she would start over if something wasn't voiced quite right in her way of thinking) was from the Hallelujah Chorus, and she could sing the whole chorus (without consonants anyway, vowels only) all the way through, and I realized she must be staying awake listening to most, if not all of the cassette at night to become that familiar with the chorus.
It's still a favorite for us also, and listening to music generally is a favorite often effective remedy of anxiety for her (though still not a good way to promote sleep).
I too pray for an end to blindness, particularly blindness over how significant a role "trace" exposures of some substances (and energy fields) have in cost. Hoping we'll soon be able to sing "Hallelujah" in a more current, less futuristic context.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | January 01, 2016 at 04:07 PM
Lovely article. A prayer for the new year.
Posted by: Anita Donnelly | January 01, 2016 at 11:35 AM
What good taste in music you and your daughter have! I can never tire of Handel's Messiah, and the texts are as inspirational as the music. As a music student I wondered about becoming a music therapist and I wish that I had now that I've come to know the needs of children more severely affected than me. If Megan likes Handel, can I suggest you try Mozart. It's said his music can help our difficulties.
Happy new year! Grace.
Posted by: Grace Green | January 01, 2016 at 09:20 AM