About Autism

Tina and I noted Connor had stopped talking very early on. We, at first, dismissed this as kids being different. As time moved forward it became more and more apparent that he just was not typical. We noticed the time of his "shut down" was around his immunization. Several reports came out showing parents had come to a similar conclusion.

We joined in a law suit that was put on hold by the white house. Part of the qualification came from the batch numbers from the immunization shots. We qualified. There is a certain degree of horror that comes from being a "good parent" and hurting your child.

There have been several studies that show no relationship between Thimerosal and Autism. So it is safe and we might all be conspiracy nuts, yet today, all routinely recommended licensed pediatric vaccines currently being manufactured for the U.S. market are either thimerosal-free or contain markedly reduced amounts of thimerosal.

Since 2000, we’ve learned several key lessons about autism:

The epidemic of autism is real, and it not a merely a product of better diagnosis.

A study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute on California autism rates found that less than 1/10th of the increased number of reported autism cases could be attributed to the inclusion of milder cases of autism (so called “diagnostic expansion”), and less than 1/25th could be attributed to earlier age of diagnosis. (see “Hertz-Picciotto Jan2009 – The Rise in Autism and the Role of Age at Diagnosis”)

Latest indications are that perhaps 6-7% of autism cases are purely genetic, meaning that the child has autism solely because of the genes inherited from the parents (if they have these genes, then they have autism).

Analysis of the Autism Genome Project Consortium findings concludes that the largest autism-genetic study to date found no association other than one slightly-associative one that would have been expected to be found by statistical chance.

OSOTEN "Original Source of the Estimated Number describes how the widely-reported 10-15% number of autism cases from genetic causes can be traced back to an estimate by a single group of researchers that did not have valid supporting data for their assertion. It asserts that the real number is probably around 6-7%.

There is a greater risk of autism for children born to families with certain family medical histories (Brimacombe M, Ming X, Parikh A. Familial risk factors in autism. JChild Neurol. 2007; 22:000-000), indicating that certain sub-groups are particularly susceptible to autism. 1 in 7 children born to families with thyroid disorders develop autism

Many studies indicate that children with autism are less able to excrete toxins. For example, children with autism are less able to excrete mercury via hair and thus have lower levels of mercury in their hair versus a control group. (Reduced levels of mercury in first baby haircuts of autistic children Holmes AS, Blaxill MF, Haley BE. Int J Toxicol. 2003 Jul-Aug; 22(4):277-85)

Autism is a whole-body condition, not merely one affecting the brain. Children with autism have multiple organs with adverse health issues, typically including the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system. Clinical research indicates that children with autism share serious underlying metabolic imbalances

Auto-antibodies and impaired immune system function, Methylation disorders, Low glutathione levels, High metal toxicity, Mitochondrial dysfunction, Thyroid dysfunction, Demylenation,

MBP “Myelin Basic Protein” antibodies, Gastrointestinal disease, Seizure disorders, Chronic neuroinflammation, Chronic bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, Disordered serum chemistries, Altered metabolic profiles, Impaired brain connectivity, Gastrointestinal abnormalities including impaired digestion.