scrubbedexpat097

There is a very wide spectrum of Autism, and without sounding trite I believe that often it is incorrectly diagnosed in many cases.

Bink

This is very true. It is also very hard to diagnose at a young age although some traits can be identified absolute diagnosis is near impossible. Intervention should be carried out early but absolute diagnosis shouldn't be as there can be a wide range of reasons for particular behavior traits.

My wife specialized in ABA therapy for autistic children prior to being a SAHM. She said they wouldn't diagnose before the child hit 3 or 4 years.

AmerLisa

We did as well! It was horrible (at the time) trying to decide whether our daughter should be vaccinated. I had told my husband that I didn't think I could take her (he volunteered to stay home and go) In the end I took and had her vaccinated. She's absolutely fine.

AmerLisa

Very true!

Yorkieabroad

Same here. We were in Singapore at the time, and as soon as we declared on a questionnaire that there was a history of autism in the family, the doctors insisted our son had separate jabs. He had the first 2, then we moved here at very short notice, didn't get the 3rd, and arrived stateside to find that the individuals weren't available and he had to then have the full MMR. No problems.

Ref the early diagnosis, I fully accept the position of not being able to truly diagnose till later, but my mother in law spotted that something was wrong with my brother/sister in laws 2nd kid at about 6 months. We looked after him for a couple of days about that time, and agreed with her. She spent the next 4 years trying to convince her son to have him tested, which eventually happened when he was about 5 ( and still not talking or communicating in any meaningful way) and sure enough he was diagnosed autistic. Sometimes family just know. Not that it proves anything, but he didn't have the MMR.

g1ant

You should move to Texas. I think you would feel quite at home here.

Bink

You can definitely spot traits, it's just hard for them to be conclusive so young. They can and should still address the traits though.

SultanOfSwing

People are being made to feel afraid to bring their children to receive necessary vaccines against actual diseases, which can kill children because of fearmongering by a bunch of ill-informed woo-woos who throw out soundbites with absolutely NO hard, or even slightly soft science behind them. Utterly shameful.

Leave the medicine to the doctors and go join a church where that kind of evidence-ignoring Chicken Licken crap is tolerated.

kins

Are you anti DTaP too? What about IPV?

Would you be happy for your child to contract diptheria or polio?

Lbjen

My son has been diagnosed as autistic but to most people including his therapists, he's just a little quirky. The biggest factor in his diagnosis was his delayed speech, but most of my Indian friends are quick to point out that their sons talked later than mine, but it's not considered to be an issue in India. Here he's a statistic, there he would just be a little behind other kids.

My older brother is also autistic, as well as an aunt of mine, neither had the MMR.

And Jenny McCarthy's son goes to a school for autistic children. She also continues to be very open about injecting all kinds of junk into her own body. People who are desperate for some hope will buy anything, and she has bills to pay.

BubbleChog

There was never any question of Babychog not getting vaccinated. The real scientific, properly peer reviewed evidence says no link to autism.

A girl I went to school with in Wales is one of those mums with a coffin instead of a child because she "didn't believe in injecting poison" into her baby.

SultanOfSwing

Disgraceful, isn't it?

Misinformation and fearmongering causes more damage than the diseases the vaccinations can prevent. In this day and age, there's no room for that kind of mentality.

MellD

Not getting children vaccinated also diminishes the 'herd immunity' meaning that people (children/adults) who are unable to get vaccinated continue to be exposed to the diseases. That includes neonates, immunocompromised, vaccine failures and those with limited access to health care. It's not just the mums that are anti-vax that may end up with a child in a coffin because of their choices. Just my two cents.

Bob

http://www.quickmeme.com/p/3vqjb0

"Angry scientist finds an uneducated internet comment and delivers an epic response..."



Just seems to fit the thread...

AdobePinon

As a scientist who happens to be vegan, I'm not sure what to make of that one.