You know what I think is scary? Preventable diseases killing children because their parents are scared their children might "get autism". I read a recent article from the Parents website (http://www.parents.com/blogs/to-the-max/2014/03/18/to-the-max/scary-vaccine-realities-you-cant-argue-with/?socsrc=pmmfb1403219 ) and it noted some true scary statistics. 6.6 million children under 5 die every year. 1.5 million of those children die from an infectious disease, a vaccine-preventable disease. So what's an infectious disease? Pneumonia, diarrhea, whooping cough and measles (just to name a few), these are diseases that children are dying from in other areas of the world. Polio is still disabling people, a disease that is unheard of in the good ole U.S. of A. Why? Vaccinations. The Parents article noted mothers in Mozambique rarely name their children until they get vaccinated, not wanting to become too attached until their child is here to stay, until they can get those shots. The same shots people in America choose not to get. I wonder what Kristin Cavallari or Jenny McCarthy would say to that African mother who would give anything in the world for modern medicine, medicine that would save her child's life. Their truth is their children can die if they don't get these vaccinations. This isn't a choice for them, but a privilege. They just want a child that is alive and healthy. How arrogant we all sit in America with our modern medicine and all our comforts! Infectious diseases are not a joke. If you choose not to vaccinate your children, you are not only putting your child in danger, but you are putting your community in danger. Infectious diseases that were previously eliminated can and will return if Americans choose to create a generation of children that are not vaccinated against these diseases because they were scared stiff that their child might "get autism."
I think I should note here I am speech pathologist that works at a pediatric diagnostic clinic. I see children on a weekly basis that have delays, disorders, chromosomal abnormalities, and syndromes, some you have probably never heard of. Over fifty percent of the children that come to our clinic are seeking an autism diagnosis. What I have learned is most people have no idea what autism is. Just because your child lines up cars and prefers to play alone, doesn't necessarily mean your child has autism. Just because your child has a severe cognitive impairment that causes them to have repetitive behaviors doesn't mean your child has autism. My favorite is I have chosen not to discipline my child; therefore, he displays lots of negative behaviors that surely must be caused by autism and not my lack of parenting. Autism is a spectrum disorder so it presents differently in every child. There is no special "test" that guarantees your child has autism. There are only assessments that specifically look for certain characteristics of autism to determine if your child's difficulties meet the requirements of an autism spectrum disorder. Therefore, I think I should add, I believe autism is incorrectly diagnosed often by people who are not qualified.
You probably can now say you know someone affected by autism. But you probably knew someone already. Think back to that person in high school or that person you work with or used to work with. They might have been socially awkward or very shy and aloof. Something was different about them, and you couldn't quite put your finger on it. They probably were on the spectrum, they were just never diagnosed. Why? Medical professionals didn't know what to call it back then. There was not enough research. Now autism is a hot topic so more money and resources are now available, now we can diagnose it better. So are we really wondering why so many children are now being diagnosed? It's not vaccines and gluten for goodness sakes! I think I should add here if you take your child to a pediatrician that connects autism to vaccinations, turn around exit and get another doctor because obviously he has no sense.
Let me end with a story about a doctor. His name is Andrew Wakefield. He published a paper (not a study), linking the MMR vaccine to autism in 1998. It was a big deal so other doctors started to research this topic; however, they didn't quite find what Dr. Wakefield found. In fact they couldn't find any link, leading to the conclusion there is no link. His study was discredited; it was a fraud. However, it was too late. People had already stopped vaccinating their children. This man put a bug in people's ears and they foolishly believed him. A doctor who I might add is currently barred from practicing medicine. Please watch the video below for more information about this paper:
I can't tell you what to do with your children, but educate yourself. I don't have any children, but I don't know what I would do with myself if my child suffered or possibly died from a disease that I could have possibly prevented with something as simple as a shot. I see "autism" on a weekly basis, and it is not scary, trust me, it's not. Infectious diseases are. Vaccinate your children.
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