We've all heard the mercury-laden vaccination reasoning behind autism, but what are some of the other ones you've heard?
My personal favorite has to be the one where women use hair dye... ever in their lives... and the chemicals in the dye soak into the scalp, leaving women "tainted" and thereby causing autism.... riiight.
So what is your favorite "cause of autism"?
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
FINALLY!!!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23001150
LONDON - A vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella does not cause
autism, according to the largest study yet showing there is no
evidence linking the childhood shot to the development disorder.
The study, published on Tuesday in the Archives of Disease in
Childhood, found no evidence of any abnormal biological response from
the shot that could point to a link between the vaccine and autism.
"This study really supports the view these are safe vaccines," said
David Brown, a researcher at Britain's Health Protection Agency who
worked on the study. "The evidence is now so solid there really isn't
a need for further studies here."
In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield of Royal Free Hospital in London and
colleagues sparked a fierce worldwide debate among scientists and a
health scare by suggesting the MMR jab caused autism. Outbreaks of all
three diseases followed.
Autism is marked by a variety of difficulties in social interaction
and behavior, from the awkwardness of Asperger syndrome to severely
debilitating repetitive behaviors and an inability to speak.
The British study looked at nearly 100 autistic children, a group of
52 with learning difficulties and 90 who were developing normally.
All the volunteers chosen from a sample of 57,000 children in southern
England had received an MMR vaccination but not everybody got both
doses, said Gillian Baird, a pediatrician at the Newcomen Centre for
Child Development, who led the study.
The researchers took blood samples from the children and found no
abnormal immune response in any of them marked by higher antibody
levels or presence of a measles virus still left in the body from the
shot, Baird added.
Wakefield, whose research has been widely discredited, had pointed to
these two factors as a way to explain the link but the latest findings
do not back up that case, Baird said. Wakefield said in a newspaper
interview last year he believed it was biologically plausible the shot
could cause autism.
"There was no difference across any of the groups no matter how you
cut them up," Baird said in a telephone interview. "The response to
the MMR vaccine was the same in every group."
Before Wakefield's study, more than 90 percent of British children
received the vaccination, a figure that dropped to 80 percent before
recovering to a current 85 percent, according to government figures.
Baird said she hoped the findings, along with a U.S. study last week
showing that a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal did not
cause autism, would bolster confidence in the MMR shot.
"It is a big study and we hope people can have confidence in the MMR
shot again," Baird said in a telephone interview. "Measles has come
back again because people have stopped immunizing their children."
It is about time this study was released.
Hopefully parents will be able to finally trust the MMR vaccination again.
LONDON - A vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella does not cause
autism, according to the largest study yet showing there is no
evidence linking the childhood shot to the development disorder.
The study, published on Tuesday in the Archives of Disease in
Childhood, found no evidence of any abnormal biological response from
the shot that could point to a link between the vaccine and autism.
"This study really supports the view these are safe vaccines," said
David Brown, a researcher at Britain's Health Protection Agency who
worked on the study. "The evidence is now so solid there really isn't
a need for further studies here."
In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield of Royal Free Hospital in London and
colleagues sparked a fierce worldwide debate among scientists and a
health scare by suggesting the MMR jab caused autism. Outbreaks of all
three diseases followed.
Autism is marked by a variety of difficulties in social interaction
and behavior, from the awkwardness of Asperger syndrome to severely
debilitating repetitive behaviors and an inability to speak.
The British study looked at nearly 100 autistic children, a group of
52 with learning difficulties and 90 who were developing normally.
All the volunteers chosen from a sample of 57,000 children in southern
England had received an MMR vaccination but not everybody got both
doses, said Gillian Baird, a pediatrician at the Newcomen Centre for
Child Development, who led the study.
The researchers took blood samples from the children and found no
abnormal immune response in any of them marked by higher antibody
levels or presence of a measles virus still left in the body from the
shot, Baird added.
Wakefield, whose research has been widely discredited, had pointed to
these two factors as a way to explain the link but the latest findings
do not back up that case, Baird said. Wakefield said in a newspaper
interview last year he believed it was biologically plausible the shot
could cause autism.
"There was no difference across any of the groups no matter how you
cut them up," Baird said in a telephone interview. "The response to
the MMR vaccine was the same in every group."
Before Wakefield's study, more than 90 percent of British children
received the vaccination, a figure that dropped to 80 percent before
recovering to a current 85 percent, according to government figures.
Baird said she hoped the findings, along with a U.S. study last week
showing that a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal did not
cause autism, would bolster confidence in the MMR shot.
"It is a big study and we hope people can have confidence in the MMR
shot again," Baird said in a telephone interview. "Measles has come
back again because people have stopped immunizing their children."
It is about time this study was released.
Hopefully parents will be able to finally trust the MMR vaccination again.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Excitement!
Yesterday, we got the phone call from our local Loblaws.
Alena's new stroller funding was approved!!!!
We've been waiting since November to get this funding, and to know that it's already on it's way to me, makes me want to cry so very much!
I am so excited to finally be able to do my day to day things again!
Alena's new stroller funding was approved!!!!
We've been waiting since November to get this funding, and to know that it's already on it's way to me, makes me want to cry so very much!
I am so excited to finally be able to do my day to day things again!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
How social services can ruin your life.
For almost a year now, child protective services has been involved in my life. Heavily. They help with rides to doctor's appointments, buying diapers when money gets really tight, and they even got me some counseling when things got really bad.
They are involved because of Alena's accident last March. They are staying involved because of the mess in my house. They call it clutter. I call it mess.
Trouble is, now I'm having a hard time understanding what is mess, and what is clutter and what CPS is going to think is cluttering up the house.
This morning I spent almost an hour in tears because I couldn't decide if my collection of elephants were clutter or a display. An hour. Over ceramics I have had since I was born. (Literally. There is one here from the day I was born!)
I worry about taking Alena out to parks because she might get hurt, and how would that look? I worry about having enough food in the house, because they've yelled at me about that before too. Their demands have literally taken over every aspect of my life.
I love the help they are able to provide, but is it really worth my self confidence?
They are involved because of Alena's accident last March. They are staying involved because of the mess in my house. They call it clutter. I call it mess.
Trouble is, now I'm having a hard time understanding what is mess, and what is clutter and what CPS is going to think is cluttering up the house.
This morning I spent almost an hour in tears because I couldn't decide if my collection of elephants were clutter or a display. An hour. Over ceramics I have had since I was born. (Literally. There is one here from the day I was born!)
I worry about taking Alena out to parks because she might get hurt, and how would that look? I worry about having enough food in the house, because they've yelled at me about that before too. Their demands have literally taken over every aspect of my life.
I love the help they are able to provide, but is it really worth my self confidence?
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Something that's been bugging me.
I need to write this here, and in other place, so it's probably going to be seen all over for a while.
This thing has been bothering me for a while, but more so since I picked up Friday's mail. In the mail was a letter from one of Alena's specialists. Once again, right at the bottom of the letter was a list of her diagnoses. Autism, epilepsy yada yada...but there in the middle was one I haven't seen before from a specialist. Mental Retardation. Why haven't I seen it before? Because the new term is delayed. Mentally or developmentally delayed. Technically, Alena is both. Physically and mentally, she is far behind her "normal" peers.
So, get to the point Jen...
I hate the word retarded.
I hate hearing it come out of my own mouth, and I know it does.
I hate hearing it come out of my friends' mouths.
I hate it on TV, on the radio, in songs, on the internet. I fucking hate it more than I hate the word fuck. I would rather my child say "fuck" than "retarded".
Today, I heard it come out of my mouth in reference to the mess in my house. When I got off the phone, I realized something profound. The word retarded is not only insulting, it's ridiculous to use in the context people use it these days. Now, there are valid moments for its use. When it comes to a medical diagnosis of my child, yes, it's appropriate. Using it to describe a child who isn't growing properly is appropriate. Using it to describe a mess or someone who said something inconsiderate, is not appropriate. It's very insulting.
According to dictionary.com
re - tard
v. tr.
To cause to move or proceed slowly; delay or impede.
v. intr.
To be delayed.
n.
To be delayed. To impede, delay or move slowly or to decrease tempo.
My house isn't delaying, impeding or slowing me down. I don't think it has a tempo, so how is it retarded?
It's not.
Using the word to describe a messy house, a friend you're mad at, a governmental decision, or anything other than a person who validly has a retardation is rude and doesn't do anything more than show our ignorances. Even in the valid definition of the word,(save for music) there are alternatives. Developmentally delayed, slow learner, special needs.
So please, for everyone's sake, including your own, the following words are considered insulting to me.
Retard. Retarded. R-tard. Ree-Ree. And anything else along those lines.
Please just stop.
This thing has been bothering me for a while, but more so since I picked up Friday's mail. In the mail was a letter from one of Alena's specialists. Once again, right at the bottom of the letter was a list of her diagnoses. Autism, epilepsy yada yada...but there in the middle was one I haven't seen before from a specialist. Mental Retardation. Why haven't I seen it before? Because the new term is delayed. Mentally or developmentally delayed. Technically, Alena is both. Physically and mentally, she is far behind her "normal" peers.
So, get to the point Jen...
I hate the word retarded.
I hate hearing it come out of my own mouth, and I know it does.
I hate hearing it come out of my friends' mouths.
I hate it on TV, on the radio, in songs, on the internet. I fucking hate it more than I hate the word fuck. I would rather my child say "fuck" than "retarded".
Today, I heard it come out of my mouth in reference to the mess in my house. When I got off the phone, I realized something profound. The word retarded is not only insulting, it's ridiculous to use in the context people use it these days. Now, there are valid moments for its use. When it comes to a medical diagnosis of my child, yes, it's appropriate. Using it to describe a child who isn't growing properly is appropriate. Using it to describe a mess or someone who said something inconsiderate, is not appropriate. It's very insulting.
According to dictionary.com
re - tard
v. tr.
To cause to move or proceed slowly; delay or impede.
v. intr.
To be delayed.
n.
- A slowing down or hindering of progress; a delay.
- Music A slackening of tempo.
To be delayed. To impede, delay or move slowly or to decrease tempo.
My house isn't delaying, impeding or slowing me down. I don't think it has a tempo, so how is it retarded?
It's not.
Using the word to describe a messy house, a friend you're mad at, a governmental decision, or anything other than a person who validly has a retardation is rude and doesn't do anything more than show our ignorances. Even in the valid definition of the word,(save for music) there are alternatives. Developmentally delayed, slow learner, special needs.
So please, for everyone's sake, including your own, the following words are considered insulting to me.
Retard. Retarded. R-tard. Ree-Ree. And anything else along those lines.
Please just stop.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
I am bad at this
I am a terrible blogger. *hangs head in blogging shame*
So Monday, I got Alena's IEP papers from her teacher. Monday, November 12th.
These are the goals they have written down for the first term:
1. Alena will recognized the PECS washroom, outside and stop 25% of the time .
2. Alena will count to 8 when asked 25% of the time.
3. Alena will recognize and sort colors using two crayons 25% of the time.
4. Alena will complete a pattern using two crayons 25% of the time.
5. Alena will be shown the washroom PECS symbol and then taken to the washroom at regular intervals throughout the day by her EA.
6. Alena will arrive at school and with assistance will hang up her coat and bag.
Here's why I'm freaking out:
1. Alena can count to 100.
2. Alena knows about 12 colors and will tell them to you with minimal prompting.
3. Alena has been making patterns since she was like 10 months old. With everything!!
4. HOW IN THE HELL ARE THE LAST TWO GOALS FOR ALENA????????
Every single day, I ask her teacher AND her EA how her day was. Save for two days I have been told she's had awesome days. The two days she didn't, she was a wreck and it was obvious. Right there on the IEP are the words "Alena has a hard time with transitioning from home to school, especially on Monday mornings when she cries for about an hour after being dropped off."
WHAT? *eyes pop out of head* My child is not left to cry for an hour without someone telling me!
Tomorrow after school I have someone coming to help me write out some new goals and if the school is not willing to change the IEP, I will formally appeal it.
I will not settle. Nor will Alena, she deserves better than this shit.
So Monday, I got Alena's IEP papers from her teacher. Monday, November 12th.
These are the goals they have written down for the first term:
1. Alena will recognized the PECS washroom, outside and stop 25% of the time .
2. Alena will count to 8 when asked 25% of the time.
3. Alena will recognize and sort colors using two crayons 25% of the time.
4. Alena will complete a pattern using two crayons 25% of the time.
5. Alena will be shown the washroom PECS symbol and then taken to the washroom at regular intervals throughout the day by her EA.
6. Alena will arrive at school and with assistance will hang up her coat and bag.
Here's why I'm freaking out:
1. Alena can count to 100.
2. Alena knows about 12 colors and will tell them to you with minimal prompting.
3. Alena has been making patterns since she was like 10 months old. With everything!!
4. HOW IN THE HELL ARE THE LAST TWO GOALS FOR ALENA????????
Every single day, I ask her teacher AND her EA how her day was. Save for two days I have been told she's had awesome days. The two days she didn't, she was a wreck and it was obvious. Right there on the IEP are the words "Alena has a hard time with transitioning from home to school, especially on Monday mornings when she cries for about an hour after being dropped off."
WHAT? *eyes pop out of head* My child is not left to cry for an hour without someone telling me!
Tomorrow after school I have someone coming to help me write out some new goals and if the school is not willing to change the IEP, I will formally appeal it.
I will not settle. Nor will Alena, she deserves better than this shit.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Non-verbal does not mean free of nerve endings.
For the last two weeks or so, Alena has been limping. It happened gradually. The first time we went to the ER, I thought she'd hurt herself. Tonight, she HAD hurt herself.
She fell at school today. The limping got so bad that she tripped and fell on her face. She has a bruise on her cheek, right under her eye.
The doctor at the hospital was all sweet and nice to her until I mentioned her autism. I have never seen someone's bedside manner change so drastically.
The x-rays, again, came up clean. So we were sent home after being told "Well, it's not like she's complaining, right?"
I am so angry right now, I can not even put it into words.
My normally happy child is miserable because she can't run around anymore. She has a hard time with stairs and getting onto the couch. Right now, even just walking is causing her to get hurt. I don't think there's anything wrong, per se, with her legs, but something is up.
I am refusing to settle for the answer of "it's not visible so it's not there". The doctor admits that she's limping. But since it doesn't slow her down and she's not complaining, she won't do anything.
Have we really sunk so low in our society that if someone can't verbalize a complaint, they aren't worthy of our attention?
I am very glad I have a voice and that I know how to use it.
She fell at school today. The limping got so bad that she tripped and fell on her face. She has a bruise on her cheek, right under her eye.
The doctor at the hospital was all sweet and nice to her until I mentioned her autism. I have never seen someone's bedside manner change so drastically.
The x-rays, again, came up clean. So we were sent home after being told "Well, it's not like she's complaining, right?"
I am so angry right now, I can not even put it into words.
My normally happy child is miserable because she can't run around anymore. She has a hard time with stairs and getting onto the couch. Right now, even just walking is causing her to get hurt. I don't think there's anything wrong, per se, with her legs, but something is up.
I am refusing to settle for the answer of "it's not visible so it's not there". The doctor admits that she's limping. But since it doesn't slow her down and she's not complaining, she won't do anything.
Have we really sunk so low in our society that if someone can't verbalize a complaint, they aren't worthy of our attention?
I am very glad I have a voice and that I know how to use it.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Movie s and self-examination.
Tonight I watched The Ringer.
It's a story of a young man and his money-grubbing uncle who set out to rig the Special Olympics in order to get the money they both need. (Steve for altruistic purposes... his uncle not so much...)
As the story progresses the other participants in the SPecial Olympics, those with special needs, call Steve out on the fact that he's not developmentally delayed, but in order to beat out the sponsored big wig winner, they decide to train him and help him try to win anyways.
The movie was beautifully done, and I was very impressed with the way the director handled the issues. Developmental delay was not used to make someone look stupid or ridiculous, and I felt that they were treated respectfully. I L-O-V-E-D how the one man talked about getting a one up on Pamela Anderson by using his developmental delay to be able to grab her breasts. It cracked me up to no end!
The part that made me have to pause the movie to think (and cry) was: "People tell us all the time what we won't ever do. Won't ever read. Won't have a job. Won't ever learn to tie my own shoes. Won't ever have a girlfriend. But I've done all of those things."
How many times have I said that Alena "won't ever" do something? Even just to myself? Realistically, I don't know WHAT she can do, given enough time and therapy. Hell, even without therapy, she's made leaps and bounds over the last year. Who's to say where she'll be in another year, or two. What about ten years down the road?
Why should my inability to see beyond the here and now hold her back from things that she can accomplish?
It's going to be really really hard, because there are so many people telling me that she can't, but I am going to try to stop saying that. I am going to stop telling people that she can't talk. I am going to stop telling people that she won't ever live on her own, or that it will be years before she potty trains. Because even if they do come true, that's years away. What matters is that right now, she knows she can just keep trying.
So, watch The Ringer, and starting asking yourself what CAN'T these kids do?
It's a story of a young man and his money-grubbing uncle who set out to rig the Special Olympics in order to get the money they both need. (Steve for altruistic purposes... his uncle not so much...)
As the story progresses the other participants in the SPecial Olympics, those with special needs, call Steve out on the fact that he's not developmentally delayed, but in order to beat out the sponsored big wig winner, they decide to train him and help him try to win anyways.
The movie was beautifully done, and I was very impressed with the way the director handled the issues. Developmental delay was not used to make someone look stupid or ridiculous, and I felt that they were treated respectfully. I L-O-V-E-D how the one man talked about getting a one up on Pamela Anderson by using his developmental delay to be able to grab her breasts. It cracked me up to no end!
The part that made me have to pause the movie to think (and cry) was: "People tell us all the time what we won't ever do. Won't ever read. Won't have a job. Won't ever learn to tie my own shoes. Won't ever have a girlfriend. But I've done all of those things."
How many times have I said that Alena "won't ever" do something? Even just to myself? Realistically, I don't know WHAT she can do, given enough time and therapy. Hell, even without therapy, she's made leaps and bounds over the last year. Who's to say where she'll be in another year, or two. What about ten years down the road?
Why should my inability to see beyond the here and now hold her back from things that she can accomplish?
It's going to be really really hard, because there are so many people telling me that she can't, but I am going to try to stop saying that. I am going to stop telling people that she can't talk. I am going to stop telling people that she won't ever live on her own, or that it will be years before she potty trains. Because even if they do come true, that's years away. What matters is that right now, she knows she can just keep trying.
So, watch The Ringer, and starting asking yourself what CAN'T these kids do?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
