Unity Among the Autism Community

On the eve of April - Autism Awareness month, I feel compelled to get this off my chest. See I have been holding my tongue for some time and I absolutely cannot stand it anymore. The ‘infighting’ among the autism community grates at my inner core and I find myself needing to come forth in order to release the charged feelings I am experiencing ... I understand it may not do any good, but at least I will have said my peace.

At a time when autism numbers are soaring, we need the mainstream folk to become involved. And yet, our own community cannot support one another despite our differences … How, I ask, can we possibly expect others to take a stand and advocate for us, when we can’t do so for each other? It is time to set aside our differences and unite for the greater good of the autism community as a whole.

Our children (and adults) diagnosed with autism need support, protection, advocacy, and empowerment as well as other necessities.

Personally, dare I say, that I actually relate to both sides in my own unique way; the neuro-diveristy and the pro-cure. I don’t think that makes me hypocritical. I am just a concerned mindful mother wanting the best for her child.

The nuero-diversity camp promotes that we accept our differences and honor each person in their unique sense of self. Truthfully, that really is the foundation of my personal advocacy group, Exceptional Beyond Labels. I, also, believe that despite any label (autism, aspergers, pdd-nos, ect) that each person behind the label is just that… A PERSON! They are a person not defined by this label, but rather a person defined by their unique individualization... And that person is phenomenal and capable of anything given the proper tools. Autism is not something to be ashamed of, in fact, I believe it is those on the autism spectrum that will make profound changes in the systems that are no longer working in our world(but, that is a whole different blog entry). I believe that all research and programming and legislation should include parents and adults on the spectrum ... I agree that we cannot determine their future without their input!!

On the flip-side, I find myself praying for a cure and requesting unbiased 3^rd party research. I long for a day that the ‘infantile autism’ label that limits my child is shed like the skin on a snake. I am motivated to prove the diagnosing psychologist wrong when she said to us without a blink of an eye that our young daughter would never have a productive career, meaningful friendships, marriage, a college education or independent living. I have read countless books and surf the net to wee hours of the night to discover what others are doing to help their child diagnosed with autism to 'recover', so that I might be able to pull her further into our world closer to a functional life. I have tried diets, alternative therapies, holistic medicine, traditional therapies, and anything else that was within my arm’s reach. I want, like every parent, to have my child have a bright future full of possibilities.

I don’t do these things to change her core essence, but to remove barriers so that she can have a productive future; to improve her quality of life; to reduce her fundamental frustrations that are demonstrated through a profound expressive and receptive speech delay, an heightened autonomic nervous system response, the sensory and auditory processing complications, a curious eating disorder, awkward socialization skills.... let's not forget that I do this to end the never ending fear of her risk of elopement ending in a catastrophe or to end the nightmares about what will happen to her if her parents were to tragically die or to end the fear that resides in the knowing that if someone were to violate her she would not have the functional words to tell me (and the list goes on) …

I have come to understand that some cases of autism (possibly more aspergers than infantile autism) is genetically based and hereditary while other cases are more environmental. Our geneticist concluded there was no biological foundation for the autism, yet denied environmental possibilities. That doesn't make sense to me. How can biological and environmental factors both be ruled out? This is a hot topic and has caused some to even proclaim hatred towards a certain celebrity. However, I cannot rationalize for one second how the toxins in the vaccines could possibly be safe in the amounts given to the tiny bodies our child inhabit. Yes, I know that the CDC and FDA have cleared them to be safe but common sense tells me otherwise. (I am not going to elaborate on this as there are many resources out there stating the facts… go check them out). I, also, am concerned that no one is talking about maternal vaccine history and its effects on the offspring she bears or the Rho-Gam (Anti-D) vaccine given to pregnant women with negative blood. If the toxins cross the blood brain barrier during critical fetal nuero-development could that not affect the brain and cause autistic-like symptoms?

Now, I do believe that the camp that takes this stance should be less cynical and sarcastic in their presentation … tastefulness goes along way. I wonder if a certain publication ever considers that their point of view would be better accepted by mainstream, the autism community, government, and big-pharm if they added a little more class to their presentation. But, their opponents create face book pages like I Hate Jenny McCarthy. So, what do you do?

This has to stop. We have to have a truce!! We have to say we can understand both perspectives and respect the needs of both parties. We have to stop organizations getting rich off of the challenges our children and adult friends diagnosed with autism face. We have to unit for the common good for all involved regardless of etiology beliefs! We have to unite to promote advocacy, education, safety, insurance inclusion, 3^rd party research, affordable early intervention, awareness of alternative and holistic health modalities, resources on self-esteem building, education advocacy and inclusion, elimination of seclusion and restraint, as well as promote things like education for mainstream professionals like the police, firemen, teachers, store clerks, life guards, and public transit authorities.

We have to put aside our differences for the greater good of our community; a community desperate for answers and desperate for acceptance.

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Jenny McCarthy Offers Hope To Mothers: Part 2!

I wrote a post about Jenny McCarthy offering hope to some mothers a couple of months ago... Yes, I understand that was risky. You either love her or hate her, right?

Well, it turns out, some thought that opened me up to a debate on vaccinations. The post really wasn't supposed to be about vaccinations... it was about hope, hope that so many in the anti-Jenny camp rape mothers of. Hope that our children CAN function normally...

I understand, our kids will always see the world through different colored glasses, but they can function with proper support and unconditional love. This is the hope I want to instill in others... unlike, the hope that the diagnosing psychologist offered us by telling us our daughter would never have a meaningful relationship, work or live independently... if we didn't do her ABA program!

This post was about the hope Jenny offers. The strength she emits to some. It was to defend a fellow mother who has been criticized for 'speaking outside the box'. My most recent critic responded, "There is NO evidence to indicate that vaccinations cause autism. http://tinyurl.com/ylbnrpc Think critically. http://tinyurl.com/cxnbvv"

Well, I go could go on for a really long time about both of those statements, but this sums up my reaction:

I do think critically -- about a system that deems it perfectly safe to inject mercury into a pregnant woman, yet tell her not to eat tuna fish.

I think critically -- about a system that refuses 3rd party unbiased research.

I think critically -- about the people sitting behind a computer making these comments... I wonder who is paying them.

I think critically -- about the systems (including doctors who chelate) that are taking advantage of desperate mothers and families.

I think critically -- about how there is only one industry that the government says, "Hey, if your product injures or kills a child or baby... don't worry, we have your back. You are not responsible."

I think critically -- about the elephant in the middle of America's pestilence among it's children; and wonder why we continue to tip-toe around and defend it.

I think critically -- about much and often!!

Most importantly, I think critically -- about each calculated move I make in addressing my child's symptomatology (which happens to mimic mercury poisoning- but we won't go there [today]). I think critically about the cost of her traditional and non-traditional treatment, her education, her dietary needs, her spiritual needs, her emotional needs, cognitive needs, physical needs...

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In My Opinion... This Doesn't Lay to Rest the Connection

“Latest autism figures should dispel any fears about the MMR jab being linked to the condition, say experts.”

This article jabs my buttons…

Autism rates back MMR jab safety

By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News

One of the arguments that many (including myself) have used about the autism/vaccine connection is that you just don’t see 1 out of 100 adults walking around with autism. Yes, there ARE some, but those numbers just are not as staggering as those among our youth, right? Well, according to a resent “small” study that is precisely what is occurring. Yep, that is the claim; 1 out of 100 adults do indeed have autism.

Assuming you read the article, I will share some of my thoughts…

How were the 7500 participants in this study selected? AND by what criteria were they classified? Was there enough diversity in its selection to be able to generalize this to the entire adult population concluding that this disproves the MRR/autism connection?

Assuming there was... Still think about those numbers!! 1 out of 100 adults have autism... where are they?

Next time you are in church, the grocery store, the office or even at a family function.... remember 1% of the people in attendance should (according to this research) have autism.

The truth is that there are still children who are developing typically who have a sudden regression; how can we ignore this common sense? But... Dr. Wakefield's research was discredited, right? Interesting how every politician, scientist, doctor or mom that speaks out about this connection is discredited. Who is making that determination... big pharm, scientists funded by the manufacturers, politicians with deep pockets?

Certainly, not the mothers and fathers who painstakingly watched their child regress into autism.

But.. for the sake of argument, let's assume these numbers are accurate... then how are these adult autistics functioning and who is taking care of them? Daily and often through the night I strategize how our daughter is going to be able to develop the appropriate skills and resources to live a productive life now and into adulthood... And yet, here we have 1% of the populace doing it without intervention... I am not buying it!

(And I mean NO disrespect if you are an adult experiencing autism...)

Finally, I have to reiterate mercury not is safe for the human body, brain or nervous system… guys in the yellow suits w/ masks are deployed when a thermometer breaks in a high-school science lab or at the local VOA store (those are true stories)… And, of course, the FDA advises pregnant women to reduce their consumption of fish during pregnancy because of the mercury content... Yet, we are injecting it directly into pregnant women through the RhoGam shot or young infants and children via routine and flu vaccines…

This research just doesn’t lay the autism/vaccine connection to rest for me. In fact, I see it as a way to try to pacify a community that is getting louder and a smoke screen for the rest of the people.

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Rhesus-Negative and Gestation

Can an expectant mother's immune system attack her fetus? It is said that there is a potential risk if the mother's blood has a protein that her fetus does not.

Most people (85%) have a protein in their blood called rhesus-negative (Rh D-). When a person lacks this protein (Rh D-) and it (the protein) happens to enter their blood stream, the body will innately build antibodies against it and the immune system will attack.

Typically an expectant Rh D- mother is administered an injection at the 28^th week of pregnancy and within 72 hours of birth of a rhesus-positive birth, to prevent her antibodies attacking a future pregnancy resulting in a miscarriage. This RhoGam shot, also referred to as the Anti-D vaccine, is just that, a vaccine. It is designed to outwit the body’s natural reaction to the detection of this protein in the blood stream.

If an expectant mother’s blood mixes with her fetus it usually does so during or close to birth, unless there is a rare trauma or incident that may promote blood transfuses between the mother and child. Now, if a mother experiences a trauma and the blood of fetus mixes with hers prior to the birth her body could theoretically assault the current pregnancy. Remember, this only happens if the mother has negative blood (15% of women), the fetus has positive blood, and somehow the blood mixes.

Although, my husband and I were thorough in our research about the decisions we make regarding our health care, we regretfully did not research the RhoGam inoculation. I received these injections subjecting our unborn child to massive amounts of thimerosal while her brain and nervous system was developing in utero. We will never know whether or not this assault caused her autism, however we acknowledge that it most certainly contributed to the condition.

I hear individuals and organization protesting against childhood vaccinations, but I wonder why no one is talking about the vaccine that is directly injected into the expectant mother. I often wonder if that is why we saw symptoms of autism soon after birth, instead of the highly reported loss of developmental milestones during the toddler years.

At the 2000 International Public Conference of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) F. Edward Yazbak, MD, pediatrician and school physician in North Smithfield, Rhode Island (Dr. Yazbak also assisted his local board of health and CDC in conducting “mass vaccination campaigns”) spoke out about a revelation he uncovered while researching children of vaccinated mothers. He found that 85 percent of mothers who received the RhoGam shot during pregnancy had children with autism. 85%!

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of educating yourself before you make any decision- especially when it has a direct effect on your health or the health of your child. Often I see my friends and family going to the person in a white lab coat and taking their word as gold. I cannot go back in time and see if that is what caused our daughter’s condition of autism, but I can be proactive now and educate others to make a conscious choice instead of mindlessly obeying this authority.

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HFCS adds to the Autism-Mercury debate

This past weekend I was eager to read Dr. Mercola's article, Most Common Source of Calories in U.S. is LOADED With Mercury. The article revealed that High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is laced with mercury through the use of caustic soda while separating the corn kernel from the corn starch.

The more I contemplated this, the more I recognized madness! I remembered how after watching KING CORN (which illustrates the use caustic acid) that we began to eliminate HFCS from our consumption. During this process we realized that this cheap sweetener was in most processed foods on the market today. The average adult American consumes 48 grams of HFCS per day.

According to Mercola, this study found that there was 0.005 to 0.570 micrograms mercury per gram of HFCS. If you do the math you will see that the average American adult consumes enough HFCS to expose them to 0.24 to 27.36 micrograms of mercury per day. Now, consider an expectant mother, she will consume over a 40 week gestation as much as 1,094 micrograms of mercury just through her consumption of HFCS. What effects do you think that has on her developing baby?

If you look at my specific situation, not only did I consume foods containing HFCS, but I also received 2 Rho-Gam shots laced with mercury (a vaccine designed for expectant mothers who lack the protein rhesus-negative in their blood). We regretfully did not research the RhoGam inoculation. I received these injections subjecting my daughter to massive amounts of thimerosal while her brain and nervous system was developing during gestation.

We will never know whether or not this assault against our daughter’s developing body caused her autism, however we acknowledge that it most certainly contributed to the condition. As did the consumption of not only tuna and salmon regularly during pregnancy, but also the consumption of many convenient products containing HFCS (breads, ice cream, crackers, restaurant food, ect.). Not to mention that I have 8 amalgam fillings. Needless to say, I had toxic levels of mercury in my system during her pregnancy.

There are also No efficacy studies looking at the effects of maternal vaccinations with fetal development. I think autism is a result of vaccinations, pesticides, artificial ingredients in our foods, energetic chaos in our environment, and, now, HFCS. To me this article only adds to the autism-mercury debate.

The most recent stats I have seen state that 1 out of 132 children have autism spectrum disorder. When I was my daughter's age 4 out of 10,000 kids had this developmental disorder. What has caused such a rapid increase in 30 years? It is time that we as a nation start taking responsibility and start eliminating these known sources of toxins.

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