More evidence that thimerosil could be a big factor in the increase in autism

[Jimjams]

Combined with genetic suscpetibility of course. Now when is the UK govt going to take notice? The reason the California fiigues are important is that they only include children dxed with autism- not with things like AS. These children would have been hard to miss- and although they may not have received an autism dx in the past the would certainly have receiievd something eg retarded or something like that,

Anyway the report:

According to information released today by the California State
Department of Developmental Services (DDS), California's developmental
services system has just experienced the first ever nine month sustained
reduction in the numbers of professionally diagnosed new cases of full
syndrome autism being added to California's developmental services system.
California, with the world's best record keeping system, is the de
facto "canary in the coal mine" in tracking new cases of autism. In 1999 the
first DDS report on autism established for the first time the existence of a
growing autism epidemic. A report released by DDS in 2003 documented a
doubling of the autism caseload from 1999-2002.
Could this be the beginning of the decline of the autism epidemic?
Have we discovered a "smoking gun" environmental factor that has contributed
to the epidemic? DDS only reports professionally diagnosed cases of full
syndrome DSM IV autism and DOES NOT include PDD, NOS, Asperger's Syndrome,
or any other autism spectrum disorder in this reporting category. The
numbers reported by DDS do not include children under the age of three years
old.
Historically, the four to six year old age group dominate the new
intake population. Within the past few months, for the first time, children
born in the years 1999 and 2000 are now entering the system.
Not only did the most recent three consecutive quarter period produce
the first sustained reduction in the 35 year history of California's
developmental services system (197 fewer new cases then the previous October
through June period), but the most current recently completed quarter, April
2004 through June 2004, produced the all time largest reduction of any
quarter (108 less cases) in the history of the system.
Please see the DDS data below, and review the attachments which
include an important chart and complete data spread sheet.
Recently published groundbreaking research initiated and funded by the
U.C. Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, and conducted by Dr. Mady Hornig at Columbia
University, has established a biological mechanism in an animal model that
combines genetic susceptibility and Thimerisol poisoning which results in
behaviors in the animal model very similar to human autistic behaviors.
Autism like brain pathology was also discovered in these animals. Many more
of these independent studies currently being conducted at M.I.N.D. and at
other facilities around the world will shed more light on the
viral/bacterial/toxin interaction with genetic susceptibilities in the
coming months.
The data compares new intakes from the most current three consecutive
quarterly periods (October 2003 through June 2004) to all other previous
October through June time periods.
What makes this historic development of this very recent reduction in
new cases of autism so important is that those children from the birth
cohorts of 1999 and 2000 are now entering the system. First with the year
1999 and much more so with year 2000, these are the widely recognized first
two years of the beginning of the serious effort to substantially reduce the
amount of the mercury containing preservative Thimerisol in childhood
vaccines.

Increase April though June
No. Of over previous increase from
new cases 3 Quarter Period previous year

Oct. - Dec., 1999
Jan. - March 2000 1331
April - June 2000

Oct. - Dec., 2000
Jan. - March 2001 1930 599 176
April - June 2001

Oct. - Dec., 2001
Jan. - March 2002 2314 384 182
April - June 2002

Oct. - Dec., 2002
Jan. - March 2003 2391 77 -15
April - June 2003

Oct. - Dec. 2003
Jan. - March 2004 2194 -197 -108
April. - June 2004

Rick Rollens is a co-founder of the M.I.N.D. Institute, a pioneer of
Families for Early Autism Treatment of Sacramento (FEAT) and a board
director of a national autism social organization. Rollens currently works
as a state lobbyist for regional contractors of services to the disabled for
the California Department of Developmental Services. He is also the parent
of an autistic child.

I absolutely DON'T think that AS sits between NT and ASD. I know more than one person/child with AS who simply cannot function, even with full language abilities, no cognitive function deficit etc. A friend's AS son has sooooo many problems, and not just from being "a bit eccentric/awkward" that he matches my child with severe Kanner-type autism but we have clearer and more choices for my son. Also, my sister with AS simply cannot function in an NT world. My dad was certainly on the eccentric side, and an engineer to boot, and my mum is socially very weird but not anything like someone with a dx.

Oh, BTW, the idea that parenting can CAUSE something like autism is just revolting. Furthermore, all children with ASD have an underlying level of abiltiy, just like NT children and our choices as parents may influence how well that is capitalised on and how soon but, at the end of the day, is not going to turn a non-verbal child into a fluent speaker etc, just as an NT child is not going to become a mathematician if you just put in enough work. There is also a HUGE difference between a child who CANNOT do or understand things, or at least not without a lot or specialised intervention, and a child who can do things but not very well or on their own terms.

Ok, this is coming from a slightly different perspective than Davros, CT and Jimjams. My son, 2 1/2+, has a specific language disorder (receptive and expressive; he has a problem processing language and sounds). He also has behavioural issues. He does not have a social communication disorder, eg autism or adhd. So I'm a parent who has a child that needs SALT, but also needs excellent parenting. Btw I'm crap, I'm not saying I'm good! Just saying that I've been told by professionals I trust that he needs "meticulous" and "particular" parenting. They weren't saying I was bad, either, but that's a whole other thing.

Even though my son shares many traits of a child with adhd, he does not have it. I was astounded that they had suspected it! I think it's because I know my son and I know a child with adhd. It's just different. I'm very happy with the assessment, also and the speech assessor had particular meticulous ways to help his behaviour and they're working. (RexandBen, it was Auriol Drew. Thanks for that reference.)

My point is that many children have traits of autism or another social communication disorder. But it's the same as anything else.. just because a child has a few or even many traits, doesn't mean the child has the disorder. To make a v poor analogy: just because you have a fever doesn't mean you have meningitis. Or just because a child is sick for a year doesn't mean he has leukemia, even though he has many many symptoms. It's a whole different cause and needs to be treated differently.

I hope that made sense. Just trying to give you a perspective from a mother with basically NT kids, one of which needs better parenting.

Some very interesting posts. It seems as if we are in the ssame situation in our understanding of neurological disorders and people were about infectious diseases when things were 'a fever'. We seem (in the under educated NT world) to be lumping things together because they have similar traits, missing the point that the causes of these things, and support needed, are quite different.

Yes think that's it hmb. It is worth remembering that the brains on individuals with autism are structurally different and various receptors etc do not work as well as they should. In the case of HFA this could be described as a brain "difference" but in the case of someone like my son I think brain damage is more appropraite. In the same way that if you give a child with cerebral palsy physio, OT etc they will reach their full potential, if they have enough damage they may well never walk/sit up/ whatever. You are always going to be working within the individuals limitations.

I agree with Davros that AS is not between ASD and NT. I know a very able teengae boy with AS - if you met him you would think he was friendly, bright etc etc, and yet he went into a shop where he was choosing furniture and said to the assistant "do you reckon thisone would look best in our front room, or that one-it needs to go next to our tv you know where it is- and which do you think would be best for insert name of brotherr" He had NO idea that because he had never met the guy this person had no idea what his front room looked like or what his iyounger brother would like. Even very apparently able individuals with HFA or AS may be operating wth huge defecits in basic understanding.

CT- I think a lot of adult HFA and AS think they are quite different. I would tend to agree form my limited experience.

CT - I also come across the better parenting stuff from the in-laws. My MIL quite often comes out with stuff like "oh they all do that if you let them get away wth it", or "well I just used to do x, y and z with you and your sister" No wonder dh's voice is so often raised when talking to her TBH I just find it boring now- she's had enough contact with him that if she can't see it then she just doesn't want to. Can't be bothered to even pay attention to it anymore.

Frogs - I know that you didn't mean that - but I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about what autism entails, and yes I think there is a big difference between someone with traits (worked for one- tamum knows who I mean ) and someone who is on the spectrum.

JJ, I think we're saying the same thing (or I've recently said it on another thread, can't keep track!). Having a few strange or difficult behaviours does NOT give you an ASD or other diagnosable condition, that's what I mean about "being quirky or eccentric" actually being far away from having Aspergers. As for the better, different or more planned parenting the difference there also comes when its how much of that sort of input is needed and that parents can't do it alone if their child has a disorder or disability etc, its too intense and makes too much difference. I'm sure you're not crap as you already have recognised that one of your children has different needs to the other(s), that's quite normal its just the degree to which a child's needs are different when they do have an ASD etc. Does that make sense? Stream of consciousness as usual!

Yes, thanks for your attempts to explain, that does make sense, and fits with my knowledge of processing in other areas.

Since presumably the underlying neurological hardwiring is not accesible for testing, a diagnosis of autism/HFA/AS is made on the basis of functioning -- is that right? Is it always clear whether someone is a high-functioning autistic person or just a low-functioning NT person?

frogs, or even a high-functioning NT person ... I always remember as an illustration of the subtleties Davros's example of the child with AS she knows whose imagination - instead of being non-existent, as is the ASD truism - is so vivid as to verge on the inappropriate (6 year old with own planet with own language, etc. - is that right?).

Yes, autism (and its friends) is diagnosed on "observable behaviour" so you will get some variation but, even so, I've never heard of a child being diagnosed with an ASD in error but many NOT diagnosed who should have been....
I was droning about Aspergers a while ago and gave the example of such a vivid imagination as it being "inappropriate", the boy with his own planet and language as mentioned by binkie, another I know who couldn't understand why he didn't appear in a video once he had drawn his picture on the label and my own sister who always had a very, very strong imagination... but strange too