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Vaccines cause Autism?
Question:
I am a 2nd grade special education
teacher. Three of my students have
been
diagnosed with autism. With autism on the rise, what can teachers
do to meet the students’ needs? My district has provided no training.
Answer:
This topic has been heating up talk shows, radio programs,
and topics
in education venues
for many years now. There has been no long term,
intensive research to prove or disprove whether vaccines have caused
the rise in autism in this country or abroad. A few years ago the
incidence of autism was 1 in every
600 births. Today it’s 1 in
every 150 births. Autism is a developmental disability that
typically appears during the first three years of life and
affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with
others.
Medical experts don’t
have a comprehensive understanding of what
causes
autism, but they do know there is a strong hereditary
component.
An
article in the Associated Press, May 13, 2008, reports that
lawyers at a hearing in federal court argued that parents’
claiming that childhood vaccines cause autism, should not be
rewarded by the courts when the scientific community has
already
rejected any link.
Nearly 4,900 families have filed claims with
the
U.S. Court of Claims alleging that vaccines caused autism and
other neurological problems in their children. Lawyers for the
families are presenting three different theories of how vaccines
caused autism. The theory at issue recently was whether vaccines
containing the preservative thimerosal caused autism. A Justice
Department lawyer, Lynn Ricciardella,
said that theory has not
moved
beyond the realm of speculation. She said the Institute of
Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
have rejected any link between thimerosal and autism.
Thimerosal has been removed in recent years from standard
childhood vaccines, except flu vaccines that are not packaged
in single doses.
The CDC says single-dose flu shots currently are
available only in limited
quantities. My opinion on the subject
is
that children have been receiving vaccines for decades and
there was no rise in autism. This is a recent phenomenon. If it
is indeed caused by vaccines, then researchers need to explore
what changes if any, have occurred
in vaccines recently. This is
the
scientific argument as well. There have been no changes to
these vaccines besides the removal of Thimerosal. Even with it’s
removal, the incidence of autism continues to rise. If I
was
a parent of a young
toddler, I wouldn’t refuse vaccines but I
would ask my pediatrician to administer them in smaller intervals
than usual so that any changes in my child could be seen immediately.
Symptoms of Autism:
There are no absolutes in diagnosing autism. Like
many disorders or
illnesses, other
difficulties or concerns have to be explored and ruled
out. However, there are some signs that parents should take seriously
and pursue evaluations for as soon as possible if they exist.
If your
pediatrician won’t
listen and acts like you’re just an over zealous,
panicing parent, find another doctor. The experts at
autism. If your child
exhibits any of the following indicators, you should
visit
your doctor so monitoring can begin.
Impairment
in Social Interaction:
- Lack of and avoidance of appropriate eye gaze patterns
- Lack of warm, joyful expressions
- Lack of sharing interest or enjoyment
- Lack of response to name
- Doesn’t identify or respond to parents/siblings any better than a stranger
- May avoid or cry at physical contact/touch
- Does not engage in games that require interaction with adults/peers
- May rock back and forth for hours
- Appears to have no need for social interactions
- May tantrum at changes in routine, food, decorations etc.
Impairment in Communication:
- Lack of using gestures
- Lack of coordination of nonverbal communication
- Unusual prosody (little variation in pitch, odd intonation, irregular
rhythm,
unusual voice quality) - Had
speech and then stopped talking
- Echolalic-Talks
but only repeats what he/she hears
- Has
difficulty with meaning of words
- Doesn’t
speak at all
- May talk a lot
however utterances have no meaning or off topic
- Appears to have comprehension difficulties
- Doesn’t follow commands
- No words by 12 months like (mommy, dada, bottle, ball etc.
- No two-word phrases by 18 months
Repetitive Behaviors & Restricted Interests:
- Repetitive movements with objects
- Repetitive movements or posturing of body, arms, hands, or fingers
- Puts toys/blocks in a line or shape
- Keeps everything in specific places
- May flail arms and legs
- May have hypersensitivity to textures, light, sounds, taste, smells, activities,
touch and new objects.
What
can parents do to help?
Parents must ask questions when visiting the pediatrician for regular check ups.
They must know what is normal development at each stage of childhood.
The
earlier
intervention is provided the greater progress will be seen.
There is no one approach
to treating autism, however, most children attend
special preschool programs or receive special services at home. Most
children
with autism
respond best to highly structured behavioral programs. The National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development lists Applied Behavior
Analysis
among the recommended treatment
methods for autism spectrum disorders.
Some of the most common interventions
are Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA),
Floortime Therapy, Gluten Free, Casein
Free Diet (GFCF). Speech Therapy,
Occupational Therapy, PECS, SCERTS,
Sensory Integration Therapy,
Relationship Development
Intervention, Verbal Behavior Intervention,
and
the school-based TEAACH method. Parents must be active partners and
reinforce any strategies
implemented by the professionals who
treat their
children. Having
a child with autism can be stressful. Parents should join
support groups and
develop a good support base with family and
friends when they need a break. Visit
www.autismspeaks.org, www.autism.org,
www.autism.com,
www.firstsigns.org, www.nationalautismassociation.org for
more information.
Did you know
that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
is urging
early screening for autism spectrum disorders
(ASD) for all children?
