I had planned on writing a detailed, organized, well researched post to "prove" my point of view. Instead, by taking a break from this thread I've convinced myself that wouldn't be helpful for anyone. I might get some satisfaction out of convincing myself I was right, but more likely frustration of trying to address emotion and passion with logic not to mention the timesuck.
Here's what I think is helpful instead.
- I have at least 16 years +/- experience in the autism "world". This experience is what makes me passionate about the subject, it's what makes me want to prove my model of autism is the right one. It makes me suspect that the most outspoken people in this thread probably have some personal reason to seek answers.
- Along those lines the most helpful thing I can say is: if you want to talk to someone that's "been there" in a way, send me a PM.
- I don't believe autism exists so it puts me on poor footing to prove anything about what causes it. I'm not out to prove it but I think it's helpful to remember that its just a word. Don't take it too literally. Autism exists in the same way that demon possession exists, or King Arthur, or "refrigerator babies", slow kids, spazzes, dyslexia, premature babies, people that were dropped on their heads. Dragons. It's just a word. I'm pretty confident that autism is an invention of circumstance and not some conspiracy.
- Helpful fact: autism is diagnosed by cross checking a matrix of symptoms. Those same symptoms can be caused by being bipolar, eating too much red dye, consuming mercury, suffering head trauma, being born premature, weak sperm, loss of oxygen to your brain at some time in your life, not being well socialized as a child, being so specialized smart that you can't relate to anyone...
- If you want to convince yourself that autism has always existed research:
a) changing diagnoses and definitions in the DSM
b) the personalities and verbal skills development of people like Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Isaac Newton, Abraham Lincoln
c) European legends of "wild kids" that lived in the forest, were raised by wolves, talked like wild animals, and couldn't coexist socially with the city life
d) slow kids, retarded kids, demon possessed kids, infant mortality kids, kids that were institutionalized in Ireland or euthanized in Germany
e) Hans Aspberger's research and experimentation
f) the overall history of mental health treatment/not-treatment. They weren't "autistic" they were: abandoned, euthanized, dead at birth, dead of drowning or accident, fending for themselves in forests or city slums...
g) 99.99% of humanity was never historically documented so... use your imagination, don't ask for proof
z) ....
it's better to let you get there by yourself. Don't let it get you down.
real quick back to the O.P. - I do believe there is some merit to the anti-vaccine movement but not if you treat it as THE answer
Here's what I think is helpful instead.
- I have at least 16 years +/- experience in the autism "world". This experience is what makes me passionate about the subject, it's what makes me want to prove my model of autism is the right one. It makes me suspect that the most outspoken people in this thread probably have some personal reason to seek answers.
- Along those lines the most helpful thing I can say is: if you want to talk to someone that's "been there" in a way, send me a PM.
- I don't believe autism exists so it puts me on poor footing to prove anything about what causes it. I'm not out to prove it but I think it's helpful to remember that its just a word. Don't take it too literally. Autism exists in the same way that demon possession exists, or King Arthur, or "refrigerator babies", slow kids, spazzes, dyslexia, premature babies, people that were dropped on their heads. Dragons. It's just a word. I'm pretty confident that autism is an invention of circumstance and not some conspiracy.
- Helpful fact: autism is diagnosed by cross checking a matrix of symptoms. Those same symptoms can be caused by being bipolar, eating too much red dye, consuming mercury, suffering head trauma, being born premature, weak sperm, loss of oxygen to your brain at some time in your life, not being well socialized as a child, being so specialized smart that you can't relate to anyone...
- If you want to convince yourself that autism has always existed research:
a) changing diagnoses and definitions in the DSM
b) the personalities and verbal skills development of people like Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Isaac Newton, Abraham Lincoln
c) European legends of "wild kids" that lived in the forest, were raised by wolves, talked like wild animals, and couldn't coexist socially with the city life
d) slow kids, retarded kids, demon possessed kids, infant mortality kids, kids that were institutionalized in Ireland or euthanized in Germany
e) Hans Aspberger's research and experimentation
f) the overall history of mental health treatment/not-treatment. They weren't "autistic" they were: abandoned, euthanized, dead at birth, dead of drowning or accident, fending for themselves in forests or city slums...
g) 99.99% of humanity was never historically documented so... use your imagination, don't ask for proof
z) ....
it's better to let you get there by yourself. Don't let it get you down.
real quick back to the O.P. - I do believe there is some merit to the anti-vaccine movement but not if you treat it as THE answer