sandbox autism/vaccines thread

because a friend of mine posted this on facebook, hadn't seen this wrinkle on the topic before:
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/ultrasoundrodgers.asp

note: i am not saying i believe this article, just think it's interesting that someone's trying to pin autism on a different external influence now

People want to think there's something that they can or should have done

Haven't read the whole article yet, just a brief scan, but it does sound like an interesting take even if I'm not sure how much merit I'm willing to give it.

knackered housecat very much otm though, that's a huge thing to remember when people get really het up over this issue. People really want to think there's something they can point a finger at.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/are-prenatal-ultrasounds-dangerous/

forget autism -- ultrasounds make you left handed?! i am convinced.

I imagine that refers to:
http://saveyourself.ca/blog/0295.php

What I still dont think I understand, is: all these articles that speak of the "steep rise" in cases usually say autism SPECTRUM disorder which presumably includes mild aspergers cases and the like. Is it really an increase, or are we now just pathologising dumber kids as "autistic" instead of just saying "he's a slow learner" like we used to? Genuine question!

Maybe not kids who are "dumber" so much as kids who act in a way that is not socially acceptable or don't develop verbally or socially in accordance with accepted norms. Being on the spectrum != being dumb.

Yeah perhaps dumb was the wrong word, I really generally meant "anyone at all eccentric, difficult or different", as well.

I kind of rankle at the automatic assumption that psych/developmental disorders are vastly overdiagnosed or are excessively pathologizing/medicalizing normal variation. No, there's probably not a rise in the actual incidence of ASD-type symptoms in kids compared to previously; yes, it's probably getting diagnosed more.

pretty sure i'd have been diagnosed with *something* (not ADD, tho) were i a kid now.

needless to say, i am fricken awesome now

Autism comes from something. I don't mind that people are looking for what that something might be. It's just good sense to try to identify possible causal relationships, because if you do succeed in finding a causal factor then perhaps you can act to remove or reduce it. What sucks is when unqualified people spread alarmist rumors and misinformation having no possible benefit in the real world.

There's a bit in the most recent Jon Ronson book where he talks to the editor of the DSM-IV, who basically says how much they regret widening the autism definitions for that edition of the book, as it led directly to this boom in diagnoses.