Re: Autism Cover Story:
"Growing Up with Autism"
Letter to the Editor
Your Nov. 27 cover story, "What
Happens When They Grow Up," is a
painfully accurate glimpse into a world far
too many people will be forced to accept as
they struggle with life as autistic adults.
I commend Newsweek for recognizing
the human tidal wave of a maturing autistic population that will soon overwhelm
not only emotional and financial resources
of families, but Medicaid and state social
services budgets. While you illustrate
some of the heartbreaking challenges parents face while caring for autistic children
transitioning to adulthood, you overlook
what is at the heart of the autism debate:
What has caused autism rates to grow so
much in less than 20 years?
The idea that
it's just "better diagnosis" is, to parents and
supporters of the autistic community, like
fingernails on the chalkboard. This epidemic is real and recent and cannot be explained by saying the diagnostic skills of
doctors suddenly improved in the late
1990s or a mystery gene miraculously be
came active in hundreds of thousands of
children. A logical suggestion is that
something changed in the 1990s. Perhaps the number of mercury containing vaccines given to children tripled in the 90’s and resulted in a toxic tipping point, causing these children to regress into a disorder we call autism.
Your article was
correct on one key observation, that it is
families who are leading the way and becoming real experts on this disorder. They
are still searching for answers that the
medical community, government and media have failed to address with the urgency
this disorder deserves.
The Combating
Autism Act may provide some answers,
but autistic children can't wait for the special interest laden winds of Congress to
blow their way. Together, we can combat
autism and perhaps save the next generation of our nation's most precious resource: our children. Hard questions need
to be asked about a disorder that is affect
ing so many and came on so suddenly. The
failure to honestly expose possible contributing causes warrants serious examination and begs for further review by parents, professionals and journalists alike.
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Created 2-27-07