Autism is a difficult disorder to miss, as it is characterized
by noticeably abnormal or impaired development in social interaction
and communication and a markedly restricted array of activities
and interests. And while scientific consensus claims autism has
been around for millennia at generally the same prevalence, that
prevalence is now considered to be one in every 166 children
born in the United States.
Therefore, with this devastating statistic in mind, one reporter
set out to analyze the autism rates among Amish communities. Why?
Because perhaps searching for autistic Amish children would reveal
clues to the cause of autism ... and it did.
The Clues Come Together
Since they have been cut off for hundreds of years from American
culture and scientific progress, the Amish may have had less exposure
to some new factor triggering autism in the rest of population.
The likely culprit: vaccines.
Traveling to the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country in search
of autistic Amish children, the reporter, based on national statistics,
should have found as many as 200 children with autism in the community
-- instead, he found only three, the oldest age 9 or 10:
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The first autistic Amish child was a girl who had been brought
over from China, adopted by one family only to be given up after
becoming overwhelmed by her autism, and then re-adopted by an
Amish Mennonite family. (China, India and Indonesia are among
countries moving fast to mass-vaccination programs.)
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The second autistic Amish child definitely had received a vaccination
and developed autism shortly thereafter.
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The reporter was unable to determine the vaccination status
of the third child.
Dangerous Effects of Thimerosal
In some vaccines, they use a mercury-based preservative called
thimerosal that keeps multiple-dose vials from becoming contaminated
by repeated needle sticks. After health officials became concerned
about the amount of mercury infants and children were receiving
through thimerosal-tainted vaccines, the toxin was phased out of
U.S. vaccines starting in 1999.
However, due to mislabeling and other problems, its presence is
still being felt, and more and more children are suffering because
of it.
Washington
Times April 18, 2005
Washington
Times April 19, 2005
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