Unfortunately the evidence is quite strong that most pediatricians who practice conventional medicine simply have no clue about autism.

Besides being unaware about the presence and effects of the mercury-based chemical thimerosal in vaccines, many don't even know how to screen for the disorder. Fortunately, the autism rates have been diminishing since the thimerosal is finally being removed from many childhood vaccines.

I cannot stress this enough: if you are a parent, keep any vaccine containing thimerosal well away from your child, including useless flu vaccinations, as most are still loaded with mercury.

The link between autism and vaccines is certainly not a new idea. In fact, suggestions of this link have been in the national news for at least seven years now. Two years ago, a study that reviewed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Vaccine Data Link concluded that children who receive thimerosal-containing vaccinations are 27 times more likely to develop autism than children who do not.

That's a 2,700 percent increase. The numbers just don't lie.

There are many reasons why a toxic poison like mercury would cause this type of neurological damage. Mercury exposure can cause a devastating array of problems, including:

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Central Nervous System Disorders
• Autism
• Alzheimer's Disease

Perhaps it's not a great mystery why the Amish don't have autistic children.

Of course vaccines are not the only factor that causes autism. It just happens to be one of the most common. Whatever the cause there are many simple strategies that typically provide enormous improvement. I have helped many hundreds of children with autism improve with these strategies.

Autistic children, just like most adults, need to have their diet radically improved. Many partially enlightened parents start their child on gluten-free, casein-free (GF/CF) diets and do notice an improvement.

However, the great majority of children notice quite profound improvements when other grains like rice, corn and potatoes are removed from their diet.