oldest son recently diagnosed with autism, worried about younger son?

Question

My 4 year old son was diagnosed with Autism just a few months ago, and from what we know, mercury in vaccines is the cause. I have a 9 month old, and I'm worried that vaccines will do the same to him, that he will be Autistic as well.
Would this be a reason to not vaccinate?
Someone offer some good advice!

Answer 1

As the mother of 1 non-Autistic and 2 Autistic children I would like to point out to Spec. Ed. Teacher that I am not stressed, depressed nor on any medication. I worked for many years (also as a Spec. Ed. Teacher) with other Autistic children and their families and found their circumstances to be very similar to my own. By allowing young people with Autism to be themselves and not forcing them to be “normal” I have seen many grow into well-adjusted, happy and confident adults.

As a parent of two adults with Autism and another adult without Autism (who by the way does not have your issues) I felt offended by your doom and gloom comments. Life has not always been easy but has never been as bad as the picture you have painted.

To the mother- please try and see past Blasters negativity and enjoy your son for who he is and not what some others tell you he might be. Regarding the vaccination you should go with your gut feeling but remember that some of these illnesses can be fatal – Autism is not.

Answer 2

Hi,

I am the mother of three kids - 2 boys, aged 6 and 4, and a daughter who's 3. My middle son, now 4, is autistic.

I have done a lot of research and reading, and gone to a lot of lectures and doctors.... and I really and truly feel that the vaccines are not the cause of autism. If nothing else, my older son and daughter are fine, and they had the same vaccines, so why did only my middle son become autistic? I don't have the answer. I think the rise in autism is due to the broad spectrum of disorders that fall under the autism diagnosis, and the fact that kids are getting diagnosed better.

My son has PDD NOS, which is a mild form of autism.... there are days I wonder - if this was back when I was young... he probably would've been labeled as the "hyper boy" or he is "quirky", etc. don't get me wrong - he definitely has some major issues we are addressing, but I think years ago he would not have been diagnosed as autistic, but nowadays they diagnose better, plus things like ADHD, etc. fall under the autism spectrum, hence the rise in it.

With that said - I do have friends that have delayed vaccinations, or spaced them out (not combined them). Its an option if it helps clear your mind. I always thought that if nothing else, I would recognize the symptoms of autism in my subsequent kids earlier, and know what to do, and they would fare so much better, as the earlier they are diagnosed, the better they do. I would just watch your baby's developmental milestones very carefully, and any concerns, have him evaluated by a specialist immediately.

I wish you the best of luck!!!!!

Answer 3

Cassie, let me tell you what I know and I have researched enough about this vaccine subject I should almost have a degree for it. I know that some children (primarily boys) are born with a predisposition to autism. Meaning that they are not autistic in the beginning and something has to occur neurologically for them to become autistic. Well here I go; Vaccines contain formaldehyde, aluminum, phenoxethanol(antifreeze) and trace amounts of mercury. Those are all neurotoxins(toxic to the neurological system). Each vaccine usually contain an amount of those that usually won't hurt anyone if only getting one vaccine, well because some people feel it is better to get 4 vaccines at once then waiting a week or two in between, children are getting overloaded with neurotoxins along with other chemicals. So by having a predisposition to autism these toxins then can do significant neurological damage to an already fragile neurological system, then resulting in autism.
For people to tell you that you are wrong by thinking that vaccines caused your sons autism they are wrong. How can a perfectly healthy and happy developmentally sound child just lose all they know in a short time? They are perfect and then they get 4 shots and within 2 weeks the regression starts to occur.
www.909shot.com
If you want some info on individual vaccines send me a message. Hold off on all vaccines until you are able to make an informed decision.

Answer 4

Oprah did a show in the last couple of weeks about families w/ autistic children & it did discuss that you can have more than 1 child w/ autism in the family. Opinions vary as to cause. Some people don't believe it about the vaccines. But you have a right, as a parent, to not vaccinate. It might mean you have to home school.

Answer 5

If you do only one thing today, read this;
http://home.att.net/~ascaris1/genius.htm...
I have several people with Autism in my family, I have studied it, met and worked with many people who have Autism and not once have I ever come across anybody who truly “suffered” with it. Many Autistics describe their Autism to be a blessing and say it gives them a boost in life. (Typically people with Aspergers have an above average IQ and often go on to be very successful in their chosen field, if they so choose to.) I know having an autistic in the family is often challenging and sometimes a little testing but we personally find it brings us closer together as a family; it makes each day a little more interesting and injects humour into ordinarily mundane things.

Your son will most probably be just fine. In my experience the biggest problem he will face is stereotyping, people have preconceived ideas about what being Autistic means and this includes some “professionals” unfortunately. It is always surprising how many people have Autism, it’s just not discussed openly because society considers it to be a very negative thing, they make assumptions, so those of us that function well in society tend to keep quiet about it. Never let anybody imply in any way that your son’s diagnosis will hold him back. True there are things he will have more difficulty with than his peers but given a loving, supportive and encouraging family the chances are he will grow up to be just fine and most importantly happy.

My advice is to give your youngest the vaccine because Autism is by no means worse than physical illness. If you didn’t and your child got ill I suspect you would probably blame yourself, it’s not worth the risk… I think any fears you have may be unfounded as it is currently considered unlikely the vaccine causes Autism and even if it does, this is not the end of the world. But having said all this, this is just my opinion; you are his mother and only you know what is best for him, go with your gut.

And when it comes to your 4 year old, please take some comfort in this quote;

“Not all who wander are lost.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien.
1892-1973

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3rd May- (Just a little note on the post below that commented on my answer. My mentioning that we personally find Autism to be a positive influence on our family was a comment, not advice. My observation that people with Autism have a higher IQ was based upon the hundreds of people I have met with Autism who, for the most part, have been clever, articulate people. The “aggression” bit (or frustration as I prefer to call it) is common but can be improved with time and support and the self-injury thing does happen but is not as common as it is made out to be, as I personally have only met a couple with this particular trait (which is also treatable as that is also a reaction to frustration). Just thought you should know. Advice to give up hope is never good advice.)
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4th May- I am sorry that you have had such a negative experience Blasters, some people do. My point is not that you are wrong, you aren’t, it is just simply that in my experience, this is not typical. You are the first I’ve met to have been purely pessimistic. I too have a sibling with Autism but, like Sassy’s kid, I too have not had the same issues, none of us have been detrimentally affected. I am sorry you have been, it wasn’t my intention to offend you, just to offer a little light at the end of the tunnel for a mother who has recently had a blow (it must have been, I know how my mother felt). The way you put it, although admirably honest, doesn’t even leave a little man with a candle at the end of the tunnel. I appologise if you feel i have belittled your situation at all, all circumstances are different and I hope you find the appropriate help to come to terms with your issues. Perhaps counselling may help?

Answer 6

I do not believe in the vaccination theory, but vaccinations are tough on a little child's system. What I usually suggest is to bive your child all the mandated vaccines, just a bit later than recommended.

And mercury in vaccines are not to blame for your son's autism because the mercury was removed from all vaccines by the time he was born. (except some flu vaccines)

They stopped adding thimerosal (mercury) to childhood vaccines in 2001. The old batches that had the vaccines expired in January of 2003.

Answer 7

- Many vaccines are cultured in egg proteins, which could be harmful for a child with an unknown allergy to eggs. Injecting bypasses the body's line of defense for food allergens.

- No autism found in the Amish, who do not vaccinate kids

- Some are affected, most are not. The ones who are affected and develop autism are lacking a protein called metallothionein that removes heavy metals like mercury.

- Do you have old amalgam dental fillings?

Many public schools will insist that vaccinations are mandatory. That may be a matter of their own policy, but it is NOT legally required.

Answer 8

There is no conclusive evidence as to the cause of autism. There has been evidence of autism running in families, but my brother is autistic, and I am not. Based on the theory that there the cause is unknown, I would get the shots because you DO KNOW that the vaccines will protect your son for potential disease. Continue to follow up with your doctors and do your research, but I would get the shots. There is no conclusive evidence. This means that studies have been conducted and may have found more autistism in children who recieved vaccines, but it doesn't mean it's the cause. Most likely, it's genetic.

Additionally, that girl who said its fun to have autistic people in her family is giving you bad advice. Do not think for a second that it will be fun. Realistically, it is a challenge to deal with a child who has autism. You may fight for years for proper services for your child, deal with problem behaviors such as aggression, self-injury. You may even have to constantly monitor them (until the day you die)... You will never have a minutes rest. Deal with the facts. I mean, some cases are more mild than others and you won't have to deal with some of the aforementioned problems. But, realistically, it will alter your life, and probably make it harder. It doesn't mean you won't love them, just makes it harder.

Also, that girl said that autistic people are smarter and have higher IQs is way false. Most are considered borderline MR or MR (70 or below) and appear to be smart in 1 area because they fixate and perseverate about 1 topic. Don't confuse being smart in an area with an over-fixation on a topic that is preferred...

Also, check your lineage... has other people in your family had autistic or multiple autistic children in one family? I know several people who have an autistic sibling, but are not autistic themselves. At the same time, I don't know many people with more than 1 autistic child in their family.

Get the shots
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Rebuttal to girl above...
Self-injury, aggression, etc. is not just something that can be tweaked. It is real and common among people with autism. It needs to be assessed and responded to behaviorally (environmentally) consistently. It's hard work! I just want to give people ideas of what is needed... it's not something that should be sugar coated. Most parents are stressed, depressed, go on medication, and work tirelessly in order to help their children succeed.

I am a sibling who lived a lifetime with an Autistic brother, and it has effected me in ways I am just finding out recently (I am 33). It's hard on individuals physically and emotionally... it's not just "hey look at the funny kid and how happy he is". Problems arise every day. A lot of times behavior problems do not onset until adolescence. Other factors like eating disorders, diabetes, etc occur.

Yeah, sometimes their funny, but it is hard work. I am trying to give real advice. I mean, a parent also has to look out for their typically developing other children who will be effected by an autistic sibling...

Answer 9

Vaccines are NOT the cause of autism. Current research points toward genetic factors. Here are some sites debunking the vaccine myth:
http://www.quackwatch.com/03HealthPromotion/immu/autism.html
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=81553
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/fact_myth_immunizations.html

Answer 10

I am sorry to hear about your son. I have vaccinated both of my children, and feel that the benefits outweigh the risks.