Tuesday, July 8, 2008

New Controversy

Here's a new controversial study they would like to do on children with autism. They say that they would like to detoxify children with autism, buy removing metals from their systems. Why is it a controversy? Because there is no proof that is is mercury that is causing autism, and because it could be potentially harmful with the side affects. They are horrified at the thought that children would be used in the study.
I hate to break it to you, but children with autism are nothing more than lab rats. It's been this way for years. There are no proven treatments for autism and so they try and address the symptoms with medication that is not for their autism but for the problems that come along with it. For instance, after several years of trying to deal with my son with out medication, his aggressions became concerning enough that we caved. He is now on a medication for schizophrenia. It works in helping to subdue his violence and so we are forced to use it. There are also medications for hyperactivity that have been beneficial to children with autism. How did they discover these medications were useful? THEY TESTED THEM OUT. I'm not particularly thrilled at the prospect of testing, but what choice is there?
Part of the problem with autism is the unknown. There isn't enough research and we don't really know for certain what causes it and so we have to try things we haven't tried yet. I'm all for research being done as long as it is not harmful to children. It's sort of a necessary evil. As long as they aren't doing frontal lobotomies, or anything crazy like that, please find something that will help these children. You decided for yourself.
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20080708/MED.Autism.Research/

4 comments:

concerned heart said...

One of the causes of autism is known. In some non-familial autism it is older paternal age in one generation or another that contributes sperm with mutated DNA so that the brain and nervous system does not develop normally.
http://how-old-is-too-old.blogspot.com/2008/02/sperm-facts.html

Tracy said...

Thanks for the info, however, a majority of the cases of autism that I am aware of, are not related to this cause.
I can tell you that I was 23 and my husband 26 when we concieved. Therefore, in my case, it wasn't some wacky old man sperm that screwed up my sons.
Even if this were the case, there is still no cure.

Paula Dawidowicz said...

Tracy, there are so many different sub and related conditions with autism that are being teased out, there is no one answer or another that will fit all conditions. Whatever causes it weakens other links and makes individuals susceptible to other developmental and learning disorders. I went to a meeting once right after my son was diagnosed that was a real eye opener for me. People were bemoaning the fact that their children wouldn't have the futures they wanted for their kids, like they were dead. I know their dreams for their children were dead, but I kept thinking there had to be joy and new dreams there, regardless of the cause or whether there's a cure. It looks like you've found them, even if times do get tough and they sometimes wane. In the end, we'll know the cause for everything... but that doesn't make the day to day more frustrating! In the end, the only treatment for my son was to love him.

Tracy said...

Paula,
Well said!!!