Leo Kanner was the first to define what autism was in 1943. (1) I won't include his definition as I believe it to be highly insulting to everyone living with autism and their loved one's. His initial description went on to evolve into what is well-known and accepted as today's definition of a clinical diagnosis of autism: a developmental disorder affecting social-emotional, speech and behaviors. This definition continues to evolve to date. Currently, a clinical diagnosis is made from the DSM-V. There is a significant difference from how it was referenced in the DSM-IV when my boys were diagnosed. The deficits are further broken down into levels of severity and Asperger’s is excluded. (2)

My oldest son was typically developing until the age of 15 months. He regressed after receiving the MMR vaccine. All speech was lost, eye contact was lost, toe walking started, lining up toys was now his way of playing in his new world of classic autism. There was so many sleepless nights, screaming in the middle of the night from gastrointestinal issues, and sensory overload kicked in. Driving through a bank teller or a car wash was his worst nightmare. Imagine how scared this new mom was to send her baby to an early intervention program for three hours a day. Imagine how you'd feel taking your baby to school on his second birthday. Most parents grieve sending their typically developing child to kindergarten when they are five. This just wasn’t fair.

My youngest son was born six weeks after my oldest son was diagnosed with autism. This should have been one of the best times in life. Instead, I was traumatized and scared. The likelihood in 2006-2007 of a sibling developing autism was 10%. Being an optimist, I felt there was a 90% chance he would not develop autism. We did everything possible to learn and make better choices. We immediately put him on a restricted diet eliminating common allergens including gluten and dairy. We did a sibling study through Kennedy Krieger and had him followed by a developmental therapist when he was three months old. We did all the exercises and social-play interactions they told us to do. We even staggered vaccines and avoided the MMR entirely. At 14 months it all came to a screeching halt again... dTAP vaccine and then the deepest, darkest regression of autism. Worst then my oldest son's experience. Why hadn't I learned more faster and understood what I know so clearly now back then? I had no idea what then next 10 years of our lives would hold. Reflecting, perhaps that’s how I survived it.

Currently, 1 in 36 are being diagnosed nationally with autism and specifically 1 in 27.5 boys. This is an epidemic of great proportions and no one is paying attention. The CDC does not include in their survey children under the age of three or adults 18 and over so this stat is still not accurate; it's even worse.

There are currently, 13 internal whistleblowers inside of the CDC (actively working there). Dr. William Thompson is under whistleblower status. He handed over 2,000 pages of documentation to Congressman William Posey more than three years ago. The other 12 are anonymous and refer to themselves as SPIDER (Scientists Preserving Integrity, and Ethics in Research). They sent a letter to the CDC Chief of Staff expressing their concerns. Additionally, they submitted a copy of this letter to U.S. Right to Know (USRTK), a public watchdog organization. (3) Congress will not subpoena them despite the above and an outpouring of public supporters who contacted their congressional officials. Most of the representatives contacted shrugged it off as not their responsibility and said to contact Representative 2 Jason Chaffetz who oversaw the House and Oversight Committee. That's correct; OVERSAW. past tense. After more than two years of diligent work with Representative Chaffetz's office he resigned from Congress. Back to my point that congress will not subpoena these whistleblowers.

I've personally reached out to my congressman to discuss my concerns. I had the opportunity to speak to him in person at a local town hall in Hampstead about three years ago. He told me that he didn't believe health care should be regulated on a federal level. He also stated that I should work directly with my local legislatures. I've lost track how many times I've reached out to my local representatives.

In November 2014 I spent two days in D.C. advocating and hand delivered a letter my oldest son wrote to our congressman on behalf of his little brother. The congressman officially joined the Autism Caucus that week. The Autism Caucus includes over 117 members of congress. "The goals of the bipartisan Coalition for Autism Research and Education include, but are not limited to:

• Increasing general awareness of autism and autism spectrum disorders among Members of Congress and policy analysts in federal government;

• Educating Members of Congress on current and future research initiatives regarding autism;

• Serving as a forum where autism-related policy issues can be exchanged, debated, and discussed;

• Bringing together public, private, and government entities to pursue legislative initiatives that will help facilitate advanced treatments—and ultimately a cure—for autism spectrum disorders.

• Promoting all means to ease the burdens of families and loved ones affected by autism

Please keep in mind that these are general goals for CARE. We are open to suggestions from the families, friends, and loved ones on the front lines of the war on autism. I want to personally thank each and every one of the parents and families who have dedicated themselves not only to their loved ones affected with autism, but also to raising awareness of the need for federal attention to this devastating and life-long disorder. "(5)

Last year I circled back around with my congressman’s office and requested a meeting after seeing very little had changed over the last three years. I was corresponding with his Senior Policy Advisor for Health. After many months I finally got a meeting secured. My husband took a day off work and we drove to D.C. prepared for our meeting armed with data. We get there and are told the congressman can't attend our meeting as he was pulled into session. While I understood this happens due to the nature of his job I was angry and frustrated as a constituent. I chose the high road and proceeded with the meeting with his policy advisor. We spent 90 minutes educating this man, showing him data and science, and ended with three easy requests for the congressman. To this day my requests have not been addressed. Our congressman has not reached out to us despite 16 months of documented email requests and a plethora of phone calls. He ended up voting yes to the 21st Century Cures Act (6) a federal health care bill that takes away parental rights and gives the government more power over personal health care choice. (You can read the 900+ pages of legislation by following the link 3 referenced). Wait... he told me he didn't believe in the federal government mandating private health care decisions. What about being a member of the Autism Caucus? Has he forgotten about this entirely? I in no way feel represented by my congressman.

In 1984 vaccine manufactures basically had a strike demanding they no longer be liable for vaccine injuries. They stated they would stop making vaccines unless the government removed all liability. President Ronald Reagan signed into law The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) in 1986. (7) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) oversees a plethora of government agencies including FDA, NIH, and CDC. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is overseen by CDC. (8) In conclusion the very agency that oversees the reporting of vaccine injuries is monitored by itself.

It is estimated only 1% of vaccine injuries are reported. Vaccine injuries include but are not limited to allergies, ADHD, autism, and seizures. Ask your doctor how much of their medical school training was spent on learning about vaccines. The answer is one isolated class focused on the CDC vaccine schedule, learning it, and promoting it to patients. That is, it. Nothing at all regarding adverse effects or vaccine safety.

Science has been spending a plethora of money focused on genetics and repeat studies. Up until now very little focus has been on environmental causation including but not limited to vaccines. Just last week a new study was release linking aluminum to autism. (9) Aluminum is a well-known adjuvant that is in most vaccines. "Scientists have been aware of aluminum’s neurotoxicity for decades. Although aluminum’s apologists have tried to shroud the metal’s risks in manufactured controversy, a growing number of reports by researchers in the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Israel, the U.S. and elsewhere has furnished substantive evidence linking aluminum to neuropathology, including the epidemics of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)." (10)

Other factors that we should look at before vaccinating are whether the child has mitochondria dysfunction, MTHFR genetic mutation or any immune disorders. It's a lot to learn and consider before injecting a vaccine into a newborn. It’s been my observation over the last 12 years, that parents aren’t aware, have their child vaccinated, they have an adverse effect such as regresses into autism or develops seizures afterwards and then they start making the connection. The learning is an afterthought because we are taught vaccines are 100% unequivocally safe for every single child.

Until quite recently there was never a study comparing vaccinated children-vs-unvaccinated children. Shocking to learn, right? This pilot study focused on 666 home schooled children ages six-12 and it concluded our children are very sick. "Something is wrong with America’s children. They are sick – allergic, asthmatic, anxious, autoimmune, autistic, hyperactive, distracted and learning disabled. Thirty two million American children – a full 43% of them – suffer from at least one of 20 chronic illnesses not including obesity. Across the board, once rare pediatric disorders from autism and ADD to Type 1 diabetes and Tourette’s syndrome are soaring, though few studies pool the data." (11) Currently, we have the highest rate of IEP's ever to be seen in the public-school system.

Regressive autism is medical. Seizures, darting and wandering, PANDAS, Lyme, yeast, bacteria, food allergies, tics and mitochondria dysfunction are a few common co-occurring conditions related to 4 autism. 30% are non-verbal, 40% develop seizures and 70% have gastrointestinal issues. Autism is layers of complications and no two people are the same. There is no treatment plan or cure for autism. Literally, ever family must figure it out on their own. It’ exhausting and can break you financially, emotionally and mentally.

On September 20th we coordinated a town tall. The panel consisted of Delegate Shoemaker, Delegate Krebs, Delegate Rose, Senator Ready and Jennifer Eastman, a director at MD Department of Disabilities. Approximately, 40 people attended as did some kids and adults with autism. The common threads of discussion included lack of qualified therapists to deliver services, failure to support our kids in mainstream public school, no respite available for families who are barely keeping their head above water, training for all first responders in the state and regressive autism caused by vaccines. The town hall was a success and everyone in the room felt heard. I'm grateful for the time our panel took to meet with us, learn about autism and their willingness to ask how they can help and best represent our families in Maryland.

While people are decorating and preparing for the holidays with their loves ones, my mom is giving me a two-hour break caring for my youngest son and I'm missing a family party because my youngest cannot tolerate crowds and noise. During my two hours break I'm finishing this editorial as I feel it's imperative to share our journey and what I've learned to date. Surely, people will listen now and not chalk it off because it's not their child. They must; it's one in 36 now.

I believe in humanity, the right and ability for everyone to think for themselves, in parent choice, written consent and in democracy. I believe people are finally taking a moment to pause and research before injecting toxins into their child's body and following a schedule recommended by the government and advanced by Big Pharma. Science is never settled and it's finally catching up. Parents have been shouting from the rooftops for years and representatives of the government must finally listen and represent their constituents instead of turning a blind eye. We have a national health and safety crisis and it must be treated as such. These are children for God sake. They are our future. Truth always wins.

References:

Reproduced without permission of the author, for educational purposes only, according to the Fair Use doctrine.

1. Kanner L. Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Nervous Child 2, 217-250 (1943) PDF

2. https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/diagnosis/dsm-5-diagnostic-criteria

3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carey-gillam/spider-bites-cdc-ethics-c_b_12525012.html

4. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db291.htm

5. https://doyle.house.gov/issue/autism-caucus

6. https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/6

7. https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/index.html

8. https://vaers.hhs.gov/about.html

9. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0946672X17308763

10. https://worldmercuryproject.org/news/high-aluminum-found-autism-brain-tissue/

11. http://info.cmsri.org/the-driven-researcher-blog/vaccinated-vs.-unvaccinated-guess-who-is-sicker

- Diana Wingate-Gaiser

Autism Mother and Advocate