Does autism and dementia come from the chemical ingestion of food, drinks and medication?
No.Autism is a developmental disorder of the brain that is principally genetic and mostly dependent on the age of the parents (particularly the father). Fetuses who have a certain allele of the MET gene are also more prone to autism if the mother is exposed to air pollution (specifically, smog). In a general sense, there are compounds that women may be exposed to that produce developmental defects in children. While there are many known compounds that cause birth defects, none have been linked to autism. That does not preclude the possibility that someone breathes in, ingests, or absorbs something through their skin that might affect development of the fetus and present as autism, but it's clearly not a major contributor. In fact, the top two risk factors in autism are known to be the age and profession of the child's father.Dementia is the result of neural damage in the brain. This could be the result of the formation of plaques (Alzheimer's; which has a genetic component), reduced blood flow (stroke, endocarditis, and other conditions contribute), protein clumps forming between neurons, traumatic brain injury, Huntington's disease, and even simple cell death from age (most common in frontal lobe dementia). There are poisons that cause dementia-like symptoms, and also nutritional deficiencies, medications, and brain tumors -- all of which can be treated. Most importantly, of the many causes of dementia, ingested toxins makes up a very very small fraction of the causes.
Can an autistic person drive a car in the United States?
While I don’t know the exact regulations in the U.S., I’m almost 100% certain that autism does not by default prohibit you from driving.Autism, or as it nowadays more adequately referred to, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is so broad — a spectrum, after all — that there will be people in the spectrum who will never be able to drive (on public roads) safely and others who will make and are excellent drivers. It would be both unfair and unnecessary to prohibit the latter group from driving.However, a potential driver has both the legal and ethical responsibility to make sure they’re fit to drive. If the person with ASD has certain symptoms that may impair driving ability, they should consult with a doctor first.
Did your children take all the vaccinations needed? What was the main side effect observed?
Yes, except for the rotavirus vaccine, as he was being exclusively breastfed and was advised by the child health clinic this one was unnecessary. Some vaccines he had no reaction whatsoever other than a slightly sore looking injection site, but usually he would get a high-ish fever, around 39 degrees Celsius and be less energetic than usual, just wanting to cuddle.The Prevenar vaccine (pneumococcal) for which he required 3 doses was the worst. He would get the fever, but also cry/scream for hours that evening, arching his back in our arms and kicking his legs as if in some sort of severe digestive distress. This happened every time for Prevenar, I was very glad when we completed the course. It would have been good to be forewarned about this. I've heard quite a few kids had a similar reaction to this one.A week after his first MMR dose he became quite unwell, cranky, high fever again and a rash over his chest. This all persisted for about a month i think.If vaccines make your child slightly until for a few days, BE VERY GRATEFUL. It means they are more likely to be seroconverting or creating the antibodies required to fight off the diseases against which they are supposed to protect.I personally feel that those people who say that vaccines are 100% safe and have no side effects are doing a disservice to the people they advise and their worthy goal of increasing the protection of the population through vaccination. Vaccines do have side effects for many and THIS IS GOOD. Mostly they are mild and manageable, if unpleasant, and it MEANS THE VACCINE IS WORKING. They are certainly many orders of magnitude less severe than the symptoms of the diseases they protect against. Parents who expect no side effects are unprepared and more fearful when they occur and can overreact.It probably goes without saying, but my son suffered no longterm side effects from his fairly comprehensive course of immunisations (as per Australian National Immunisation Program) and is a highly energetic, happy and intelligent 2 year old, ahead of all developmental milestones and has just had his first cold, very mild. Other than a 24 hour gastrointestinal virus about 18 months of age, he's never been ill.
Is this the cure for Autism?
I think that this like many other things that have come and gone in the past years is unfortunatly not a cure. People are always claiming that a diet or something is going to cure autism. I work with children with autism and I've never heard about this working. I know 5 years ago when they thought vaccines may be causing autism it was all over the news. I think if it did it would be on the news and all over the place - because a cure for autism would be a big deal. This may be a good treatment for some children but I don't think cure is the right word. (This of course is just my personal opinion and it would never hurt to try a new treatment)