What if it was? Sometimes I've felt as if people believe it already is.
I know that as a parent of a child with Autism I've felt the chill from other parents when I tell them my son has autism. I know many other parents of children with Autism have been ostracized at one point or another. Like the Scarlett Letter. A. Not adultery this time. This time - A for Autism.
During my son's diagnosis process I had "friends" treat me as if my son had just infected the most horrendous case of cooties that was ready to jump and attack their perfect precious child and give them Autism just by being in the same room. I was effectively removed and my son was kicked out from the weekly playgroup we attended because "my son couldn't talk". He wasn't a behavioral disruption, he was one of the only children who was actually potty trained, and he was a quiet bright little boy who was already reading at the age of two. But because he couldn't carry on a conversation or respond verbally on a consistent basis with the other kids the mothers said they didn't want him there -"because he couldn't talk" they said. C'mon - At least own up Mean Girls. It was because he had Autism and you didn't want that 'ugliness' invading your beautiful world. This was ignorance - and that is ugly - not my son nor the fact that he has Autism. I moved on to other friends.
Ironically I've come up against some of the same ill feeling whereas it pertains to the vaccination issue. As if my child not receiving a certain shot is going to be the end of the world and lead to epidemic that gets spread fast and furious - a contagious and infectious disease taking over our nation. And to hear this (uneducated?) response from our future president. I have a few words...
Obama.... Wake up and smell the coffee.
We already have an epidemic. And it isn't contagious. Instead it is a 'mystery' how it is spreading and taking our children one by one. Many of us feel (and know) that it is linked to vaccines. It is called Autism and it affects 1 in 150 children, or 1 in 64 households. In NJ - 1 in 94 children. In Brick township where I live it is more like 1 on every block. My "block" (neighborhood) happens to have at least 6 (that I know of) that are within approximately 1/2 mile radius of where I live. That doesn't even count any of the kids with ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, mental health issues, or immune system disorders like allergies, asthma, or eczema. What household isn't already affected in some way?
Obama is worried about people not vaccinating and a contagious disease causing a dreadful epidemic. What about Autism? What about looking at what we are doing to our children's immune systems with all these vaccines. The epidemic is here and now. Growing day by day and hour by hour.
U.S.A.
The United States of Autism
Not now, but probably some day. Sooner than later.
READING LIST
Part 1:The Obama-Corzine Parent Vaccine Rally in Middletown, NJ 9-5-08 by Louise Kuo Habakus
Part 2: The Obama-Corzine Parent Vaccine Rally in Middletown, NJ - 9-5-08 by Claudine Liss
Age of Autism Series
Obama: "I am not for selective vaccination." by Claudine Liss
NJ Obama Corzine Autism Vaccine Rally by Louise Kuo Habakus
Is Obama Pro-Choice? And What if Autism Were Contagious? by Kim Stagliano
Alaska Autism Mom to Barack Obama: Will You Listen By Jill Nordtvedt Lenhard
YouTube:
Obama-Corzine Parent Vaccine Rally in Middletown, NJ by Louise Kuo Habakus
Speaking to Gov. Corzine about vaccine mandates - What Corzine had to say when he got out of his car and spoke to rallyers and specifically to Louise Kuo Habakus.
Our Vaccination Choice Story - Why we need this by me!
Important Links:
NJ Coalition for Vaccination Choice website
NJ Coalition for Vaccination Choice Blog
NJVaccinationSupport YahooGroup
nonjvaccmandates YahooGroup
Also - important for those planning to attend the Rally in Trenton - previously scheduled for September 18th - it is going to be rescheduled date TBD.
4 comments:
Wow, MT - this was so great, so well written and so much info!
I'm so proud of you for being such an advocate, for educating yourself, and for standing up for what you believe.
I'm glad to be your friend and to know Alex.
Yours is the second blog in as many days that has mentioned being stigmatized by "friends" because of a child's autism. It makes me sick to my stomach the way some people react to kids who are "different."
Also, I agree about there being a choice in vaccination. I would need to do more research to be at all knowledgeable on the topic, but don't we have treatments for most of those diseases now? So wouldn't that mean the chances of an epidemic are nil? It angered me when I found out my son was given the chicken pox vaccine and I didn't even realize. I swear the doctor didn't say. Since when is the chicken pox a serious disease? Isn't it just better to get them than to be exposed to those chemicals?
Along with your list of disorders possibly caused by vaccines, I would add Sensory Processing Disorder, which seems to affect far more kids than most experts will admit. OK, I could go on and on about your post, but I'll stop here. Thanks for all the information. I plan to do more research.
excellent post, thanks for sharing!
Hey MT I viewed your pics with the interesting captions. Nicely done. Your area of NJ seems similar to Orange County here in CA, which is where TACA started.
Living in the city and not really having a life outside of the boys when they were younger meant no friends. I was employed and went to NJ and then back and had a kid so nothing in common with everyone.
I think since whatever we did was associated with an autism event or group so there was never any issues with other parents, except that support group that allowed the one Mother to talk every week about stuff not related to autism and then would only let me talk on one kid, yet they got $45 each week from regional center for each kid, so that irked me and I complained and stopped going there. Actually now I recall the facilitator saying that my son had to be toilet trained, this after the fact. The kids were in one room with SLP and OT college students doing activities while parents in next room with facilitator. I told her off about the toilet training and that she needed to be more understanding that my son had severe autism. We stopped going since I did not like the people that led the group, too snooty,funny that they were all needing meds to deal with their one child on the spectrum and I never took any for two kids on spectrum doing it all myself, no family nobody.
I never had the time to look into vaccinations and my kids are 12 and 13, too busy dealing with puberty to go back. I really do belive it is in the genes
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