I have been reading with great interest and relief, the reports and opinions on the medical journal Lancet retracting their statements that there is a link between vaccines and autism.
I have very stong opinions on this and felt that the appropriate place to share them was here on my blog. No, it's not about sewing, but I am a mother of a child with autism.
My only son Henry, was born after 3 sisters. He is a wonderful little boy and will turn 4 next week. Since his diagnosis, I have read so many books and articles and information on autism. I have a nephew on the spectrum and personally know very well at least 10 young boys on the spectrum. I had an idea very early on that Henry was "different". He reminded me of some of these boys I knew.
Henry was "different" from the moment he was born. His birth was different. He was my only scheduled induction. While I was administered pitocin to induce labor with my daughters, signs of labor had started. Henry was scheduled and induced due to my gestational diabetes and the doctors' and my anxiousness. Henry had heart decelerations right before his exteremely fast delivery. He didn't breathe and needed oxygen. He responded well, but was still gagging on amniotic fluid hours later.
He wouldn't nurse. He wouldn't suck. Nurses helped me but noone seemed as concerned as I was. He only fed once before we were discharged. We had to teach to him to open and close his mouth. And he cried! Oh he cried alot.
Hearing these things may make someone think was he disabled? No, he actually seemed pretty normal. And all babies are different. But my gut knew something was very different.
When he was a slow crawler and walker and talker people told me it was because he was a boy. But it didn't make sense because my 3 girls were so different. I had a girl who walked at 14`months and a girl who walked at 11 months. But Henry was 16 months!
I had a daughter with a speech delay but at least she tried to speak. Henry would just scream. He had only a few words and lost them. My sister suggested I teach him to sign and this opened a whole new world for him. I can't sing the praises of the "Signing Time" videos enough. To calm himself he would sit and sign the alphabet over and over.
I thought some of the delay and emotional meltdowns was because my husband left for Army training for 2 months followed by a 15 month deployment. That may have been part of it. But it didn't explain the "difference" I had seen from birth to 18 months. There was "difference" long before he received these infamous and controversial vaccines.
So Henry started receiving Early Intervention from the state at age 2. Speech therapy, occupational therapy and special education in our home. After about 4 months, the developmental pediatrician diagnosed him with high functioning autism. A few months later after weeks of child studies alone and in a group, the pediatric psychiatrist confirmed the diagnosis. Henry started to receive daily skills training until his 3rd birthday when he started attending special education preschool every day.
My sweet little boy has come along way. In 2 years of treatment, he has tested out of speech therabpy and is considered a speech model in hi SPED class. Socially he has also made leaps and bounds. He used to never acknowledge other children. Babies didn't exist, visitors were like pieces of furniture. This week he wrote his own Valentine card to a girl in his class.
So what makes me angry? Hearing celebrities like Jenny McCarthy going on and on about how her son is "cured" of austim. That vaccines caused it and special diets cured it. Talk shows and news reports and masses of people who believe in this. Strangers who have told me I shouldn't have immunized my kids. Time and money spent and wasted on this theory that was never proven. Time and money that could have been spent on finding a real reason why so many children have autism. But more importantly, spending that time and money to treat these children.
Vaccines did not give Henry autsim. I am not positive why Henry has autism. My belief is that there is a genetic component that may be triggered by environmental issues. My nephew had a similar birth to Henry. But not all induced babies have autsim. I would like more research into the genetic causes and environmental factors. Could it be in the things we eat and harmful waves from our many electronics? I don't know, but I want someone to find out.
And I want every family to be able to receive early detection, diagnosis, intervention and therapy. I believe the earlier the better.
It is important to remember that it is Autsim Spectrum Disorder. It is a spectrum. I first thought of a spectrum like a line and a person fell somewhere on a line of severity. Well, a spectrum is like a rainbow, with unlimited number of hues and values. If you have met one person with autism, then you have met one person with autism. No 2 people with austim will have the exact challenges and behaviors.
So how is Henry doing? Well, we are having a frustrating backslide right now. He was doing sensational before Christmas but things have fallen apart a bit and I'm looking into more options for him. His speech is still great and socially he is very loving and warm with his family and friends. He has gone back to previous troubling behaviors. More meltdowns, less eye contact, more posturing, more self stimulating, less focusing, more overstimulated. And his sleeping schedule is as horrible as it's been since he was born.
I have high hopes for him and so much faith. He has taken his obsession with letters and can read books and paragraphs. he loves to spell and write. His SPED teachers are constantly amazed with his abilities as he is far above a preschool academic level. he also loves shapes ad numbers and has a fantastic memory and the cutest sense of humor. We hope he will be potty trained soon but that has slid back as well.
Hallelujah that we may see this vaccination/autism thing put to rest. Let's hear a regular person get the airtime like these crazy celebrities with money, and talk about the real issues we should focus on and the real help these families and children need. Programs to help high functioning individuals get jobs and work in society. To not be considered disabled but to see their differences and needs and help them. To strike any myths that autism isn't real and is an excuse for poor parenting.
My little boy is special. Anyone who spends time with can see that he is a little quirky and some see that he definitely has extra special needs and challenges. But everyone sees he has a special spirit and is blessed with wonderful gifts and talents. And we are so blessed to have him in our family. I am a very lucky mom and I know that God must really love me and trust me to have sent Henry Boy to be in my care on earth.
