Chelation

I posted the following on Kevin Leitch's blog in response to his post, Chelation Death: The Coroner Speaks (subtitled: Look Before You Leap) which I find very interesting:

Chelation is indeed a largely untested treatment, but look at all the deaths from vaccinations. Whether you believe in the vaccine-autism nexus or not- from the MMR virus or from the thimerosal, it is true that every year over 100 children are seemingly killed by vaccines in the U.S- I use seemingly because there is dissent on whether the deaths were a coincidence. Only one has been killed by chelation. However, I do see that the number of people that have been chelated is very small compared to those who have been vaccinated. Yet, there are many individual cases where an Autistic has apparently improved as a result of chelation or became Autistic as a result of vaccines, which incidently had mercury in them. It is something that should be further looked into still.

If those children who seemed to become Autistic after vaccines had tragically died instead, no doubt the thimerosal would be taken out. If Autism was a fatal disorder, no doubt chelation would be tried. But Autism luckily isn't fatal, and so we must decide if individual incidents merit an argument that Autism is caused by vaccines or that chelation works.

How much are people willing to give in hopes of curing their Autistic child? If their child is hurt by it, there is no doubt that the parents will suffer greatly as well. If, knowing that a child has died because of chelation and that there is no solid proof that vaccines cause Autism, they chelate their child, I think that it is their personal choice and not ours to influence.

We don't know what is right or wrong. Despite the hoards of different opinions, we can safely say that there is no commonly accepted cause or treatment for Autism. I believe that we must take an unbiased yet cautious stand on these issues.

Please do forgive me if I do not offer adequate support or do not understand what you would like to imply, but I am a child, though a sibling of an Autistic who is deeply concerned about such issues.

Note that I got the more then 100 children seemingly die from vaccines every year from http://www.whale.to/vaccines/deaths.html which says “Officially, as compensated by the NVICP over 100 children are killed every year by vaccines in the US.”

On a different note, things are going pretty well here. My brother has gotten another new therapist and is improving very well academically. We are also planning to put him in a playgroup in hopes of encouraging some better social skills. He enjoyed the holidays too (I just got water-gunned by my brother, who recieved the watergun, among other gifts for the holidays).

A late happy holidays and a happy new year!

As Usual

Things are as usual around here. Nothing too new, except for that my brother now occasionally has homework. That may sound silly, but he hasn't had homework in several years. He's doing a good job with the homework, doing it with his therapists. Several years ago, however trivial the homework it usually consisted of him ripping up the paper and scribbling over it.

Progress certainly comes. I just wish it came quicker, and I just can't wait.

A story of a boy recovering:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/13/CMGI7F9T5N1.DTL&type=health

There are plenty of stories about children who don't make as much progress, regardless of the time and effort their parents invest. Some experts warn that it's impossible to extrapolate from Humza's experience -- that the conglomeration of treatments he received wouldn't necessarily work for other children, or that he might have gotten better without them. And yet, there he is, a kid who once didn't answer to his name but who recently told his mother that he is like both Bill Gates and Lance Armstrong. "I'm like Bill Gates,'' Sara Iqbal said he told her, "because I'm smart, and I'm like Lance Armstrong because I had a disease and I got better."

Why? Why do some Autistics improve quicker? Will we ever know why? Will we ever live to see those answers, see a world with a cure for Autism?

Doing well

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in such a long time. But I have been extremly busy this week.

My brother's doing well though. I haven't had much time to check up on what he's learning but hopefully my workload will be lessened soon.

My other site, Autism and Related Disorders, is temporarily down.

In the meantime, please take the time to search for news on Autism.

ABC News "Nightline" to Present "A Place in the World"

A Bit Unfair

One of the things about having an Autistic is simply this- not getting enough attention. I want to take some classes, go some places like the library regularly, but my brother just gets more attention. He gets therapy, one on one (which means one student to one teacher), and generally more attention, and stuff like boy scouts, where my parents always go along. And my academic accomplishments are usually not noted so much. However, I know that he needs that extra attetion. I know it'll be worth it. For those of you who are siblings of Autistics, remember that. And remember you're not alone.

This story, A Family Thrives in the Shadow of Autism, is something to remind us of what needs to be done. For some of us, like me, it luckily reminds us that we have it pretty good. Unfortunatly, for some others, it reminds us how badly we want it better. We tell ourselves that there's ways where Autism can be a blessing, but it is so often a shattered dream.

Dreams
by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

(from http://www.favoritepoem.org/poems/hughes/dreams.html)

I was too young to have dreams for my brother when he was born, but my first ones for him was, as because of his early interest trying to make lightbulbs work, was to have him "invent air energy," that is, I guess, energy that can be used anywhere as long as there's air. I'll hold on to that dream.

Some people think that all Autistics have amazing abilities, especially in math, science, and computer science, but those are probably the things my brother is worst at. I'm afraid that for him, to accomplish what I dreamed he would, he won't do it while he's Autistic. I want the cure.

Doing Well

My brother's been doing well even though school is currently quite useless since the staff are constantly changing and he also often has substitutes. However, therapy at home has been going well and we recently had a meeting to discuss his progress. Boy Scouts has been good; they had a hike, though he likes to touch people and hug them, which is quite a problem.

If you have heard that Autistics cannot stand touch, this is certainly true for some Autistics, but it is also common for the opposite to occur. Deep pressure sometimes helps sooth Autistics. Temple Grandin created such a squeeze machine for this. Temple Grandin's site is: http://grandin.com/

Busy, busy as usual...

Different Views

       It is difficult to express what I feel about Autism. Many people simple wish for a cure, but that's not what I want. Though many people say that Autism is not part of a person, there are many others who say it is. I agree. It's not that devastating. What I would like for Autistics is a cure for what makes them socially unaceptable for the "normal" people, however hard those "normal" people try to understand them. There is nothing wrong with things like lack of eye contact, in my opinion. Some tolerance would do society well. There are plenty of societies that consider eye contact disrespectful, though where I live it is expected. This reminds of a song:

From Disney's Motion Picture "Pocahontas"
Vocal: Pocahontas (Judy Kuhn)
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz

You think I'm an ignorant savage
And you've been so many places, I guess it must be so
But still I cannot see, if the savage one is me
How can there be so much that you don't know?

You don't know...

You think you own whatever land you land on
The earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or ask the grinning bob cat why he grinned
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once never wonder what they're worth

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle in a hoop that never ends

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or let the eagle tell you where hes been
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountian
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind

How high does that sycamore grow
If you cut it down then you'll never know
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need sing with all the voices of the mountain
We need paint with all the colours of the wind

You can own the earth and still
All you'll own is earth until
You can paint with all the colours of the wind

       In some ways, all that is needed for tolerance. Autistics.org is one such site who believes this. I believe it is not enough, but it is necessary.
       Please do not be offended by my posts or any links. I do not agree with many of these sites. Just search for Autism on a search engine. You will never see sites that endorse the exact same thing. Though many people ask "What is Autism?" none of us know. Even for Autistics themselves, they will not know wholly. Though we can always stand in someones's shadow, we will never stand in someone else's body. Please comment as you wish, even flame, though please keep out profanity, or else my own blog will be blocked by my security software. After all, we can't be stubborn on our views about something we don't really know about.

Busy...Busy...Busy...

       The school year's progressing, and I'm getting busier. Now I'll just have to try to post at least two times a week only. Please though, spread the world about Autism, keep learning about it, and have a good life!
       My brother's having another Cub Scout meeting today. For those of you that know about Cub Scouts, he's going to try to get his Bobcat badge, which is the first badge. Last meeting was pretty good and he had fun. Hopefully today will be fine as well.