Editorial #166: Observation #7

Autism Politico observes that the number 166 used to be a figure that was important in the autism community. In other words, not too long ago, one in 166 people had an autism spectrum disorder.

Now that number is 1 in 150 or lower, depending which agency is reporting the figures.

Does it matter?

The fact is, more and more people are being identified as being special people, and now they will be better able to get the accommodations they need.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #165: Hyperbaric Hazard

Autism Politico is always cheerful when another article comes out dissing quack therapies. Now comes another, entitled “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Clinics a Hazard.”

There are two paragraphs in the article which are of particular importance:

The therapy, in which patients breathe in 100% oxygen in a pressurized tank, is covered by provincial health systems to treat 13 specific conditions for which the treatment has been deemed beneficial by the international Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS). Those 13, often rare, approved conditions are: air or gas embolisms, decompression sickness, gas gangrene, carbon monoxide poisoning, acute trauma that causes blood flow to be reduced or cut off (such as with frostbite or crush injury), foot ulcers and other wounds related to diabetes, exceptional blood loss, intracranial abscess, necrotizing soft tissue infections, bone infection, delayed radiation injury, thermal burns and poorly healing skin grafts and flaps.

But unencumbered by the same rules as public facilities, the private clinics are also offering pressurized oxygen to those with non-indicated conditions such as Parkinson disease, autism and even HIV/AIDS.

The article then goes on to say that the people running many of these private chambers are businessmen, not medical professionals. It touches on the deaths of a few patients who were treated in the chambers and also of side effects.

The important thing to remember is that if there was a cure for autism, everyone would have heard of it, and everyone who wanted it would be using it. But there is no cure for autism, nor has there been any treatment which has been proven to work longitudinally.

Of course, none of us who are writing here at Autism Politico are licensed medical professionals. Talk to your doctor. But please make sure that the doctor you talk to is certified under the medical boards appropriate for your country.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #164: Observation #6

Autism Politico observes that there was a study a while back that concluded:

“Violent Television Viewing During Preschool Is Associated With Antisocial Behavior During School Age”

Could it be that violent television programs are causing autism? After all, in the minds of anti-vaxers, autism is anti-social behavior encapsulated.

Oddly, even though we have a study published by Pediatrics which says there is a definite causal link between violent television viewing and anti-social behavior, we don’t hear anything about anti-vaxers screaming to the world that it’s time for kids to quit watching violent shows on TV.

Heck, many times we read on some anti-vaxers’ Facebook pages that their kids are watching some violent TV show as mom or dad social network’s.

Amazing, isn’t it? Here anti-vaxers can take a solid step to prevent autism in their kids, and they are spending time raving about mercury causing autism, which no study has proven yet. They may subject their kids to chelation therapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, gluten-free diets, faith healers, coffee enemas. But some of them won’t switch off their TV sets will they?

Of course, no study has proven that violent TV viewing causes autism, but still, why will anti-vaxers believe something which no study can prove, and not take action on something which studies have already proven to be true? That’s Autism Politico’s observation of their behavior anyway.

The abstract of the study concludes:

“CONCLUSIONS. Viewing of violent programming by preschool boys is associated with subsequent aggressive behavior. Modifying the content that is viewed by young children may be warranted.”

Come on anti-vaxers! Why the hypocrisy?

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #163: A Failure to Communicate

Autism Politico would like to thank all of those who participated in the November 1st Communication Shutdown. A lot of good and worthy autism organizations benefited from the event.

Typically, ASAN and AWN, two oppositional autistic militant organizations who most autistics do not care about, made some miniscule and pathetic noise to the effect that people should NOT participate in the Shutdown.

We all know that these two organizations are far removed from what autistics want. So it was good that the majority of the people in the world turned a deaf ear on ASAN and AWN so that the communications from these two organizations could not be heard.

Thanks ASAN and AWN. You proved the point of the Shutdown, even if you have no idea how you did it.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #162: Bioresonance Quackery

Autism Politico is pleased to read that yet another form of quack medicine has gotten slammed by reputable medical authorities. And this time, someone was even fined.

A general practitioner has been fined S$5,000 and censured by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) for professional misconduct.

Dr Kay Aih Boon Erwin, who practices at the KCS Medical Centre at Blk 515, Bedok North Avenue 2, was found to have failed to treat his patients according to generally accepted methods of treatment.

He used a device called a Bioresonance Machine to treat his patients’ smoking habits, allergies and behavioural issues as a result of autism.

Autism Politico has to admit that it would be an amazing machine if it actually worked. After all, if this machine can do what gluten-free therapies, hyperbaric oxygen therapies, ABA, and other autism treatments that are considered quack can’t, perhaps the machine could cure other things, like cancer, modern-man’s divorce from God, world hunger, etc.

But given that the machine cannot do any of these things, it’s best kept away from the public and stockpiled along with other cure-alls sold off the back of wagons.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #161: Feeling Caged Lately?

Autism Politico has learned that a “teenager with severe autism was given a  ‘cage’ resembling a dog run to play in” by Western Isles Council.

Autism Politico gives the Council praise for expressing its honest view of autistics, although it wishes the council could see autistics as thinking human beings instead of dogs.

The article reads:

But instead of the decking and play equipment they expected, there was a metal pen with a wooden door and bolt.

The “they” referred to in the article were the parents.

The Western Isles Council has apologised to the family and said it had removed the ‘entirely inappropriate’ provision, which it blamed on a mix-up with suppliers.

Sure. And somewhere else in town, a very happy dog is going to be upset when the decking and play equipment he was given is taken away.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #160: Observation #5

Autism Politico observes that anti-vaxers disrespect their own children by giving them no say as to whether or not they may become vaccinated against potential fatal diseases.

This is interesting given that laws exist in some countries which allow children to make their own medical decisions if they are of sound mind and body.

Don’t these parents respect the law?  Don’t these parents want to mentor adherence of the law to their children?  Don’t they want to encourage their children to start thinking for themselves?

Just an observation.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #159: Observation #4

Autism Politico observes that we seldom hear anti-vaxers complaining about the vaccinations their pets are required to have. Is this because anti-vaxers don’t have pets, or because they don’t care what kind of supposedly harmful ingredients are being injected into their pets?

Pets only live so long. Don’t these anti-vaxers notice that dogs and cats that are injected with the rabies vaccine DON’T display any autistic tendencies as time passes? You’d think it would happen instantly, as it supposedly does in humans, or in chimps.

Why aren’t these people subjecting their pets to chelation therapy, or gluten-free therapy, or hyperbaric oxygen therapy? Maybe they love their pets too much to treat them that cruelly. Or maybe they just don’t give a damn about “stupid animals.”

Just an observation.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #158: You Are Being Spied On

Autism Politico is aware that Google has been accused of spying in the UK. If you live in England, it may have your email addresses, or even your passwords.

The company has admitted it downloaded personal data from wireless networks when its fleet of vehicles drove down residential roads taking photographs for its controversial Street View project.

Other countries may have also had their privacy breached.

Isn’t that great?  If you’ve written an email about how much you hate your autistic child, it may have made its way into the hands of Google, and there is always someone who might hack Google to see what your email looks like. Or if your passwords leak out somehow, people could access your accounts and see what you have written.

Or perhaps you were on a forum when Google passed by, and you were chatting about subjecting your kid to some illegal or quack autism therapy.

Good deal.

Although at present, Google is intending to destroy the data, what if they sifted through it and reported what you are doing to your local child welfare agency, or to the police?

Just a few thoughts.

Reply to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #157: New H1N1 Strain

Autism Politico writes these posts banking on the intelligence of its readers. So let’s find out how intelligent you all are. Did you know that there is a new H1N1 strain that causes the flu even in individuals who have been vaccinated against H1N1?

If not, why not? It was reported as early as October 22nd, and maybe even earlier.

The new variants in H1N1 were first detected in Singapore in early 2010 and have now spread throughout New Zealand and Australia, the researchers report.

The variant has yet to become significant, they said. But there have been some cases of people who were vaccinated and becoming infected, and also a few deaths.

H1N1 has ben killing quite a few people in India this year also, Surely you have heard about that?

 No?

Well isn’t that strange!

H1N1 has been responsible for more than 18,000 deaths worldwide, according to the WHO. Many of the deaths have been from pregnant women and young people. The WHO says, though, it will take more than a year after the pandemic ends to figure out the true death toll, which is likely to be significantly higher.

Probably people will become more informed is the anti-vaccine people urge folks not to get vaccinated, Funny how anti-vaxers never volunteer to pay for the funerals of dead unvaccinated people.

Something to remember for later as the death toll starts to rise again, Don’t say Autism Politico doesn’t inform its readers of anything,

Replies to this editorial are welcome.