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Autism

What is autism?

Prevalence of autism

Costs of autism

Symptoms of autism

Vaccines - the primary cause of autism

Other causes of autism / risk factors for autism

Study shows autism can be eliminated

Prevention / remedies / cures / treatment for autism

References

What is autism?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of three neural developmental disabilities. The three disorders are: autism, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder.

Autism affects both the brain and body of young children. These children exhibit impaired social interaction; impaired verbal and non-verbal communication; and restricted, repetitive or stereotyped behaviour. The symptoms become apparent before a child is three years old.

How autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize is not well understood.

Prevalence of autism

Autism in the USA has increased 27,000% in the last 50 years. Fifty years ago it was a medical rarity, with only one in ten thousand children diagnosed with it. In 2012 autism affectsed about 0.1-0.2% of all children worldwide. In the USA ten times as many children are affected, at about 2% (up from 1% in 2007). (3, 4, 5) Boys are diagnosed with ASD about four times more than girls. (8)

In 2024 in California, 4.6% of all children were autistic. Autism affects boys more than girls, and 7% of boys there are autistic. Autism also affects black and Hispanic children more, meaning that 8% of black and Hispanic boys in California were diagnosed as autistic. (26, 27, 28)

Children in the USA are required to take 84 vaccines.

In California, children cannot attend school unless they are fully vaccinated. Often, the first (oldest) child is diagnosed as autistic. The parents have a suspicion that the autism appeared after a vaccination, because the child's developmental milestones were normal until then. The parents decide not to comply with any further vaccinations, and have the choice of home schooling or migrating to another state. Many choose to leave California, so lessening the costs on California, and imposing these costs on the state they migrate to. This also distorts the statistics, making California look better than it is.

Costs of autism

In 2015 autism cost the USA $265 billion, and in 2024 it was in excess of $300 billion. The costs of treating autism are greater than the costs of treating cancer, heart disease and strokes combined. (26)

The costs of autism are horrific, partly unacknowledged, rapidly increasing, and could lead to the end of the Western world in a decade. Autism in America today is a major contributor to poverty and inequality. (28)

When a child is diagnosed as severely autistic, a parent, usually the mother, leaves the workforce to become a full-time caregiver for the autistic child.

Autism is often a lifelong condition incurring significant costs at all ages. Autistic children impose enormous costs on their parents and family with medical costs, special and additional education costs, and high risk of being unemployed or in sheltered employment. When the parents are no longer able to look after the autistic person, there are additional costs to the government having to provide housing and care for autistic people.

A fiscal cliff is looming as autistic people born in the 1970's and 1980's lose their parent's care and revert to being in the care of the state (or homeless). Governments around the world have not budgeted for this massive looming expense that will be bigger than the defence budget in the USA within a decade if the current (2024) trends continue. (26, 28)

Symptoms of autism

Symptoms are highly variable with each individual child. Parents often notice the first signs at around six months, and usually before the age of two. The signs usually develop gradually, but some autistic children first develop more normally and then regress. Symptoms may continue through to adulthood, but usually in a more muted form.

Vaccines - the primary cause of autism

Dr Toby Rogers (PhD University of Sydney, Australia) says that up to 88% of childhood autism cases are caused by vaccinations. Toxins in the air, water, environment, food, radiation and other causes are generally less responsible for the massive increase in autism in the last half century. (26, 27, 28)

Dr Rogers refers to the Danish government's Guinea-Bissau vaccination database that contains details of over 200,000 people over forty years. Peter Aaby and Christine Stabell Benn are two prominent researchers who have made significant contributions to the field of global health, particularly in Guinea-Bissau using the Danish government database. Between them they have over 500 research projects and publications.

Classes of vaccines:

  1. Attenuated Live Virus Vaccines: These vaccines contain a weakened form of the virus or bacteria that causes a disease. They are very effective at triggering a strong immune response, but they are not suitable for people with weak immune systems. They also have the risk that they can morph into neutrality or virulence, such as when an oral polio vaccine re-introduces polio into a population. Examples of these vaccines include the measles (single shot), chickenpox, BCG (tuberculosis), mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines.
  2. Inactivated Vaccines: These vaccines contain a killed or inactive form of a virus or bacteria that causes a disease. They are generally safe for people with weak immune systems, but they may require multiple doses or booster shots to provide long-lasting immunity. Examples include the injected polio vaccine and the flu shot.
  3. Subunit, Recombinant, Polysaccharide and Conjugate Vaccines: These vaccines use specific parts of a virus or bacteria, such as proteins or sugars, to trigger an immune response. They are used in people with weakened immune systems. Examples include the hepatitis B, HPV and pneumococcal vaccines.
  4. Toxoid Vaccines: These vaccines use the toxins produced by bacteria to cause disease. These toxins are treated to make them harmless but still trigger an immune response. Examples include tetanus and diphtheria vaccines.
  5. Viral Vector Vaccines: These vaccines use a harmless virus to deliver genetic material from the virus or bacteria that causes a disease into cells in the body. The cells then produce proteins from the virus or bacteria, which trigger an immune response. Examples include the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Multi-antigen vaccines deliver several different antigens in a single injection. They are a common form of vaccination today, with vaccines given to infants targeting several different diseases.

Adjuvants are substances that shock the immune system into responding to harmless antigens in the vaccine. Mercury and other heavy metals are used as adjuvants, and also aluminium, formaldehyde and nickel. The human body has evolved to handle toxins introduced on the skin, or in the air, or in food. They are recognised as foreign, and there are means to excrete them. However, if the adjutant is injected into the body it is not recognised as a foreign toxin entering the body through the skin, lungs or digestive system. Some individuals have a physiology which is unable to excrete these toxins properly. Thiomersal (Thimerosal) is an organomercury compound frequently added to vaccines as both a shock agent and a preservative. The accumulation of mercury is directly responsible for autism, and it probably the most important cause of the huge increase in autism around the world in the last five decades.

The pharmaceutical industry would love to discover genetic causes for autism (and every other disease) because this could lead to a specific, targeted and patentable form of treatment. In spite of billions of dollars being spent on genetic research, no genetic causes of autism have been found.

Other causes of autism / risk factors for autism

Study shows autism can be eliminated

The authors of a small study published in 2024 claim that severe autism can be reversed and symptoms can be reduced or eliminated if a child is treated regularly from a young age. (24)

The two year study examined two twin girls in the United States who were diagnosed with autism at 20 months. After two years both girls showed dramatic improvements. They got much better at talking, making eye contact, and playing with others. Other autism symptoms became much less severe.

Study author Dr Chris D'Adamo from the University of Maryland, said that one of the girls' symptoms was "reversed to the point of being indistinguishable from children who had never had a history of autism symptoms."

One of the girls, named Twin P, saw her score on the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist drop from 43 out of 180 in March 2022 to 4 by October 2023. The other girl, known as Twin L, saw a reduction in her score from 76 to 32 over the same period. The anonymous parents wrote: "Through this approach, we have witnessed the radical recovery of one daughter - who presents today as a joyful, engaging, spirited, extremely bright four-year-old."

At the start of the study, the twins were put on a diet with zero ultra-processed foods that was also strictly gluten-free. They were given daily vitamin and mineral supplements including vitamins B3, B12, C and D, and omega-3 fatty acids.

The girls also underwent behavioural, body movement and speech therapy designed to help them thrive and flourish. The girls went to play groups and later to preschool to ensure experience being around other children. Their parents improved the air quality in their homes. All these different interventions, chosen specially for each girl's needs, helped significantly reduce or eliminate their autism symptoms over the two years.

Prevention / remedies / cures / treatment for autism

References

1. John Cannell. Vitamin D Council.

2. William B. Grant. Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center (SUNARC), PO Box 641603, San Francisco, CA, 94164-1603 USA.

3. Rutter M. Incidence of autism spectrum disorders: changes over time and their meaning. Acta Paediatr. 2005;94(1):2-15. doi:10.1111. PMID 15858952.

4. Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders - autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 14 sites, United States, 2008. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2012;61(3):1-19. PMID 22456193.

5. Stephen J. Blumberg, et al. Changes in Prevalence of Parent-reported Autism Spectrum Disorder in School-aged U.S. Children: 2007 to 2011-2012. National Health Statistics Reports. March 2013;(65).

6. Geschwind DH. Advances in autism. Annu Rev Med. 2009;60:367-80. doi:10.1146/annurev.med.60.053107.121225. PMID 19630577.

7. Fournier KA, Hass CJ, Naik SK, Lodha N, Cauraugh JH. Motor coordination in autism spectrum disorders: a synthesis and meta-analysis. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010. doi:10.1007/s10803-010-0981-3. PMID 20195737.

8. Newschaffer CJ, Croen LA, Daniels J et al. The epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders. Annu Rev Public Health. 2007;28:235-58. doi:10.1146/annurev.publhealth.28.021406.144007. PMID 17367287.

9. Gardener H, Spiegelman D, Buka SL. Prenatal risk factors for autism: comprehensive meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry. 2009;195(1):7-14. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.108.051672. PMID 19567888.

10. Dae-Wook Kang, Jin Gyoon Park, Zehra Esra Ilhan, Garrick Wallstrom, Joshua LaBaer, James B. Adams, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown. Reduced Incidence of Prevotella and Other Fermenters in Intestinal Microflora of Autistic Children. 3 July 2013. PLoS ONE 8(7): e68322. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068322.

11. Hedi Orbach, Nancy Agmon-Levin, Gisele Zandman-Goddard. Vaccines and Autoimmune Diseases of the Adult. Discovery Medicine, published online 4 February 2010.

12. Gloria B. Choi, Yeong S. Yim, Helen Wong, Sangdoo Kim, Hyunju Kim, Sangwon V. Kim, Charles A. Hoeffer, Dan R. Littman, Jun R. Huh. The maternal interleukin-17a pathway in mice promotes autismlike phenotypes in offspring. Science. Published online 28 Jan 2016. DOI: 10.1126/science.aad0314.

13. The 2016 film Man Made Epidemic provides compelling evidence that MMR and other vaccines applied to an infant too early, or a child who is not in excellent health, can result in autism with dreadful consequences for the life of that child, for its family, and for society.
Filmmaker Natalie Beer sets off on a journey around the world speaking to leading doctors, scientists and families to find out the truth about the autism epidemic and whether or not vaccines have a role to play. The movie explores the common misconception that autism is solely genetic and looks into scientists concerns over recent years about environmental factors such as medication and pesticides which continue to leave our children with physical and neurological damage.

14. A A E Vinkhuyzen, D W Eyles, T H J Burne, L M E Blanken, C J Kruithof, F Verhulst, V W Jaddoe, H Tiemeier, J J McGrath. Gestational vitamin D deficiency and autism-related traits: the Generation R Study. Molecular Psychiatry; advance online publication 29 November 2016; doi: 10.1038/mp.2016.213.

15. Anny H. Xiang, Xinhui Wang, Mayra P. Martinez, Kathleen Page, Thomas A. Buchanan, R. Klara Feldman. Maternal Type 1 Diabetes and Risk of Autism in Offspring. JAMA. Published online June 23, 2018. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.7614.

16. Abdelhamid AS, Brown TJ, Brainard JS, Biswas P, Thorpe GC, Moore HJ, Deane KHO, AlAbdulghafoor FK, Summerbell CD, Worthington HV, Song F, Hooper L. Omega-3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 18 July 2018. Issue 7. Art. No.: CD003177. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003177.pub3.

17. Daniel R. Morales,Jim Slattery,Stephen Evans, Xavier Kurz. Antidepressant use during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: systematic review of observational studies and methodological considerations. BMC Med. 2018; 16: 6. Published online 15 January 2018. doi: 10.1186/s12916-017-0993-3.

18. Rebecca A. Harrington, Li-Ching Lee, Rosa M. Crum, Andrew W. Zimmerman, Irva Hertz-Picciotto. Prenatal SSRI Use and Offspring With Autism Spectrum Disorder or Developmental Delay. Pediatrics May 2014, VOLUME 133 / ISSUE 5.

19. Eyles, Darryl W., Trzaskowski, Maciej, Vinkhuyzen, Anna A. E., Mattheisen, Manuel, Meier, Sandra, Gooch, Helen, Anggono, Victor, Cui, Xiaoying, Tan, Men Chee, Burne, Thomas H. J., Jang, Se Eun, Kvaskoff, David, Hougaard, David M., Norgaard-Pedersen, Bent, Cohen, Arieh, Agerbo, Esben, Pedersen, Carsten B., Borglum, Anders D., Mors, Ole, Sah, Pankaj, Wray, Naomi R., Mortensen, Preben B. and McGrath, John J. The association between neonatal vitamin D status and risk of schizophrenia. Scientific Reports, 8 1: 17692. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-35418-z.

20. Dae-Wook Kang, James B. Adams, Devon M. Coleman, Elena L. Pollard, Juan Maldonado, Sharon McDonough-Means, J. Gregory Caporaso & Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown. Long-term benefit of Microbiota Transfer Therapy on autism symptoms and gut microbiota. Scientific Reports 9, Article number: 5821 (2019). Published online 09 April 2019.

21. Gil Sharon, Nikki Jamie Cruz, Dae-Wook Kang, Daniel H. Geschwind, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, Sarkis K. Mazmanian. Human Gut Microbiota from Autism Spectrum Disorder Promote Behavioral Symptoms in Mice. Cell 177, 1600-1618. 30 May 2019.

22. Juliana Andrea Ponton, Kim Smyth, Elias Soumbasis, Sergio Andres Llanos, Mark Lewis, Wilhelm August Meerholz, Robert Lawrence Tanguay. A pediatric patient with autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy using cannabinoid extracts as complementary therapy: a case report. J Med Case Reports 14, 162 (2020). doi.org/10.1186/s13256-020-02478-7. Published 22 September 2020.

23. Marc Girardot. Bolus Theory. See Dr John Campbell's interview of Marc Girardot

24. D'Adamo Christopher R, Josephine L Nelson, Sara N Miller, Maria Rickert Hong, Elizabeth Lambert, Heather Tallman Ruhm. Reversal of Autism Symptoms among Dizygotic Twins through a Personalized Lifestyle and Environmental Modification Approach: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. 2024, Journal of Personalized Medicine 14, no. 6: 641. doi.org/10.3390/jpm14060641.

25. Woody R. McGinnis, Tapan Audhya, William J. Walsh, James A. Jackson, John McLaren-Howard, Allen Lewis, Peter H. Lauda, Douglas M. Bibus, Frances Jurnak, Roman Lietha, Abram Hoffer. Discerning the Mauve Factor, Part 1. Alternative Therapies, Mar/apr 2008, VOL. 14, NO. 2.

26. Bret Weinstein speaks with Dr. Toby Rogers on the subject of the economics of autism. Unsafe at Any Speed: Dr. Toby Rogers on DarkHorse. 19 January 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQfIo75KHII

27. Mark Blaxill, Toby Rogers, Cynthia Nevison. Autism Tsunami: The Impact of Rising Prevalence on the Societal Cost of Autism in the United States. Science, Public Health Policy, and the Law. Volume 4: 227-256, December 2023. Clinical and Translational Research.

28. Toby Rogers. Doctoral thesis, The Political Economy of Autism explores the regulatory history of five classes of toxicants that increase autism risk. Rogers shows that the public health problem of autism actually starts with the political economy problem of regulatory capture. childrenshealthdefense.org