PBS Newshour: Autism's Causes: How Close Are We to Solving the Puzzle?

It is so crazy to me when we get these normal windows of real discussion on autism causation. I attended the Maine CDC Autism Conference in 2009 and I sat there in the audience next to Harry Tembennis, listening to these discussions that should have been the discussions all along (had not the preservation of the vaccine program necessitated the suppression of science and free expression), and just marveled. Harry kept turning to me and saying, "I can't believe this is a CDC conference!"

That is how watching this episode is. It is like stepping into an alternate universe where science is progressing normally with out the Offits and Mnookins and Oracs and Novella's of the world.

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

I take issue with the statements that there is no research that there is a vaccine link, of course, but note that they are largely qualifying that statement to apply to epidemiology. (The Stony Brook, Heb B autism study finds a link for example, but lets give them a pass on the mis characterization.) Because frankly, I am shocked at the statements on environmental causation by a rep from the Simons Foundation.

They are admitting (as IOM did in their 2004 report) that epidemiology won't find our kids with susceptibility to vaccine regression. But unlike IOM, they are saying in on camera on PBS.

And I am not sure where Dr. Amaral is getting his info on fully vaccinated children having lower autism rates, no such research that I know of exists, but everything else he is saying warms my heart. Worth a phone call to find out from whence he has drawn that opinion.

But again... It is amazing to see earnest researchers coming out of the closet, on camera, to back our belief that our little ones were different and the one size fits all vaccine program did not fit them.

I really pray that this leads to screening BEFORE vaccination to find our little subgroups before they regress. And soon.

Posting Martha Herbert's talk from the Maine CDC Autism conference. He got a standing ovation and the CDC director was in tears when she was done talking.

Maine CDC Autism Conference 2009
Genes and Environment, Developmental and Chronic: An Inclusive Approach to Autism Science, followed by Q&A
Martha Herbert, MD, PhD
Pediatric Neurologist
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School



(I hear Seth Mnookin is already trying to rip her to shreds. It must be hard for him that he joined the Vaccine Program Protection Squad after the glory days. Coming late to the party is not fun. Seth still has time to cut and run though. He can go write another book about baseball or drugs or something he knows a little better.)

PBS Newshour: Robert MacNeil Looks At Autism Prevalance

Another good report from MacNeil on the diversity seen in our kids and showing that the speculation that autism has always been with us is speculation (Grinker) and that those with experience know that what is happening is new.

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

Robert MacNeil Will Be On CNN will be on CNN at 7:50am Tomorrow

Just a heads up.

Robert MacNeil Will Be On CNN will be on CNN at 7:50am Tomorrow, Monday, April 18th

And a reminder that the full series starts tomorrow. We know it will all not be peaches and cream, but the line up looks like PBS is taking this somewhat seriously and having at least a fair hearing on the issues.

Let's see how it goes.

PBS Newshour: Robert MacNeil Shares his Grandson's Story

Our community has been savaged by PBS, so when they announced that they were doing a series on autism for autism awareness month, we didn't know what to expect.

Brian Deer, on another blog, was crowing about the upcoming series, while showing his profound lack of understanding of the subject on which he has spent the last seven year writing.

From my post on his clueless comment from a few days back:

Brian Deer
March 31st, 2011
13:48:59

"Looks like the NAS is getting its shit together. It has taken them long enough, if you ask me. But I’m sure everyone will be glad to see them going out to spread their message. Ditto Bob MacNeil coming back for a PBS series of reports.

If those who believe that there may be environmental causes of developmental disorders turn out to be right, people will look back at this interlude caused by Wakefield, Jenny McCarthy, the Age of Hatred site and so forth with burning outrage.

If there are toxic substances out there doing harm to children (and I recall Tom Insel at NIH pretty much saying that there were too many candidates to know where to start) then there’s not one minute of time and not one cent in public money to be wasted over those lying fools."

Deer must be heartbroken today to see the piece, and realize that the grandson of the esteemed MacNeil was diagnosed by the well respected Harvard pediatric neurologist Tim Buie, with "Lymphoid Nodular Hyperplasia"... which Deer claims does not exist. And to see it all airing on PBS.

I think it is probably a bad day in Pharma town.... watch for yourself:

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

Can't wait to see the rest of the series.

Update: MacNeil/Lehrer discuss autism and the series.



Update:

Adding in Tim Buie's lecture from the Maine CDC autism conference:

Maine CDC Autism Conference 2009
Gastrointestinal and Nutritional Co-Morbidities in Autism, followed by Q&A
Tim Buie, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterologist
LADDERS Program, MassGeneral Hospital for Children
Harvard Medical School



Questions from the Audience