Progress with Autism - Gene Variations

Ruaridh

Good to read this story that gene variations have been identified that may be a cause for Autism. Five years ago my family were DNA tested and the whole story was printed in our local paper the Press and Journal. You can read it here.

From Ruaridh P and J

You may need to magnify to see the whole story.

Since then Ruaridh our youngest has progressed really well and starts at Aboyne Academy after the summer. A combination of pure stubbornness and a thirst for knowledge has brought him from a youngster who had little language and poor social skills up to a confident and bright young child who has achieved more than we ever believed possible when he started Primary School. He has just had his last Primary School report which was excellent and was in his school quiz team where his knowledge of History is tremendous.

Let us hope that these new advances lead to insights into the condition’s underlying biology that could eventually lead to new treatments. There will be no miracle "cure" just hopefully a better understanding of how we can help.

If you want to learn more about Autism please go to the NAS website.

More of my stories on Autism.

My brothers stories on autism.


Biggest autism study identifies gene variations behind condition - Times Online

MMR 'does not trigger reaction'

Now there's a big surprise, imagine that, the MMR jab does not cause Autism, according to this study. All that has been achieved by the scaremongering of Dr Andrew Wakefield has been stress for parents and an increase in measles with the attendant problems this poses.

This is just another waste of money that could have been better spent on researching a proper cure or at least better understanding of the causes of Autism. It could even have been spent on education on Autism. We already know that the MMR jab does not cause autism.

If you really want to find out about autism please have a look here.

Also have a read of read of this story in our local paper from a few years ago about the sort of research we should be looking at.

From Ruaridh P and J

BBC NEWS | Health | MMR 'does not trigger reaction'

Hack Journalist links autism to mothers drinking

Yet another scare story about Alcohol and trying to link it to Autism this time.

This time the Editor has allowed the following headline in the Scotland on Sunday

Expert links autism to mothers drinking

Some hack in the Scotland on Sunday then says

MODERATE drinking during pregnancy could be the hidden cause of thousands of serious childhood disorders including autism, Scotland's leading authority on alcohol and health warned last night.

If we read the article a bit closer we find that apparently

Dr Maggie Watts, vice chairman on alcohol for the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams, fears that even low levels of drinking could be related to a range of behavioural problems in young children, the cause of which has previously been a mystery. Watts, who is also a consultant in public health medicine at NHS Ayrshire and Arran, warned that up to one in 100 Scots children - as many as 9,000 - could be suffering from Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) with symptoms including behavioural and memory difficulties. But she said many could be misdiagnosed as suffering from autism and other neurodevelopmental problems because doctors do not ask mothers about their pregnancy drinking habits when making their diagnosis.

So the hack somehow manages to conclude that these cases are linked to Autism when Dr Watts says specifically that they have been misdiagnosed. How a decent editor has allowed this through and into print is beyond my brain power.

Read the article carefully and you will see that it is not Autism we are talking about but Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) which has nothing to do with Autism. The headline just tries to link Alcohol and Autism together.

As a parent of an autistic spectrum child this type of hack journalism and appalling editorship is to be despised. Next time please try and find out what you are talking about before writing this sort of utter tosh.

Uodate: Of course what is moderate drinking, and also please read this story by the Devils Kitchen which will make you think a little before believing the next "Health Warning"

Please don't get me wrong I do not think drinking alcohol in pregnancy is a good idea, I just think responsible reporting is a good idea and what we deserve from our papers.

Scotsman.com News - Expert links autism to mothers drinking

Think Differently

As my Big Bro mentioned this is a cause we both have close to our hearts and families.

Please take time to visit and read the website, take the quiz, sign the petition and view this film.

Maybe next time it will make you think differently.

You might want to read the following article from The Press and Journal a few years ago about our youngest son Ruaridh.