Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Let’s spend money on autism support, not conspiracy theories

Jessica Berthold
Meds
January 30, 2017
359 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

I spent many sleepless nights in the months after my son’s autism diagnosis fretting whether I could have done something to prevent it. I recounted, in obsessive detail, the course of my pregnancy, the birth, and the two years of child-rearing that led to the moment when our pediatrician confirmed my fears — and life as I’d known it tilted off its axis. In my spare waking hours, I pored over research that exhausted me mentally and emotionally.

It was a painful period of reckoning — and it’s the reason I vehemently oppose a commission to investigate a link between autism and vaccines, as proposed by President Trump. This link has been thoroughly disproven, and it is distracting and irresponsible to pursue it. The original study upon which the myth of an autism-vaccine link is based was retracted by The Lancet for being unethical and scientifically invalid; indeed, The Lancet editor publicly declaimed the study results as “utterly false”. Subsequent studies also found no association. Instead of wasting money and time on chasing phantom causes, we should use our resources to assist the millions who live with autism every day. And we should lay to rest the idea that vaccines have done anything but save lives from the misery of measles, mumps, polio, and other diseases that affected millions.

It is, ironically, the very lack of these diseases in our present life that makes parents feel they can safely refuse to vaccinate their children. Parents want to protect their children in any way they can, and the risk of contracting mumps or measles can seem more remote than that of autism, which now affects one in 68 kids. I know many parents who suspect the autism-vaccine link is false but still choose not to vaccinate; they simply don’t want to take the chance.

And here is where creating a commission to investigate a spurious link between vaccines and autism sends two dangerous messages: The first is that we are correct to worry about vaccines, despite the science verifying their safety. And the second is that autism is a terrible condition to be avoided at all costs. As a mother, that second message enrages and terrifies me, on behalf of my son and the many people I know with autism. How awful to live in a world that tells you it is better to risk getting a life-threatening disease than to be like you.

The autistic person’s struggle to overcome a state of constant overstimulation is one that should be admired, not maligned. The modern world is fast, brash, clamorous, and intense — and autistic folks experience this more than anyone. Perhaps this should be heeded as a signal that the world could use a little calming. Perhaps, when it comes to autism, our time and energy should be spent more on reducing stigma and welcoming autistic people as valuable members of society, with experiences and ideas to contribute that we all could learn from. We could do that by putting money into the autism community itself — into early intervention, better diagnosis and screening, better insurance coverage of treatment, more support at school, respite services for caregivers, housing and job opportunities for adults with autism. Like anyone else, people with autism need to be supported to exist successfully in the world — and to change it for the better. That’s an investment that will pay off for everyone.

Jessica Berthold is communications manager, Prevention Institute.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

This is how doctors evolve

January 30, 2017 Kevin 1
…
Next

My top 5 wishes for health care in 2017

January 30, 2017 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Medications, Pediatrics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
This is how doctors evolve
Next Post >
My top 5 wishes for health care in 2017

Related Posts

  • Emotional support animals for health care providers

    Brittany Ladson
  • To those looking to support their black colleagues

    Jasmine Arrington
  • Medicaid expansion for postpartum support

    Kimi Chernoby, MD, JD and Claire Dowell
  • Improving drug adherence will take more than money and technology

    Skeptical Scalpel, MD
  • Patients turn to GoFundMe when money and hope run out

    Mark Zdechlik
  • Finding a mentor to replace a medical student’s parental support

    Tasnim Ahmed

More in Meds

  • The deadly consequences of a shortage: The Pluvicto crisis leaves metastatic prostate cancer patients in limbo

    Matt Drewes
  • The real story of Xylazine contamination in street fentanyl and how we can manage it

    Julie Craig, MD
  • The cannabis education gap: Why patients are left in the dark

    Timothy Byars
  • Are doctors ready to discuss psychedelic therapies with patients?

    Thaís Salles Araujo, MD
  • The rise and dark side of fungi: Exploring health benefits and pathogenic threats

    Sandra Vamos, EdD and Deanna Lernihan, MPH
  • Advocacy and collaboration lead to major patient safety benefits on sterile pharmaceutical compounding: a review of USP’s revisions to Chapter <797>

    Elizabeth Rebello, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the intricate link between housing costs and health care

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Fixing the system and prioritizing patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Fixing the system and prioritizing patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From medical student to intern: Discovering a deeper connection with patients

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the global pandemic threat: insights into risk factors and urgent measures for prevention

      Ton La, Jr., MD, JD | Policy
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • Empowering Black nurses for lasting change [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Novel IDH1/2 Inhibitor Shows 'Dramatic Effect' in Low-Grade Glioma
  • Nivolumab-AVD Boosts PFS in Untreated Hodgkin Lymphoma
  • 'You Can't Yoga Your Way Out of This': What We Heard This Week
  • New Standard in Operable EGFR-Positive Lung Cancer
  • New Ovarian Cancer Drug Extends Survival in Resistant Disease

Meeting Coverage

  • Novel IDH1/2 Inhibitor Shows 'Dramatic Effect' in Low-Grade Glioma
  • Nivolumab-AVD Boosts PFS in Untreated Hodgkin Lymphoma
  • New Standard in Operable EGFR-Positive Lung Cancer
  • New Ovarian Cancer Drug Extends Survival in Resistant Disease
  • Neoadjuvant Chemo Flops Versus Upfront Surgery for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the intricate link between housing costs and health care

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Fixing the system and prioritizing patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Fixing the system and prioritizing patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From medical student to intern: Discovering a deeper connection with patients

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the global pandemic threat: insights into risk factors and urgent measures for prevention

      Ton La, Jr., MD, JD | Policy
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • Empowering Black nurses for lasting change [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...