Chicken Soup for the Autistic Soul

Well, the CDC (that the Center for Disease Control, or the Center for Damaged Cerebrums...whichever) is at it again, spinning the data that might statistically link neuro damage with their vaccination schedule into something innocuous sounding for the media to pre-digest and feed to the American public. Gag.

Here's a good rebuttal by David Kirby

As a parent of the child on the Autistic spectrum, I don't really know what to think or who to believe. I don't think it's impossible that big pharm has damaged our children for the sake of profit. I also don't think it's impossible that in the name of a perceived good, the government would unwittingly cause damage to many children that occurred in unforeseen ways. While I don't believe it's intentional on anyone's part, I do see lots of money being a factor...both in the profit motive and the prevention of lawsuits motive.

I just don't know. But I wonder.

And another interesting linkage between the whole vaccine thing and the Autism thing: Back in the day, when Kanner was first defining autism, it was called...drumroll please...post-vaccinal encephalitic syndrome. Now, how do you like 'dem apples?

But then I wonder...did vaccination give my daughter the ability for her fingers to play classical recorder music as easily as a social butterfly works a party? Did it cause her to be able to read at age two (aka hyperlexia)? Or perhaps the neuro damage just rearranged things so that those abilities came to the forefront?

And then there's the whole news bit about the gut-brain connection...

I'm just a mom...what do I know? And how do I navigate all this information? Does it conflict? Will the foods I cook and feed my daughter makes such a difference?

If you have a kid on the AS spectrum, go check out Pecanbread.com

After two weeks on the SCD diet B has better eye contact, more sociable, ability to confront people and talk about her feelings, even when she's upset, much much less headbanging (I can only recall one time and that is when morning prayers were causing her neglected applesauce to start scorching on the stove), her sense of humor is showing, and she's smiling and laughing more, talking more, etc. Only after two weeks.

This is only the beginning. I like the genius unique aspects of my daughter, that some would call "autism"...her music, her intelligence, her unique perspective on life, her synesthesia, and her moral strong sense of right and wrong...but the heartbreaking parts: the head banging, the "locked in her own world", inability to communicate, inability to cope with unpredictable moments and too much sensory input, her erstwhile tantrums...those things I can do without. As can she.

I have hope. And this in addition to the increased hope and betterment we've seen from the Gluten Free Casein Free diet. The SCD takes things a layer deeper to address the reason for the gluten/casein intolerance. Very very interesting....

(The title of this blog post stems from the fact that the in the intro phases of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, Chicken soup is a staple.)

Comments

Lauren S. said…
great post!

when i read posts like this i feel like, hey, maybe i'm not so crazy for not being comfortable with vaxing my kiddos on the gov. schedule or at all - i'm still researching. james hasn't had anything yet. hannah did when she was first born until she was 9 months...that's when i started getting "crazy". :)
Anonymous said…
I've actually noticed a change in B. She seems much less-easily frustrated and calmer. If that makes sense? I was standing behind her last night during part of the service and you would never have known she is autistic- she looked like any other teenage girl around. Actually, she looked a little bit better than any other girl because she is so pretty. And she doesn't have that awkward teenage girl-look that I certainly had: a nose too big for my face, bad skin, etc. :)

Keep up the good work, Mom!