re: #21 mr. hammer

I just feel for these parents, and I wonder what in the world is actually going on. That same article indicates: “…that recent data suggest a 10-fold increase in autism rates over the past decade, although it’s unclear how much of the surge reflects better diagnosis…”

Dunno. Maybe it is nothing more than just better diagnosis. But it is sad, and so many people are affected and looking for answers. My sister in law has two kids. Both autistic.

Agree, and I can see how any parent would be inclined to latch on to anything that looked like an explanation. But the thimerosal linkage fell apart years ago, and the anti-vaxers just keep on blindly promoting it, without so much as a quanta of supporting evidence.

I’m inclined to believe that autism’s apparent rise is due entirely to increased diagnosis - even to the point of over-diagnosis, as the definition of the disorder continues to broaden. I believe that McCarthy’s own kid has been found to suffer, not from autism, but from some other neurological disorder, yet has been treated otherwise for years.