Boy Trouble
I have a perfectly normal, healthy, 19-month-old baby boy named Zack. Last month I couldn’t help but ask my pediatrician if she was absolutely 100% certain that autism is not caused by the vaccinations she was about to give him.
It’s a reasonable question considering parents of autistic kids describe their own children as perfectly normal until around their 2nd birthday. And one common denominator is the 18 month vaccinations.
She assured me that the vaccines have been ruled out. She also shared her speculation that autism was present at birth. Her own hypothesis is that autism is caused by something pregnant women are exposed to. Maybe caffeine or lead paint.
What about the parents who say their child is perfectly normal and then develop autism? I asked.
They report “perfectly normal,” but they are more like overly pleasant and too easy. They aren’t demanding and rarely get in trouble. But, that’s not normal. Toddlers are supposed to demand attention and get in trouble, she said.
Mind you, she’s comforting an anxious mother of a child in the risk group.
Now, when Zack comes over to me and he screams and cries banging on my legs demanding that I stop working and give him some attention - I am soothed. I am comforted also when I get out of the shower to find Zack proudly surfing the counter, having discovered how to turn the faucet on and plugthe sink at the same time, flooding the floor. I’m almost excited when he shoves and screams at his sister for taking his toy.
Whether my doctor is right about autism or not, my perception of mischief has certainly been altered.
Mischief rocks!
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POSTED IN: Fabulous Mothering
3 opinions for Boy Trouble
Susanna
Nov 12, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I’d often wondered about the whole “he was normal and then he suddenly changed” thing. 18 mos. is about the time my little boy started behaving differently around people he knew well and people he didn’t. My mom says it’s just normal toddler shyness, I guess it’s a kind of social awareness. I wonder how it would be different for autistic kids?
At any rate, maybe this will give me new appreciation for his attention-seeking and well-meaning destructiveness. :)
Tracee
Nov 13, 2007 at 9:33 am
I’m no expert, but I think autistic kids aren’t engaging with people they DO know. Like you. Your husband. Grandma. People they absolutely should be engaging.
Heather
Dec 19, 2007 at 9:11 am
It has not been ruled out that vaccines cause autism….they are still researching it and have found many roofs that it has. My cousin was perfectly fine until he got the vaccination and he has just recently been diagnosed with autism. His mother has researched and asked many doctors about this and many of them have told her that it is completely possible. There are doctors that knowthese things and are in te process of trying to prove it. You can get your child titer levels checked before agree to the vaccination and most- likely their ammune system canalready fight all f these things. these are things that doctors do not tell you because the process to do that is way more dragged out than if you just went and gave them all a shot. i recommend that you get the book “natural cures they dont want you to know about” kevin trudeau… he is a doctor that has gone to government meetings and basicallytells all of the secrects that they hide from us in this book.
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