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Harold L Doherty
Fredericton, Canada
Recent Activity
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Harold L commented on the petition |I am signing because the DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder excludes (Mandatory Criterion A "not otherwise accounted for by general developmental delays" and will cause harm to those with autism and intellectual disability. It will also impair the ability to conduct epidemiological research into causes of autism with yet another changed set of criteria, comparing apples to oranges and now to tangerines.
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Harold L signed the petition |
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Harold L commented on the petition |Our wetlands are a valuable part of our natural environment. We have to protect our wildlife and their habitat.
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Harold L signed the petition |
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Harold L signed the petition | -
Harold L commented on the petition |
Mr Robert Goguen
Forcing this fine family to leave Canada because their younger son has autism and epilepsy is not Canadian. It is wrong, just plain wrong. Please use your good offices to get this decision reversed.
Respectfully,
Harold L Doherty
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Harold L commented on the article |So what if there are multiple possible causes of autism?
Should research into possible causes stop because confirmation of environmental causes distrubs the non evidence based belief of some that autism is 100% genetic, a belief perpetuated on this site?
Should those who wish to see more research on possible environmental causes of autism disorders get annoyed each time a particular gene or genetic region is associated with autism?
There will likely be more possible causes of autism offered and some will be disproven. That is what this humble layperson understands science to involve.
Teresa Binstock identified the "it's gotta be genetic" paradigm of autism research funding in 1999. In recent years that has begun to shift toward a paradigm which views autism as arising from the interaction of genes and environment. More research will be done on the environmental side which is still woefully underfunded compared to the genetic side.
http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/2009/02/vaccine-autism-war-teresa-binstocks.html
http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/2007/07/autism-research-paradigm-shift.html
Hopefully someday, the 100% genetic myth, like the refrigerator moms myth, will be set aside for good, all causes of autism disorders, genetic and environmental, confirmed and cures developed.
Respectfully,
Harold Doherty
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Harold L commented on the article |"This situation, and the Pew study, are further reminders about why we need to evaluate science not celebrity."
A very simplistic observation and one that is used to berate those who question vaccine safety. If you truly support science why not support those like Dr. Bernadine Healy, Dr. Juilie Gerberding and neurologist and successful parent advocate Dr. Jon Poling who call for more scientific study of vaccine autism issues, specifically comparative studies of autism rates amongst vaccinated versus unvaccinated populations? (Which Dr. Duane Alexander also says could be done?
You are creating another false dichotomy by lumping those who support vaccines generally, but have some safety concerns, including autism based concerns, about vaccines with "celebrity" on one side and placing those who refuse to ask any questions about vaccine safety under the "science" umbrella.
I adhere to the view that autism treatments should be evidence based hence my support for ABA. No other treatment that I am aware of, including pharmaceutical medications, meet the evidence based standard for treating autism disorders. That does not mean that other treatments including HBOT, stem cell etc will not be shown by further study to be effective at treating autism.
You can not support a scientific or evidence based approach to autism treatments and then argue that no studies which might provide such evidence should be done.
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Harold L commented on the article |I referenced Simon Baron Cohen and the IACC previously. Following are some quotes from those sources, and from Dr. Jon Poilng, in which these authorities indicate a likely genetic-environmental interaction causal basis for autism. They also specifically state that what the environmental factors may be are unknown. Nothing, including vaccines, is ruled in or out at this time. As for Dr Healy her positions are evident in the IACC strategic research plan.
Autism Caused by both Genetic and Environmental Factors
1. Simon Baron Cohen:
In an exchange with a parent published on the One Click Group site Professor Baron-Cohen stated:
""The One-Click Group seems to be a website for those who want to see more research into environmental risk factors in autism, and to me this seems to be a very worthy agenda. We know that autism is not 100% genetic in origin, since in the case of identical twins (who share 100% of their genes), there are instances of one twin having autism and the other not having it. In fact, the likelihood of the co-twin also having autism where one of them has it (in monozygotic (MZ) pairs) is about 60%. This means that there must be some non-genetic (i.e., environmental) factors that are part of the cause of autism. ...... I hope the above statement shows clearly and unambiguously that I regard autism as most likely the result of a gene-environment interaction.""
Professor Baron-Cohen made the same point in a December 2007 interview piece published on TimesOnLine, Freedom of Expression:
""Studies of twins have established that it is not 100 per cent genetic, since even among identical twins, when one has autism, the likelihood of both twins having autism is only about 60 per cent. This means there must also be an environmental component, but what it is remains unknown.""2. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee:
The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research - January 26, 2009 :
"What do we need?
Although most scientists believe that risk factors for ASD are both genetic and environmental, there is considerable debate about whether potential environmental causes, genetic precursors, or interactions between genes and environmental factors should be the highest priority for research aimed at identifying the causes of ASD. To date, few studies have ruled in or ruled out specific environmental factors. While there are reports of associations of ASD with exposure to medications or toxicants prenatally, and to infections after birth, it is still not known whether any specific factor is necessary or sufficient to cause ASD. Similar to other disease areas, advancing research on the potential role of environmental factors requires resources and the attraction of scientific expertise. Bringing this to bear on autism will help focus the environmental factors to study, as well as the best approach for staging studies to examine environmental factors, interaction between factors, and between individual susceptibility and various environmental factors.
For example, some researchers believe that it is important to study a large number of exposures, or classes of exposure, that are known to affect brain development. Others support more tightly focused studies of one exposure or a limited number of exposures, with greatest biologic plausibility for interacting with known or suspected biologic or genetic ASD risk factors. In addition, it is also important to design studies that assess environmental exposure during the most relevant exposure windows: pregnancy and early development. In doing this research, it will be important for the field to develop sound standards for identifying and claiming that environmental factors contribute to ASD, as it would be for genetics.
To address public concerns regarding a possible vaccine/ASD link, it will be important over the next year for the IACC to engage the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) in mutually informative dialogues. The NVAC is a Federal advisory committee chartered to advise and make recommendations regarding the National Vaccine Program. Communication between the IACC and NVAC will permit each group to be informed by the expertise of the other, enhance coordination and foster more effective use of research resources on topics of mutual interest. Examples of such topics include: studies of the possible role of vaccines, vaccine components, and multiple vaccine administration in ASD causation and severity through a variety of approaches; and assessing the feasibility and design of an epidemiological study to determine whether health outcomes, including ASD, differ among populations with vaccinated, unvaccinated, and alternatively vaccinated groups......
Aspirational Goal: Causes of ASD will be Discovered that Inform Prognosis and Treatments and Lead to Prevention/Preemption of the Challenges and Disabilities Of ASD
Research Opportunities
* Genomic variations in ASD and the symptom profiles associated with these variations.
* Environmental influences in ASD and the symptom profiles associated with these influences.
* Family studies of the broader autism phenotype that can inform and define the heritability of ASD.
* Studies in simplex families that inform and define de novo gene differences and the role of the environment in inducing these differences.
* Standardized methods for collecting and storing biospecimen resources from well-characterized people with ASD as well as a comparison group for use in biologic, environmental and genetic studies of ASD.
* Case-control studies of unique subpopulations of people with ASD that identify novel risk factors.
* Monitor the scientific literature regarding possible associations of vaccines and other environmental factors (e.g., ultrasound, pesticides, pollutants) with ASD to identify emerging opportunities for research and indicated studies.
* Environmental and biological risk factors during pre- and early post-natal development in "at risk" samples.
* Cross-disciplinary collaborative efforts to identify and analyze biological mechanisms that underlie the interplay of genetic and environmental factors relevant to the risk and development of ASD, including co-occurring conditions.
* Convene ASD researchers on a regular basis to develop strategies and approaches for understanding gene - environment interactions.3. Dr. Jon Poling, Neurologist, MD, Ph. D., Autism Dad and successful vaccine autism litigant.
Dr. Jon Poling : Blinders Won’t Reduce Autism
"Fortunately, the ‘better diagnosis’ myth has been soundly debunked. ... only a smaller percentage of this staggering rise can be explained by means other than a true increase.
Because purely genetic diseases do not rise precipitously, the corollary to a true autism increase is clear — genes only load the gun and it is the environment that pulls the trigger. Autism is best redefined as an environmental disease with genetic susceptibilities."
We should be investing our research dollars into discovering environmental factors that we can change, not more poorly targeted genetic studies that offer no hope of early intervention. Pesticides, mercury, aluminum, several drugs, dietary factors, infectious agents and yes — vaccines — are all in the research agenda.
Dr. Jon Poling, Atlanta Journal Constitution, March 13, 2009""
Some minds are closed. Some, for reasons that are unkown to me, insist that autism is entirely genetic. These authorities indicate otherwise.
Personally, I hope that the IACC plan to research genetic and possible environmental factors is carried out and more knowledge is gained. If further studies confirm the role of specific factors, including vaccines or vaccine ingredients, then public policy should reflect that further knowledge.
Less neurodiversity, and other, ideological pronouncements and more research may also reduce some of the divisions (and hypocrisy) that taint internet autism debates.
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