Autism's new poster mom is stirring up debate. The 1994 Playmate of the Year, who starred in MTV's Singled Out, has a new book on the shelves: Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism. In it, the 34-year-old tells the story of her 5-year-old son Evan's diagnosis, blames vaccines as the cause, and shares the dietary roadmap that led to improvements in her son's condition.
As defined by the Autism Society of America, the neurological disorder affects a child's ability to speak and interact with people and surroundings. In the eyes of families struggling to support autistic children, there couldn't be a better time to shine a light on the cause.
In the last five years, the number of children diagnosed with autism has skyrocketed — from one in 2,500 to one in 166. Researchers can't pinpoint what's causing the epidemic-like numbers or, for that matter, why more boys than girls – four to one – are affected. Treatments are costly, often not covered by insurance, and demand for specialized education and services is soaring. But while McCarthy is taking the shame out of autism, she's also making waves.
Do Vaccines Cause Autism?
McCarthy has joined a school of moms who believe immunizations are to blame for their child's autism diagnosis. In fact, she recently teamed up with Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), a California-based nonprofit that shares this belief, as its official spokesperson.
"I believe that vaccines can trigger autism," says McCarthy. "In 1983, the vaccination schedule was 10. Now children are required to receive 36 vaccinations. A huge majority of mothers has been screaming for years that after a certain vaccination their child became sick, then stopped speaking."
Is It the Mercury?
As if parents today don’t have enough to worry about. Because signs of autism may appear at the same time children receive the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine – the first dose is given at 12-15 months, the second between ages 4 and 6 – some parents see a correlation between the vaccine and occurrence of autism in children, reports the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). But the CDC finds that the weight of scientific evidence to date does not support the theory. The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees that the MMR vaccine is not responsible for the recent rise in autism.
Additionally, as the signs and symptoms of mercury poisoning mirror those of autism, others cite thimerosal, a mercury derivative, previously used in vaccinations, as a cause for autism. As of 2001, though, all vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market and routinely recommended for children 6 years or younger have contained no thimerosal or only trace amounts, reports the FDA.
"The world is very divided on this," says Dr. Cecelia McCarton, a developmental pediatrician. "Thimerosal has been out from the vaccines for years now, and the rates [of autism] have continued to climb over this past five-year period. It would appear that if you take thimerosal out of the vaccine, the rates of autism should begin to decline. We are not seeing those rates decline."
Many parents whose children received two, three, or four vaccines in one visit to the pediatrician and were later diagnosed with autism, says McCarton, believe they were poisoned by toxic levels of thimerosal. Like most experts, McCarton says that yes, children should absolutely be vaccinated. But concerned parents, she adds, should take a conservative approach. So instead of receiving up to four shots per pediatric visit, a child would receive one, then wait a month (for the body to respond and make antibodies) before returning for another vaccination.
Kenneth Bock, M.D., author of Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies, agrees that vaccinations have been an important contributor to advances in public health and parents should not stop vaccinating their children. But, "there are instances in which parents should exercise special caution," adds Dr. Bock, "including if a child had prior reactions to vaccinations, if a child's siblings were vaccinated and experienced adverse effects and/or when a child has a history of or a strong family history of allergy, autoimmunity and/or immunodeficiency."
Dr. Bock offers this advice for concerned parents and grandparents:
* Have your child's doctor administer the MMR as separate vaccinations rather than in the combined form, ideally allowing several months between vaccinations.
* Administration of the Hepatitis B vaccination at birth is not necessary unless the mother is Hepatitis B positive.
* Know your family's history of autoimmune disorders and significant allergies, and inform your child's doctor, as family history may influence his/her decision regarding administration of vaccines.
* If a child is ill and/or on antibiotics, reschedule the vaccination appointment.
* If there are concerns regarding issues with allergies, autoimmunity and/or immune deficiency, decisions about vaccinations should be made together with the child's pediatrician, allergist, and/or immunologist.
Can Certain Diets Help Autistic Kids?
In her book, McCarthy also tips parents off to the gluten- and casein-free diet that improved her son's condition. But, does diet as a treatment option hold water with medical doctors? "Clearly, some children respond to this wheat- and dairy-free diet," says Dr. McCarton, adding that it's usually "the children with gastro-intestinal problems (chronic diarrhea), severe allergies, irritable bowel disease or Crohn's disease."
What's key for parents to keep in mind, though, says Dr. McCarton, is that while there are sub-sets of autistic children who respond to this diet, there are other subsets of children that do not. No randomized clinical trial has looked into this, she says, so it's difficult for parents to decide what's best.
Grandparents Making A Difference
Life for autistic children and their parents is never easy. Grandparents can play a vital role in keeping the family afloat amid troubling times. McCarthy's message to grandparents: "Stay positive!" It was hard, she says, seeing her mother cry and look so sad. And, if you really want to help, offer to babysit. "Please, please, please," begs McCarthy, "we need you guys to help us!"
In addition to emotional support, some grandparents are playing an active role in advocating for the cause. After their grandson was diagnosed with autism, Suzanne Wright and her husband Bob, who is vice chairman of GE and chairman and CEO of NBC Universal, founded Autism Speaks, what is now the most powerful non-profit supporting autism in the world.
Jean Ruttenberg, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Center for Autism, who has a 3-year-old grandson, stresses that while research is important, let's not forget about the children suffering now. "It is important to remember that families of autistic individuals don't have equal access to treatment options, and families whose resources are limited may learn about treatment options they are not able to afford," says Ruttenberg. "All families don't have the same choices — but they have the same level of guilt," she says.
Ruttenberg is on to something. Tuition for McCarton's Manhattan-based school for autistic children is $70,000 a year. Even having a big checkbook, though, doesn't guarantee entry into the school. The waiting list runs 100-plus names long.
If you know of a family in need of money for autism treatment, consider holding fund-raisers, bake sales, garage sales or going to a local church or synagogue to ask them to donate a community collection to your grandchild's treatment costs. But, warns McCarthy, "Don't pick events that will take a year to plan. Early intervention is key – so families will need the money immediately."
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