Jenny McCarthy, or, You Knew This Was Coming

"We believe what helped Evan recover was starting a gluten-free, casein-free diet, vitamin supplementation, detox of metals, and anti-fungals for yeast overgrowth that plagued his intestines. Once Evan's neurological function was recovered through these medical treatments, speech therapy and applied behavior analysis helped him quickly learn the skills he could not learn while he was frozen in autism. After we implemented these therapies for one year, the state re-evaluated Evan for further services. They spent five minutes with Evan and said, "What happened? We've never seen a recovery like this."

from http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/02/mccarthy.autsimtreatment/index.html

1. The last time I checked, the gastrointestinal system and the neurological system were not the same thing. I mean, I'll ask Dr. Horn, who lives around the corner and is a real, live, breathing neurologist, but I'm pretty sure.

2. If this child had several food issues, and lots of kids do, then sure, starting a diet that would assist with his ability to properly digest food would be appropriate. But not every kid on the spectrum has this. Ellie doesn't. The kids in her class don't.

3. Here's the problem: lots of parents start a crazy diet and simultaneously start behavior therapy and speech services and whatever else they deem appropriate. So the child begins to improve. Well, is it the diet? Or the services? Without a control, who knows? McCarthy says she did one before the other. I can't believe any parent who knew behavior services were needed would wait out a diet before starting with professionals. Who says, well, little Snowflake here needs speech, play therapy and OT, but I'm just going to go with this diet first? Please. Basic research rules tell us, no control, no way to know, no data.

"We believe autism is an environmental illness. Vaccines are not the only environmental trigger, but we do think they play a major role."

4. FAIL.

5. People are thanking God and Sabins & Salk for eliminating polio. Childhood disease kills children. KIDS CAN DIE FROM THE MEASLES. Vaccines do not cause autism. Science says so, and I go with science over Jenny any day. This is how the kid's brain is, how it was hardwired. That's difficult to accept, but it's better than playing the blame game. On everyone.

I'm glad Jenny's son has improved. I wish his mother weren't a wackjob. She should be talking about the benefits of early treatment, intensive therapy, and supportive parenting, not pointing her finger at the medical profession, who I truly believe want to do everything they can to work with this problem. I know the doctors we know do.

Get your kid vaccinated. You will save his life. He will thank you.