Comments on: Look Both Ways First

By: Teaching Strategy #18: Walking Side By Side

Teaching Strategy #18: Walking Side By Side — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:31:32 +0000

[...] also worked on stopping at the sidewalk and crossing the street last year at school. And, thanks regular bike rides in the streets of our town—during which [...]

By: Getting to School on Your Own Two Feet

Getting to School on Your Own Two Feet — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:05:47 +0000

[...] describe their child as having “no sense of danger.” Charlie seems to be learning to stop at the sidewalk until he is told to cross; he is always with someone, and he would certainly be, too, if he were to [...]

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:42:16 +0000

Mutute? What the hell is that, anyway? I meant “mutate,” of course. Thank goodness it’s spring break because obviously, I need it.

By: Regan

Regan — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:48:46 +0000

*Sigh*
I am waiting for the call from my sister-in-law on the heels of this news. She is a teacher–a good one. Over the holidays she made herself a project to study up on autism…unfortunately the book that she got was the one by Jepson, et al., so by the time she talked to me it was a long tedious call about the evidence, etc.
Then in some frustration she asked, “well, how the heck can I help?”
A: Help me be as good a teacher as you are, and be as good a teacher to Eleanor as you are with your other students. Love her as you do all the other nieces and nephews.That is immeasurable help.
(But I still expect the call.)

I hope Charlie stays healthy and that you are completely better soon. Thanks for sharing about crossing the street. That rocks.

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:11:58 +0000

It’s like that game, Telephone or Gossip, that kids used to play. How much will the story mutute as it passes through the filters of people with agendas through the news media through the general public through telephone calls from your MIL?

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:28:56 +0000

Brett says it all.

My MIL left Jim a message to tell him that some girl in North Carolina got autism from a vaccine as proved by the government……

By: Bad Mommy

Bad Mommy — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:27:29 +0000

This is the most persistent mistaken belief about autistm that I encounter among otherwise untouched individuals: that autism is caused by vaccines. That there is mercury in vaccines, and that causes it, or that the vaccines themselves cause the autism. I may mention to someone, when they wonder aloud why I can’t attend something or about some other restriction, “well, X is autistic.” To which — no joke — people will often respond “OH, isn’t that caused by vaccines/mercury in vaccines/mercury poisoning?” I almost always respond “NO, as a matter of fact, that would be the one thing that has been scientifically proven NOT to be the cause.” Depending on the setting and the person, this is followed by a short or long discussion of genetics, environmental factors, prevalence (and why people think that this is a new and growing “epidemic” and why that is wrong) — etc., ad nauseum (yes, I took Latin too!).

They have the media, and it is going to be extraordinarily difficult to win the media back. Fearmongering and sensationalism are so much sexier than plain old good science and rationalism, how can we hope to compete?

I can’t wait for the day when no autism blog needs to be a vaccine blog. When will this 9-headed monster finally die??

By: Marla

Marla — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:14:08 +0000

I am glad Charlie is not sick! A program to learn crossing the street. Wonderful! We totally struggle in that area. I don’t know if M will ever get it. Or if I will ever have the guts to let her try.

Vaccines! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!! I tire so of hearing about it so I can imagine you tire of studying and researching it. And yet…this issue has got to be taken care of. There is so much misinformation. If I had a dollar for every person who asked me if vaccines caused M’s Autism I would be rich. I even get asked if vaccines caused her Chromosome Disorder!!!! Are they kidding me????? So much going on in the news in this area I can’t see it all.

By: dkmnow

dkmnow — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:16:37 +0000

Do you believe the corporate media panders to the lowest common denominator? (YES/NO)

(This is not a scientific poll.)

*headdesk*

Why did they even bother with the disclaimer? Who would know the difference these days? Even the opposition “scientist” they got on last night’s Nightline didn’t seem to know how science works: “…the fact is, vaccines don’t cause autism.” No, the fact is argument from ignorance is no more scientific than falsified data and fearmongering.

Why do I get this sinking feeling that humanity hasn’t got a prayer?