While I appreciate the sentiment for various personal reasons, and golly, what a hypocrite I am to be writing away on the most modern of devices (both a blessing and a curse as most things are), the first thought that leapt to mind, was “Good luck with that”. I think we are kind of stuck, at least for the foreseeable time, with modern.

I fear that the truth is that it isn’t an environmental factor, so much as an ocean of unknown chemicals our children swim in, never encountered by hundreds of thousands of generations of our ancestors. If exposure to phlates, organophosphates, metals, flame retardants, or a hundred other novel chemicals raise risk of developmental disorders by miniscule amounts, our ability to detect such differences in this study, or nearly any study, will be very slim. Considering many of these chemicals may have difficult to anticipate actions when working in concert, the task is all the more daunting.

I still like the idea of such a study, but personally believe the real answer is along the lines of ‘avoid everything modern’, as opposed to, buy crib sheets that are not flame retardant.

- pD

My kids are my kids and they have autism. I can’t control that. I can control my attitude about the situation. And I can choose not to spend my time looking for something or someone to blame and instead take my kids for walks, play with them and enjoy this time I’ve been given because it goes by way too fast.

On the other… just what the world needs, more potential (yet difficult to prove) guilt trip possibilities…

Bleah.

As for coming into my house, I’d be scared they’d send me to the lock up unit for a hoarding disorder!

Data which excludes or demonstrates no connection, at least in my mind, is as useful as that which does.

If they did find something, controversial or no, would anyone actually say, “Exposure be damned.”? The results might potentially have medical and regulatory implications.

Let ‘em run out the study since it has already commenced–it’s another part of the body of knowledge.

I don’t necessarily think they will come up with answers, but I don’t think we should close our minds or shut the door on any kind of research that could lead us to a better understanding of autism. Personally, I think genetics are probably the biggest causal factor, but we just don’t know. Although this study is looking at environmental factors, it is starting with the genetic material of family lines that already exhibit autism. Why not continue to look at other factors?

That being said, I am NOT in a hurry to let them come in and see how “not clean” my house is… But if I get pregnant again, I will definitely consider participating in the study. They already have most of our information anyway.

I really hope they find some answers soon, I am so tired of all the bickering and fighting in the autism community. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some of these questions put behind us so we can fully focus on developing education and creating treatments to help our loved ones?