Apparently the Chicago Tribune is of the view that the only real concern facing autistic children and their families is the risks faced by treatments, and DAN doctors in particular. In two very superficial articles, yesterday's Autism treatments: Risky alternative therapies have little basis in science and an article today titled Autism treatment: Success stories more persuasive to some than hard data the Tribune continues its war against Defeat Autism Now and DAN doctors by ridiculing anecdotal evidence of successful autism treatment.
Although the Tribune has now published articles on two consecutive days on the subject of autism treatments it makes no mention of the most evidence based autism intervention ... ABA. While the Tribune is concerned about telling parents of autistic children what it feels is wrong in the world of autism treatments it doesn't consider it important enough to mention the widespread public health support for the evidence based effectiveness of ABA as an autism intervention.
And once again the Tribune makes no mention of the failure by public health authorities and researchers to seek all causes of autism or to attempt to find actual cures. Instead the Tribune simply ignores the real issues presented by autism disorders and sings "let them be, Lord them be" providing anecdotal evidence from Doctors that autistic children as they age will progress without intervention:
"But in evaluating a therapy, the challenge is determining how much, if any, of the progress can be credited to the treatment.
That is because, over time, children with autism do develop, said Dr. Max Wiznitzer, a pediatric neurologist and an autism expert at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. They make leaps; some may plateau or regress, but they show improvement.
"Kids are at their worst in the second and third year of life," Wiznitzer said. "That is when they are not talking. That is when they are most into themselves."
But around age 3 the children often begin to talk, he said. "Over 3 to 5 years, you see an improvement in communication skills. ... By school age, they have language to get needs and requests met," Wiznitzer said.
That is because, over time, children with autism do develop, said Dr. Max Wiznitzer, a pediatric neurologist and an autism expert at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. They make leaps; some may plateau or regress, but they show improvement.
"Kids are at their worst in the second and third year of life," Wiznitzer said. "That is when they are not talking. That is when they are most into themselves."
But around age 3 the children often begin to talk, he said. "Over 3 to 5 years, you see an improvement in communication skills. ... By school age, they have language to get needs and requests met," Wiznitzer said.
Between 10 percent and 20 percent of children with autism who were diagnosed early may make so much progress that they are indistinguishable from their peers and may "lose" the diagnosis.
This happens regardless of whether the child is undergoing alternative therapies, said Dr. Susan Levy, director of the Regional Autism Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. But parents may credit treatments for the gains."
This happens regardless of whether the child is undergoing alternative therapies, said Dr. Susan Levy, director of the Regional Autism Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. But parents may credit treatments for the gains."
And there we have it. In Chicago Tribune Autism World autism disorders do not require treatment. The solution to the challenges facing autistic children and their families can be found in the lyrics of John Lennon and Paul McCartney:
And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be. Yeah
There will be an answer, let it be.
No autism treatment, no ABA, no "alternative" treatment, no autism research into environmental causes or possible cures. the Chicago Tribune has "an answer" for parents concerned about their autistic children .... let it be.
autism
