Changes

Diagnoses of autism has increased from 1:10,000 in 1988 to 1:166 people today. Some estimates are as high as 1 in 150 people <ref>http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/faq_prevalence.htm</ref>, and it has been rising. Among boys, 1 in 94 has the disorder.  In New Jersey, which has the highest rate in the nation, 1 in every 60 boys has autism and 1 in every 94 children is affected.

Diagnoses of autism has increased from 1:10,000 in 1988 to 1:166 people today. Some estimates are as high as 1 in 150 people <ref>http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/faq_prevalence.htm</ref>, and it has been rising. Among boys, 1 in 94 has the disorder.  In New Jersey, which has the highest rate in the nation, 1 in every 60 boys has autism and 1 in every 94 children is affected.

Some parents, politicians and a few fringe researchers cite a [[mercury]] preservative used in vaccines, thimerosal, as the cause of injury in many recipients, including a cause of increase in autism rates. Thimerosal is a inorganic form of mercury that has widely been used as a vaccine preservative, and still is despite widespread calls for its removal.  Most of the influenza vaccines contain thimerosal equivalent to 25 micrograms of toxic [[mercury]], an amount that would be safe under [[EPA]] limits only if the recipient weighs 550 pounds.  

Some parents, politicians and a few fringe researchers cite a [[mercury]] preservative used in vaccines, thimerosal, as the cause of injury in many recipients, including a cause of increase in autism rates. Thimerosal is a inorganic form of mercury that was widely used as a preservative, but since FDA and CDC action in 1999 and 2000 thimerosal usage in vaccines has been either removed or lessened to around 0.01% in vaccines that still use it, including influenza and DT vaccines. This translates to around 25 [[micrograms]] per a 0.5mL dose. Humans in the US generally absorb between 3.9 and 21 micrograms of mecury per day. It has been generally accepted that there is no connection between vaccines and autism. <ref>http://www.fda.gov/Cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm#t3</ref><ref>http://enhs.umn.edu/hazards/hazardssite/mercury/mercdose.html</ref><ref>http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/vaccines.htm</ref>

 

Autism is a spectrum disorder which means there is a range in how it affects different people. There is the fragile x syndrome, Asperger's syndrome, pdd nos, mild autism, moderate autism, severe autism, and some [[idiot savants]].  Autistic children will not all act like the character portrayed in the movie ''[[Rain Man]]''.  Nor are all autistic children uncaring or unable to show emotion, in fact many are very caring.

Autism is a spectrum disorder which means there is a range in how it affects different people. There is the fragile x syndrome, Asperger's syndrome, pdd nos, mild autism, moderate autism, severe autism, and some [[idiot savants]].  Autistic children will not all act like the character portrayed in the movie ''[[Rain Man]]''.  Nor are all autistic children uncaring or unable to show emotion, in fact many are very caring.