Let's review.
Once upon a time, according to anti-vaccine zealots, the MMR vaccine caused autism. Soon after that, the explanation morphed. No, it wasn't so much the MMR that caused autism; rather, it was the mercury in the thimerosal preservative that used to be in several childhood vaccines in the U.S. until the end of 2001. Then, as evidence accumulated exonerating mercury in vaccines as a cause of autism, it became the "toxins." (Antifreeze, formaldehyde, and human fetal parts, oh my!) Finally, it became "too many too soon."
And the anti-vaccine movement rested, because its latest excuse was good. It was vague and very difficult to falsify.
But even "too many too soon" is no longer enough. Now, according to a press release I received in my e-mail, it's:
Press ReleaseParents of autistic children shed light on controversial vaccinations in new book
Michael J. Dochniak and Denise H. Dunn's new book calls for removal of allergy-inducing rubber latex from vaccination packaging to minimize cases of autism
MINNEAPOLIS (MMD Newswire) May 10, 2011 -- Autism is on the rise, and the latex rubber often used in vaccine packaging and delivery systems may be one of the causes say authors Michael J. Dochniak and Denise H. Dunn in "Vaccine Delivery and Autism (The Latex Connection)" (ISBN 1456570056). Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, estimates that doctors diagnose the disorder in about one in 110 American children. These scary statistics highlight a condition now more prevalent in children than cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDs combined. While researchers have not pinpointed the cause of autism, many find that atypical immunity plays a role.
Dochniak and Dunn began investigating the relationship between vaccinations and autism after Dochniak's son was diagnosed and Dunn's son developed unusual behaviors following a routine vaccination. This book collects their research on how allergens found in a natural rubber used in the transportation of vaccines are increasing the chances of autism development.
Hevea brasiliensis dry natural rubber (HDNR), derived from the liquid latex found in natural rubber trees, is still used in some vaccine packaging and delivery systems. The authors explain how the naturally occurring proteins found in latex rubber, which are also responsible for latex allergies, can affect the occurrence of allergy-induced regressive autism once one has been exposed to HDNR.
"The increasing prevalence of allergy-induced regressive autism doesn't have to be the inevitable result of immunization," Dochniak says. "If vaccination manufacturers and providers start to reduce their use of HDNR, we will see a dramatic reduction of allergy-induced cases."
Because vaccinations are required by most states for schooling, the topic has proven controversial among parents, scientists and medical providers. Dochniak and Dunn aim to provide more awareness of a potential cause for the disorder that threatens more and more children each year.
"Vaccine Delivery and Autism (The Latex Connection)" is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.
About the Authors:
Michael J. Dochniak and Denise H. Dunn are leading experts in the etiology of allergy-induced regressive autism and have previously authored a book for Nova Science, entitled "Allergies and Autism." Dochniak is a scientific researcher in the field of Hevea brasiliensis natural-latex induced autism. Dunn is an early childhood educator who works closely with autistic children and adults, and has been teaching for more than 15 years.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Michael J. Dochniak
Email: mdochniak@yahoo.com
Phone: (612) 836-8237
Website: www.amazon.com/Michael-J.-Dochniak/e/B002P9CA2K
www.amazon.com/Denise-H.-Dunn/e/B0037LGJP4
REVIEW COPIES AND INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE
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That's right. According to anti-vaccine zealots, now it's the packaging and delivery systems used for vaccines that cause autism. It never ends. It never will end.
Because, to the anti-vaccine, first and foremost, it's always about the vaccines. Always. No matter what the evidence shows. Never forget that.
Lawrence, you sound like my son. Please tell me that you are not staying up all night painting lead Dungeons and Dragons figurines. My son is tall, handsome, works as a lifeguard and is majoring in engineering. Yet his girlfriends abandon him as he works on a new D&D scenario and/or lead figurines....
... even the girlfriend who one of his former girlfriends set him up with. I mean they really like him... as a very nice guy, but not as a boyfriend. Le sigh.
Of course, I married the same kind of guy. I remember making arrangements to go to a movie (oddly enough "Casanova"), but went without him because he was entrenched in some game with other guys in the dorm. He was lucky I stayed around since he was a prince compared to the toads I had experienced my freshman year of college.
I don't know if this helps, but I really don't care.
I have told dear hubby that when he retires we should live near the son who is going to be an engineer, and the most likely in a more stable relationship. Our oldest son is disabled, and daughter does not want to live in the USA.
This is because dear hubby has spent the last few weekends helping his mother move from the house she has lived in for the last forty years to a downsized townhouse condo. This is the house he transitioned from as a Canadian to an American as 12 year old... and left to live near me in a college dorm, and then in an apartment as a very young married man (to me, by the way... we've been married since 1980).
He now understands why I want to live near this one particular responsible son as we get older.
Lawrence, it can work. Just give yourself time, and remember that not every woman is a nerd (well, I am, but I even get annoyed at World of Warcraft). Some wee bits of advice:
1 - never blow off a movie date for a game.
2 - actually learn the name of your girlfriend (and all of the variations)
3 - Keep up your credit rating, do not go into dept, pay your rent and do not dip into your savings for basic living expenses.
4 - Actually have a paying position. Don't screw with the affections of another if only to find a cheap place to live. That is social suicide... and really stupid.
@Chris - that wasn't me, looks like a troll trying to have some fun. Actually, I've been happily married for quite some time & we're both "nerds" in the best sense of the word.
MjD is still a lost cause.
Other, unconsidered, possibilities:
Allergy-induced Regressive Autism does not exist.
Allergy-induced Regressive Autism does exist but incidence has not increased.
Allergy-induced Regressive Autism does exist and has increased, but the increase is due to any of a number of different substances in our food, water, and air, which are present in greater quantity or different proportions than in the past.
Occam's razor doesn't say that the simplest solution that you are willing to consider is likely to be the best.
LW, you missed one:
Autism (whether allergy-induced or not) has been around a long time, but only identification of it as such and diagnoses have increased.
That, to me, would be simplest, as (a) I know several older adults who are clearly on the autistic scale, but being as they are in their late 40s/50s, have no diagnosis as such (anecdotal, I know, but there are a number of formal surveys now which find this as well); and (b) people often don't identify things correctly until they know that it exists and know what it is that they are looking for.
The old saying goes, "The chain is only as strong as its weakest link." Poor delusional Dochniak can't see that his "chain" consists mostly of missing links. Every single place where he has postulated some sort of link in his chain of logic but utterly failed to develop the needed evidence for it - such as the linchpin of the entire thing, the very existence of "allergy-induced regressive autism" - is a place where the principle of Occam's Razor advises the rejection of Dochniak's beliefs.
Anyone familiar with Occam's Razor has heard the famous formulation* of it "Do not multiply entities unnecessarily." We already know of the existence of regressive autism that is not caused by allergies. That means that postulating the entity of "regressive autism that is caused by allergies" is a violation of Occam's Razor
.... unless and until evidence is amassed that is not adequately explained by the existing entities. For those of us just joining the discussion, it should be noted that Dochniak claims to have amassed such evidence, but his claim is bullshit. His "evidence" amounts to: 1) anecdotes of individuals who have both latex allergies and autism, 2) observing that during a time period in which (according to Dochniak) worldwide general latex exposure has increased, rates of regressive autism have also increased. Even skipping over all questions of whether Dochniak's "facts" are actually true, there is simply no evidence there for which "there are allergies, and there is autism, and they have no relationship to each other" does not fit perfectly well.
It is worth stressing that such evidence could exist. If careful measurement demonstrated that rates of regressive autism were significantly higher in the population of people with latex allergies than in the general population, then we would have evidence for which the existing entities are not sufficient. Dochniak's postulated "allergy-induced regressive autism" would still be only one of many possible explanations, but at least there would be something there to require explanation. Currently, there is not.
* While William of Ockham definitely spelled out the general principle now known as Occam's Razor, none of the pithy one-sentence formulations of it now in use are actually from his work, so it's difficult to say which version of Occam's Razor is the "real" one.
Lawrence, my apologies. I had forgotten about that particular troll. I should have known better.
@Mr MjD
Though thoughtful and deep your poems may be
Still full of fancy and fruitless
For truth be not captured by words or dreams
But only by reason and thought
and premise prov'n
Free form poetry proves nothing and it makes me wonder if it sounds prettier if that somehow makes you believe it must be more convincing.
IF you had a study that proved the regressive autism exists (you don't) and another that proves that it can be caused by allergens (you don't, since it hasn't been proven to exist), then your suggestion of a possible allergen which might start the whole process would be a lot more plausible.
OR you can do what you said you were working on and go prove the null hypothesis. It will probably be more simple and then free you up for further contemplation and perhaps prepare you to better test your next supposition before taking all the time required to write a book about it (see - test it and prove it BEFORE the book, not after).
Warmest regards,
Mrs. Woo
Dear Troll pretending to be me: you are an idiot.
By the way, troll, I make it a policy to never ever use profanity in any of my postings. How did you miss that?
Mr. Dochniak, I am very serious about you going to a clinic to a real mental health evaluation. Especially if you are employing identity trolls as a sad attempt to discredit your critics.
Please, Mr. Dochniak, find your local psychiatric outpatient clinic and get some real help. If not for yourself, but for your family. Please show you love your family enough to seek help.
Dear Troll pretending to be Mrs. Woo, it is only 11 pm on the Wast Coast. This planet is not flat, and that is why we have "Time Zones." The times on the comments are for the Eastern Coast of the USA.
By the way, the troll said it was "1am", when the comment time stamp was 2am. It seems this troll is in the Central Time Zone, which is exactly where Mr. Dochniak lives.
Mr. Dochniak, please see a real mental health therapist. It would also help if you learn about these concepts:
Eastern Standard Time
Central Standard Time
Mountain Standard Time
Pacific Standard Time
THE EVIL TROLL --- you are not helping.
Then the advice to seek real psychiatric help also applies to you. If only to educate you on the use of the "caps lock" key.
here is a site you can go to to proof of who i am for it is sad what people believe about who i am.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003063904763
You do realize that Facebook is restricted to those who sign up for its services? I don't do Facebook, so this webpage means nothing.
And only one of the few things that will get you banned around here - hopefully, good riddance.
Wait. Why'd he get banned?
I don't know if Orac has addressed it yet (the bannage) since Sockpuppetry is one of his firm rules against - the stoner guy from a couple of months ago was the last one that I'm aware of (besides this annoying guy).
Looks like it's time finally to end this thread. Not only has it hit over 1,000 comments but it's 6 months old and the trolls and sockpuppets are running rampant. The Evil Troll has been banned for sockpuppetry, and this thread is now closed.