Eli Stone/Austism Comment

In a post yesterday, I discussed the Eli Stone/Autism controversy. I watched the episode and find its attitude problematic. During the testimony by the mother of the autistic child, she said that "one week he was a healthy, happy child, the next week he had autism." This is meant to illustrate the impact of the vaccine on her son. But, I'm sorry, that's just not how it happens.

As I mentioned, autism is not isolated to the brain, but the neurological impacts stand out as developing so late in the your child's life. It's almost as if you remember a more normal time and wonder what happened. As you learn how the other problems with the body inter-relate with the neurological problems, you realize the signs were there much sooner that anyone could have known.

It is a condition, but I'm not willing to say its a sickness, at least not in the high-functioning case. Its tough, because without it your child would not be who he is and who he is amazing.

The portrayal of autism on Eli Stone as the tragedy of the once normal child lost to a vaccine (and by implication, corporate greed) is a soft, but stinging, insult. But, at least, it does help crystallize your own feelings.