[beaglette]

I agree with the vaccination "theory". I'm not sure I am sold on what the correlation is but I do believe there is one. That is one reason I DO NOT vaccinate my children. They say "well, the risk of vaccination, if there is one, is far less than a child getting chicken pox". I had a horrible, miserable, horrible case of chicken pox as a child and I didn't die and nothing atrocious happened to me (besides the physical suffering at the time). If my children get chicken pox, it's not the end of the world. Now, if they contract something like polio, then there's a bigger problem than them merely contracting polio.

I also think that *previously* autism was wayyy over-diagnosed. In my experience in "special ed" classes, many children were given that diagnosis when they couldn't figure out what else is wrong. It kind of became a catch-all phrase. Your child can't talk? Obviously autism. Your child likes to spin around? Obviously autism. Your child stares into space? Obviously austism. Hopefully that trend is diminishing and correct diagnosis are being made. Because without *correct* diagnosis, there will never be a fully effective widespread treatment or research that would amount to more than a hill of beans.

Ok, that's my rant

Warmly,

Brandi