Inoculations and parenting skills

Many years ago while working with special needs children, the teacher discovered that there were several myths about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Over time, people often heard lots of misinformation about the disability. For example, the lack of initial research on vaccinations and the quick rise in autism resulted in some children never receiving inoculations they needed.
At first, there was a concern that vaccinations, in particular, the measles, mumps and rubella MMR inoculation, might be a direct causal link to autism. Over time, that has proven not to be the case. Today, studies are still ongoing to try to find out what is causing a continued increase in the number of cases of autism around the world. Research is focusing on environmental factors, genetics and the age of the child’s parents.
To this day, misunderstandings still exist on vaccinations and autism. A parent who chooses never to give a vaccination to a child versus delaying a vaccination could lead to other medical dangers for a toddler. Some parents are concerned about the large number of inoculations which have increased over the years. Families express a fear that these vaccinations may impact a young child’s auditory processing development in the brain.
The teacher understood that concern personally. Her own grandson’s shots at birth were delayed briefly until the family was sure that he was healthy. That was a family choice and a wise one at the time as he ended up in ICU not too long after birth. Later on, however, the teacher’s grandson gradually caught up with his inoculations on a schedule that was appropriate for him after discussions between his parents and his doctor.
If the vaccination schedule is a concern, a family decision might be to speak to the doctor about slowing down the vaccinations timetable. That would be better than not having any vaccinations at all which can be very dangerous. If your child is not healthy on the day he is scheduled for his routine shots, schedule another date for vaccinations. To not have your child vaccinated at all can lead to other disabilities that are associated with a variety of childhood diseases, including death.
There are lots of other myths out in the general public on autism spectrum disorders. The teacher has never ceased to be surprised on what people believed about special needs children, especially those with ASD including the following:
Myth Number One-True or False: Bad parenting skills cause autism. The answer is false. Sadly, several of the teacher’s parents had been told that statement as a fact. A few years ago, a young boy named Ian came into the self contained unit as a first grader. Early during the school year, the teacher decided to stop by the boy’s home. She wanted to see how Ian was transitioning between his school and his home. When the teacher rang the doorbell, the mother seemed eager to talk to her. She sat down on the couch with the boy’s mother, Abby. Abby began to speak about Ian’s early years of development.
The young mother told the teacher that when Ian was a toddler, her son’s doctor and even her own mother blamed Abby for Ian’s disability. Abby was told by both of them that she had not loved the child correctly from birth. The teacher was shocked not so much by what Abby’s mother and doctor had said. Rather, she was surprised that the young woman really believed what they told her. Abby thought it was her fault that her son had autism.
Unfortunately, this was not the first time the teacher had heard this horribly false statement. The same comment was made from another parent several years ago in her classroom. This family had a bright little girl named Dora. In that case, the mother broke down crying just like Abby believing that she had caused her daughter’s autism. The teacher explained to both Ian and Dora’s mothers the difference between autism facts and myths. They were both excellent mothers.
The fact is autism is not caused by “bad” parenting. Autism is not caused by any bond issue between mother and child. It is actually a complex developmental disability of the brain that impacts social interaction (including emotions), communication, cognitive ability, gross motor development (including repetitive behaviors) and sensory abilities. Autism is usually used as a general overall phrase for what is referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) which is also known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The actual cause of autism is still being researched but it has nothing to do with parenting skills.
Pamela Gross Downing, a special education teacher, can be reached at downpamg@aol.com.