The Evolution of Autism

Autism is one of the most intricate and mysterious neurological disorders ever discovered, and it's not rare. An estimated “1 in every 1000” are born with, and another “1.5 million” are suspected to have, some form of autism in the United States. These numbers are outstanding for something we know so little about considering how many psychologists there are in our society.
Because of it's mystery, parents are left in the dark as to what to do to prevent these social impairments and the numbers seem to be growing. There is also no cure to autism, only progressive therapeutically treatment that requires vigorous and abstract learning programs and huge amounts of patience, as an autistic person's ability to comprehend things is much more complex.

So what are some of the ideas about the causes of autism? Many people believe it's genetic, or inherited through the person's parent's genes. Others blame food allergies and malnutrition. My step-mother accuses over-vaccination as the cause of my step-brother Jacob's disability, along with other credible researchers who claim similar. Another guilty party seems to just be that the “autistic brain is different in growth and wiring”; children with autism, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), seem to have “abnormal” brain structures as compared to the “typical” brain. The important, and frightening, thing is that no one really knows what causes autism and any of these standing alone or in combination could be the source.

Every offspring that is born acquires their genes and DNA from their parents. These genes are very complex building blocks of a person's entire body structure and stability. This being one cause of autism seems to be the most plausibly because of the frequency of autistic offspring resulting from one or more of the parents being diagnosed with autism prior to the birth, making it a very credible source. There are also numerous research programs which have claimed to have found “autism genes”, but all these findings only point to a small percentage of autism cases, so this must not be the only antagonist.

Another theory has to do with food. Some scientist speculate that autistic children have intense allergic reactions to certain foods when they are very young which affects their development, while others assume it's malnutrition at a young age. To me, these ideas seem very irrational, as attempts at reproducing such data have not succeeded. But it does seem logical to suspect that the children's immune system was not quite up to par when introduced to certain foods and their bodies just couldn't handle it. Being a health food enthusiast, I know that most of today's foods are tampered with with chemicals and processing, and that these food additives have been known to cause numerous mental and physical impairments in even adults. It would be illogical of me to rule out food's affect on a child's potential to become autistic due to the current nature of our system.

The third accusation is on the onslaught of chemicals and viruses in certain vaccinations that are distributed into children at such a young and vulnerable age. My step-mother claims that her son had normal reactions and tendencies up until an incident where the system had lost his medical records which stated that he had already taken a measles shot. They then re-administered the shot to make up for it, and; soon after, Jacob's social detachment began. Because there has been no history of reported autistic relatives in her family, the genetics possibility doesn't seem to apply.

But is my step-mom right in her accusations? Some scientists, and many other persistent mothers would agree. There are two main vaccination concerns: the MMR vaccine and a mercury based preservative used in many vaccines called Thimerosal. The MMR vaccine is a shot for three diseases known as mumps, measles and rubella. It's a prime suspect because it contains THREE sets of viruses that build our immunities to these diseases; the normal vaccine only contains one. These vaccines are also administered “around the age when most autism cases are first detected”. The preservative, Thimerosal, also seems like a logical blame because of its content of mercury, a highly neuro-toxic chemical, and it's usage in many vaccines given to children. Both of these causes have an underlying cause which people feel is the main reason the vaccines are being blamed and that is a child's very vulnerable and underdeveloped immune system. Every child is born differently, of course, and it makes perfect sense to assume that while some children may come out of something fine, other's bodies may not be quite ready to handle the viruses and chemicals being injected into their bodies.

When you take a step back and look at the list of suspected causes, it really seems that it has to do with the child's early vulnerability to their surroundings, along with the genetic theory. And while no one may know the causes of this disorder, I've come to my own conclusion that, whatever the reason, these children's behavior is extremely unique, and although my step-brother is autistic, he has a personality to him that sets him apart from other people. He does things religiously and tedious and his life has so much structure to it. And while he shows little to no emotional reaction, he has a passion in the things he does that gives him a greater empathy than that I see in most of my “normal”, apathetic colleagues.

To me, autism is a step towards an evolution. Our minds are attempting to change, and to adapt to our ever-evolving surroundings. My brother can memorize movies after watching them once; he can recite lines over and over again weeks to months after watching a new movie in theaters. He remembers names and faces so easily; he attaches them with nicknames or phrases. He puts himself into the habit of doing certain things his own way as to be more efficient at them. I believe that his brain is so complex that it is hindered by today's society and way's of interacting. His ability to connect things that our brains separate is so admirable. His mind is so specific and so set; it's not contradicting or irrational of its own self. It's beautiful.

No matter what the cause is, I don't believe these children should be looked upon as having a disability. We need to find a way to harness their advanced traits and learn from them, as well as find a way to be able to teach them more efficiently. I truly believe that one day, autism will be a key factor in helping the long overdue advancement of our brains and unlock the potential that our minds possess.

We're all our own cancer.

Our contemporary conception of what we believe to be infinity.
A temporary tranquilizer for reality.

Soon, you will all learn what it really means to be free
And no, I'm not kidding.
This isn't a test.
This isn't a joke.
This is real and what's really starting to bother me
Is the consistency in our illusion to see what we think we need.
We don't need anything.
You don't need anything.
Want. The destruction of our race.
Of ourselves.

No, I don't think anyone is insane.

Insanity. Insanity. Insanity.
If you're crazy then I'm crazy.
We're all headed for the same thing.
So wouldn't that make all of us crazy?
Just repeating. and repeating. and repeating. and repeating. and repeating. and repeating.
Infinity is it's own paradox if you think about it, because it can never be reached.

So is thought.
Or at least thinking of certain thoughts.
If I'm not thinking right now.
If I wasn't thinking right now.
Would I still be a thought?
Would you still be a thought?
Would any of this make any sense at all?

Wouldn't everything make sense?

If nothing, then everything.
If everything, then nothing.

If we all have to tell ourselves that we are alive,
what are we going to say to ourselves when we are dead?

Death is nothing.
Life is everything.


Do you believe in god?
What is god?
If you're first reaction is...
"god is everything."

then shouldn't you stop thinking about god and start thinking more about everything, or nothing.

If god is everything then the bible and the church would mean nothing and the most god worshiping thing you could do would be to listen to instinct.
Listen to yourself. You are everything.

If god is everything, then you are god.


Don't think about these things.
Ever.

We're all our own cancer.


I could rant on about nothing, but it could mean everything.

Here I am.
Empty, transient and exanimate.
Is this really enlightenment?