The Battle to Defeat Autism Now

Autism can be a devastating diagnosis for families. The condition has no cure and the only treatment is therapy to aid social, language, and coordination development. Parents often have to forget about the dreams they had for their children and search for ever-more promising theories and therapies. It's no wonder why so many parents are campaigning to defeat autism now.

Find a Cause

Followers of the defeat autism now movement, mostly parents of those affected by the condition, are actively lobbying legislators to support research into the cause or causes of autism. Some believe that possible causes include the presence of heavy metals, especially mercury in the environment. Some add thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative found in childhood vaccines, to the list of possible causes. They realize that pinpointing a cause is the best way to defeat autism now.

Find a Cure

If a cause can be found, a cure can't be far behind. Again, the driving force behind a movement to develop a cure is the parents of autistic people. Some parents advocate treatments that remove mercury from the body while others adhere to a belief in a special diet or vitamin supplements. Diet and vitamins are being studied to verify any improvements that come about because of this treatment.

The spectrum of autism disorders includes wide-ranging symptoms and severity. At the low functioning end of the spectrum are autistic people who are truly victims of the disorder. They have no chance of living independently and the most seriously affected are barely able to communicate and must be medicated to keep from hurting themselves.

Hey, Wait a Minute!

At the high functioning end of the spectrum, however, are autistic people who are able to live nearly normal lives. They tend to think of their condition as less of a disorder and more of a different kind of neurological hardwiring. They have a movement that resents the move to defeat autism now or ever. In high functioning and Aspergers autism, the autistics feel that their way of experiencing life is basic to their own unique personalities. Some feel advantaged to be able to think in pictures, to concentrate on a topic and desire to research all aspects of it and appreciate the skills they acquire by overcoming what others see as obstacles.

Autistic people see the movement to defeat autism now as a judgment against them. They want acceptance from the majority of neurologically normal society and appreciation of their many gifts.