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This has been a controversial dispute for a long time and it can involve a lot of personal opinion, but I will try to answer this as scientifically as possible.
There hasn't been any viable evidence that vaccines do cause autism. Several different theories have been proposed on why vaccines could cause autism, such as the ingredient in some vaccines ...
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You have already gotten an excellent answer on the scientific evidence for the autism-vaccination link (namely, that there isn't one). I would however like to address this part of your question directly, as an academic epidemiologist:
Could there be a conspiracy in the pharmaceutical industry to cover up
a link?
No.
It is a relatively common tactic in ...
8
Perhaps the question should be asked, can vaccines prevent autism?
One fact of note is that postnatal infections with the vaccine-targeted infectious agents, including measles, mumps, and rubella, are not known to cause autism, although autistic features have been reported in children with congenital rubella syndrome (Chess, 1971); one study reported the ...
6
Mental health conditions are diagnosed through criteria set out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) produced by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The current version is DSM-5 and the previous version was the DSM-IV.
As you pointed out in the comments, Asperger's Disorder is a variant of Autism with a separate set of ...
5
Fetal valproate syndrome (FVS) is now a well-known risk of using valproic acid in pregnancy. It is characterised by physical and intellectual developmental problems in the fetus, primarily with language and communication.
Teratogenicity
The general term for a drug that causes adverse developmental effects on a fetus is a teratogen. It is thought that the ...
4
I answered a similar question (Is autism caused by genetics?) on Psychology & Neuroscience where the following was found, plus I have added information regarding autoimmune responses concerning Autism.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) now affects one in 68 births in the United States and is the fastest growing neurodevelopmental disability worldwide (...
4
Hannah Poling (as the quote in the question points out) doesn't have autism - she has Mitochondrial Disease, a thankfully rare genetic disorder that relates to the bodies mitochondria and can result in (amongst other things) neurological damage occurring as a result of a fever (in Hannah's case regressive encephalopathy).
There's some overlap between the ...
4
This is really interesting, and really difficult.
First, let's get Miracle Mineral Supplement out of the way. There is a lengthy article on this up on the blog "Science-based Medicine" called Bleaching away what ails you. That article is quite good, but uses strong language, so it isn't for everyone. It describes the rhetoric around MMS, especially in ...
4
I could find one letter to the editor from 2011 that posits a few mechanisms by which increased blood flow caused by the fever might make autism symptoms better: Does fever relieve autistic behavior by improving brain blood flow?. It also mentions a workshop on the topic that happened in 2010.
Here is the workshop report.
One clear conclusion from the ...
4
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) manifests in early childhood and is characterised by qualitative abnormalities in social interactions, markedly aberrant communication skills, and restricted repetitive behaviours, interests, and activities (RRBs). It is primarily considered a childhood disorder; however, it is not necessarily a childhood disorder. Autistic ...
2
Two nice answers already, but both marching into the same direction. To round off the picture, this is the advocatus diaboli:
While the existence of a diagnosis in general demands its application onto some individuals, some of those might indeed benefit from receiving such a diagnosis.
Asperger’s disorder: A review of its diagnosis and treatment:
...
2
There are many reasons as to why an individual might seek a formal diagnosis of Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). For some, it may increase self-awareness to some degree for the sake of possibly capitalizing on one's strengths and managing areas of challenge. For others who qualify, an individual may seek a diagnosis to obtain additional means of support. ...
2
Asperger’s syndrome is a condition that doctors refer to as high-functioning ASD autism spectrum disorder which impacts on the individual’s ability to read and communicate socially.
The symptoms of this condition are less severe and no such signs for language delays are observed.
I work as a sped teacher at ACCEL, and one of the major differences between ...
1
I just want to know if I'm on the spectrum or not.
Well, the point you made about insurance is pretty accurate, you have to have an actual problem for there to be a medial reason to investigate the possibility of Asperger's syndrome.
However, functioning well as a human being isn't just about being a capable professional - it's also about having quality ...
1
At the age of fifty five, I received a diagnosis of severe ADHD. ADHD has significantly affected my life, threatened my marriage, and made my professional career...challenging.
I went to see a psychiatrist for marriage counseling and it was there that I found out I had ADHD. Up til that point I had no idea. None. In retrospect, my symptoms were so ...
1
The closest thing I'm aware of as a cure for autism is Early Intensive Behavioural Therapy. The idea behind it is to train the autistic child in basic social behaviours within the timeframe that they would normally be acquiring them, from 0-5 years.
As far as I'm aware it's ineffective after the age of 5 because the parts of the brain that it's meant to ...
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