CURE AUTISM NOW STATEMENT ON CONGRESSIONAL VACCINE HEARING | April 6, 2000 #AutisticHistory #StopBigAutism

Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.

[Note: Shared for #AutisticHistory archive purposes. This is NOT An Autistic Ally.]

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CURE AUTISM NOW STATEMENT ON CONGRESSIONAL VACCINE HEARING

Thursday, April 06, 2000 1:29 PM

(Los Angeles)- April 6, 2000– At this moment in time CAN believes that nothing is as important for the autism community as moving forward on House Bill 3301 which mandates: Centers of Excellence for autism research, national awareness programs and epidemiology studies, which are critical given what seems like an alarming rise in the incidence of autism all across the nation. H.R. 3301 funds autism research at higher rates and with greater urgency than has ever been brought to bear before. This legislation is both balanced and aggressive in that it is designed to bring new scientists into the field, make clinical care available to families and explore the newest and most promising areas of scientific research. 

In response to Congressman Dan Burton’s hearing on the hypothosized connection between childhood vaccines and autism, CAN believes this issue deserves to be investigated seriously and expeditiously by the best scientists possible. To that end, CAN is actively polling its own board of scientists as well as scientists at the NIH to get suggestions for rational, cost effective ways to scientifically explore the issue. 

H.R. 3301 is the end product of over two years of unified work by Members of Congress, CAN the ASA and NAAR. It demonstrates the power of the citizenry in the best possible way. Families from all over the nation have visited and written to their representatives, and the result is that in less than a year almost half of Congress has joined to support a more focused and aggressive approach to the national emergency that is autism. Having said that we would like to thank the original co-sponsors Congressman Chris Smith and Congressman Jim Greenwood and we would also like to thank Congressmen Bilirakis and Brown who have worked so hard in committee to bring bipartisan support to the bill.

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Note/Warning:

Autistic people have fought the inclusion of ABA in therapy for us since before Autism Speaks, and other non-Autistic-led autism organizations, started lobbying legislation to get it covered by insurances and Medicaid. 

ABA is a myth originally sold to parents that it would keep their Autistic child out of an institution. Today, parents are told that with early intervention therapy their child will either be less Autistic or no longer Autistic by elementary school, and can be mainstreamed in typical education classes. ABA is very expensive to pay out of pocket. Essentially, Autism Speaks has justified the big price tag up front will offset the overall burden on resources for an Autistic’s lifetime. The recommendation for this therapy is 40 hours a week for children and toddlers.

The original study that showed the success rate of ABA to be at 50% has never been replicated. In fact, the study of ABA by United States Department of Defense was denounced as a failure. Not just once, but multiple times. Simply stated: ABA doesn’t work. In study after repeated study: ABA (conversion therapy) doesn’t work. 

What more recent studies do show: Autistics who experienced ABA therapy are at high risk to develop PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions. Historically, the autism organizations promoting ABA as a cure or solution have silenced Autistic advocates’ opposition. ABA is also known as gay conversion therapy.

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[Note: Autism is NOT a disease, but a neurodevelopmental difference and disability.]

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Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.

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