Much of [16 yr old] Mary Grace’s life is defined by the fact that she suffers from autism. When she was born, about one in 2,000 children developed the disorder. Today, autism is the second leading cause of disability in children, behind mental retardation. According to the Autism Society of America, as many as one out of every 166 children born today is autistic. The condition affects up to 1.5 million people nationwide and is the fastest-growing developmental disability; in the ’90s alone, instances of autism rose 172 percent.
It’s tough to find a cure for something when no one knows what causes it.
The chief suspect for causing autism in the minds of many parents and some doctors is Thimerosal, a preservative that contains mercury that was once used in most vaccines. There is substantial anecdotal evidence that young children who appeared normal suddenly developed autism after they received vaccinations.
For every study that seems to suggest autism is linked to high levels of mercury, another one suggests there is no connection. A study from Israel released earlier this month found that autism rates rise as fathers get older. Dads in their 40s, the study said, are six times more likely to have children with autism than men under 30.
The fact is, no one knows for sure. The only given is that, in the last 20 years, something has triggered a disturbing increase in the number of children born with autism.
But Autism in young children and especially in the preschoolers is a different matter. Young children with autism lag behind peers in distinguishing between animate, inanimate objects. The research is from the Carnegie Mellon University and appears at