TV Really Might Cause Autism

[alkemical]

http://www.slate.com/id/2151538/

TV Really Might Cause Autism

A Slate exclusive: findings from a new Cornell study.
By Gregg Easterbrook
Posted Monday, Oct. 16, 2006, at 6:52 AM ET

Last month, I speculated in Slate that the mounting incidence of childhood autism may be related to increased television viewing among the very young. The autism rise began around 1980, about the same time cable television and VCRs became common, allowing children to watch television aimed at them any time. Since the brain is organizing during the first years of life and since human beings evolved responding to three-dimensional stimuli, I wondered if exposing toddlers to lots of colorful two-dimensional stimulation could be harmful to brain development. This was sheer speculation, since I knew of no researchers pursuing the question.

Today, Cornell University researchers are reporting what appears to be a statistically significant relationship between autism rates and television watching by children under the age of 3. The researchers studied autism incidence in California, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington state. They found that as cable television became common in California and Pennsylvania beginning around 1980, childhood autism rose more in the counties that had cable than in the counties that did not. They further found that in all the Western states, the more time toddlers spent in front of the television, the more likely they were to exhibit symptoms of autism disorders.

The Cornell study represents a potential bombshell in the autism debate. "We are not saying we have found the cause of autism, we're saying we have found a critical piece of evidence," Cornell researcher Michael Waldman told me. Because autism rates are increasing broadly across the country and across income and ethnic groups, it seems logical that the trigger is something to which children are broadly exposed. Vaccines were a leading suspect, but numerous studies have failed to show any definitive link between autism and vaccines, while the autism rise has continued since worrisome compounds in vaccines were banned. What if the malefactor is not a chemical? Studies suggest that American children now watch about four hours of television daily. Before 1980—the first kids-oriented channel, Nickelodeon, dates to 1979—the figure is believed to have been much lower.

(rest on site)

[mhgaffney]

Originally Posted by claviculasolomonis

http://www.slate.com/id/2151538/

TV Really Might Cause Autism

A Slate exclusive: findings from a new Cornell study.
By Gregg Easterbrook
Posted Monday, Oct. 16, 2006, at 6:52 AM ET

A Naturopath recently explained to me that autistic children experience the world differently. Their sensorium is much heightened. A low sound is experienced as extremely loud. Subdued colors are vivid. The light in a dimly lit room is experenced as glaring and painful. In other words the senses are heightened -- which is frightening and painful to a small child. This is why the autistics withdraw into themselves.

At least, this is how it was explained to me. As for the cause -- well evidently autism is a phenom of the modern world. There appears to be no record of it existing in the word before the 20th century. Strange.

The US exportation of vaccines to India reportedly was acompanied by a sharp increase in autism in India -- which never before had the disease. This prompted people to link the problem with vaccines. That's what I heard.

[alkemical]

Well i have no doubt the world is different for the autistic.

One of my favorite artists, paul laffoley is/was autistic.