It is not quite accurate to say that the vaccine/thimerosal argument has been debunked. There is still a community of researchers that support that theory. But you are right in that we have yet to pinpoint the exact cause. For that reason, we need more funding to study it. Thank you for the awareness article.

Thanks for your comment, an aunt. It would probably more accurate for me to have written that the link between thimerosal and autism has not been scientifically and definitively proven, though many people still support the theory. -- LMA

My son has an allergy to peanuts and I have come to learn more about autism thanks to the overlap that exists between the online autism community and online food allergy community. Your post provides a helpful overview for those of us less familiar with day-to-day life with an autistic child. Thank you!

Barbara,
Excellent informative reporting. Great resource for background info on Autism treatments.

Whoops sorry Lylah I see now that it was written by you. Great writing!

Thank you, Bill! -- LMA

The only cure for autism is chelation to remove the mercury. All of the other garbage you discuss here only alleviates some symptoms in a small number of children.
Mercury is the cause of autism and I have proved it by curing my son with chelation alone. Please stop giving out this horrible advice about diets and behavioral nonsense. You must address the cause, mercury, to help these children.

I've been a fan of probiotics for some time for digestive and immune health, and have wondered about the connection between these friendly bacteria and Autism (my cousin is has been diagnosed with Autism). Thanks for the great info written in an informed and accessible way. It has spurred me to research this topic further.
- Anna M. nutri-health.com

Celiac disease, which is a wheat allergy, can be tested with a blood test. Most adults with autistic spectrum disorders have none of these health problems that people are talking about that are affecting their children. This makes me very curious. I think the form of autism that they have is much different and has a different cause than those of us who were obviously genetically predisposed. Professionals are using the term "autisms" (notice the plural), to discriminate between the childhood illnesses and the rest of us who have ASDs but are perfectly healthy.

It's terribly unprofessional and irresponsible to promote therapies/claim causes that have been disproven (vaccines -- studies on millions of children disprove this connection) or are not proven, but are costly, in terms of money and time, to implement (diets). While behavioral treatment is costly, as you stated, it have been proven. Families should not be encouraged to waste precious resources for little benefit.

John Best: really? Please add links to the scientifically reviewed articles showing that this is more than anecdotal.

John Best: Do you think if it was as easy as that my nephew would still be autistic? I think maybe you are not in touch with reality at all. I completely agree that Autism is attributed to more then just one thing. I think the information given is very accurate. Celiac is not a wheat allergy it is a gluten allergy which is a vital protein in wheat, barley, sorghum, and rye. I and many in my family including my nephew are all celiacs.