Rediagnosis ‘increases’ autism – most ‘autistic’ children probably have THIS or similar

The “this”? Schizoid personality disorder. It’s been a recognized personality disorder diagnosis for decades.

In the DSM-III, the previous version to the current one of the American Psychiatric Organization’s “bible,” you can also see the diagnosis of schizoid disorder of childhood. (PDF of entire DSM-III.) In fact, different websites note this phrase was once used for Asperger’s syndrome.

And, here’s what DSM-III had as diagnostic criteria:

Diagnostic criteria for Schizoid Disorder of Childhood or Adolescence
A. No close friend of similar age other than a relative or a similarly socially isolated child.
B. No apparent interest in making friends.
C. No pleasure from usual peer interactions.
D. General avoidance of nonfamilial social contacts, especially with peers.
E. No interest in activities that involve other children {such as team sports, clubs).
F. Duration of the disturbance of at least three months.
G. Not due to Pervasive Developmental Disorder; Conduct Disorder, Undersocialized, Nonaggressive; or any psychotic disorder, such as Schizophrenia,
H. If 18 or older, does not meet the criteria for Schizoid Personality Disorder.

So, we have a “relabeling” from DSM-III to DSM-IV on Asperger’s, which may easily be misdiagnosed as full-blown autism, and people claim there’s an epidemic, then start blaming vaccines, promoting alternative medicine, etc.

Going by what you can find around the web about adult-manifest SPD, I offer these insights

Causes? Unknown but likely multivalent. A relative with schizophrenia increases the likelihood for SPD, which indicates some genetic background. Environmental factors are likely involved. The time crunch of modern parenting may be a factor.

I will certainly venture that the increased genetic fragility of more and more women having later-life pregnancies is an issue. There may also be genetic fragility issues, or uterine stress issues, with test-tube conception.

And, without being too Freudian, other parenting and home-life issues may be contributory in many cases. (SPD may be a likely development of child abuse, too.)

Treatment? Talk therapy. Of course, schizoids are loners, so it’s tough to get them to stay in too long in one-on-one therapy. In group therapy, they may simply let others talk more and stay silent.

Medications are not indicated unless other mental health issues are also involved.

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Vaccine-chasing law firm in an intimidating huff

When at work earlier this week, I went to the website for Shoemaker and Associates the law firm that represented Jon and Terry Poling in their pseudoscientific suit claiming vaccines had caused their daughter’s autism. (The NYT story explains how parents no longer have to meet a burden of proof in such cases.)

I webmailed the company, calling it “sick f-ck ambulance chasers deluding grieving parents with pseudoscience.”

As I have blogged before, scientists have shown there is NO LINK between autism and the MMR vaccine in particular, and between autism and the thimerosal preservative in some vaccines in general.

(The intimidation part is coming up.)

But, that doesn’t stop Shoemaker and Associates from posting this on its website:

LATEST ARTICLE DEMONSTRATES THAT THE RATES OF AUTISM ARE NOW DROPPING SINCE THIMEROSAL WAS REMOVED FROM CHILDHOOD VACCINES. THANK GOD!!! HOWEVER, NOW OUR GOVERNMENT IS RECOMMENDING THIMEROSAL CONTAINING FLU VACCINES FOR INFANTS AND PREGNANT WOMEN. IF THEY ARE NOT STOPPED, THE LEVELS OF MERCURY PER KILO RECEIVED BY OUR CHILDREN WILL RISE TO APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THE LEVELS THEY WERE EXPOSED TO AT THE HEIGHT OF THE AUTISM EPIDEMIC. THEY MUST BE STOPPED!!!

First, posting crap in all caps on the Internet is the height of childishness; for an allegedly professional law firm to do it is a good indicator of the mindset there. But, this is exactly the way it appears.

Beyond that, the webpage goes on to what is now clearly pseudoscience:

The evidence is now overwhelming that mercury injected into pregnant women and small infants has caused a huge epidemic of autism in this county.

And, no, Shoemaker, the California state government is not “hiding” anything, either. And, plenty of bloggers besides me have said RFK Jr. doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about on this issue, so go ahead and quote him to underline your pseudoscience.

The “intimidation” part? Right here.

Shoemaker’s website administrator traced the IP of my webmail, not e-mail, back to my newspaper company. As I said, it was a webmail, and in the e-mail address box, I listed my personal e-mail address, of course.

In fact, I got a confirmatory e-mail back to my personal e-mail address, stating the company would contact me at that e-mail address.

Shoemaker never e-mailed me. Instead, it just tried to intimidate me by contacting the company. The unidentified web administrator said:

I would kindly request that you ask Mr. Snyder to cease and desist from any further communication with our firm.

I’ll just contact you from home if I want to, you chickenshits. My only apology is for calling you “ambulance chaser” rather than “vaccine chaser.”

Oh, and as a newspaper editor, I’ll point out that you misspell “thimerosAl” on your website.

I also re-webmailed Shoemaker from home… and have now had my IP blocked.

But, you can still contact them.

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