Chelsea Fisher
Eckerd College
P.O. Box 662
4200 54th Ave S.
Saint Petersburg FL, 33711
April 30, 2008
Autism Speaks
2 Park Avenue
11th floor
New York, NY 10016
Dear Autism Speaks,
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your organization is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing numbers of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccines.
The posting you have on the concern regarding vaccinations is reasonably informative and helpful, but there are people who have no understanding of the topic. These people may turn to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for their information, which as I’m sure you know is not a very informative site regarding this topic. The CDC has said “because signs of autism may appear around the same time children receive the MMR vaccine some parents may worry that the vaccine causes autism” and They also say that a study done in 1998 that led people to believe the vaccine was causing the disorder was very small and not comprehensive enough, it also states that many of the doctors involves in the study are now saying that it is not the cause. Since then larger studies have taken place in which “the percentage of children with autism who received MMR vaccine was the same as the number of unaffected children in the region who received the MMR vaccine.” The bullets end with the statement “Groups of experts say there is not relationship between MMR and the influx in Autism” This website for an uninformed parent makes it seem like the relationship between autism and vaccinations is non-existent and they should not worry.
I think that it is up to organizations like you to make sure that you have a comprehensive page regarding this issue. Research institutions like Columbia and Yale have done studies on the topic and have been unable to find answers, but have found enough evidence that more research needs to be done. Now one out of every one hundred and fifty children is diagnosed with autism which is an astounding increase. Also people should know that the government and the CDC are afraid that if people do find out that these vaccinations are causing autism it will cause people to stop giving their children any vaccinations, which would create an even larger problem. If people are informed about which vaccinations are speculated of being the problem, they can talk it over with their pediatricians.
I am very proud of everything you are doing for the cause, but I think that the page regarding vaccinations could be more informative. The fact that you are relaying the information at all is a very important step. Thank you for reading about my concerns as a young woman and student who wishes more people were informed on this topic. I would love to hear back from you if I have said anything you do or do not agree with.
Sincerely,
Chelsea
Thursday, May 8, 2008
final Draft letter to LADDERS
Eckerd College
P.O. Box 662
4200 54th Ave S.
Saint Petersburg FL, 33711
April 30, 2008
Friends of Ladders Inc.
P.O. Box 920025
Needham MA, 02492
Dear Ladders,
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am currently a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your organization is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing numbers of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccines.
I understand that you mostly do research to see how to help autistic people later in their lives, but I am very concerned with the recent proclamations that vaccines may be the reason for the influx in children diagnosed with Autism. Your increasing understanding of how autism affects and changes the lives of people could be of great benefit to the research institutions that are studying this issue. Research institutions like Yale and Columbia have found enough of a relationship to keep researching the matter even though they have found no definitive answers. Even though it has been a very back and forth topic the Center for Disease Control has been very adamant in refuting the relationship between vaccines and autism for fear that if people think there is a problem with one vaccine they will lost trust in all vaccinations and a larger epidemic will take place. If there is even a chance that vaccines are the reason one out of every one hundred and fifty children are now being diagnosed with Autism it is unacceptable that children are being subjected to it.
Like I said before I respect everything that your organization is doing and I feel that you can help reveal the real issues behind the influx in autism. I one day hope that I can feel comfortable giving my child vaccinations, and if my children is born with autism or aspergers I am glad there are people like you to help. Please reply if I have said anything you do no agree with or do agree with. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Chelsea Fisher
P.O. Box 662
4200 54th Ave S.
Saint Petersburg FL, 33711
April 30, 2008
Friends of Ladders Inc.
P.O. Box 920025
Needham MA, 02492
Dear Ladders,
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am currently a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your organization is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing numbers of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccines.
I understand that you mostly do research to see how to help autistic people later in their lives, but I am very concerned with the recent proclamations that vaccines may be the reason for the influx in children diagnosed with Autism. Your increasing understanding of how autism affects and changes the lives of people could be of great benefit to the research institutions that are studying this issue. Research institutions like Yale and Columbia have found enough of a relationship to keep researching the matter even though they have found no definitive answers. Even though it has been a very back and forth topic the Center for Disease Control has been very adamant in refuting the relationship between vaccines and autism for fear that if people think there is a problem with one vaccine they will lost trust in all vaccinations and a larger epidemic will take place. If there is even a chance that vaccines are the reason one out of every one hundred and fifty children are now being diagnosed with Autism it is unacceptable that children are being subjected to it.
Like I said before I respect everything that your organization is doing and I feel that you can help reveal the real issues behind the influx in autism. I one day hope that I can feel comfortable giving my child vaccinations, and if my children is born with autism or aspergers I am glad there are people like you to help. Please reply if I have said anything you do no agree with or do agree with. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Chelsea Fisher
Final Draft letter to ASU
Chelsea Fisher
Eckerd College
P.O. Box 662
4200 54th Ave S.
Saint Petersburg FL, 33711
April 30, 2008
James B. Adams
Professor
Arizona State University
P.O. Box 876006
Tempe, AZ 85287-6006
Dear Autism/Aspergers research program of Arizona State University,
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am currently a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your research institution is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccinations.
I understand that you are trying to find the causes of autism and ways to help people who have been diagnosed. I noticed also that you mostly do your research on biomedical issues which are obviously the most important factors. What worries me most is the recent and rapid influx in autism in recent years. I understand that other research institutions have found enough of a relationship among the two to keep researching the topic. I was wondering if as a research institution you have also looked into this subject matter. Potentially it is not the vaccines that are causing the issues, but the vital moments in a child’s devilment when we give them these vaccinations.
It also worries me that this topic has fallen of the charts a little bit. The Center for Disease control has claimed that many experts say there is no relationship, but it is also true that the CDC is worried that if there is a connection people will lose trust in all vaccines, ultimately causing a larger problem. This is not a good enough reason to keep information from the public. It is in your hands to find out how these vaccines could be causing autism and explain why the numbers have raised so rapidly.
I know the affects aspergers has had not only on my friend, but also on her family, and if these types f disorders are caused by vaccines it must be stopped. I one day would like to give my child a vaccine that helps them and does not affect their development. Please let me know if you have in fact researched this topic and what you have found, or if I have said anything that you agree or disagree with. Thank you for your time and understanding.
Sincerely,
Chelsea
Eckerd College
P.O. Box 662
4200 54th Ave S.
Saint Petersburg FL, 33711
April 30, 2008
James B. Adams
Professor
Arizona State University
P.O. Box 876006
Tempe, AZ 85287-6006
Dear Autism/Aspergers research program of Arizona State University,
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am currently a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your research institution is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccinations.
I understand that you are trying to find the causes of autism and ways to help people who have been diagnosed. I noticed also that you mostly do your research on biomedical issues which are obviously the most important factors. What worries me most is the recent and rapid influx in autism in recent years. I understand that other research institutions have found enough of a relationship among the two to keep researching the topic. I was wondering if as a research institution you have also looked into this subject matter. Potentially it is not the vaccines that are causing the issues, but the vital moments in a child’s devilment when we give them these vaccinations.
It also worries me that this topic has fallen of the charts a little bit. The Center for Disease control has claimed that many experts say there is no relationship, but it is also true that the CDC is worried that if there is a connection people will lose trust in all vaccines, ultimately causing a larger problem. This is not a good enough reason to keep information from the public. It is in your hands to find out how these vaccines could be causing autism and explain why the numbers have raised so rapidly.
I know the affects aspergers has had not only on my friend, but also on her family, and if these types f disorders are caused by vaccines it must be stopped. I one day would like to give my child a vaccine that helps them and does not affect their development. Please let me know if you have in fact researched this topic and what you have found, or if I have said anything that you agree or disagree with. Thank you for your time and understanding.
Sincerely,
Chelsea
lesson plan
Chelsea Fisher
Analytic and Persuasive Writing
Professor Robinson
Lesson Plan Title: Autism what is it? How does it change the life of an autistic person?
Concept: The concept is to teach 5th graders what autism is and some of the affects autism has on an individual. This lesson will mostly focus on the social incapability’s, and differences that autistic kids deal with. This concept will be taught using the Florida State standards of dance. Mostly the creation and communication standard will be addressed. Standard 1: the student understands dance is a way to create meaning. The students will try and show emotions with peers first without using facial expressions or words, then with only facial expressions. This will show the ability that people generally have to understand what other people are feeling without them directly telling them. This will show what empathy is; autistic children have been studied as having a general lack of empathy and thus this will lead into explaining that autistic children have a difficulty in relating with other people because they cannot understand what other people are feeling. This activity in full with the lead-in, the dancing, and the discussion afterward should take about 20 to 30 minutes.
Goal: The main goal of this is for the fifth graders to understand one of the aspects of autism, which is the social difficulty an autistic child has due to a lack of empathy. Also they should get a general understanding of what autism is simply through communication and discussion; this will hopefully lead to a moral of accepting people with differences.
Required materials: about two cards per child with emotions or feelings on them ex. Anger, another card could say happiness, confusion, sadness, pain. A single chair will be needed when for a demonstration of overstimulation.
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In) - First it is important to ask the students if they have ever heard of autism, are they know what it is, if they know anyone affected with the disorder. The teaching aspect will of course change according to the original understanding of the topic by the students. Once this has been discussed, the teacher will then explain what autism is. Autism is defined as a brain disorder that begins in early childhood and persists throughout adulthood; affects three crucial areas of development: communication, social interaction, and creative or imaginative play. This causes difficulties in functioning in normal society because they are more sensitive to what is going on around them. Next ask the students if they know what empathy is, or in other words they know what it is like to understand what one of their friends is feeling without their friend telling them. Instances when they knew their mother or father was mad at them for doing something wrong before they were punished, know when someone is lying or cheating them. This will lead into the communicating without words in order to simulate empathy.
Step-by-step
1. Each student will choose a partner
2. One student of the partners will choose an emotion card out of a container
3. The one who has chosen the card must do a charade type action and dance of the emotion without using words or facial expressions.
4. The other student will have to guess which emotion or feeling they are displaying
5. This will be repeated with the other partner choosing the card.
6. Each partner does this twice
7. Then the same sequence will e repeated but they must only use facial expressions this time.
8. Then there will be another discussion sequence about whether or not the students were able to feel and understand what their partner was feeling. This will lead to the teacher explaining the difficulties for people with autism to empathize or understand what other people are feeling. Ask the fifth graders how they think this would affect someone when they are trying to make friends or understand what is going on in a social situation. Ask them how they think it would feel if they could never understand if someone was lying to them.
9. Then the overstimulation exercise will be done.
10. The teacher needs to choose one student to sit in a chair for this
11. The rest of the class will first surround them and act normally have conversations with the other students around them, use their acting skills to represent what a park is like, maybe pretend they are in a grocery store , any public place.
12. Then the other students need to simulate the same situation (this may get loud and hopefully not unmanageable) but this time they need to go crazy and be loud and intimidate and annoy the student in the seat.
13. This will represent what a normal situation or public place feels like to a child with autism.
Closure: The teacher will then sit everyone down and ask them how their life would be if every time they were in public or in a social setting they could not only relate to other people but would also see all places as over stimulating. Explain that these are both effects of autism, which make it difficult to participate in normal daily life.
Assessment: The student should demonstrate ability to show emotion through dance and communicate through facial expression and dance. They should also be involved in the conversation and be respectful and understanding of the effects of autism.
Adaptations (For students with learning disabilities): This may require simply more communication by the teacher about the topic to make sure that the concept is understood by all students. Also when the emotion cards are handed out the teacher may want to give these children quick ideas about how to represent their emotions.
Extensions (for gifted students) : This is difficult to really change, they should be expected to be very involved in the discussion aspect, they also can have more emotion cards and express more emotions through dance and expression in the same amount of time.
Analytic and Persuasive Writing
Professor Robinson
Lesson Plan Title: Autism what is it? How does it change the life of an autistic person?
Concept: The concept is to teach 5th graders what autism is and some of the affects autism has on an individual. This lesson will mostly focus on the social incapability’s, and differences that autistic kids deal with. This concept will be taught using the Florida State standards of dance. Mostly the creation and communication standard will be addressed. Standard 1: the student understands dance is a way to create meaning. The students will try and show emotions with peers first without using facial expressions or words, then with only facial expressions. This will show the ability that people generally have to understand what other people are feeling without them directly telling them. This will show what empathy is; autistic children have been studied as having a general lack of empathy and thus this will lead into explaining that autistic children have a difficulty in relating with other people because they cannot understand what other people are feeling. This activity in full with the lead-in, the dancing, and the discussion afterward should take about 20 to 30 minutes.
Goal: The main goal of this is for the fifth graders to understand one of the aspects of autism, which is the social difficulty an autistic child has due to a lack of empathy. Also they should get a general understanding of what autism is simply through communication and discussion; this will hopefully lead to a moral of accepting people with differences.
Required materials: about two cards per child with emotions or feelings on them ex. Anger, another card could say happiness, confusion, sadness, pain. A single chair will be needed when for a demonstration of overstimulation.
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In) - First it is important to ask the students if they have ever heard of autism, are they know what it is, if they know anyone affected with the disorder. The teaching aspect will of course change according to the original understanding of the topic by the students. Once this has been discussed, the teacher will then explain what autism is. Autism is defined as a brain disorder that begins in early childhood and persists throughout adulthood; affects three crucial areas of development: communication, social interaction, and creative or imaginative play. This causes difficulties in functioning in normal society because they are more sensitive to what is going on around them. Next ask the students if they know what empathy is, or in other words they know what it is like to understand what one of their friends is feeling without their friend telling them. Instances when they knew their mother or father was mad at them for doing something wrong before they were punished, know when someone is lying or cheating them. This will lead into the communicating without words in order to simulate empathy.
Step-by-step
1. Each student will choose a partner
2. One student of the partners will choose an emotion card out of a container
3. The one who has chosen the card must do a charade type action and dance of the emotion without using words or facial expressions.
4. The other student will have to guess which emotion or feeling they are displaying
5. This will be repeated with the other partner choosing the card.
6. Each partner does this twice
7. Then the same sequence will e repeated but they must only use facial expressions this time.
8. Then there will be another discussion sequence about whether or not the students were able to feel and understand what their partner was feeling. This will lead to the teacher explaining the difficulties for people with autism to empathize or understand what other people are feeling. Ask the fifth graders how they think this would affect someone when they are trying to make friends or understand what is going on in a social situation. Ask them how they think it would feel if they could never understand if someone was lying to them.
9. Then the overstimulation exercise will be done.
10. The teacher needs to choose one student to sit in a chair for this
11. The rest of the class will first surround them and act normally have conversations with the other students around them, use their acting skills to represent what a park is like, maybe pretend they are in a grocery store , any public place.
12. Then the other students need to simulate the same situation (this may get loud and hopefully not unmanageable) but this time they need to go crazy and be loud and intimidate and annoy the student in the seat.
13. This will represent what a normal situation or public place feels like to a child with autism.
Closure: The teacher will then sit everyone down and ask them how their life would be if every time they were in public or in a social setting they could not only relate to other people but would also see all places as over stimulating. Explain that these are both effects of autism, which make it difficult to participate in normal daily life.
Assessment: The student should demonstrate ability to show emotion through dance and communicate through facial expression and dance. They should also be involved in the conversation and be respectful and understanding of the effects of autism.
Adaptations (For students with learning disabilities): This may require simply more communication by the teacher about the topic to make sure that the concept is understood by all students. Also when the emotion cards are handed out the teacher may want to give these children quick ideas about how to represent their emotions.
Extensions (for gifted students) : This is difficult to really change, they should be expected to be very involved in the discussion aspect, they also can have more emotion cards and express more emotions through dance and expression in the same amount of time.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
letter to LADDERS
Dear Ladders,
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am currently a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your organization is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing numbers of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccines.
I understand that you mostly do research to see how to help autistic people later in their lives, but I am very concerned with the recent proclamations that vaccines may be the reason for the influx in children diagnosed with Autism. Your increasing understanding of how autism affects and changes the lives of people could be of great benefit to the research institutions that are studying this issue. Research institutions like Yale and Columbia have found enough of a relationship to keep researching the matter even though they have found no definitive answers. Even though it has been a very back and forth topic the Center for Disease Control has been very adamant in refuting the relationship between vaccines and autism for fear that if people think there is a problem with one vaccine they will lost trust in all vaccinations and a larger epidemic will take place. If there is even a chance that vaccines are the reason one out of every one hundred and fifty children are now being diagnosed with Autism it is unacceptable that children are being subjected to it.
Like I said before I respect everything that your organization is doing and I feel that you can help reveal the real issues behind the influx in autism. I one day hope that I can feel comfortable giving my child vaccinations, and if my children is born with autism or aspergers I am glad there are people like you to help. Please reply if I have said anything you do no agree with or do agree with. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Chelsea Fisher
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am currently a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your organization is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing numbers of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccines.
I understand that you mostly do research to see how to help autistic people later in their lives, but I am very concerned with the recent proclamations that vaccines may be the reason for the influx in children diagnosed with Autism. Your increasing understanding of how autism affects and changes the lives of people could be of great benefit to the research institutions that are studying this issue. Research institutions like Yale and Columbia have found enough of a relationship to keep researching the matter even though they have found no definitive answers. Even though it has been a very back and forth topic the Center for Disease Control has been very adamant in refuting the relationship between vaccines and autism for fear that if people think there is a problem with one vaccine they will lost trust in all vaccinations and a larger epidemic will take place. If there is even a chance that vaccines are the reason one out of every one hundred and fifty children are now being diagnosed with Autism it is unacceptable that children are being subjected to it.
Like I said before I respect everything that your organization is doing and I feel that you can help reveal the real issues behind the influx in autism. I one day hope that I can feel comfortable giving my child vaccinations, and if my children is born with autism or aspergers I am glad there are people like you to help. Please reply if I have said anything you do no agree with or do agree with. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Chelsea Fisher
letter to ASU
Dear Autism/Aspergers research program of Arizona State University,
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am currently a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your research institution is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccinations.
I understand that you are trying to find the causes of autism and ways to help people who have been diagnosed. I noticed also that you mostly do your research on biomedical issues which are obviously the most important factors. What worries me most is that recent and rapid influx in autism in recent years. I understand that other research institutions have found enough of a relationship among the two to keep researching the topic. I was wondering if as a research institution you have also looked into this subject matter. Potentially it is not the vaccines that are causing the issues, but the vital moments in a child’s devilment when we give them these vaccinations.
It also worries me that this topic has fallen of the charts a little bit. The Center for Disease control has claimed that many experts say there is no relationship, but it is also true that the CDC is worried that if there is a connection people will lose trust in all vaccines, ultimately causing a larger problem. This is not a good enough reason to keep information from the public. It is in your hands to find out how these vaccines could be causing autism and explain why the numbers have raised so rapidly.
I know the affects aspergers has had not only on my friend, but also on her family, and if these types f disorders are caused by vaccines it must be stopped. I one day would like to give my child a vaccine that helps them and does not affect their development. Please let me know if you have in fact researched this topic and what you have found, or if I have said anything that you agree or disagree with. Thank you for your time and understanding.
Sincerely,
Chelsea
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am currently a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your research institution is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccinations.
I understand that you are trying to find the causes of autism and ways to help people who have been diagnosed. I noticed also that you mostly do your research on biomedical issues which are obviously the most important factors. What worries me most is that recent and rapid influx in autism in recent years. I understand that other research institutions have found enough of a relationship among the two to keep researching the topic. I was wondering if as a research institution you have also looked into this subject matter. Potentially it is not the vaccines that are causing the issues, but the vital moments in a child’s devilment when we give them these vaccinations.
It also worries me that this topic has fallen of the charts a little bit. The Center for Disease control has claimed that many experts say there is no relationship, but it is also true that the CDC is worried that if there is a connection people will lose trust in all vaccines, ultimately causing a larger problem. This is not a good enough reason to keep information from the public. It is in your hands to find out how these vaccines could be causing autism and explain why the numbers have raised so rapidly.
I know the affects aspergers has had not only on my friend, but also on her family, and if these types f disorders are caused by vaccines it must be stopped. I one day would like to give my child a vaccine that helps them and does not affect their development. Please let me know if you have in fact researched this topic and what you have found, or if I have said anything that you agree or disagree with. Thank you for your time and understanding.
Sincerely,
Chelsea
letter to autism speaks
Dear Autism Speaks,
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your organization is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing numbers of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccines.
The posting you have on the concern regarding vaccinations is reasonably informative and helpful, but there are people who have no understanding of the topic. These people may turn to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for their information, which as I’m sure you know is not a very informative site regarding this topic. The CDC has said “because signs of autism may appear around the same time children receive the MMR vaccine some parents may worry that the vaccine causes autism” and They also say that a study done in 1998 that led people to believe the vaccine was causing the disorder was very small and not comprehensive enough, it also states that many of the doctors involves in the study are now saying that it is not the cause. Since then larger studies have taken place in which “the percentage of children with autism who received MMR vaccine was the same as the number of unaffected children in the region who received the MMR vaccine.” The bullets end with the statement “Groups of experts say there is not relationship between MMR and the influx in Autism” This website for an uninformed parent makes it seem like the relationship between autism and vaccinations is non-existent and they should not worry.
I think that it is up to organizations like you to make sure that you have a comprehensive page regarding this issue. Research institutions like Columbia and Yale have done studies on the topic and have been unable to find answers, but have found enough evidence that more research needs to be done. Now one out of every one hundred and fifty children is diagnosed with autism which is an astounding increase. Also people should know that the government and the CDC are afraid that if people do find out that these vaccinations are causing autism it will cause people to stop giving their children any vaccinations, which would create an even larger problem. If people are informed about which vaccinations are speculated of being the problem, they can talk it over with their pediatricians.
I am very proud of everything you are doing for the cause, but I think that the page regarding vaccinations could be more informative. The fact that you are relaying the information at all is a very important step. Thank you for reading about my concerns as a young woman and student who wishes more people were informed on this topic. I would love to hear back from you if I have said anything you do or do not agree with.
Sincerely,
Chelsea
My name is Chelsea Fisher and I am a student at Eckerd College. I respect everything that your organization is doing for autism which is becoming a bigger concern every day. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with aspergers, and I am very concerned with the increasing numbers of children diagnosed with autism. Being a young woman who one day plans on having children it worries me that the “epidemic” as some are calling it may be related to vaccines.
The posting you have on the concern regarding vaccinations is reasonably informative and helpful, but there are people who have no understanding of the topic. These people may turn to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for their information, which as I’m sure you know is not a very informative site regarding this topic. The CDC has said “because signs of autism may appear around the same time children receive the MMR vaccine some parents may worry that the vaccine causes autism” and They also say that a study done in 1998 that led people to believe the vaccine was causing the disorder was very small and not comprehensive enough, it also states that many of the doctors involves in the study are now saying that it is not the cause. Since then larger studies have taken place in which “the percentage of children with autism who received MMR vaccine was the same as the number of unaffected children in the region who received the MMR vaccine.” The bullets end with the statement “Groups of experts say there is not relationship between MMR and the influx in Autism” This website for an uninformed parent makes it seem like the relationship between autism and vaccinations is non-existent and they should not worry.
I think that it is up to organizations like you to make sure that you have a comprehensive page regarding this issue. Research institutions like Columbia and Yale have done studies on the topic and have been unable to find answers, but have found enough evidence that more research needs to be done. Now one out of every one hundred and fifty children is diagnosed with autism which is an astounding increase. Also people should know that the government and the CDC are afraid that if people do find out that these vaccinations are causing autism it will cause people to stop giving their children any vaccinations, which would create an even larger problem. If people are informed about which vaccinations are speculated of being the problem, they can talk it over with their pediatricians.
I am very proud of everything you are doing for the cause, but I think that the page regarding vaccinations could be more informative. The fact that you are relaying the information at all is a very important step. Thank you for reading about my concerns as a young woman and student who wishes more people were informed on this topic. I would love to hear back from you if I have said anything you do or do not agree with.
Sincerely,
Chelsea
Kat's response to letters
Chelsea, Awesome letters. I think that you are heading in the right direction. One thing, watch for consistency in font and style. Are these letters for email? You need to make sure that you list your address and the organizations' addresses on the letters.I like that you are using your information to highlight areas that you need to bring to attention. Yeah, Research!! Happy belated birthday! I hope that the coming year brings you lots of joy and bliss. Remember, "a man achieves full maturity when he achieves the seriousness he had as a child at play" (Nietzsche). Go play!!
Take care,
Kat
Take care,
Kat
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Bib for autism research
Works Cited
"Autism and Vaccinations." Center for Disease Control. 22 Apr. 2008. This is a website made by the center for disease control. This site mostly refutes the idea that Autism is related to vaccinations and says that parents should still give their children the vaccines. First of all they say that MMR the vaccine causing the concern is important because it protects against a deadly illness. They also say that “because signs of autism may appear around the same time children receive the MMR vaccine some parents may worry that the vaccine causes autism” They also say that a study done in 1998 that led people to believe the vaccine was causing the disorder was very small and not comprehensive enough, it also states that many of the doctors involves in the study are now saying that it is not the cause. Since then larger studies have taken place in which “the percentage of children with autism who received MMR vaccine was the same as the number of unaffected children in the region who received the MMR vaccine.” The bullets end with the statement “Groups of experts say there is not relationship between MMR and the influx in Autism”
This article is very biased toward vaccines. Some parents may worry is an understatement to the epidemic. Also the ending statement saying groups of experts say there is no relationship between MMR and the influx in autism is vague who are these experts. This site could be improved in many ways, but because they are the center for disease control they can say these things, not really give much information, and still seem legitimate.
Lagoria, Christine. "Autism and Vaccinations." Cbs News. 6 Mar. 2008. 22 Apr. 2008. This is a very comprehensive article that represents both sides of the case of whether or not vaccinations are directly related to autism. The article states “there is no definitive research providing a link between vaccines and autism or ADD, but there is also no definitive research ruling it out.” In fact research institutions such as Columbia, Yale, etc. have not been able to find definite answers, but have found enough of a relationship to insist that more research is done. Also the article state that those who say autism is not linked to vaccines do not know what is causing the epidemic.” The article also criticizes the CDC for not admitting that some vaccines are not good because they think that the public will then be worried about all vaccines and a larger health epidemic ill surge form that. The article also says that now 1/150 children are now diagnosed with autism. This is a very good article for a person who is looking into the subject because it does giv both sides of the argument, but is obviously biased toward that there might be a connection and more research should be done.
Megson, Mary. "Autism and Vaccinations." Weson Price. Senate Hearings on Autism and Vaccinations. Senate Hearings on Autism. 6 Apr. 200. 22 Apr. 2008. This was a speech given by a doctor in 2000 who had personally noticed an increase in autism among her patients, and she speculated that this had to do with vaccines. Although some of the figures are outdated there is medical and scientific information about the topic not found in other articles. “..The segment of children with regressive autism most commonly 18-24 months. I am seeing several children in the same family all affected including in the last week four cases of autistic regression developing in four year old children after their MMR and DPT vaccinations. In the past this was unheard of.” “at the age of ‘autistic regression’ we add pertussis toxin, which completely disrupts G alpha signals. It elevated blood sugar leading to diabetes, and can lead to hyperlipidemia. G protein defects cause severe loss of rod function in most autistic children; they lose night vision, and light to dark shading on objects in the daytime…” In other words she thinks that the vaccines are changing many processes within the body during fundamental developmental stages.
This article was a little too scientific for the average reader, but it was easy to understand that there might be a link between the vaccines and autism. She also states the large increase in autism in the past few years, which according to the other articles is only increasing. This article has the science to back up the argument, but also shows the great need to put more research into the topic.
"Autism and Vaccinations." Center for Disease Control. 22 Apr. 2008
This article is very biased toward vaccines. Some parents may worry is an understatement to the epidemic. Also the ending statement saying groups of experts say there is no relationship between MMR and the influx in autism is vague who are these experts. This site could be improved in many ways, but because they are the center for disease control they can say these things, not really give much information, and still seem legitimate.
Lagoria, Christine. "Autism and Vaccinations." Cbs News. 6 Mar. 2008. 22 Apr. 2008
Megson, Mary. "Autism and Vaccinations." Weson Price. Senate Hearings on Autism and Vaccinations. Senate Hearings on Autism. 6 Apr. 200. 22 Apr. 2008
This article was a little too scientific for the average reader, but it was easy to understand that there might be a link between the vaccines and autism. She also states the large increase in autism in the past few years, which according to the other articles is only increasing. This article has the science to back up the argument, but also shows the great need to put more research into the topic.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
three organizations
three best organzations are Autism Speaks, The Arizona Arizona State site becasue it is research based, and ladders (TARF) seems to be the most comprehensive and dense org. They are all related to autism, treatment, causes, and how you can help.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
www.researchautism.org
autism research institute
www.autism.com
www.autismspeaks.org
Arizona State University: Autism and Aspergers research program
http://autism.asu.edu
The Autism Research Foundation (TARF)
www.ladders.org
autism research institute
www.autism.com
www.autismspeaks.org
Arizona State University: Autism and Aspergers research program
http://autism.asu.edu
The Autism Research Foundation (TARF)
www.ladders.org
Monday, April 14, 2008
Empathy
Chelsea Fisher
Analytic and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
Empathy is described as “what you feel when you enter the internal world of another person. Without abandoning your own perspective, you experience the other’s emotions, conflicts or aspirations.” (LaBier, 2) This concept was first explained by Robert Vischer a German psychologist in Das optische Formgefühl, but instead of relating it to the ability of one person stepping in the “shoes of another” it was described as a person’s ability to feel through purely aesthetic objects such as paintings and other pieces of art. In other words it is a person’s ability to feel what the art is portraying. As the idea progressed it turned into the idea that humans have, or at least should have, the innate sense to tell what another person is feeling purely by their demeanor and or facial expressions. Today empathy is a widely known human capability, but what is most fascinating is why it has been necessary for human evolution, and the effects it has on people who are either lacking empathy or have a heightened sense of it. These two issues have been known to cause many problems in human beings especially in the social aspect of their lives.
First of all, why is empathy a vital part of human evolution? In Darwin’s theory of natural selection the fittest survive. In order to survive and be the fittest it is necessary for people to have close kin who would support them in times of need. Altruistic behavior for instance would not be possible if hominids did not have the ability to sense when another was in distress. E.O Wilson describes in On Human Nature the questionability of why altruism persists even though human beings would be better off if they were selfish. “A basic problem immediately arises in connection with such an explanation: fallen heroes do not have children. If self sacrifice results in fewer descendants, the genes that allow heroes to be created can be expected to disappear gradually from a population.” (Wilson, 153) Perhaps empathy is the reason altruistic behavior has persisted through human evolution; by enabling the persistence of altruism empathy has created even more social connections among human beings and therefore people with close kin are more likely to help them survive. “As Good all has written, ‘if we know that another, especially a close relative or friend, is suffering, then we ourselves become emotionally disturbed, sometimes to the point of anguish. Only by helping (or trying to help) can we hope to alleviate our own distress.’?” (Smith, 5) In this idea from Goodall empathy and altruism are directly related. Goodall’s explanation describes that empathy has been necessary for humans to survive because it creates a teamwork like atmosphere in which close kin help others survive.
Another important reason empathy has aided human evolution revolves around a happy family also being a healthy and strong family. Smith also says in his article “Emotions can be viewed as mechanisms of survival and communication. Positive emotions tend to be linked to safety, security, comfort, relaxation, and enhanced immune activity.”(Smith, 5) He later says that negative emotions are related to a lowered immune system. This means that if humans are able to stay happy their kin, through empathy, will also be happy, thus creating better immune systems, and the overall ability to survive. It seems that empathy has been an important part of natural selection, or survival of the fittest, because it has created the ability for people to help each other, and is believed to be an important part of a healthy immune system. Both of these create a stronger family.
As shown above empathy is believed to be a very important part in human evolution, but it is also a very vital part in human development. A lack of empathy or heightened sense of empathy can cause many problems. In LaBier’s article “Empathy: Could it be What You’re Missing?” he states the general problems a lack of empathy can cause. He explains EDD or empathy deficit disorder where “people are unable to step outside themselves and tune into what other people experience.” This is a common problem in many marriages and relationships in general. The average person can lose their ability to empathize if they are too interested in their own circumstances “EDD develops when people focus too much on acquiring power, status and money…” (LaBier) this is a common problem that can be diagnosed and changed, but there is also the less common and more serious problem of people who are born with the inability to empathize. This deficiency is often related with Autism and other disorders similar to it like Aspergers syndrome.
The disorder most commonly associated with a lack of empathy is Autism. “If children with autism have a general lack of empathy, then it would not be surprising if they found the social world confusing or irrelevant. It would no be surprising if they had no motivation to approach people.” (Smith, 8) Research shows that children with autism have little or no capability for empathetic response, and therefore are unable to predict what other people are feeling. Also empathy gives humans the ability to distinguish whether or not another person is lying or trying to manipulate them; often kids who lack empathy will do many things without realizing they are being mistreated or being wronged. Also autistic kids have difficulty understanding when they are hurting someone else emotionally because they cannot sense what the other person is feeling. This is also seen in many people with Asperger syndrome which is basically a lesser case of autism but has many of the same social problems. All in all one of the main issues with Autism is the awkwardness in relating to other people, and an inability to socialize; both of these issues are likely due to a lack of empathy.
Another social issue regarding empathy is the case in which people have too much empathy, in other words they are hyper sensitive to it. In this case many people take on the problems of others even when it is unnecessary. Often Williams syndrome is associated with having too much empathy. Williams Syndrome is “a rare genetically based neurodevelopment disorder.” (Smith, 10)There are many issues that come along with this disorder, one of them being hyper sociability. These people have a very high capacity for empathy. “They can seem ‘almost psychic with their uncanny knowledge and responsivity to the feelings and circumstances of others. Individuals with Williams syndrome have a very endearing personality. They have a unique strength in their expressive language skills, and are extremely polite. They are typically unafraid of strangers and show a greater interest in contact with adults than with their peers.” this may not seem as serious as a lack of empathy, but people with this syndrome tend to take what other people are feeling too seriously, in other words other people’s problems become their own. Autism and Williams create very different problems, yet they revolve around the same issue, empathy. Many of the issues of these two disorders have been linked with empathy and show the importance of a balance of the ability to empathize.
Although it has been studied that empathy is an important part of daily life and development, there is no way to really understand how important ,or unimportant for that matter, empathy really is. This is due to the fact that people with autism and people with Williams syndrome have never really been able to explain what it is like for them. For instance it is said that people with Williams syndrome have never been able to explain how their condition affects them unless they are talking to someone who also has the disorder. Also personal experiences with autistic people have shown that they do in fact have the capability to empathize, they just may have different ways of expressing it. For now psychologists think that empathy is a vital quality for humans to have, but until we can understand the inner thoughts of a person with Autism or a person with Willaims there is really no way for us to say that a lack thereof is a negative trait.
Even though empathy may seem like a simple human quality, it has actually been extremely important in the evolution of human beings, and is extremely influential in our development and the rest of our lives. If empathy is absent in a person a social life will either be difficult to come by or may be non-existent, people with a low capacity for empathy tend to be extremely solitary. An abundance of empathetic concern also causes problems for the individual including the issue of taking on everyone’s problems haphazardly. So far we believe that empathy is a vital part in development and even though we may never understand the way an autistic person or a person with Williams feel, we still know how important it is for us in our daily lives. The ability to look at another human beings facial expressions and disposition and step into their situation is an ability that humans must appreciate and cultivate because it has and will always enable a closeness among human beings that is unparalleled by many other mammals.
Analytic and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
Empathy is described as “what you feel when you enter the internal world of another person. Without abandoning your own perspective, you experience the other’s emotions, conflicts or aspirations.” (LaBier, 2) This concept was first explained by Robert Vischer a German psychologist in Das optische Formgefühl, but instead of relating it to the ability of one person stepping in the “shoes of another” it was described as a person’s ability to feel through purely aesthetic objects such as paintings and other pieces of art. In other words it is a person’s ability to feel what the art is portraying. As the idea progressed it turned into the idea that humans have, or at least should have, the innate sense to tell what another person is feeling purely by their demeanor and or facial expressions. Today empathy is a widely known human capability, but what is most fascinating is why it has been necessary for human evolution, and the effects it has on people who are either lacking empathy or have a heightened sense of it. These two issues have been known to cause many problems in human beings especially in the social aspect of their lives.
First of all, why is empathy a vital part of human evolution? In Darwin’s theory of natural selection the fittest survive. In order to survive and be the fittest it is necessary for people to have close kin who would support them in times of need. Altruistic behavior for instance would not be possible if hominids did not have the ability to sense when another was in distress. E.O Wilson describes in On Human Nature the questionability of why altruism persists even though human beings would be better off if they were selfish. “A basic problem immediately arises in connection with such an explanation: fallen heroes do not have children. If self sacrifice results in fewer descendants, the genes that allow heroes to be created can be expected to disappear gradually from a population.” (Wilson, 153) Perhaps empathy is the reason altruistic behavior has persisted through human evolution; by enabling the persistence of altruism empathy has created even more social connections among human beings and therefore people with close kin are more likely to help them survive. “As Good all has written, ‘if we know that another, especially a close relative or friend, is suffering, then we ourselves become emotionally disturbed, sometimes to the point of anguish. Only by helping (or trying to help) can we hope to alleviate our own distress.’?” (Smith, 5) In this idea from Goodall empathy and altruism are directly related. Goodall’s explanation describes that empathy has been necessary for humans to survive because it creates a teamwork like atmosphere in which close kin help others survive.
Another important reason empathy has aided human evolution revolves around a happy family also being a healthy and strong family. Smith also says in his article “Emotions can be viewed as mechanisms of survival and communication. Positive emotions tend to be linked to safety, security, comfort, relaxation, and enhanced immune activity.”(Smith, 5) He later says that negative emotions are related to a lowered immune system. This means that if humans are able to stay happy their kin, through empathy, will also be happy, thus creating better immune systems, and the overall ability to survive. It seems that empathy has been an important part of natural selection, or survival of the fittest, because it has created the ability for people to help each other, and is believed to be an important part of a healthy immune system. Both of these create a stronger family.
As shown above empathy is believed to be a very important part in human evolution, but it is also a very vital part in human development. A lack of empathy or heightened sense of empathy can cause many problems. In LaBier’s article “Empathy: Could it be What You’re Missing?” he states the general problems a lack of empathy can cause. He explains EDD or empathy deficit disorder where “people are unable to step outside themselves and tune into what other people experience.” This is a common problem in many marriages and relationships in general. The average person can lose their ability to empathize if they are too interested in their own circumstances “EDD develops when people focus too much on acquiring power, status and money…” (LaBier) this is a common problem that can be diagnosed and changed, but there is also the less common and more serious problem of people who are born with the inability to empathize. This deficiency is often related with Autism and other disorders similar to it like Aspergers syndrome.
The disorder most commonly associated with a lack of empathy is Autism. “If children with autism have a general lack of empathy, then it would not be surprising if they found the social world confusing or irrelevant. It would no be surprising if they had no motivation to approach people.” (Smith, 8) Research shows that children with autism have little or no capability for empathetic response, and therefore are unable to predict what other people are feeling. Also empathy gives humans the ability to distinguish whether or not another person is lying or trying to manipulate them; often kids who lack empathy will do many things without realizing they are being mistreated or being wronged. Also autistic kids have difficulty understanding when they are hurting someone else emotionally because they cannot sense what the other person is feeling. This is also seen in many people with Asperger syndrome which is basically a lesser case of autism but has many of the same social problems. All in all one of the main issues with Autism is the awkwardness in relating to other people, and an inability to socialize; both of these issues are likely due to a lack of empathy.
Another social issue regarding empathy is the case in which people have too much empathy, in other words they are hyper sensitive to it. In this case many people take on the problems of others even when it is unnecessary. Often Williams syndrome is associated with having too much empathy. Williams Syndrome is “a rare genetically based neurodevelopment disorder.” (Smith, 10)There are many issues that come along with this disorder, one of them being hyper sociability. These people have a very high capacity for empathy. “They can seem ‘almost psychic with their uncanny knowledge and responsivity to the feelings and circumstances of others. Individuals with Williams syndrome have a very endearing personality. They have a unique strength in their expressive language skills, and are extremely polite. They are typically unafraid of strangers and show a greater interest in contact with adults than with their peers.” this may not seem as serious as a lack of empathy, but people with this syndrome tend to take what other people are feeling too seriously, in other words other people’s problems become their own. Autism and Williams create very different problems, yet they revolve around the same issue, empathy. Many of the issues of these two disorders have been linked with empathy and show the importance of a balance of the ability to empathize.
Although it has been studied that empathy is an important part of daily life and development, there is no way to really understand how important ,or unimportant for that matter, empathy really is. This is due to the fact that people with autism and people with Williams syndrome have never really been able to explain what it is like for them. For instance it is said that people with Williams syndrome have never been able to explain how their condition affects them unless they are talking to someone who also has the disorder. Also personal experiences with autistic people have shown that they do in fact have the capability to empathize, they just may have different ways of expressing it. For now psychologists think that empathy is a vital quality for humans to have, but until we can understand the inner thoughts of a person with Autism or a person with Willaims there is really no way for us to say that a lack thereof is a negative trait.
Even though empathy may seem like a simple human quality, it has actually been extremely important in the evolution of human beings, and is extremely influential in our development and the rest of our lives. If empathy is absent in a person a social life will either be difficult to come by or may be non-existent, people with a low capacity for empathy tend to be extremely solitary. An abundance of empathetic concern also causes problems for the individual including the issue of taking on everyone’s problems haphazardly. So far we believe that empathy is a vital part in development and even though we may never understand the way an autistic person or a person with Williams feel, we still know how important it is for us in our daily lives. The ability to look at another human beings facial expressions and disposition and step into their situation is an ability that humans must appreciate and cultivate because it has and will always enable a closeness among human beings that is unparalleled by many other mammals.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Chello it's a Bass
This is the first entry of my blog. I just want you to know Kat that I promissed myself I would never be one of those people who has a blog, but here I am and here we are.
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