ABSTRACT
Since 2000, the number of children with autism has jumped from 1 in 150 to 1 in 88, prompting many to declare an autism “epidemic” (Baio, 2012). Although there is no consensus in the scientifi c community concerning what causes autism (Anderson, Jacobs-Stannard, Chawarska, Volkmar, & Kliman, 2007; Frans et al., 2013; Noh et al., 2013; Robinson, 2012), there is widespread agreement among doctors that no causal link exists between vaccines and autism. Parents who claim to know that vaccines (often coupled with antibiotics or other environmental toxins) caused their child’s autism often report being dismissed by their doctors when they make these claims and inquire about alternative treatments. The lack of support such parents feel has directly contributed to the rise of groups of parents who come together to share stories of injury, champion the use of (often) medically-derided interventions to address autism, and mobilize in an effort to reform the government vaccination program.
