Return to: Scandals: Adding Insult to Injustice to Injury Redux

Dear Sir:

"Girls, Boys and Autism" by Geoffrey Cowley is a sugar-coated, Disney Fantasyland story about autism.

The reality is that families have to fight with the medical insurance companies, government agencies, and education system to get proper help for their children with autism. Then when they are older and adults like my son, Eric, the same organizations turn their back on our adults. All these organizations require that our children are fully vaccinated when they are babies. When our normal children become autistic after the vaccines (developing neurological, immunological and gastrointestinal problems), these same agencies don't want to know about our children's problems.

Eric has temper tantrums that involves biting, head-butting, scratching, kicking and pulling hair. In February 2003, Eric broke my left index finger with his teeth. He bit my wife's right index finger badly and gave her whiplash by butting her head. Eric has gone after his 14 year old sister as well. Eric was suspended several times from school. When Eric has a tantrum we have to lock ourselves in behind our doors (two doors he broke with his foot).

We had to call the police numerous times. Eric is 6'1" and 195 pounds. Since February 2003 we no longer could get respite care. Our story is not unique, there are thousands of Erics in the US and overseas. They (medical community, education system, and government agencies) start by hurting the child with a vaccine and then keep hurting him and his family, with neglect, mismanagement and lack of services.

Raymond Gallup, Founder