Letter in USA Today

At long last -- one of my letters has finally been published in a nationally 
circulated newspaper.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-07-11-letters-autism_x.htm
 
With his sensationalistic accusations of incompetence and deception, conspiracy 
and coverup, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. functions as yet another public relations 
rep for a subset of the "autism community" that seeks to hold pharmaceutical 
companies, doctors and public agencies liable for a disability that is an 
enduring aspect of the human condition with a well-documented genetic component 
("Agencies lack credibility," Opposing view, Vaccination safety debate).

Considering the rise in autism diagnoses these days - a phenomenon largely 
shaped by changing diagnostic criteria and heightened clinician awareness - 
establishing a popular perception and legal definition of autism as an 
actionable class injury might promise a windfall for plaintiffs' lawyers. But 
this would do little to help advance scientific understanding of autism or to 
improve the quality of life for all that many autistic individuals or their 
families.

If parents can prove, on an individual basis, that their own children have 
suffered from vaccine reactions and can obtain fair compensation for real 
damage done, then more power to them. However, anti-thimerosal crusaders lose 
my sympathy when they attempt to convince the public that most autistic 
citizens are "poisoned" and in need of detoxification. Widespread promulgation 
of this insupportable notion can serve only to increase stigma against people 
with disabilities, including members of my own family.

Kathleen Seidel