... but the BBC needs a better Health Reporter

Why? Well check out this story on the BBC website. The story is about the latest research that goes to prove the case the MMR hasn't caused a rise in childhood autism. Actually, lets not overstate a case here. The actual size is very low, far too low in fact to start making grandiose claims. But it does go towards stating something a lot of us already knew. There isn't really an autism epidemic (for want of a better term).

The problem a lot of people have is that during their childhood the likelihood of meeting an individual with autism was so low as to be zero. Because as few as ten years ago, common practice was to either place them in an institution or a school for special needs. This wasn't considered cruel or brought about by intolerance. It was a genuine feeling that best was being done. But having then had no interaction with autistic people gives you the false impression that they didn't exist.

Nowadays its common practice to place individuals with mild autism within a normal school environment. The result of which is that interaction and therefore profile is higher. Add to this the increase in discussion on the subject and the end result is that what appears to have been a little known disorder is prevalent throughout society.

Well, the fact is that it was ALWAYS prevalent throughout society. It's just that society has opened up more.

What DOES concern me, and should concern any right minded individual, is that lack of knowledge of Michelle Roberts, Health Reporter for the BBC. In the article she states:

"For example, autism rates could have been lower amoung older age groups because people had gradually recovered from the condition or died prematurely."

Autism is a lifelong development disability. It dies NOT go away with age. Something I would have thought an individual reporting on a story pertaining to autism might have known or at the very least looked up.

Source: The National Autism Society

Tags: MMR, Autism, bbc