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Autism Debate Strains a Family and Its Charity
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of New York Times
Posted: June 23rd, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/18/us/18autism.html?ex=133981...
A year after their grandson Christian received a diagnosis of autism in 2004, Bob Wright, then chairman of NBC/Universal, and his wife, Suzanne, founded Autism Speaks, a mega-charity dedicated to curing the dreaded neurological disorder that affects one of every 150 children in America today. The Wrights venture was also an effort to end the internecine warfare in the world of autism where some are convinced that the disorder is genetic and best treated with intensive therapy, and others blame preservatives in vaccinations and swear by supplements and diet to cleanse the body of heavy metals. With its high-powered board ... the charity was a powerful voice, especially in Washington. It also made strides toward its goal of unity by merging with three existing autism organizations and raising millions of dollars for research into all potential causes and treatments. The Wrights call it the big tent approach. But now the fissures in the autism community have made their way into the Wright family, where father and daughter are not speaking after a public battle over themes familiar to thousands of families with autistic children. The Wrights daughter, Katie, the mother of Christian, says her parents have not given enough support to the people who believe, as she does, that the environment specifically a synthetic mercury preservative in vaccines is to blame. No major scientific studies have linked pediatric vaccination and autism, but many parents and their advocates persist, and a federal vaccine court is now reviewing nearly 4,000 such claims.
Note: For a highly revealing interview with Katie Wright on this critical topic, click here. For a treasure trove of reliable and verifiable articles on autism, click here.
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