Mommy instinct vs. scientific research: Issue to be tackled by Jenny McCarthy, others at Pittsburg autism conference

June 18, 2008 07:15 pm

— By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
Deidre Wilson knew early on that her son, Cory, may have it tough. When the boy was 6 months old, a doctor told Wilson to prepare to have her life changed.
Cory has pervasive development disorder, one of the more severe autism spectrum disorders. Now 9, Cory has a lot more successes than failures, Wilson said.
“He’s bright, intelligent and seeks knowledge,” Wilson said. “As he gets older, he’s developing techniques to deal with certain issues.”
Wilson and her son receive services from the Judevine Center for Autism in Joplin. She is one of the growing number of parents with an autistic child.
“Autism is the fastest-growing childhood developmental disability,” said Paula Baker, CEO of the Ozark Center for Autism. “One of every 150 children, and one of every 94 boys, is diagnosed with one of the autism spectrum disorders.”
An event for parents of those children and others begins today in Pittsburg, Kan., as the Kansas chapter of the National Autism Association hosts a two-day conference on autism spectrum disorders.
Mandy Commons, organizer of the conference, said doctors and related professionals will speak Friday on a variety of subjects, including special-education laws, applied behavioral analysis, speech therapy and coping strategies for parents.
A highlight will be a special session today intended for law-enforcement personnel and emergency workers on how to work with an autistic subject.
“Police are seven times more likely to come across someone on the autism spectrum,” Commons said. “They need to know how to handle those people.”
The conference will be headlined by Jenny McCarthy, the actor, writer and former Playboy Playmate who has become an advocate for autism.
McCarthy wrote three books about different stages of her life with her son, Evan, including her pregnancy, his birth and family life. Her fourth book, “Louder Than Words,” details with her son’s autism, from the first diagnosis to the path of recovery.
Commons said that McCarthy will talk about more about her ordeals with her son’s disorder, including her controversial statements about what caused it. In her book and publicly, McCarthy said Evan’s autism was caused by vaccines given to him as a baby.
“While there is strong debate on the topic, many parents of recovered children will tell you they didn’t treat their child for autism,” McCarthy wrote in April for a CNN.com column. “They treated him for vaccine injury.”
Commons tells a similar story. She believes the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella caused the disease in her son, Bryce.
For her statements, McCarthy has been accused of placing her “mommy instinct” above documented medical research. While not singling McCarthy out, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued statements that say there are no known links between vaccines and autism, but it is continuing to study the issue.
Wilson doesn’t think vaccines were the cause of Cody’s autism, but believes McCarthy’s story.
“This isn’t something she just pulled off the shelf,” Wilson said. “I understand her point. Doctor visits are usually about 15 minutes long, and that’s not enough time to know a child. Parents are there all the time, and see all the little quirks children have.”
The issue is difficult, Baker said. Though formal studies don’t show a link, it’s hard to discount the observations of parents.
“No one loves their child like their parents,” Baker. “We have great respect for their views. But we just don’t know what role vaccines have. All we can do is focus on what is evidence-based.”
Baker said one of the leading methods of helping children recover is applied behavioral analysis. The highly structured process is backed up with documented studies outlining its success rate, she said.
“The method takes a complex task, such as talking, and breaks it down into small, baby steps,” Baker said. “Each one builds on the step before it, so that a child can ultimately master a task.”
The method has worked for the 13 children at the Ozark Center for Autism, Baker said. The method is also used at the Judevine Center for Autism. The method has also been part of recovery for McCarthy’s and Commons’ sons.
“Bryce is going into seventh grade, reading at a sixth-grade level,” Commons said. “He’s age-appropriate for all but communication. That’s great, because when he was diagnosed, we were told he would never be anything further than a 4-year-old.”

Conference
The inaugural Autism Conference, sponsored by the Kansas Chapter of the National Autism Association, will be held today and Friday at Pittsburg High School.
The session today is intended for police, firefighters and emergency workers on how to deal with autistic subjects. Cost is $30; the session runs from 8 a.m. to noon.
The Friday session is for parents, educators and anyone affected by autism. Jenny McCarthy will speak in the afternoon; other speakers include Dr. James Neubrander, Dr. Kurt Woeller, speech therapist Sarah Scheflen, attorney Scott Wasserman and Dennis Debbaudt. Cost is $65; the sessions begin at 8 a.m.

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