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is why 25% of children with seemingly full-blown autism
autism after the catastrophe occurs, and then we see this
benefit enormously from intensive speech- and social-
bewildering array of things that these kids can t do. What
skills therapy and why the other 75% do not. Is it be-
we need to know is how it all happened.
cause the brains of the latter are irreversibly damaged,
The genes that set the stage for autistic disorders could
wonders Geraldine Dawson, director of the University of
derail developing brains in a number of ways. They could
Washington s autism center, or is it because the funda-
encode harmful mutations like those responsible for
mental problem is not being adequately addressed?
single-gene disorders cystic fibrosis, for instance, or
The more scientists ponder such questions, the more it
Huntington s disease. They could equally well be garden-
seems they are holding pieces of a puzzle that resemble
variety variants of normal genes that cause problems only
the interlocking segments of Tommy Barrett s Trans-
when they combine with certain other genes. Or they
former toys. Put the pieces together one way, and you end
could be genes that set up vulnerabilities to any number
up with a normal child. Put them together another way,
of stresses encountered by a child.
and you end up with a child with autism. And as one
A popular but still unsubstantiated theory blames au-
watches Tommy s fingers rhythmically turning a train
tism on the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine,
into a robot, a robot into a train, an unbidden thought oc-
which is typically given to children at around 15 months
curs. Could it be that some dexterous sleight of hand
(see box). But there are many other conceivable culprits.
could coax even profoundly autistic brains back on track?
Researchers at the University of California at Davis have
Could it be that some kid who s mesmerized by the pro-
just launched a major epidemiological study that will test
cess of transformation will mature into a scientist who
the tissues of both autistic and nonautistic children for
figures out the trick?
residues of not only mercury but also PCBs, benzene and
other heavy metals. The premise is that some children With reporting by Amy Bonesteel/Atlanta
From Time, May 6, 2002, pp. 46-56. © 2002 by Time, Inc. Magazine Company. Reprinted by permission.
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