Does Los Alamos County have a high rate of Autism? (insurance, income)

[Machine]

Is is true that Los Alamos County has a high rate of autism?

[Siouxlander]

It doesn't really have a rate higher than anywhere else in the country, but people in Los Alamos will generally have more money and insurance to pay for early screening. Thus more diagnoses, inflating the numbers.

and I'm not talking out of my you know what. My son has autism.

[Jerry Lauder]

The lifestyle of higher income and education also can increase risk during pregency because of higher exposure to mercury from fish containing the heavy metal like tuna and shordfish. Now we limit consumption, but that's recent advice.

[Siouxlander]

Originally Posted by Jerry Lauder

The lifestyle of higher income and education also can increase risk during pregency because of higher exposure to mercury from fish containing the heavy metal like tuna and shordfish. Now we limit consumption, but that's recent advice.

Mercury does NOT cause autism. Beyond that your post just leaves me baffled for about twelve reasons, and I'm not even sure where to begin.

[kbbhere]

It is from the high levels of mercury and fluoride in the vaccines that they
insist on giving the children. That is why groups of people like the Amish who
don't allow vaccines have a very low incidence of autism.

[all2humanuk]

I don't know that there is really much evidence to suggest that there is a link between mercury/flouride and Autism, just the usual scare stories. There is on the other hand a lot of hard evidence to suggest a genetic link including 80+% chance of Autism occuring in the twin of an Autistic child.

I think Autism is somewhat misunderstood due to the onset of symptoms, in other words it's not like Down's Syndrome which can even be identified before birth, your child often seems perfectly normal until about the age of 3 and then suddenly appears to develop autistic traits. It's not suprising that under those conditions that parents might assume that something had occured in the meantime to cause that outcome.

That's just my understanding as someone who's spent many years working with young adults with Autism/Aspergers, that it's a mix of genetic and some environmental factors.

[heidig]

I am wondering if anyone has any data regarding the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in Los Alamos, or in the families of people born in Los Alamos.

[tito]

Autism, like schizophrenia defies explanation for causes, it may run in some families from unknown genetic factors. Some people blame heavy metals and radioactivity as its cause, but nothing has been proven yet.

[educast]

The odds are good, but the goods are odd? or dishonest? People always say the dating scene in Los Alamos is dry. Recently I met a man/scientist who said he is unaware of himself. I found this man unable or unwilling to communicate, a stubborn and pesimistic mule that for the most part remained silent. I seriously think he has something missing and may be unable to be aware - communicate = make emotional connections at a level expected in romantic relationship. I talked to another very young woman who he was with half his age who said he used silence to communicate - or that was her kind assumption of him - but seriously - silence to solve everyday problems that come up in relationship? Is this a communication skill we all value and appreciate when nonresponsiveness is the constant mode?

I also talked to a director at the labs saying that men with one or up to 3 PhDs can be extremely snooty and have low emotional intelligence problems and are unable to have relationships. I met another man who said he couldn't read other people's cues - seems to be a common theme. My friend that works with wives (imports) of scientists says the wives are SO unhappy. What is the rate of divorce in Los Alamos? Does anyone know? One pharmiscist said more psychotheraputic drugs are dispensed in Los Alamos per capita then anywhere else in the nation. Is that true? So do the adults themselves, the male scientists have a higher rate of Asburgers? What is the information/data about inability to make emotional connections or relate on an emotional level for male adult scientists in Los Alamos? The saying "the goods are odd" is pretty popular in LA so I'm thinking it didn't come out of nowhere.