The Devil, Nudity, Sniffing markers and other dilemmas

Human curiosity, creativity and cognition have had some wonderful consequences during the course of our history. The wheel, irrigation, transport, sanitation, coffee and cotton ear buds being some of the major ones.

Since Khaled's diagnosis I have, despite my better judgment, been curious about what causes Autism. You can't really escape it. The question surrounds you, it is human nature. No matter how hard you try to get past it, you will wonder (and continue to google).

Although my curiosity has not resulted in any ground breaking discoveries, I have eliminated some things as possible causes of autism.

A lot of them were quoted to me by well-meaning (but seriously misguided) people, some I found on the Internet courtesy of mother google, some have been discussed on various discussion boards, and some I think are just a result of my over-active (and often bizarre) imagination.

So here is the list of things that (IN MY OPINION) may NOT be causes of autism.

• Breast feeding with silicon implants


• Changing your clothes in front of your baby


• Relieving yourself in front of your child


• Saddam Hussein's WMD's


• Sniffing markers prior to having a child


• The Devil


• Taking too many elevators


• Frequent airline travel


• Murdering your (or other people's) pets


• Licking your own blood


• Electrocution due to inappropriate handling of electrical equipment


• The lunar eclipse


• Bankers


• The solar eclipse


• The undiscovered 11th plague of Egypt spread due to globalisation and the Internet


• Watching pornography (see Devil)


• The state of Israel


• Television


• Doomsday (Superman comic book fans can rest easy)


• The former Soviet Republic


• Staring in to an aquarium for too long


• Bill Gates

Anyway, humor and funny business aside, I am still very concerned for my child and his educational future.

When you get diagnosed with autism, you look around and it is as if everyone has disappeared. THERE IS NO ONE AROUND WHO KNOWS ANYTHING.

My child's life sentence began soon after his birth. This life sentence is called Autism.

He is trapped inside some fog and there are many people out there who claim this is evolution, or even a "gift"! I am a person of faith. I believe in diversity and God did not create all things equal. However, I do believe that God did not create Autism. This is not a gift. How is this evolution? (I don't believe in evolution, but if I did, how can someone so seriously disadvantaged be the next stage in evolution?).

Things we are still working with to help Khaled.

I go through many conflicting emotions in the span of a day. I know there will come a time when I will come face to face with the truth about what is wrong with my son and the best way to help him. I feel we are trying our best to find out.

Despite my fluctuating views, I am going to continue to investigate the following

1. GFCF and other diets


2. Biomedical treatments for Autism


3. What causes autism
. (YES I know many people think that this is a futile endeavor, but we intend to have more children, God willing. How can we not want to find out?)

4. Child focused gentle remediation


5. Advocating for special education

I wish there was someone who had some answers.