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=Hannah Poling: An Autistic Case Study=

Background Information and Definition:
By definition, autism is a developmental disorder of the brain function. This disorder develops in children beginning at around age 3. The general public tends to hear that a child has autism and they automatically think it is a disease. However, this is an incorrect assumption. There is a spectrum of disorders that are within the definition of autism, this is why it is referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism is one of a group of serious developmental problems on the spectrum.

There are many organizations around the country to help families who have someone they love affected by this condition. There are also great deals of controversies that link to what people believe are the causes of autism. The largest controversy is the main cause of ASD is vaccinations of children. The reasoning behind this is a chemical within the vaccines that could potentially affect a child’s immune system and cause ASD. There is a specific case study that has shown the chemical caused a reaction. The child’s name was Hannah Poling; she was 9 years old when the story was published in Time magazine. 

Many children who have ASD appear normal. A person with training can determine where a child is on the spectrum by testing the child after having a meeting with him or her. The child appears to be socially awkward and makes little to no eye contact.

Organizations
The goal of different organizations is to bring awareness to the public about autism. These organizations consist of family members, doctors and people who are in the field of helping children with the condition. Because this is an issue that is becoming more known to the public, it is important that people know what the disorder is and how to approach children who are affected by it. By supporting these organizations members can raise money for research and spreading the awareness to our society.

Some different organizations are: •	Autism Society of America •	Autism Speaks •	New York Families for Autistic Children •	National Autism Association – New York Metro Chapter

These are a drop in the bucket of organizations that people in our society can become a part of. These groups help support families in need and create a sense of community for children who are “different.”

Symptoms
The one symptom of autism that people who have some knowledge of the condition would pick up on is the lack of social interaction a child has. There is little to no eye contact, they are limited in speech and their behavior is reserved.

Children with autism have a particular way of going about their daily life. This is an aspect of the lack of social skills an autistic child has. He or she will not respond when someone is trying to get their attention. They prefer to play alone because they relate to themselves better than relating to other children or people.

The language difficulties children with autism have is another way they are socially different. The child might learn words and be considered to be “on track” and suddenly forget the word or ability to communicate. Children who do have decent language skills will not initiate conversation and when engaged they will not sustain a conversation with others. With the developed language they might have, children tend to be repetitive in the communication they have or they will change the tune or way they speak. Some children will communicate with a song or robotic tone.

Causes
It is extremely difficult for researchers and doctors to explain what causes a child to develop autism. There is no single cause for the condition. However, there are great deals of people who have children with the condition and look to blame someone. When this is the case, they blame the vaccinations their children receive during infancy. Once again, this assumption is incorrect. Childhood vaccines, mainly measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) are not a link to causing autism. There are genetic problems that have been shown to link to autism. There are also studies being conducted to link environmental and dietary factors to the condition. Pediatricians have been giving vaccines to children to help prevent serious illnesses.

The main controversy that has come from vaccines and autism is that of a chemical that was once found in the vaccines given. This chemical thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative that is incorporated in the shots. However, there is still no causal effect that this preservative is what is truly behind autism.

Hannah Poling
In a particular case study of Hannah Poling, vaccines did prove a link to her development of autism; however, they were not the main factor. Although Hannah’s family wanted to place the full blame on the vaccines and the chemical thimerosal found in them, the vaccines were only an accelerator to develop autism, not a prominent variable.

Although as an infant Hannah seemed to be developing at a normal rate. It just so happened when she received her vaccinations things began to change in the rate of her development and it seemed as though she was moving backwards developmentally. According to the Time magazine case study article, Hannah was learning words at a normal rate and appeared to be doing well. When she received her shots she became very ill. When she recovered from the illness she had completely fallen off the track of development. She no longer remembered the words she learned and she lost eye contact while “communicating.” Her mother claimed that “she just deteriorated and never came back.”

This is something that every parent with a newborn or infant child is faced with once it comes time to having the child vaccinated. Hannah’s case was a unique one because it was the first time federal authorities found a connection between the autistic symptoms she was displaying and the vaccines she received. Finding this evidence was extremely difficult.

As many parents who have similar situations would like to read this case study and hope to have the same outcome of being compensated for the injuries, that is not always the case. Even though there was a link between the vaccinations and Hannah’s autism, there is another variable that comes into play. It is very significant because if it were not for this variable Hannah would most likely be a normal nine year old girl.

The article goes on to explain that coupled with the vaccinations received; Hannah had “underlying cellular disorder.” Her condition was aggravated with the vaccines and therefore causing the autism to come to her family’s attention. The underlying cellular disorder, also known as mitochondrial disorder is known to include several problems in a person’s well-being. A few symptoms include muscle weakness, cardiac or liver disease, diabetes, ‘’’developmental delays’’’ and ‘’’susceptibility to infection’’’.

When children go to the doctor to receive their shots, one of the first questions the doctor asks the parent or guardian is whether or not the child has been showing signs of a fever or illness. This is to take into consideration the dangers of giving a child a vaccine if he or she is sick. With the issue at hand for Hannah since she is susceptible to infection if she had the slightest bit of a cold or fever when she got her shots, this could have accelerated her dysfunctional cellular disorder which has been linked to her autistic condition.

In Hannah’s case she fell behind in her vaccine schedule due to the fact that she was too sick to receive them on time. With the series of ear infections she recovered from, she went to the doctor and “caught up.” That day she received five different vaccines that were to cover nine different diseases. This is an unusual way to get back on target and it can be argued that because of the doctor’s decision and her underlying health condition this was a strong link to developing autism. Hannah’s mother continues to explain that at the time of the vaccines she did not know they contained thimerosal and if she had known she would not have allowed her daughter to be given the shots.

Another puzzling aspect of Hannah’s case is her mitochondrial disorder. Doctors who have been doing research on the disorder for many years have not come across a case like Hannah’s. They are unable to say whether the disorder was in fact a preexisting condition for her autism. However, learning what the disorder entails it is hard to see where it would not be a cause or link. Especially since experts in the autism field “believe that most cases are caused by a combination of genetic vulnerabilities and environmental factors.”

Conclusion
Although the rates for autism are still climbing with the elimination of the thimerosal chemical in the vaccines, it will remain a mysterious condition within our society. Among other health related issues people face today, early detection and intervention are key aspects to a healthy lifestyle. If children’s parents are aware of developmental milestones and notice that their child is not meeting up to the curve, they should have their child evaluated by their doctor or a specialist.

Becoming aware of autistic symptoms early on can allow the right therapies to be given to the child so he or she can be helped. Even though a child is affected by autism it does not mean his or her entire life will revolve around the disorder. There are many children in today’s society who are included in classrooms where there are “normally developed” children and they are able to interact with their peers. Children with autism will always need extra care and attention but that does not mean they should be excluded from their childhood.

With the expanding research and the awareness organizations, our society will learn to cope and understand what autism truly is. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it is estimated that 1 of 150 American children has an autism spectrum disorder. This will not allow these children to go unnoticed. In this country’s society people have adapted to change all throughout history, knowing that the children of this country is its future, awareness and early intervention are key elements to make this condition no different than any other obstacle that has been tackled.