I am glad that Lisa Blakemore-Brown has brought up the subject of
home video in the study of autism, but surprised she says: “Statistics
applied to the right kind of information within stories WILL tell us the
truth but if no-one wants to go there, they never will.”
Researchers have been going there: here are a few references (1-5).
This is research on affected children in which parents themselves
participate – just what several affected mothers have demanded in these
BMJ responses. There should be increased opportunities to come.
Briefly, home videos are assessed by observers who do not know
whether the video is of a child who later went on to be diagnosed as
autistic, or whose development was otherwise impaired, or whose
development continued unremarkably. The results, after breaking the code,
are that the observers have correctly identified the autistic trait in
nearly all, before their first birthday.
It was not the original purpose of these studies, but they do have a
bearing on MMR, since they show that identifiable traits were present
before the age of the injection. Since an effect cannot precede its
cause, in these children – some of whom went on to have developmental
regression – the cause of autism cannot have been MMR vaccine.
Lisa Blakemore-Brown has only hinted at some statistical test she has
in mind to be applied “within stories” (as opposed to in comparisons
between affected and unaffected children, I assume). As a professional
psychologist, she might care to share the technique, perhaps in a
publication.
1. Adrien, J.L., Faure, M., Perrot, A. et al. 1991. Autism and family
home movies: preliminary findings J Autism Dev Disord 21: 43-91.
2. Osterling, J., Dawson, G. 1994. Early recognition of children with
autism: a study of first birthday home videotapes. Autism Dev Disord 24:
247-57.
3. Baranek, G.T. 1999. Autism during infancy: a retrospective video
analysis of sensory-motor and social behaviors at 9-12 months of age. J
Autism Dev Disord 29: 213-24.
4. Werner, E., Dawson, G., Osterling, J., Dinno, N. 2000. Brief
report: Recognition of autism spectrum disorder before one year of age: a
retrospective study based on home videotapes. J Autism Dev Disord 30: 157-
62
5. Osterling, J.A., Dawson, G.., Munson, J.A. 2002. Early recognition
of 1-year-old infants with autism spectrum disorder versus mental
retardation. Dev Psychopathol 14: 239-51.
Rapid Response:
Re: Re: just consider MMR
I am glad that Lisa Blakemore-Brown has brought up the subject of
home video in the study of autism, but surprised she says: “Statistics
applied to the right kind of information within stories WILL tell us the
truth but if no-one wants to go there, they never will.”
Researchers have been going there: here are a few references (1-5).
This is research on affected children in which parents themselves
participate – just what several affected mothers have demanded in these
BMJ responses. There should be increased opportunities to come.
Briefly, home videos are assessed by observers who do not know
whether the video is of a child who later went on to be diagnosed as
autistic, or whose development was otherwise impaired, or whose
development continued unremarkably. The results, after breaking the code,
are that the observers have correctly identified the autistic trait in
nearly all, before their first birthday.
It was not the original purpose of these studies, but they do have a
bearing on MMR, since they show that identifiable traits were present
before the age of the injection. Since an effect cannot precede its
cause, in these children – some of whom went on to have developmental
regression – the cause of autism cannot have been MMR vaccine.
Lisa Blakemore-Brown has only hinted at some statistical test she has
in mind to be applied “within stories” (as opposed to in comparisons
between affected and unaffected children, I assume). As a professional
psychologist, she might care to share the technique, perhaps in a
publication.
1. Adrien, J.L., Faure, M., Perrot, A. et al. 1991. Autism and family
home movies: preliminary findings J Autism Dev Disord 21: 43-91.
2. Osterling, J., Dawson, G. 1994. Early recognition of children with
autism: a study of first birthday home videotapes. Autism Dev Disord 24:
247-57.
3. Baranek, G.T. 1999. Autism during infancy: a retrospective video
analysis of sensory-motor and social behaviors at 9-12 months of age. J
Autism Dev Disord 29: 213-24.
4. Werner, E., Dawson, G., Osterling, J., Dinno, N. 2000. Brief
report: Recognition of autism spectrum disorder before one year of age: a
retrospective study based on home videotapes. J Autism Dev Disord 30: 157-
62
5. Osterling, J.A., Dawson, G.., Munson, J.A. 2002. Early recognition
of 1-year-old infants with autism spectrum disorder versus mental
retardation. Dev Psychopathol 14: 239-51.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests