Like everyone else who starts internet marketing I’ve been floundering around,  heading off here, there and everywhere; buying products, exploring systems, trying techniques and studying strategies. I’ve spent so much time looking, listening and learning, I’ve not actually achieved a lot, and always at the back of my mind has been the question, “What is my niche going to be?”

Everyone says have fun, concentrate on something you enjoy, or what you know a lot about. After all you need to be perceived as an expert.

Well, I have to

tell you I don’t consider myself an expert in anything, but we are all the result of our surroundings and circumstances; the people we meet, the places we visit, the things we watch, read and do. As a result of my baggage, I do know a bit about autism, and mercury poisoning.

I live in UK and have an autistic son. I’m not alone. With autistic boys outnumbering girls 4:1, there are currently half a million people with the lifelong disability in UK. It’s not confined to this country though and worldwide we have seen a massive increase in the numbers of sufferers over the past two decades.

In 1989 when the MMR was first introduced, autism was rare. When my son was first diagnosed the statistics were about 1:2500, now in 2009 it’s 1:100.

Some less informed individuals whose lives have not been touched by the disability protest it’s just less of a stigma and more easily diagnosed now, but if that’s the case, where are the autistic adults?

Autism isn’t something you just grow out of, and although there are various degrees, believe me when I tell you; it’s not something you can keep hidden. Someone will notice, and it would most certainly be evident to any teacher. However, if you talk to anyone who has been teaching for a few years they will confirm autism was rarely seen in the classroom until relatively recently.

So, what is it?

Well, it affects people differently, but basically it’s a lifelong disability which affects communication, behaviour and social skills. As there are no two  people with autism affected in exactly the same way, there is no specific treatment or therapy.

It is now generally recognized autism is a brain and gut disorder and has much to do with the person’s inability to excrete toxins, particularly heavy metals from the body. Where do these toxins come from?

Everywhere!

They are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, our food, clothes, furnishings and in our skincare. Daily we rub hundreds of toxic synthetic chemicals into our skins which go straight into our blood streams. Don’t believe all the hypoallergenic, non-toxic, biodegradable, natural and organic labels you see either, especially for baby products.

Read the labels! If you can’t pronounce the ingredientsand wouldn’t want to put them in your mouth  don’t buy them!

One area which has been highlighted as a possible cause for the autism epidemic is the vastly increased program for childhood vaccines which are injected straight into the bloodstream. These contain toxic preservatives and adjuvants such as mercury , formaldehyde and aluminium. All are highly dangerous to neurons in the brain, but mercury, which I’ve come to know a lot about, is highly toxic to all organs and tissues and is a poison which the body has no ability to detoxify. There is no safe limit for mercury in the body and yet it is added to vaccines.

You also get mercury from dental amalgams as they are 50% mercury. They were the cause of my mercury poisoning and which, I’m sure were a contributory factor in my son’s autism. I naively had some huge fillings placed when I was pregnant.

Autism affects whole families and tears many of them apart. Depression, exhaustion, finances all add to the stress of living with a child with autism, and 85% of marriages collapse with the majority ending up in the divorce courts.

Financially, autism is a  terrible strain and 94% of mothers of autistic children don’t/can’t work. Many end up home schooling because there are no appropriate educational facilities, siblings  suffer and many families find themselves locked inside their houses. It’s easier to  stay at home than venture outside where the child is often terrified and misunderstood.

I’ve been there, done that and got the tee-shirt – literally!

If you look at my first book it’s called – I’m Not Naughty - I’m Autistic – Jodi’s Journey On the front cover my son is wearing a tee-shirt on which I’d written those words. I found it easier than trying to explain his unusual behaviour to everyone and it stopped people offering to lend me their walking sticks to beat him, or telling me to give him a “good smack on the backside!”

Still, I am one of the lucky ones. I’ve always taken my son out although there have often been times when I’ve willed the ground to open up and swallow me. Many times I’ve returned home and cried myself to sleep.

In some countries though you will NEVER see an autistic child and it’s not because they don’t exist, but because they are considered to be possessed by the devil, a disgrace to the family and an embarrassment. Having said that, apparently in other areas they are respected and considered “special”.

My son has come far and bears no resemblance to the disruptive, difficult and unfathomable child he once was, but I never stop worrying. What will happen to him when I’m gone? Hopefully his brother will take care of him, but he shouldn’t have to. Both should have their own lives.

My friend’s mother said the best thing her son ever said was, “Mum, I don’t need you any more”. It meant he could make his own way in the world.

My son never will, and neither will all the other autistic individuals out there.  That means they will all need support.

Many years ago someone said he thought the world would be destroyed by the three A’s – Anger, Avarice and Autism. The way things are going, he could be right. The recession may have affected many areas, but it appears to have had little effect on Autism.

Anyway, I guess I’ve found my niche – sort of.  Is it fun?  Will I enjoy it?  I doubt it, but it’s a major part of my life and if the information I can pass on will help someone then that’s great.

We all need help sometimes so if, during this recession, you have time on your hands and know of a family whose lives are affected by autism, you might want to find out a bit more about it.  Just speaking to the parents in a friendly non judgmental manner can lift their spirits enormously, and  from experience I know they sometimes need it.

Take care.

Jean Shaw
For more information on Autism and Mercury Poisoning visit http://www.JeanShaw.com and for authentic Certified Organic Skin And HealthCare Products visit http://www.BestOrganicsForHealth.com

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