Last week, researchers at Johns Hopkins released a study that analyzed the relationship between levels of folate and vitamin B12 in a mother’s system and their children’s risk of autism. The study found that women with heightened levels of both folate and vitamin B12 were 17.6 times more likely to have children…
Say you used to have a job at a large and well-respected nonprofit, one that advocates for people with a poorly-understood disorder. Then, some time later, you find yourself working for Donald Trump, a glistening, shouting gristle mass with a history of saying terrible and stupid things. Does that create some awkward…
Robert De Niro appeared on The Today Show Wednesday to make it crystal clear that he personally supported the inclusion of anti-vaccination film Vaxxed in the Tribeca Film Festival. A Facebook photo posted yesterday shows that he also met recently with a group of people well-known in anti-vaccination circles,…
Robert De Niro appeared Wednesday morning on The Today Show to talk about the Tribeca Film Festival, and to defend himself for personally lobbying for the inclusion of an anti-vaccination movie. The film, Vaxxed, was pulled from the schedule after an enormous shitstorm; De Niro said today he still wants to know “the…
After reaping a whirlwind of controversy over the past few days surrounding the screening of a film by anti-vaccination ex-doctor Andrew Wakefield, the Tribeca Film Festival says it will no longer be shown. Robert De Niro, Tribeca’s co-founder, released a statement Saturday afternoon announcing its cancellation.
Actor Robert De Niro, who cofounded the Tribeca Film Festival, has released a statement about the anti-vaccination film by former doctor Andrew Wakefield. Vaxxed is set to screen during the festival, and DeNiro’s statement suggests that he personally supports its inclusion.
This year’s Tribeca Film Festival will include a screening of a film by Andrew Wakefield, the former doctor who was stripped of his medical license after authoring a discredited study that implied a link between vaccines and autism. A spokesperson for the film tells Jezebel that there will be “celebrity support” for…
On October 28, 2015, 13-year-old Jessica Pelligrini began choking on an apple during lunch. The emergency could have turned fatal had fellow classmate Brandon Williams, also 13, not rushed to her side and successfully performed the Heimlich Maneuver. Marveling at Brandons’s heroism, his father Anthony Williams asked…
Sesame Street Workshop has added a new, autistic muppet named Julia to the gang. Julia’s addition is part of a program launched Wednesday morning called “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children,” that features routine cards, videos, and further resources for family and friends of an autistic child.
There are two things that non-profit group Safe Minds—committed to “ending the autism epidemic”—doesn’t understand: First, that there is absolutely no link between vaccines and autism. Second, how research works.
A United flight to Portland made an emergency landing last week after the flight crew determined that an autistic passenger on board was too disruptive. Flight attendants had calmed her, but the flight was nonetheless diverted to Salt Lake City, where the teen and her family were removed from the plane.
Remember last summer, when the Ice Bucket Challenge was in full swing and then it died down and a part of you felt guilty for feeling like, Phew, thank God that's over, because the charitable part means you shouldn't feel annoyed (right)? Take a deep breath, sit down, and meet its successor, the Twizzler Challenge.
Against all logic, reason and every shred of credible scientific evidence, the "don't vaccinate your kids" brigade is still at it. (Thanks for the resurgence of whooping cough and polio, guys!) The latest pawn in their apparent bid to kill everyone from easily preventable diseases: the Amish, courtesty of yet another…
In August, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (remember that?) took a very dark turn when a video was posted of a teenager with autism tricked into being drenched with a bucket full of feces, cigarette butts, and water. Now five teens have been charged in connection to the incident.
New research has found that autistic boys were more likely exposed to higher levels of testosterone, cortisol and other hormones in their mother's womb than those who don't have autism. The findings suggest that the condition is triggered during fetal development. (Read: this has nothing to do with vaccinations!)
PETA's scientists have been hard at work creating new and sensational ways to get you to fear meat and dairy. While I agree that a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle is an excellent choice, spreading fear and false information is not the way to gain converts. It's dishonest at best and dangerous at worst. And this ad, which…
We use emoticons to punctuate tweets or text messages, but did you know that these icons can [maybe sorta] lend insight into where people fall along the autism spectrum? That's the premise of Genevieve Belleveau's Emoji Autism Facial Recognition Therapy, a performance art piece that showed at this year's Emoji Art…
For the past five years, London's Heathrow airport has recreated the same exact departure experience, Groundhog Day-style, for a 21-year-old autistic man who gets too stressed and confused to fly if his conditions change.
Everyone has baggage. Some of us have heaps and heaps of matching luggage we tote with us everywhere we go; some of us have suitcases of issues that seem small but weigh us down; many of us have quirks and idiosyncrasies that swing between annoying and charming. And then there are those of us who have mental and…
As part of Night of Too Many Stars: America Comes Together for Autism Programs, 11-year-old Jodi DiPiazza — who was diagnosed with autism at age 2 — took the stage, sitting at a huge grand piano, and played Katy Perry's "Firework." As a baby, Jodi did not speak or make eye contact. At three, she struggled with…
