JOHN'S WORLD OF AUTISM   Web www.johnsworld.cashhosters.com Parenting the Strong-Willed Child

Mercury Poisoning Myths Myth #3: Autistic children are not affectionate and do not like to be held or touched This is an unfortunate myth. Many autistic children are extremely affectionate and love to be held and hugged. Mercury kills neurons in the brain and damages the central nervous system resulting in disturbances in all of the senses - vision, hearing, oral, smell, proprieceptive (touch), and vestibular (motion). Some children develop ultra sensitivities in these systems (e.g., difficulties tolerating loud noise, bright lights, car rides, or certain kinds of clothing on their skin); others develop extreme undersensitivies (e.g., numbness, abnormally high pain tolerances, lack of fear or physical caution). Children who appear to not like being held or touched likely do not because it feels painful to them. Touch is literally either too painful or overwhelming to the senses to tolerate. Many autistic children are extremely affectionate and love to be held and hugged. Some may even crave or seek the pressure from that touch to penetrate their dulled senses. Underneath the distortions of mercury toxicity, all of these children wish to be held and loved.

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