Obviously the recent uptick in non vaccinating parents is the fear of the vaccine causing some sort of unintended consequence like autism, etc...

I think we have made a mistake in society by trying to label every child in the education system with a label. It seems I can't be around parents or teachers without hearing labels, whether it's autistic, high functioning, on the spectrum, accelerated program, have him/her tested, work with therapist, etc, etc....

Are kids really that much more messed up today than when we were spazzing out in class and at recess 30-40 years ago? I recall a kid I went to school with back in elementary and he was 2 grades below me, but we car pooled him to school. He was really odd. Not like me one bit. Quiet. He was really different. Smart though. His Mom was a "natural oils mom" so he would always smell like stinky oils, especially when he had a cold. Well, he eventually grew up, and he is now an engineer living in Cali with wife and child making north of a 100K a year. Totally fine. Still unique, but nothing is wrong with him. We are still great friends.

Another friend of mine the same age as me, was really slow, I remember in Kindergarten he had separation issues and would throw tantrums when his parents left. Really shy. Couldn't read or spell worth a lick, but had a heart of gold. We became great friends and even though he always struggled somewhat in school, he now runs a landscaping company and does really well with wife and kids. Totally normal guy.

The point is none of us had any labels attached to us back then. No special testing. Our parents weren't afraid that we would eventually be called autistic, or "on the spectrum" or need therapy, etc....We all turned out fine.

I think we have created an education system full of labels and parents are so fearful of their child falling into one of the dreaded labels that they are running around the internet looking for signs of any of these labels and are fearful every time there child bangs their head, throws a tantrum, is slow to learn a skill. Like there is some sort of perfectly normal level every child should be hitting at the same time. What a crock of crap. Like Boys should act like girls too. Recesses, where true and powerful social skills are developed are being cut for more class work and or therapy sessions for the labeled kids.

I think we as adults and educators need to back the crud off. Let kids be kids, let them be different, let them grow up and be unique, we always have been that way. The consequences of these labels are creating a situation where parents want to blame something or some environment for the label their child was given. Vaccines are an easy target, as these are given a the same time these "labels" show up and are given to their child.

I'm not discrediting true autism, and programs designed to help with them. But when we get into things like "on the spectrum" I think that's a disservice to the child and the parent. Nobody wants a label. If that kid I mentioned first who used to car pool with me, was a kid today he would certainly be labeled autistic or Asperger's guaranteed, even he has said so...a label he would have carried with him his entire life and a crutch he could lean on. Thankfully he didn't get a label back then and just grew up to be the man he is today doing what he does best, using his mind in a unique way to become a fantastic engineer in serious demand.