My name is Cale Irwin, and I am new to the autisable website, though not new to autism or blogging.

I suppose I should offer a bit of an intro:

     I'm twenty years old and a junior at a private liberal arts college in the Midwest. I'm majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Psychology with an emphasis on Autism Spectrum Disorders. I have Asperger Syndrome and Tourette's (no, not the cursing kind).

     I'm employed part-time as a TSS for a 7 year-old with PDD-NOS and babysit for his triplet siblings. One of the triplets has non-verbal autism, while the third brother is Neurotypical. I also volunteer doing play therapy with a six year-old with Asperger's.

     Back home, I have an older brother who has classic Autism, cerebral palsy, and a developmental delay. He is 25 and received his Bachelor's degree in Business Management this past June. He's currently working in the pets department of Wal-mart, but is hoping to take the postal exam in the coming year.

    I'm well aware that the autism community is unfortunately divided along political lines, so here is a quick summary of my stance:

• I believe autism has a strong genetic component with some environmental influence.
• I don't believe there is any link between vaccinations and autism, and think that all children should be vaccinated for any diseases which can cause irreversible damage, paralysis, or death, on the typical schedule. However, I do think parents should have the option about when or whether to vaccinate against diseases which are merely uncomfortable such as chicken pox and the flu.
• I do not think autism is curable, or "treatable" with chelation, HBOT, or biomedical interventions. I do believe in therapy, and though my specialty is in ABA, I think Floortime and RDI have their merits as well. On the biomed front, I do think that some autistic individuals do have co-morbid intestinal issues, which can be resolved through the use of a GF/CF diet, and through vitamin and protein supplementation in typical doses. People are able to perform better when they physically feel better, and this applies to autistic individuals as much as anyone else.
• I think that the government's money should be invested into researching ways to assist autistic teenagers transition into adulthood, and finding ways to provide the support autistic adults need to become gainfully employed, and as independent as possible. I think "researching the cause" is simply a monetary sinkhole, and that available funds should go towards helping autistic individuals, not "preventing" autism.
• I support organizations which are attempting to better the lives of autistics and other individuals with disabilities such as Easter Seals. I do not believe Autism Speaks represents my interests.

    Because these stances are highly controversial, I do not write many politically-slanted posts. Instead, on my blog, both here on Autisable and at my home base of Spectrum Siblings, you will find personal anecdotes about growing up on the spectrum, having a special needs sibling, and witnessing and participating in the growth and development of the marvelous children I work with, along with some practical tips for individuals on the spectrum and those who care for them.