Grandchildren with Special Needs?

IrishEyes

IrishEyes

Member
Location
Midwest
Our family history on both sides had no history of children born with special needs.
My experience in Early Childhood Education and Development couldn't help but make me notice
the increase in children with this.
I have 2 grandchildren who have special needs, a 31 yr old, mentality of a 12 year old and
21 year old, mentality of a 2-3 year old.
My last 5 years in a classroom of 3 year old's I saw my class of 12 go from one with special needs to six in that 5 year span.
This was shocking to me and has always peeked my curiosity as to why.
I do not buy the cause is totally due to vaccines as a few of the children I taught were not vaccinated.

Do any of you think about this, study it or been given reasons for it? I will forever be curious and reading up on
this and probably will never know the answer.
 

Higher exposure to plastics especially in food and beverages. New and different chemicals added to highly processed food. The increase in highly processed food as part of the diet. Increasing number of outgassing toxins in other everyday consumer goods. Better medical care for newborns, a higher survival rate. More and more pharmaceutical material entering the water supply from all the prescriptions people take. Increased agricultural toxins. Constant bombardment from cell phones and cordless devices. Background radiation. Just off the top of my head.
 
While in the military, I remember a Sergeant that had a son that was 14. One day, the Sergeant came into my office and wanted permission to bring his son to a “Bring Your Child To Work Day,” which I had no knowledge about, until I went to AS and received some information about it and what was our policy regarding such.

As it turned out, he was allowed to bring his son, but had to stay with him for his time there. When he brought his son to meet me, I was happy to learn that he was very alert and was able to communicate and ask questions about the various jobs we do. I enjoyed having him. His dad had told me prior to that day that his son was very into anything military. I (faked) swore him in and gave him our Division’s patch and a Sergeant’s patch like his dad wore. I also gave him a really nice mug with the motto, “Bella Ac Pace Paramus” engraved on it.
 

Flarbalard said:
Higher exposure to plastics especially in food and beverages. New and different chemicals added to highly processed food. The increase in highly processed food as part of the diet. Increasing number of outgassing toxins in other everyday consumer goods. Better medical care for newborns, a higher survival rate. More and more pharmaceutical material entering the water supply from all the prescriptions people take. Increased agricultural toxins. Constant bombardment from cell phones and cordless devices. Background radiation. Just off the top of my head.
Click to expand...
You've given this a lot of thought! So many and maybe all can sure be contributing to it. You almost touched on my thoughts on it.
Been There said:
While in the military, I remember a Sergeant that had a son that was 14. One day, the Sergeant came into my office and wanted permission to bring his son to a “Bring Your Child To Work Day,” which I had no knowledge about, until I went to AS and received some information about it and what was our policy regarding such.

As it turned out, he was allowed to bring his son, but had to stay with him for his time there. When he brought his son to meet me, I was happy to learn that he was very alert and was able to communicate and ask questions about the various jobs we do. I enjoyed having him. His dad had told me prior to that day that his son was very into anything military. I (faked) swore him in and gave him our Division’s patch and a Sergeant’s patch like his dad wore. I also gave him a really nice mug with the motto, “Bella Ac Pace Paramus” engraved on it.
Click to expand...
That was so wonderful you thought to do that! My grandson that is 2-3 year old mentally loves policemen, which my son was a k-9 officer. Son gave him an old uniform of his and grandson would put it on and go sit on his large scale trike in the back yard to "Make money" and give out tickets.
 
Flarbalard said:
Higher exposure to plastics especially in food and beverages. New and different chemicals added to highly processed food. The increase in highly processed food as part of the diet. Increasing number of outgassing toxins in other everyday consumer goods. Better medical care for newborns, a higher survival rate. More and more pharmaceutical material entering the water supply from all the prescriptions people take. Increased agricultural toxins. Constant bombardment from cell phones and cordless devices. Background radiation. Just off the top of my head.
Click to expand...

Also air pollution, there have been a few studies that found higher autism rates correlated to how much air pollution the mothers are exposed to.
 
IrishEyes said:
Our family history on both sides had no history of children born with special needs.
My experience in Early Childhood Education and Development couldn't help but make me notice
the increase in children with this.
I have 2 grandchildren who have special needs, a 31 yr old, mentality of a 12 year old and
21 year old, mentality of a 2-3 year old.
My last 5 years in a classroom of 3 year old's I saw my class of 12 go from one with special needs to six in that 5 year span.
This was shocking to me and has always peeked my curiosity as to why.
I do not buy the cause is totally due to vaccines as a few of the children I taught were not vaccinated.

Do any of you think about this, study it or been given reasons for it? I will forever be curious and reading up on
this and probably will never know the answer.
Click to expand...
Considering I had and raised a child with a chronic, serious neurological condition called hydrocephalus, and my grandson has Crohn's, I've thought a ton about this. My mother once said she thought the increase was due to the way doctors treated childbirth. I think it's more related to all the chemicals in our air, water, food, etc.
 
I don't know if I am onto something or not. I was thinking, my generation is the main one when prescribed birth control began and it had a 90-95% success rate. Pill you took daily for 28 days and had a regular menstrual cycle. Then later they had a pill you could go 3 months without menstrual , soon after another pill you could go 6 months and then lo and behold the Depo shot arrived and it lasted longer.
When those began to get longer and longer, I thought how safe can that really be, that is so not what nature intended, can you mess with something like that and not screw up the natural order of things? What do those drugs do long term and is each generation going to pass up mutated genes in some way?
When I had that increase of children coming into day care I began asking mothers if I could ask them questions about this. Everyone said yes. A couple of them said they began on the pill but then changed to the shot, others had only used the shot. Some had more than one child and 1 or 2 of the children showed signs of a slight slow learning and then the one had severe problems. Not sure what would designate why one would be so much more severe unless some of the possible causes above contributed and that child just got the double whammy.
I can see where could lead to a really huge lawsuit by many parents if it could be true. Because they really pumped the ads for those shots when they came out.
If I sound bonkers, let me know. But I honestly don't think there was enough study done on this for a long enough time to know how safe it really was for children conceived during a certain period when the drugs from those shots were still in their system.
 
IrishEyes said:
I don't know if I am onto something or not. I was thinking, my generation is the main one when prescribed birth control began and it had a 90-95% success rate. Pill you took daily for 28 days and had a regular menstrual cycle. Then later they had a pill you could go 3 months without menstrual , soon after another pill you could go 6 months and then lo and behold the Depo shot arrived and it lasted longer.
When those began to get longer and longer, I thought how safe can that really be, that is so not what nature intended, can you mess with something like that and not screw up the natural order of things? What do those drugs do long term and is each generation going to pass up mutated genes in some way?
When I had that increase of children coming into day care I began asking mothers if I could ask them questions about this. Everyone said yes. A couple of them said they began on the pill but then changed to the shot, others had only used the shot. Some had more than one child and 1 or 2 of the children showed signs of a slight slow learning and then the one had severe problems. Not sure what would designate why one would be so much more severe unless some of the possible causes above contributed and that child just got the double whammy.
I can see where could lead to a really huge lawsuit by many parents if it could be true. Because they really pumped the ads for those shots when they came out.
If I sound bonkers, let me know. But I honestly don't think there was enough study done on this for a long enough time to know how safe it really was for children conceived during a certain period when the drugs from those shots were still in their system.
Click to expand...
Thank goodness I am too old to worry about all that. :rolleyes:
 
IrishEyes said:
I don't know if I am onto something or not. I was thinking, my generation is the main one when prescribed birth control began and it had a 90-95% success rate. Pill you took daily for 28 days and had a regular menstrual cycle. Then later they had a pill you could go 3 months without menstrual , soon after another pill you could go 6 months and then lo and behold the Depo shot arrived and it lasted longer.
When those began to get longer and longer, I thought how safe can that really be, that is so not what nature intended, can you mess with something like that and not screw up the natural order of things? What do those drugs do long term and is each generation going to pass up mutated genes in some way?
When I had that increase of children coming into day care I began asking mothers if I could ask them questions about this. Everyone said yes. A couple of them said they began on the pill but then changed to the shot, others had only used the shot. Some had more than one child and 1 or 2 of the children showed signs of a slight slow learning and then the one had severe problems. Not sure what would designate why one would be so much more severe unless some of the possible causes above contributed and that child just got the double whammy.
I can see where could lead to a really huge lawsuit by many parents if it could be true. Because they really pumped the ads for those shots when they came out.
If I sound bonkers, let me know. But I honestly don't think there was enough study done on this for a long enough time to know how safe it really was for children conceived during a certain period when the drugs from those shots were still in their system.
Click to expand...
In 1966 lower doses were approved, but the high-dose pills were still sold until 1988. My pharmacist told me I'd been taking ten times the necessary dose. By 1967 serious side effects were just being acknowledged.
 
IrishEyes said:
My last 5 years in a classroom of 3 year old's I saw my class of 12 go from one with special needs to six in that 5 year span.
Click to expand...

that is nevertheless a very small sample size in terms of population.

I would be curious to see if there are any actual statistics supporting this.

Some possible reasons why some things may have increased - as mentioned better survival rates of pre term infants, possible better medical care so children with conditions are not dying as infants, better diagnosis of things like autism, coeliac disease rather than actual increase in numbers, children with conditions not being shut away in institutions therefore more in community and mainstream care
 
January said:
that is nevertheless a very small sample size in terms of population.

I would be curious to see if there are any actual statistics supporting this.

Some possible reasons why some things may have increased - as mentioned better survival rates of pre term infants, possible better medical care so children with conditions are not dying as infants, better diagnosis of things like autism, coeliac disease rather than actual increase in numbers, children with conditions not being shut away in institutions therefore more in community and mainstream care
Click to expand...
I agree, the class room is a small number for making statistics, then speaking with other teachers from may other areas at conferences some were noticing it also.
I don't know if the increase declined, leveled out or kept rising after I left the center. When I use the term Special Needs, it was inclusive to all children showing a necessity for extra care in a personal way.
My oldest Grandson was diagnosed Autistic, the younger one had many benchmarks on 5 types that they could not label/diagnose him with any one ailment. Each of them required extra care in some form from the teachers and family none the less.
The institution reference I will admit did not enter my mind that could be a factor. How much it factors in I don't think would be much as how many people could have afford the cost of that.
I have read many study reports on this topic and never I have I seen one that even referenced any study that included information about birth control use being suggested. It's always genetics, poverty levels, race, environmental, nutrition. To me that is a red flag.
I have always wondered why isn't that aspect even mentioned or thought of?
One of the hardest things I had to do in that career was approach a parent and suggest them to have their child evaluated. The 3 I did. I didn't suggest on the behavior as a cause it was the struggle and disconnect I observed in the child in certain situations. I had seen teachers who could not deal with an ill-mannered child and tried to use this as a way to remove them from their classroom, that is a whole other story!
 
gruntlabor said:
In 1966 lower doses were approved, but the high-dose pills were still sold until 1988. My pharmacist told me I'd been taking ten times the necessary dose. By 1967 serious side effects were just being acknowledged.
Click to expand...
Thank you for that, I did not know that fact. My sons were all 70's babies. I had my tubes tied after my last one in 77, so quit taking them so I never followed it's course until my DIL's later were talking about all the ones to choose from available. And yes for all the presumed reasons the shot offered, that's what they went with.
 
I went down a rabbit hole recently about baby formula. Commercial baby formula usage is a fairly recent phenomena. And skyrocketed around the same time as plastic utensils and bottles and microwaves became the norm. There are several studies that strongly suggest that breast fed babies have a lower incidence of spectrum disorders….but the studies are not large enough and the demographics not clearly well enough defined. For instance….what is the difference between exclusive breast feeding…and supplemental formula usage. This bears some thought. Media promotes vaccination fear. I am not saying that should not be ruled in or out…but we need to also look at how we do things different.
 
Muskrat said:
I went down a rabbit hole recently about baby formula. Commercial baby formula usage is a fairly recent phenomena. And skyrocketed around the same time as plastic utensils and bottles and microwaves became the norm. There are several studies that strongly suggest that breast fed babies have a lower incidence of spectrum disorders….but the studies are not large enough and the demographics not clearly well enough defined. For instance….what is the difference between exclusive breast feeding…and supplemental formula usage. This bears some thought. Media promotes vaccination fear. I am not saying that should not be ruled in or out…but we need to also look at how we do things different.
Click to expand...
That can also come back to if a woman is breastfeeding is she at some point during that time back to using birth control. It's in her system, baby is nursing it. As you can probably tell, this is something I am passionate about knowing the truth to, if there is one. Just smack me so I can get back to sanity o_O
 
Before 9/11, I had many autistic and children with Down's Syndrome come on my plane while working for United. It was my pleasure to allow them to come into the cockpit and sit in the Captain's seat. I allowed them to touch the controls and I would put the headset on each child, so they could hear the air traffic controllers talking to other pilots. Most of them would laugh and smile. It was a real joy having these wonderful kids on my flight.

Of course, each child left with a set of wings.
 
I guess the answer is extremely complex but having read Rachel's book "The Silent Spring" I would remind everyone that environmental factors are very significant. Organochlorine pesticides such as DDT, although long banned, have such a long half life that they are probably still having adverse affects. Asbestos mining in Australia resulted in horrific lung diseases.

I would look to the food chains to see whether some deficits in children are caused by the food we eat and the water we drink. I remember learning that a girl child is born with every ovum she will release as an adult already formed within her ovaries, but sperm is continually being produced over the adult life of every male. Perhaps that is a significant factor in birth defects along with other causes.

Also, some neurodiverse children are just another form of normal human beings, with a different set of skills and deficits. They are different, not abnormal.
 
Warrigal said:
I guess the answer is extremely complex but having read Rachel's book "The Silent Spring" I would remind everyone that environmental factors are very significant. Organochlorine pesticides such as DDT, although long banned, have such a long half life that they are probably still having adverse affects. Asbestos mining in Australia resulted in horrific lung diseases.

I would look to the food chains to see whether some deficits in children are caused by the food we eat and the water we drink. I remember learning that a girl child is born with every ovum she will release as an adult already formed within her ovaries, but sperm is continually being produced over the adult life of every male. Perhaps that is a significant factor in birth defects along with other causes.

Also, some neurodiverse children are just another form of normal human beings, with a different set of skills and deficits. They are different, not abnormal.
Click to expand...
You make some very good points in contributing factors. I don't think we will ever know for sure the exact cause.
 
I have nothing to add but I do think this is a subject that warrants serious study. Some good points have been made here, Maybe these theories could be posted on additional social media to broaden the discussion.
 
This is so close to me because having 2 sons with children with special needs. Watching them having to learn how to be a parent right off the bat with added difficulties, wonders, dreams crashed, fears, rudeness from people ignorant of knowing when to just keep their thoughts to them selves. Raising a child like this has plenty of rewards but boy, are their heartbreaks, frustration and anger mixed in along the way. I guess they were lucky I was in the ECE work space learning, taking classes and workshops to help my students. Many don't have that support system.
One occasion my son had come to visit me and we went to the Children's Museum near me. My grandson smiling and looking at everything (he was about 3 years old at the time}. He saw the water play area and ran to it. He began splashing and I quickly retrieved a boat and put in front of him, that distracted him from splashing. A lady behind me says to her person with her "Children like that should be kept at home"
I fired up and glanced at my grandson, calmed down, I didn't want him to see his Grandma get into a cat fight here. My son caught up with us and we walked to another area, but as I passed her, I leaned close to her and said "And adults who speak out of ignorance should learn that to teach a child to be in public... the child has to be in public"
That grandson at 21 this year graduated high school, his picture holding his diploma is priceless. How many 2-3 yr olds graduate High School? kind of cute looking at it that way.

Thank you all for your input, thoughts and interest in this topic. As Babs2u said... "broaden the discussion" Autism and Downs get a lot of type and air time but many children aren't or can't be diagnosed as such and fall through the cracks. So many things need to be broadened maybe.
Again, Thank you all, you are wonderful for helping me in this.
 
IrishEyes said:
I have read many study reports on this topic and never I have I seen one that even referenced any study that included information about birth control use being suggested. It's always genetics, poverty levels, race, environmental, nutrition. To me that is a red flag.
I have always wondered why isn't that aspect even mentioned or thought of?
Click to expand...


Probably because there is no evidence to suggest it is a factor.
 
IrishEyes said:
The institution reference I will admit did not enter my mind that could be a factor. How much it factors in I don't think would be much as how many people could have afford the cost of that.
Click to expand...


I'm not sure there would be a cost - in earlier generations, children were taken from families and put into institutions from a young age - I dont think this involved cost to the family.

My uncle who had Downs syndrome was born in about 1950, he lived in an institution from the age of 6.

His family loved him and were caring parents and kept involved in his life - but that was just the thing people were expected and encouraged to do and there was no support for home care.
 

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