CHAUTAUQUA — If you’re a ways along in life — whatever that might mean — think back to when you were in school.

Do you recall any significant number of your schoolmates having autism?

Do you recall any significant number of your schoolmates having other childhood illnesses prevalent now?

Do you recall any significant number of your schoolmates being on prescriptions?

To whatever extent any of these is attributable to improvements in diagnoses of illnesses–or whatever term you prefer–there also appears to be an increase in incidence of illnesses.

≤≤≤

Dr. Peter McCullough of the McCullough Foundation, the July 7 speaker for Advocates for Balance at Chautauqua, or ABC, calls the increased incidence of autism “a five-alarm fire.”

Please read his position for yourself:

“Now we have an epidemic of childhood illnesses that is coming like a tsunami in children.

“When I was a kid, the rate of autism-spectrum disorder was one in 10,000. Our (Center for Disease Control, or) CDC, has just reported as of 2022, it’s one in 31. It’s 3.2 percent of the U.S. population with adjudicated real autism. Some states, even worse. (In) California, it’s 5 percent of kids.

“Of those who have autism, 27 percent of that group (have) profound autism, defined as an IQ less than 55, head banging, repetitive behaviors, non-verbal, will never use the toilet unassisted in their lives. That’s more than 1 percent of California children.

“This should be an absolute five-alarm fire going off in the schools of public health all over the United States.

“Do you know not a single school of public health even has a seminar on the autism epidemic in the United States? No alarm.

“At the McCullough Foundation, we’ve interviewed tons of people for our fellowship program.

“I said, ‘Do you have any seminars, courses, anything about the childhood chronic … scourge of autism?’

“Nothing.

“No mention.

“Do you know when the CDC report(ed) on autism … a few months ago, (its) conclusion was, ‘Oh well, we should just get ready for more special-needs care for these children.’

“No search into the causative factors, no search into treatments, remedies of any type. It’s an absolute disaster.

“But it’s not just autism. It’s allergic diseases, food allergies, medicinal allergies, asthma, allergic dermatitis, urticaria, recurrent infections, other neurologic disorders like ticks and seizures, and attention-deficit disorder.

“It’s now about half of children have some medical problem.

“That wasn’t the case when you and I were children.

“You must admit something has changed. Something has changed.”

≤≤≤

This column has no expertise on the cause of the increase in incidence of illnesses.

Yet whatever the cause, it urgently needs attention.

And it stands to reason that, one way or another, something is somehow getting into children that wasn’t getting into children decades ago.

What is causing this increase in childhood illnesses?

Is anything preventing our stopping the “something” from getting into children? If so, what is it? And why?

≤≤≤

Most in the audience appreciated McCullough’s sharing his ideas.

≤≤≤

One self-described academic did not: “I’m concerned this information is what’s fueling the rampant controversy today and I’ve heard more disinformation this evening than I have heard from the speaker in quite some time.”

≤≤≤

Without losing his cool, McCullough responded:

“When you say disinformation, you’re trying to exert leverage over me like you hold the truth and I don’t.

“You and I can have a fair interchange of information.

“I would never use that term on you.”

This response is good to remember next time you hear an accusation of “disinformation.”

≤≤≤

On its website, https://www.abcatchq.com, ABC posts videos of most of its speakers.

ABC was formed in 2018. Its mission is “to achieve a balance of speakers in a mutually civil and respectful environment consistent with the historic mission of Chautauqua” Institution. ABC is its own Section 501(c)(3) organization, legally separate from the institution.

≤≤≤

Dr. Randy Elf’s Aug. 20, 2020, ABC presentation, on “How Political Speech Law Benefits Politicians and the Rich,” is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3ebymA7xOo.

COPYRIGHT (c) 2025 BY RANDY ELF