Category Archives: Background Data

Hmm, now where have I seen this before?

Posted on August 18, 2020 by autismjungle

Anti-antivaxxers watching the COVID-19 situation and the protests about mask wearing are feeling a strong sense of deja-vu. From quack treatments, to belittling the risks of diseases, through ludicrous claims of harm, and right up to arguments about personal rights, … Continue reading →

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Is Generation Rescue gone?

Posted on August 3, 2020 by autismjungle

I saw the news on Left Brain Right Brain. Generation Rescue’s website has expired, the most recent post on its Facebook Page is from May, and the organisation appears to have folded. If this is true, it is excellent news. … Continue reading →

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Happy 10th Blogoversary to me!

Posted on May 31, 2020 by autismjungle

In late January 2010, I was googling news about autism when I came across a story from the U.K. A gastroenterologist named Andrew Wakefield had been found guilty of misconduct relating to a study he’d performed on 12 autistic children. … Continue reading →

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Significant Anniversaries

Posted on May 24, 2020 by autismjungle

Three significant anniversaries occurred in the first full week of May. A fourth occurred on the 21st – the fortieth anniversary of the theatrical release of “The Empire Strikes Back”, widely regarded as the best of the Star Wars film. … Continue reading →

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A polio outbreak, and evidence autism is genetic

Posted on September 26, 2019 by autismjungle

The inevitable has happened. Polio has broken out in the Phillipines and an emergency vaccination program has begun to immunise those at risk. Prior to this new outbreak, the Phillipines had been polio free for 19 years. This is so … Continue reading →

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New TB Vaccine successfully completes a small trial

Posted on October 26, 2018 by autismjungle

A new vaccine against Tuberculosis has successfully completed an early trial. Developed by Glaxo Smithkline amd Aeras, the M72 vaccine reduced TB rates by more than half. The current vaccine against TB is Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG). Its effectiveness in children … Continue reading →

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Happy Blogoversary to me!

Posted on May 29, 2018 by autismjungle

Today, I celebrate the eighth anniversary of my blog “African Jungle”. My very first post, “Greetings to one and all”, was posted on the 29th of May 2010. The tagline I chose for my blog was “A blog on Autism, … Continue reading →

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Were autistic traits responsible for a development in art?

Posted on May 20, 2018 by autismjungle

A study by Dr Penny Spikins, Callum Scott and Barry Wright from the University of York suggests that autistic traits, specifically the ability to focus on detail, led to an explosion of realism in art 30,000 years ago. From a … Continue reading →

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Was autism hero Hans Asperger really a villain?

Posted on April 22, 2018 by autismjungle

Ask anyone the name of a scientist who studied autism, and Hans Asperger will likely be the one most frequently named. Unlike Leo Kanner, Asperger highlighted that autistics could be quite capable and able. Some have suggested that he emphasised … Continue reading →

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No, autism and psychopathy are NOT the same!

Posted on April 30, 2017 by autismjungle

So I’ve been reading Adam West’s serialised deconstruction of “Atlas Shrugged” on his Daylight Atheism blog. One thing about Rand’s protagonists is abundantly clear – they are all psychopaths. In the comments section, one misguided soul asked if Rand was … Continue reading →

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