Mercury poisoning and autism

A 2000 study by Sallie Bernard of Safe Minds, a nonprofit autism awareness organization, hypothesized that autism is nothing more than a unique form of mercury poisoning. In the study, Bernard and her colleagues highlighted nearly 100 similarities between mercury poisoning and autism. Some researchers say symptoms for each are so broad that the study is not valid. The following is a list of some of the similarities Bernard presented:

Similarities in psychiatric disturbances

Social withdrawal, extreme shyness

Mood swings, laughing or crying without reason

Anxiety/nervousness

Similarities in speech, language and hearing deficits

Failure to develop speech/ slurred speech

Difficulties following conversational speech with background noise

Hearing loss

Similarities in sensory abnormalities

Abnormal sensation in and around mouth

Sound sensitivity

Aversion to being touched

Similarities in motor disorder behaviors

Jerking movements/arm flapping

Inability to hold a pen

Toe walking

Similarities in mental impairment

Uneven performance on intelligence subtests

Poor concentration/short attention span and memory

Verbal IQ is higher than performance IQ

Similarities in unusual behaviors

Hyperactivity

Insomnia

Head banging/hitting head

Similarities in visual impairments

Lack of eye contact

Sensitivity to light

Blurred vision

Similarities to physical disturbances

Decreased muscle strength

Rashes/itching

Excessive sweating

Similarities in gastrointestinal problems

Diarrhea/abdominal pain

Anorexia

Poor appetite

Similarities in immune system abnormalties

Likely to have asthma and allergies

Autoantibodies present in body

Likely to have autoimmune-like symptoms, such as rheumatoid arthritis

Similarities in CNS lesions

Lesions target selective areas of the brain

Damage to granular cells

Brain stem defects

Similarities in activity and epilepsy

Abnormal EEGs

Seizures/convulsions

Source: Autism: "A Novel Form of Mercury Poisoning", study by Sallie Bernard, et. al., published in 2001 in Medical Hypotheses