Autism and Traffic: Where's the Data?

Did you hear the one linking autism to freeways?

Forgive me if it sounds like a joke. Just finished watching a documentary about Joan Rivers. Her comedy’s just okay but it made my snow-bound day (week? winter?) to see a woman still going strong at 75 with in-your-face remarks – catch it while you still can – Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.

Woman says she’ll wear a diaper, doesn’t care, will do anything to work. Kind of a lost sentiment today. Almost want to show it to my kids, except for the vulgar, vulgar moments not to be missed!

Anyhow, we could use some comedic schtick, some Joan Rivers, in the parenting sphere. The message boards could use some lightness and humor.

Would love to hear Ms. River’s response to this study out of California that I wrote about on Parent Dish:

Pregnant women living near freeways were almost twice as likely to have a child later diagnosed with autism, the neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication.

The freeway hypothesis sounds reasonable: Pollution bad and fetuses fragile, alas, autism.

Read on at Naked Data over at The Dish…On Ramp to Autism: Do Freeways Trigger Autism?

The comments about the Freeway Hypothesis? Not so crazy, applauds, though one reader blames autism on ultrasounds. Anyone? Not sure there’s any research out there to settle this one. But go ahead, see if you can dispute it. I dare you! First one to show me the data wins a free ultrasound.*

*Prize contingent on me, like the supposed celebrity mentioned by a reader, buying my own ultrasound machine. Don’t you think it would complement the calf massager and busted puppet theater languishing in my basement?