The first time I made the connection between vaccination and autism was when I read Toby Roger’s essay on the subject and stared at this chart.
Was I really seeing what I thought I was seeing?
The Political Economy of Autism - by Toby Rogers
This was back in late 2021.
Ever since entering the “vaccines cause autism” reality, I would regularly bump into the name of Anne Dachel. Normally from someone else’s writing that referred to her work and reporting.
It happened again the other day, at least two different people I read and follow referred to Dachel. I thought, “right, I’ve had enough, let’s look up this woman.” It’s time.
And here we are.
I’m very grateful that Anne agreed to this interview, because one of my primary motivations for doing them is so that the newly awakening middle can “catch up” on history, context and people.
With thanks to Anne Dachel for all the years of relentless work and sounding the siren.
Anne’s Substack | Anne Dachel | Substack
1. To start, can please you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to become so passionate about researching and writing about the autism epidemic?
First of all, I’m the mother of an adult son with autism. He’s 37 and is very high functioning. He definitely struggled as a little boy. He was non-verbal with clearly recognizable traits of autism.
At the time he was finally diagnosed at eight, we were told that autism was “rare” and he was probably the only autistic child in our town of 14,000. The school district had to get a psychologist from Minneapolis to diagnose him because it was so “rare.”
I felt very alone, but gradually over the next few years, I found more and more people with autistic children. I couldn’t figure this out because I had been a teacher for over 10 years when John was born, and I had never encountered autistic behavior like this.
AND many children were so much worse than my son, requiring 24/7 care. Where had all these kids been when I was growing up?
My husband and I were told that it was all because of GREATER AWARENESS, and that autism is genetic; that’s why there are more kids like this.
So where had they been previously? Throughout my first years teaching we had IDEA1, so these kids had to be educated, so why hadn’t I seen lots of kids like this?
2. In your book The Big Autism Cover-Up, you argue that the media is complicit in downplaying the autism crisis. What was the most shocking or egregious example of media bias on this issue that you uncovered in your research?
There are so many examples, but one that was truly outrageous was CNN’s treatment of Dr. Andrew Wakefield back in 2011.
For me, the way Cooper at CNN treated Dr. Wakefield speaks volumes. It was obvious to anyone listening that he had Wakefield on the show to attack him.
If Autism were an Earthquake or a Tsunami ... - AGE OF AUTISM
I wrote: “Cooper called Wakefield’s work ‘a lie’ and referred to his book as ‘a lie.’”
Calling the person you’re interviewing a liar is hardly objective journalism. It was clear there was another agenda at play.
You need to understand that pharmaceutical advertising is the biggest income for broadcast news.
Recently Robert Kennedy, Jr. was interviewed about the power and influence of the drug industry over what Americans hear on the news. He focused on Anderson Cooper.
RFK, Jr.:
“The media in our country is an extension of the pharmaceutical industry. Seventy-five percent of advertising revenues now on the mainstream media are now coming from pharma.
“That ratio is even higher for the evening news. The evening news is where you see pharmaceuticals advertised.
“Anderson Cooper has a $12 million a year annual salary. Well, $10 million of that is coming from Pfizer.
“His boss is not CNN. His boss is Pfizer.
“They’re unabashed about it. They say on his program, ‘Brought to you by Pfizer.’
“Of course, he’s not going to tell you the truth about Pfizer’s products. He’s going to try and sell them to you. He’s going to try to scare the hell out of you by saying, if you don’t get this, you’re going to die.”
3. The autism rate has increased dramatically in recent decades, from 1 in 166 in 2004 to 1 in 36 today according to the CDC. In your view, what are the key factors driving this explosion in autism diagnoses?
First of all, I don’t believe one in 36 is the true figure. It came out in 2023 and we’re seeing much higher rates in individual states.
California: One in 22
Florida: One in 20
Around the world these same numbers seem consistent.
British Columbia: One in 29
Australia: One in 25
Scotland: One in 23
Ireland: One in 21
Northern Ireland: One in 20
By next April, I’m sure the CDC will have upped our rate to one in 28 or one in 25, and it will STILL be no real increase, just better diagnosing/greater awareness.
All I have to do is to turn to the CDC’s own top autism researcher, Dr. Walter Zahorodny at Rutger’s University in New Jersey.
Zahorodny does not buy the “no real increase” lie from officials. For years he’s said the increases are real and they will continue to increase because we’re doing nothing to recognize what’s causing so many children to be autistic.
In 2022, Zahorodny said:
Autism prevalence for 2022—that is for the next surveillance cycle—will be higher than found previously. This is inevitable because autism prevalence has not peaked.
I guess if I were to do one thing, it would be to identify the environment trigger that can be changed.
That was perplexing. Perplexing because we don’t really understand what’s driving these rates.
…And the other phenomenon, we have yet to understand what’s driving autism increases.
When we say that five percent of the children in our region have autism, I think that’s a fair metric for anticipating the future scope or perimeters of care for adults, adolescents and adults. …
You’re planning for at least five percent of the population to be disabled.
We keep going to the people who run the vaccine program to ask them if their vaccines are damaging children. Is it any surprise that their studies show no link?
The CDC isn’t there for the public. They are promoters for the vaccine makers and the vast web of money ties between the CDC and pharma should raise red flags everywhere, but they don’t.
4. You've been an autism advocate for 18 years now. How have you seen the conversation around autism change over that time period, both in the media narrative and in terms of public awareness?
Incredibly, we have been conditioned by the media, health officials and doctors to just accept autism. We don’t question why a child has autism. I know so many people locally with kids on the spectrum who honestly believe children are born autistic.
We have April each year to celebrate autism. We’re all familiar with terms like “neurodiversity” and “inclusion” now.
The medical community and health officials totally ignore the fact that a third of children with autism REGRESS. They learn skills like making eye contact, talking, being potty trained and then inexplicably lose those skills. No one is interested in why that happens. It’s just another part of autism.
I wrote about this recently.
Spokane: Regression is just a part of the mystery of autism (substack.com)
5. Despite the skyrocketing rates, health authorities often attribute the rise to "better diagnosing" of a condition that has always existed. Why do you think officials are so reluctant to call autism an epidemic or public health crisis?
As long as they can keep up the pretense that there really isn’t more autism, nothing is wrong here, no one has to come up with an explanation. It’s always been like this. Thank goodness for the advanced doctors of the 21st century who finally recognized autism for what it is!
I think recognizing the true cause of autism, the tripling of the childhood vaccine schedule is the unthinkable for so many in power.
CDC Vaccine Schedules for Adults and Kids (michiganvaccinechoice.org)
We have never had an official INDEPENDENT vaccine safety study. Vaccines are tested individually, yet they are given in combinations.
AND there has never been a single study that could settle the safety issues and the link to autism immediately. No official has ever called for a simple comparison study of FULLY VACCINATED CHILDREN and NEVER VACCINATED CHILDREN looking at autism rates.
I’ve been to Washington several times and no legislator calls of this either, but when you understand that there are more pharma lobbyists registered there than members of Congress, it’s easy to understand why.
6. You express frustration about how autism is being normalized and accommodated rather than prevented, citing Dublin's bid to become an "autism-friendly city" as an example. Can you elaborate on why you see this trend as counterproductive?
All the efforts for cities and businesses to become “Certified Autism Centers” and places becoming officially “Autism Friendly” further institutionalizes autism as normal and acceptable.
Whenever I see officials all gathered for a group photo at the announcement of these things, I want to ask them, what are you smiling about? What are you going to do when the autism rate goes even higher? How are you going to pay for these disabled children for the rest of their lives?
No one at the CDC, over the past 20 plus years, has ever called autism a crisis.
Think about it. A condition that can severely disabled children, with no known prevention, cause or cure, and that keeps affecting more and more children, isn’t a crisis.
“Serious health care concern” is the strongest language anyone in authority at the CDC has ever used when speaking about autism.
It will be when we simply run out of money supporting these children, when the cost of autism bankrupts our country, that will be when we finally honestly address the cause of autism.
7. You've been a teacher for over 30 years and worked extensively with developmentally disabled children. How have you seen the increasing prevalence of autism affect the education system and your role as an educator?
These children are now a fact of life. We have autistic children at my school. Everyone seems to accept it. No one asks why we didn’t have this population when teachers were in school 25, 30 years ago. No one. We’ve had IDEA for almost 50 years, so districts would have been forced to educate them. Where were they?
8. There are differing views within the autism community itself, with some embracing the idea of neurodiversity and rejecting the notion that autism needs to be "cured." What are your thoughts on the neurodiversity movement and how does it relate to your view of autism as an epidemic?
The funny thing about those championing neurodiversity and inclusion, they’re not recognizing the severe side of autism.
Articles about the latest athlete or entertainer who has discovered they’re really on the spectrum, do a huge disservice to the one third of those on the spectrum that are severely affected.
Watching young adults with autism who are a danger to themselves and others, who are still wearing diapers, who have to wear helmets for safety, who need 24/7 care, who have seizure disorder and bowl disease, these people are not included when advocates “celebrate neurodiversity.”
9. The lifetime costs of caring for an individual with autism are enormous, potentially over $10 million per person. As rates continue to rise, what do you foresee as the long-term impacts on families, schools, and society as a whole?
If you look at the work of Dr. Toby Rogers, a political economist, he’s quite clear that the COST of autism will eventually bankrupt economies worldwide. We have an epidemic of disabled children who will become dependent disabled adults. They will each cost taxpayers millions for lifetime care. They will never pay into the system.
Check out Dr. Rogers on the cost of autism.
The True Cost of Autism with Dr. Toby Rogers
The True Cost of Autism with Dr. Toby Rogers - AGE OF AUTISM
10. You've monitored press coverage of autism closely for many years. Are there any journalists, media outlets, or public figures you think are doing a good job of honestly investigating and communicating the realities of the autism epidemic?
Sadly, there aren’t real journalists today. What I mean by that is that there is a lack of any investigative reporters.
Today, we have “repeaters.” They come to the predetermined conclusions their advertisers want. My favorite line, which I’ve read thousands of times, is, “Studies show no link” [between vaccines and autism].
That’s what they dutifully report. Of course no one bothers to ask who funded the study or what research out there disputes it. Case closed.
I have come to the conclusion that most in the mainstream media are lazy cowards. I say this because they have to be turning a blind eye to the never-ending increases in autistic children and to the truly disabled. Instead they give us “autism light,” typical-looking kids who talk and appear like their peers. It’s easy to believe autism has always been around like this.
There are none like Sharyl Attkisson today. She bravely covered the reality of the autism epidemic and the evidence that linked it to the always increasing vaccine schedule.
11. In one of your articles, you quote an autism mom who says regarding the future tsunami of autistic adults: "Frankly, we don't know what we're going to do." That's a chilling statement. What are your greatest fears about the future if autism rates continue unabated?
I often imagine how parents feel about the future if they have one or more autistic children and no other children. I know so many in this position. I’ve heard so many times, “I can never die.”
We don’t have well established adult care when it comes to autism. I’ve known so many parents without any help or services once their children age out of school.
Why is this? IF, as we’re endlessly told, autism has always been here, disguised as something else, where are the adults in such large numbers?
Why can’t autistic young adults go where autistic adults have always gone?
Nothing will expose the truth about the autism epidemic more dramatically than the impact these children will have on society as totally dependent autistic adults.
12. You've engaged with many elected officials over the years in your advocacy. Why do you think Washington has been so slow to treat autism as a national emergency requiring urgent action and major research initiatives?
Part of the response of officials is fear. WHAT IF? What if our mandated vaccination schedule has damaged millions of American children for life? No one wants to consider that.
Who wants to go up against the forces of pharma? It’s a sure way to end a political career.
The second reason is compromise. Pharma dollars speak very loudly in Washington, and who would want to upset a benefactor with inquiry into the link between vaccines and autism.
In truth, after visits to Washington with hundreds of parents, all telling the same story about their children, legislators know. They all know. The consequences are too scary to consider. It’s much nicer to hold on to the lies.
The rates will eventually be too absurd to lie about. When it’s one in 15, one in 10, it will be too hard to sell the “no real increase” claim to the general public. I’m looking forward to that.
13. You've been sounding the alarm on the autism epidemic for nearly two decades. On a personal level, what keeps you motivated to continue this fight, even as autism rates continue to rise with no clear answers in sight? What message of hope can you offer to those feeling discouraged by the current trajectory?
I can’t stop. I want the world to wake up before it’s too late.
Sometimes I think that I was blessed despite the struggle, because I know what’s really going on. I currently have THREE unvaccinated grandchildren. (And I’ll have a FOURTH in July.) My daughters know the truth.
And because I don’t have the life so many of my friends do caring for severely disabled children, I consider it an obligation to tell others the truth about autism.
14. For parents who suspect their child may be showing signs of autism, what resources or advice would you offer them as a starting point?
I would not go to a regular pediatrician or other mainstream doctor. I would find someone in natural medicine who knows about repairing damaged children. So many of these children have GI issues and often diet and supplements can improve behavior and other issues. I recommend eating organic food. Our food supply is loaded with toxic chemicals.
15. What are you currently working on and what are your key goals going forward as an autism advocate and writer? How can people stay informed about your work and the latest developments in the autism epidemic?
I write for Age of Autism, the daily online source for autism news. I have a website called, Loss of Brain Trust, where I compile, without commentary, the latest stories from around the world on the decline of children’s health and development. I have over 9,000 stories there going back to January, 2017.
AGE OF AUTISM
HOME | annedachel (lossofbraintrust.com)
Finally, I have a substack, where I do commentary on what’s happening in the news.
Anne’s Substack | Anne Dachel | Substack
I intend to continue to report on the news and hopefully educate parents so they can understand what’s really happening to children.
Thank You for Being Part of Our Community
Your presence here is greatly valued. If you've found the content interesting and useful, please consider supporting it through a paid subscription. While all our resources are freely available, your subscription plays a vital role. It helps in covering some of the operational costs and supports the continuation of this independent research and journalism work. Please make full use of our Free Libraries.
Discover Our Free Libraries:
Unbekoming Interview Library: Dive into a world of thought-provoking interviews across a spectrum of fascinating topics.
Unbekoming Book Summary Library: Explore concise summaries of groundbreaking books, distilled for efficient understanding.
Hear From Our Subscribers: Check out the [Subscriber Testimonials] to see the impact of this Substack on our readers.
Share Your Story or Nominate Someone to Interview:
I'm always in search of compelling narratives and insightful individuals to feature. Whether it's personal experiences with the vaccination or other medical interventions, or if you know someone whose story and expertise could enlighten our community, I'd love to hear from you. If you have a story to share, insights to offer, or wish to suggest an interviewee who can add significant value to our discussions, please don't hesitate to get in touch at unbekoming@outlook.com. Your contributions and suggestions are invaluable in enriching our understanding and conversation.
Resources for the Community:
For those affected by COVID vaccine injury, consider the FLCCC Post-Vaccine Treatment as a resource.
Discover 'Baseline Human Health': Watch and share this insightful 21-minute video to understand and appreciate the foundations of health without vaccination.
Books as Tools: Consider recommending 'Official Stories' by Liam Scheff to someone seeking understanding. Start with a “safe” chapter such as Electricity and Shakespeare and they might find their way to vaccination.
Your support, whether through subscriptions, sharing stories, or spreading knowledge, is what keeps this community thriving. Thank you for being an integral part of this journey.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA):
IDEA is a federal law in the United States that ensures services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. It governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to more than 7.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
Key aspects of IDEA:
1. Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE): All children with disabilities are entitled to FAPE tailored to their individual needs.
2. Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): Children with disabilities should be educated with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate.
3. Individualized Education Program (IEP): Each child with a disability must have an IEP that is a written plan outlining the special education and related services specifically designed to meet their unique needs.
4. Procedural Safeguards: Protections for children and their families, ensuring their rights are maintained.
5. Parent and Student Participation: Parents and students must be involved in the decision-making process regarding the child's education.
Denying the Autism epidemic was the original gaslighting! All we need is a control group with which to compare. Oh wait, Amish! https://themillenniumreport.com/2015/03/dr-andrew-moulden-every-vaccine-produces-harm/
Fantastic interview Unbekoming! You and Anne hit the nail on the head. Check out the quote just below the title of a blogpost I wrote over a decade ago (the format is a bit wonky because of its age and a change in platforms). https://doctorschierling.com/blog/autism-is-in-the-news-yet-again The more things change, the more they stay the same. I will say that one good thing that came out of covid is that it woke a heckuva lot of people up!