By Anita Manning

The increase in autism are fueling a grass-roots movement of parents determined to expose what they believe is a connection between autism and vaccines. Autism, a developmental disability that usually appears before a child's third birthday, profoundly affects communication and social skills, impairing the child's ability to play, speak and relate to the world. The U.S. Department of Education reports a 173% increase in autistic children served under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act between the 1992-93 school year, when 15,580 children were counted, and 1997-98, when the figure was 42,500.

New study disputes vaccine, autism link

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