<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

First I would like to thank everyone who took the time and effort to respond
to my post.  There was an outpouring of replies which were very helpful,
sensitive and thoughtful.

Having said that, this is a very emotional and personal subject.  My summary
will just touch on some of the highlights of your replies.  Again, please do
not bombard me with angry comments if you do not agree with some part of the
summary; it is an extremely controversial topic with firmly-held positions
on both sides.  The following is a summary of the feedback from about
l00-plus listmembers:

*  Many people think that there is a tendency toward a genetic link between
CD and autism which is brought on by an "insult" like vaccine injections,
viral/bacterial infections, or shock.  These same respondents think that a
child who has never ingested gluten (or casein) would not become autistic

* Many people wrote to say that they thought keeping a child both gf and
dairy-free for at least the first three years of life would keep both CD and
autism from having a trigger

* Lots of people see no problem with vaccines and think that the dangers of
the infectious (and horrible) diseases weigh more importantly on the health
of a child than the dangers of giving the vaccines

* A large number of parents with autistic kids wrote in to say that they
believe that there is definitely a link between food allergies and the
behavior of these children;  other people wrote to say that there is no
proven link between diet and autistic behavior

* About 5 scientists from the US and Europe who answered the post state that
there has been no conclusive scientific research (that they know of) which
links vaccines to autism or CD; these respondents feel that autism is
genetic and not linked to either CD or vaccines

* A large number of respondents (about 35) wrote that there have been known
problems linking the thimerosal (mercury) in certain vaccines (the MMR
particularly) to problems with reactions in children following vaccinations.
It appears that the CDC in the US has mandated that all vaccines be
mercury-free beginning in 200l.  Still check with the doctor before allowing
a child to have the vaccine to be sure it is free of mercury.

* An overwhelming number of parents who answered have decided to space the
shots out and do not allow more than one vaccine to be given at a time;
also many parents demand that their children not be given "cocktail"
vaccines like the MMR or the DPT and require that they be separated and
given one at a time over a period of time

* Some parents have decided to wait until the child is older, some say one
year, others said 2-3 years old, before beginning vaccinations.  They have
been able to find pediatricians to work with them, although this is not an
easy thing to do.

* Several people said that the Hep B shots do not need to be given at birth
in the hospital since hepatitis is transmitted by dirty needles and sexual
contact; they feel that their children can be vaccinated for this later when
they go to school or when they are older and have more of an immune system
and better brain development

* A few parents have decided to waive all vaccinations, although this
creates all kinds of problems with schools, camps and risks of getting the
diseases themselves.  They find that they have to brave criticism from all
directions, but they believe that the vaccines are more harmful than the
risk of disease.

* At least 5 people suggested this book:  "Unraveling the Mystery of Autism
and Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Mother's Story of Research and
Recovery" by Karyn Seroussi and Bernard Rimland, Ph.D

* To find a doctor: www.celiac.com

* A good resource on health and vaccines etc. Http:
www.mercola.com/article/vaccines

www. autistics.cc   this is a personal website from one of our listmates

Several people wrote to say that a recent article in Newsweek Magazine on
genetic components of autism was an excellent resource

More facts on the whole subject are on these websites:
 re autism in general: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/autism.html

re autism and immunization:
http//www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/autism2.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns.autism/default.htm

re autism and celiac:  http://
www.ncbi.nlm.nihgov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?comd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9
l93744&dopt=Abstract

There are a few other websites and books  for this subject.  I will send
them to anyone who emails me personally.

Thank you so much again to everyone who sent so much kind and useful
information.  I think that our daughter and son in law now have a direction
at least to sort through this confusing and scary maze............best
wishes, Leslie in Atlanta

*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*