Lead Poisoning and Autism...

I arrived on the job site today to perform a lead based paint risk assessment for a client. The owner opened the door to her home as I came up the front stairs. The owner, a mother of two, stood there nervously as I got my equipment ready and went into my talk about what I was going to do while there. She told me that the whole house was full of lead. She stood there on edge as she told me her child had been lead poisoned as a toddler and was autistic because of the lead poisoning. 

I hadn’t run into this particular scenario before. The owner went through the house with me as I tested, and I told her what I found to be positive for lead as I tested. I think that my being there stirred up a lot of terrible memories of when she first found out her child was lead poisoned. I consistently found lead on some building components. This did not ease the owner‘s nerves, but she also wanted to know.

As I tested throughout the house, I kept thinking about the connection between lead poisoning and autism. I thought it was a viable possibility but hadn’t come across it before. Lead affects the nervous system. In children lead is particularly dangerous since their brain and nervous systems are still developing. It can permanently affect cognitive, communication and social functions.

So I finished my risk assessment. I tried to ease the owner’s mind by telling her that there is a reason for concern but not to be a nervous wreck and worry. I also told her that usually 90% of the battle with lead paint, in particular lead dust and lead paint chips, is to keep a clean house, which she did. Also, she had sealed and plasticized over most of the windows in the house which would greatly reduce the development of paint chips and dust (from opening and closing windows,) and the spread of such from breezes blowing into the house.

When I got home from work, I continued to think about the case. I did some research and started looking up articles about lead poisoning and autism. Lead poisoning can be a cause of autism or autistic symptoms. Lead poisoning can impair the development of both nonverbal and verbal communication. Lead can also exacerbate preexisting symptoms of autism. Lead exposure is particularly dangerous for children ages 3 and under, when autism is most likely to occur.

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for lead poisoning or autism. The health effects are far reaching, lasting a life time. At this point in time more research is necessary to better understand autism and the effects of neurotoxins, such as lead.

References
1. “Autism and Autistic Symptoms Associated with Childhood Lead Poisoning,” by Theodore Lidsky, PhD, Jay Schneider, PhD, www.jarcet.com/articles/vol15Iss1.lidsky.pdf
2. “Autism and Our Passion for Simple Causes and Quick Fixes,” by Dan Agin, The Huffington Post, June 18, 2007, www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-agin/autism-and-our passion fo-b-52651.html
3. “Facing Autism in New Brunswick,” October 13, 2007, www.autismb.blogspot.com/2007/10/autism-and-lead-poisoning.html