This is an exercise in healthy skepticism. An example of a claim that can cause a lot of stress for parents with young children is "vaccines cause autism". How would you go about determining the credibility of this claim?

Follow these steps in completing this exercise:

1. Make a plan for investigating this claim.

2. Carry out your method to arrive at your own conclusion- is the claim true or not?

3. Write a complete argumentative essay that fully supports your main conclusion,

By following these directions:

You are invited to a meeting of parents concerned about what they have heard about the connection between vaccines and autism. There will be a panel of 5 speakers. Each of you will have exactly 2 minutes to present your report to this group of parents.

Therefore your submission can be no more than the equivalent of 1 single spaced page or two double spaced pages.

This constraint makes your research of primary importance. Below are the questions that must be answered in your short speech. These answers are important to the parents that you are addressing. Therefore, your answers need to be based on research that uses the guidelines in the main textbook.

Is there an actual scientific basis for the fear that vaccines cause autism?

If yes, then what should be the response from parents with young children?

If not, then what should be the response from parents with young children?

How did the association between vaccines and autism arise in the first place?

What is the latest and most comprehensive results of scientific research on this issue?

End with your recommendations concerning vaccines for parents with young children.