| by Scott Campbell |
| Jul 01, 2008 |
| 1. The Northern Chapter of the Autism Society of America sponsors WALL:E - Free Disney Pixar movie for Special Needs Families on Saturday, JUNE 28th from 8:30 to 11am (check in starts at 8:30am, guest speaker starts at 8:55am). This event is open to ALL families with individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature of disability. Photo opportunities with ms wheelchair America following the movie at the AMC Tyson's Corner theaters, Routes 7 and 123, McLean, VA 22102. Just as we did for the CARS and SHREK III events, this is a private showing on opening weekend. House lights will be partially up, sound will be down at 50% of typical movie levels. For more info on the movie, go to http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/wall-e. Special Guest Speaker, Juliette Rizzo, Ms. Wheelchair America 2005, is currently the Director of Communication & Media for the U.S. Dept. of Education's Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services. There will also be a short ASA-NV annual meeting as part of this event. Seating is limited. Please RSVP by June 24, 2008 to 703-881-9173 ext. 8 or bahar.mcgrath@raymondjames.com.
2. Mrs. Angela Redden has spoken with the manager at Regal Cinema in North Stafford and she’s agreed to a private screening of Disney’s new movie Wall E this Saturday! This screening is for special needs children and there families. They are going to turn the sound down and leave the house lights up some to make it more accommodating for the kid. No one will look twice if your child can’t stay their seat or if they shriek in delight! The manager is even going to pop some popcorn without anything added for our little ones on the diet. I’m telling you she’s been awesome. So, come enjoy the movie and make sure to let her know how much we appreciate her efforts by thanking her and buying from the concession stand. It is on Saturday, June 28, 2008 starting at 9AM SHARP at the Regal Aquia 10, 2850 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Stafford VA 22554. 3. Practical Solutions for Challenging Behaviors Workshop on Saturday, June 28, 2008 from 10 am to 12 pm at Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, 3300 Whitehaven St. NW Suite 3300, Washington, DC 20007 by Jane Barbin, PhD, BCBA. Children with autism and other developmental disabilities can demonstrate challenging behaviors that parents find difficult to understand or change. In Practical Solutions for Challenging Behaviors, Dr. Barbin will provide parents with an understanding of the reasons these behaviors occur and potential intervention strategies that can be incorporated into daily routines and activities. She will discuss strategies to increase positive behaviors, derived from the field of applied behavior analysis, and provide some practical applications of providing reinforcement. Our Speaker: Dr. Jane Barbin is a leading professional in autism and behavior disorders. Dr. Barbin is a Licensed Psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst who founded Behavioral Directions, LLC. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and trained in Behavioral Psychology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Kennedy Krieger Institute. As the founding director of the nationally-recognized Ivymount School Autism Program, she has practiced since 1992. Dr. Barbin is on the Board of Directors for the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT) and an Advisory Council Member of Parents of Autistic Children – Northern Virginia Chapter (POAC-NoVA). She is past president of the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis (MABA) and served on the Virginia Statewide Autism Planning Council. She has been invited speaker at numerous local and international conferences and parent groups. Dr. Barbin has provided supervision for individuals seeking to become licensed psychologists and board certified behavior analysts. Her professional interests include factors related to successful consultation, creating independence for learners with autism, and severe behavior disorders. For more inf o and registration form, contact Toby Long at longt@georgetown.edu. 4. This Saturday, 28 June at 4 p.m. Dr. Diana Baird N'Diaye -- a Smithsonian folklife curator and the mother of one of our members -- will give a special tour of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival for members of the Asperger Adults of Greater Washington (AAGW) and their family members and friends. The tour will last about 45 minutes. We'll meet near the Mall entrance (above ground) of the Smithsonian Metro Station, which is on the Orange and Blue Metro lines. Look for two people: Mark is stocky, has a Mediterranean complexion and a dark beard, and is of average height. He'll wear a blue Oxford shirt and light khaki pants. Dr. N'Diaye is African American. At 6 p.m. that evening, we'll hold our monthly Asperger meeting at Teaism Penn Square -- our usual meeting location -- which is near the National Mall. (Teaism Penn Square is at the corner of 8th & D Streets.) We'll meet at Teaism's lower level, on the *larger carpeted area*. (We *won't* meet on the smaller, elevated area, which is where we used to meet.) Our 6 p.m. Asperger meeting will be limited to members, except that members attending for the first time may bring a family member or friend. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival will be held on the National Mall on June 25-29 and July 2-6. The Festival will be open 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on each day. Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall info at http://www.folklife.si.edu/festival/2008. 5. On Saturday evening, June 28 at 6 p.m., the Asperger Adults of Greater Washington will meet at Teaism Penn Square (lower level). Teaism is located at the corner of 8th & D Streets NW in downtown Washington. The nearest Metro stop is Archives/Navy Memorial, which is on the Green and Yellow Metrorail lines. Members must be at least 18, live in the region, and have -- or think they might have -- Asperger's, high functioning autism, non-verbal learning disorder, PDD-NOS, or a similar condition. Meetings are limited to members, except that new members may bring a friend or family member to their first meeting. We also have an e-mail discussion list, which is limited to members. For more information about location and directions, please visit http://aagw.net/calendar.asp. If you have any other questions, please send them to info@aagw.net, visit www.aagw.net, or call 703-516-9265. 6. NEW! Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia workshop for new parents to disabilities. It can be overwhelming when your child is diagnosed with a disability. It might feel like you are in a whole new world and you weren't given an instruction manual. In collaboration with other organizations from the Virginia Ability Alliance (VAA), we are hosting an open house on July 2nd at 7:30pm at The Arc of Northern Virginia. Important information on schools and county services along with some introductory resource information on the different disabilities will be provided with numbers to call and a path to take to start on your way to providing your child and family all the services they might need. It is at The Arc of Northern Virginia, 98 North Washington St, Falls Church, VA 22046 on July 2, 2008 from 7:30pm to 9:00pm. For more info, please contact Heather Trammell at hatsat@verizon.net. 7. ASA-NV and POAC-NoVA Present our 4th Annual Awards Picnic BBQ on July 12th 2008 from 12PM to 5PM at the Knights of Columbus Edward Douglas White (EDW) Hall at 5115 Little Falls Rd, Arlington VA 22207. This facility has a good parking, a hall and a pool. Their website is at http://www.kofcedw2473.org. Bring yourself, your family, your favorite teachers, IAs, principals, bus drivers and therapists. Tons of fun for the whole family! This event is open to anyone in the autism community. Rain Plan: We will have the main hall so the event will be RAIN OR SHINE! Cost: NO CHARGE! Free! Nothing! Zip! Can I bring anything? This is a potluck event. We will provide Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad, Watermelon, Chips and Water/Lemonade/Punch. We are asking guests to bring a side dish, salad or desert. Please see the chart below for what to bring by the first letter of your last name: A-K Salad, L-R Side Dish, and S-Z Dessert. Guests with GF/CF dietary requirements, please bring a GF/CF dish. We will have a GF/CF table! Come and have fun. Bring your sunscreen and bathing suits! We will have Swimming, Moon Bounces & Cotton Candy! RSVP: Please email bbq@asa-nv.org or bbq@poac-nova.org with a short note to let us know the number of adults and children attending. 8. Commonwealth Autism Service workshop on "You’re Going To Love This Kid": Educating Students with Autism In Inclusive Schools - Paula Kluth, Ph.D. - Workshop Description: Participants will learn practical ways of supporting students with autism spectrum labels & other disabilities within a general education classroom. Topics addressed include defining autism, listening to the voices of those with autism, differentiating instruction in the diverse classroom, encouraging literacy development, making the classroom comfortable for all learners, and supporting behaviors and bodies of students with a range of needs. This interactive presentation will focus on the importance of pushing beyond participation and inclusion to asking schools to understand every student as complex, as capable, and as a learner. Call Commonwealth Autism Service at 1-800-649-8481 for more information or to register. It is on July 22, 2008 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the Sheraton Park South 9901 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA. Registration: $50 - Continental Breakfast and Lunch Provided. More info at http://www.autismva.org/documents/PaulaKluthBrochure1.pdf. 9. Virginia Self-Directed (SD) services are an alternative to, not a replacement for, traditional day support and employment services. The individual/family is ultimately responsible for determining services needed (with input from the individual’s Community Services Board case manager and Interdisciplinary Team), identifying a service schedule, and selecting individual service providers. SD services increase and expand individualized service options and plans, bring greater control and supervision of services to the individual/family, allow greater flexibility in scheduling and receiving services, and can be provided in the community closer to the individual’s home. SD services hold significant potential to further individualize service plans so that services are, better suited to meet a particular individual/family’s determination of needs and circumstances, build upon an individual’s and community’s natural supports, and reorient service use and expenditures toward services individuals and their families generally prioritize as most needed. SD services are non-specialized services that are typically, but not exclusively, provided during the day on week days. SD services can include, but not be limited to, training in functional self-help and daily living skills, task learning skills which improve motor and perceptual skills, community integration, awareness, and safety skills, work and work environment skills, and social and interpersonal skills. SD services may also facilitate the individual’s participation in community based recreational activities, work or volunteer activities. SD services are available to individuals with intellectual disabilities who meet CSB service eligibility requirements, currently receive or who will be authorized to receive day support or employment services funding and currently receive “local” funding from Fairfax County. More info is at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/csb/mrs/#sd. 10. "New Study on Thimerosal and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: II. What Happened to Control for Confounding? "Before diving in and talking immediately about the Young, Geier, & Geier study, “Thimerosal exposure in infants and neurodevelopmental disorders: an assessment of computerized medical records in the Vaccine Safety Datalink ated to the disease outcome Y or the diagnosis of disease outcome Y. Put another way, Z is a risk factor for the disease or for diagnosis of the disease. (2) Z is associated with the exposure.** If you put #1 and #2 above together, confounding can be thought of as a “mixing of effects.” You’ve hypothesized a causal association between X and Y, but some other risk factor Z may be responsible part (or all) of the association under investigation. So a potential confounder must have the potential to provide an alternative explanation for the observed association. (There’s a nice little lesson plan for teaching “Confounding in Epidemiology” to high school students at the College Board website 11. "Progress in the Hunt for Autism Genes" dated 2 June 2008 from the Adaptive Complexity blog at http://www.scientificblogging.com/adaptive_complexity/progress_in_the_hunt_for_autism_genes. "Much of the coverage of autism in the media focuses on the arguments of advocates, scientists, and government officials over the relationship between vaccines and autism. But out of the spotlight, a bigger story is brewing: the hunt for autism genes, a technically difficult hunt which is pressing forward using all of the tools modern genetics has to offer. If you are like me, news stories about autism have left you with only a vague impression of the current scientific state of understanding, the impression that researchers strongly deny any link between autism and vaccines, but have little else to say about what the real cause of autism might be. If that is your impression, you'll perhaps be surprised to learn that roughly 20% of autism cases in the US are linked to known genetic changes, a minor fraction of autism cases to be sure, but much higher than I would have guessed. That autism has a genetic basis is a well-established finding, and while this by no means rules out environmental factors, genetics is at the core of the recent progress scientists have made in understanding autism. The genetics of autism, however, is not simple - no surprise, since autism involves our most complex organ, the brain, in one of its most complex functions, social interaction. Untangling the genetic and environmental factors that underlie autism will be tough, but in the process we will learn more about how many different genes work together in a child to control the developing brain. Thirty years ago, autism was a complete mystery, with vaguely defined criteria for diagnosis, but in the early 1980's, scientists picked up some big clues. Most importantly, autism researchers established that autism has a strong genetic basis. Without knowing the genes involved, how do you know autism has a genetic basis? There are several telltale indicators that scientists check. For example, siblings of autistic children have a higher risk of themselves being autistic - suggesting that a shared genetic background is responsible. Keep in mind that in general, the risk of autism is relatively low, so that even in families with an increased risk, no more than one child will usually have the disorder. But as you look at thousands of families, the genetic pattern emerges, even if you don't know which genes are involved. The genetic roots of autism also show up in twin studies - identical twins are more likely to both be autistic than fraternal twins. So it has been clear for over 20 years that autism has a strong genetic basis, but finding the actual genes involved is much more difficult. …" 12. "Knowing Looks: Using Gaze Aversion To Tell When Children Are Learning" dated 5 June 2008 in a press release from the University of Stirling at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602103336.htm. "People use eye contact in a variety of ways every minute of every day but how often do you find yourself staring into space with concentrating on an issue or problem? Psychologists now know that people who are carrying out a complex task tend to look away from anyone else who is nearby. They refer to it as 'gaze aversion'. Now they are finding out how to use changes in a child's gaze aversion to understand their educational progress. A group led by Dr Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon at the University of Stirling, and funded by Economic and Social Research Council, has looked at gaze aversion in both children and adults. They found that children aged 4-6 are more likely to avert their gaze when they are carrying out a task that they find difficult, or new to them. They also avert their gaze less if they are being tested by someone they know. When observing 5-8 year-olds, the researchers found that gaze aversion is related to the complexity of the task being undertaken, rather than to other stimuli. The results were consistent for a variety of settings and for a range of tasks, such as balancing a beam with asymmetrical loads. Dr Doherty-Sneddon said: "These results are important because they show that children avert their gaze when they are trying to carry out a task which is difficult or with which they are not yet familiar. In our most recent work we have investigated whether gaze aversion is associated with transitional knowledge states. That means that gaze aversion is a useful thing for teachers, carers and parents to know about." She says that, from the point of view of the teacher, gaze aversion is a positive sign. A child who is doing it is likely to be developing their understanding and is what Dr Doherty-Sneddon terms an "improver". By contrast, children who are not improving their performance, or who are regressing, use gaze aversion less often. Keeping an eye on gaze aversion is especially valuable for teachers and social workers who are trying to understand the mental state of people with: Autistic spe ctrum disorders (ASD); Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); or Williams Syndrome, the genetic condition popularly called Cocktail Party Syndrome. "People with Williams Syndrome have been characterised as being hypersociable and using excessive amounts of eye contact, which is an interesting contrast to people with autism. Our gaze aversion work promises to provide new and important insights into the mental and social functioning of such groups" says Dr Doherty-Sneddon. …" 13. "'Mac' proves his mettle" dated 5 June 2008 by BRIAN WALLACE from Lancaster Online at http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/222586. "Nothing was going to stop McKinley "Mac" Murry from walking across that stage Wednesday night. Not Down syndrome. Not Crohn's disease. Nor Grave's disease. Not his arthritis, nor even the bunions that made every step up to the Calvary Church stage a painful challenge. No, the Manheim Township High School senior was determined to become the third generation of the Murry family to earn a Manheim Township diploma. When he clasped the sheepskin to his chest and embraced his father in a bearhug, Mac accomplished something even more significant: He became the first student with Down syndrome ever to graduate from the school. And he did it the hard way, earning honors for maintaining an academic average of 93 percent or better. "It's just a mother's dream," Mac's mother, Sue Murry, said after the often-boisterous ceremony, where 410 seniors received diplomas. "Christmas, birthdays, weddings and anything good — this just tops it. It's just the best. There are no words to describe it." Mac's father, school board member William Murry, had the honor of handing his son his diploma as fellow graduates Ashley Rosenkrans and Lauren Nonnenmocher helped Mac onto the stage. The two students have been at Mac's side since all three were first-graders, Mrs. Murry said. Support like that from students, along with caring teachers and administrators willing to meet Mac's needs, helped him achieve his goal of graduating, she said. "That school district was just phenomenal. They saw beyond the Down's and his speech problems and other problems. He was never 'the Down syndrome kid.' He was always Mac." Graduating felt "fabulous," Mac said after the ceremony, which included presentations by five graduating seniors and a tribute to outgoing superintendent Kevin Singer. Whitney Weinstein, Emily Webber, Amy Hess, Matthew Shea and Drigan Lee urged their fellow graduates to avoid stereotypes and impersonal, high-tech exchanges and find their true identities. Singer, who will leave the district July 1 to take the superintendent's p ost in Topeka, Kan., recalled how his first year with the district in 2004 was the graduates' freshman year. "What a ride we've had," he told the seniors. "In the midst of having your school literally torn down and rebuilt around you, you excelled to the highest levels of competition in the storied history of this great school. "What's going to slow you down now? … My guess is whatever the task at hand, you'll have one reply: 'Bring it on.' " School board president Hannah Bartges praised Singer for his role in the $83 million high school renovation and construction project. Singer sketched out ideas — often on napkins — for the new gymnasium, classroom wing and cafeteria atrium and came to know the location of every door and window in the project, she said. "The things that really excite us in the high school began with his vision," Bartges said. "Our beautiful, functional high school is (Singer's) legacy." As its gift to the school, the Class of 2008 plans to create a time capsule to be embedded in the new facility for future students to discover. It also donated money for the painting of murals in the new cafeteria. Singer thanked the graduates and school board members for "four of the best years we could have ever imagined," prompting a standing ovation. Mac Murry received no such public applause, but many people congratulated him in the foyer of Calvary Church after the ceremony. "It couldn't get any better than this," Mrs. Murry said. "It was wonderful when he was born, and it just keeps getting better." 14. "Siblings of autistic children get chance to express concerns" dated 7 June 2008 by Don Aucoin from the Boston Globe at http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2008/06/07/siblings_of_autistic_children_get_chance_to_express_concerns. "A snowball fight erupting inside a conference room: Not the sort of thing you see every day. It was all Sue Loring's fault. A few minutes earlier, Loring, the director of the Autism Resource Center in this central Massachusetts town, had distributed pieces of white paper and instructed a dozen youngsters to write down "a worry you have about when you grow up." Then she told them to crumple the paper into "snowballs." And then she urged them to cut loose, extending a license for mayhem to a roomful of kids who ranged in age from 9 to 15. They didn't need to be asked twice. Once the flurry had subsided, Loring asked the youngsters to pick up one snowball apiece at random from the floor or table and read it aloud. In their piping voices could be heard this truth: To be the brother or sister of an autistic child is to live in a bewildering present and face an uncertain future, to battle an undertow of anxieties that most youngsters don't have to think about, and to balance an array of conflicting - and often confusing - feelings. "I worry about where my brother will live when he grows up." "When Joey gets older, he is going to need some help." "He will punch me like he does now, and he will be bigger, and it will hurt." "I'm worried if he will have a good job and can drive." "Robby will get teased at what he does because he's autistic." "I worry that he won't be happy." It was to help siblings cope with these kinds of concerns that the Autism Resource Center launched the monthly sessions known as "Sibshops." Blending information and education with recreational activities, the Sibshops are designed to make the siblings of autistic children feel less alone and less burdened by responsibilities no one their age should feel compelled to shoulder. Autism is a developmental disorder that affects communication and social interaction skills, and is often characterized by intensely repetitive behavior. It ranges from high-functioning Asperger's syndrome to severe learning disabilities and mental retardation. Howe ver it manifests itself, for siblings it often adds a layer of pressure to be the "superkid." For these brothers and sisters, the Sibshops are a sounding board that allows them to vent their complicated feelings. "It really does help me," said Todd Hamelin, a 15-year-old high school freshman from Fitchburg. "I can be myself. They all know what I'm going through." Hamelin often nodded or exclaimed in agreement as the youngsters took turns reading the contents of each scribbled message on a recent Saturday. Both of his brothers are autistic, but on that morning he seemed most concerned about his younger brother, who has Asperger's. …" 15. "Harriet Johnson, 50, Activist for Disabled, Is Dead" dated 7 June 2008 by DENNIS HEVESI "Harriet McBryde Johnson, a feisty champion of the rights of the disabled who came to prominence after she challenged a Princeton professor’s contention that severely disabled newborns could ethically be euthanized, died on Wednesday at her home in Charleston, S.C. She was 50. No cause has been determined, her sister, Beth Johnson, said, while pointing out that her sister had been born with a degenerative neuromuscular disease. “She never wanted to know exactly what the diagnosis was,” Beth Johnson said. The condition did not stop Harriet Johnson from earning a law degree, representing the disabled in court, lobbying legislators and writing books and articles that argued, as she did in The New York Times Magazine in February 2003, “The presence or absence of a disability doesn’t predict quality of life.” Using a battery-powered wheelchair in which she loved to “zoom around” the streets of Charleston, Ms. Johnson playfully referred to herself as “a bedpan crip” and “a jumble of bones in a floppy bag of skin.” Rolling into an auditorium at the College of Charleston on April 22, 2001, Ms. Johnson went to the microphone during a question-and-answer session to confront Peter Singer apply here, too.” Ms. Johnson had been sent to the lecture by Not Dead Yet, a national disability-rights organization. Describing the event in The Times, she wrote: “To Singer, it’s pretty simple: disability makes a person ‘worse off.’ Are we ‘worse off’? I don’t think so.” She added: “We take constraints that no one would choose and build rich and satisfying lives within them. We enjoy pleasures other people enjoy, and pleasures peculiarly our own.” An e-mail exchange followed that encounter in Charleston, leading to an invitation to debate Professor Singer at Princeton on March 25, 2002. Their two encounters were the subject of the 8,000-word Times article, which brought Ms. Johnson considerable attention in the disability rights movement and from the general public. …" 16. "Their turn at the plate- In a Billerica league, it's not just the special-needs kids who win" dated 8 June 2008 by Taryn Plumb from the Boston Globe at http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/08/their_turn_at_the_plate. "The batter, fair-skinned and with red socks hiked up his shins, shuffled up to home plate. Suddenly, he paused, shook his head, turned away. Adult arms gently guided him back, wrapped his wrists around a bat. Then came the windup from the pitcher, then the hit: a bunt. Again, the batter's coach prompted him forward, and the lanky 10-year-old ran, jerkily. A trio of freckled guides surrounded him on all sides; when he veered off the base line, they redirected him with a light pull at the arm. Finally, as he crossed first base at Billerica's Pollard Field, the crowd in the bleachers clapped and cheered. To most, it might seem like a simple act, a trifle of a challenge. But for David Murphy, who has Down syndrome and is nearly deaf, getting a base hit in games with the Billerica Little League Challenger Division is a triumph. "He doesn't have a normal button like a dishwasher - his button is on high everyday," his father, Brian Murphy, with a shiny bald head and a faded tamale tattoo on one muscled forearm, said with a chuckle as he watched from the sidelines last Sunday. "I wouldn't trade him for the world." It's a typical scene for a sun-dappled spring afternoon: youngsters assembled on a diamond, parents rooting from the sidelines. Only for the roughly 60 players with the Challenger Division, it's not so simple - the 6- to 16-year-olds are limited by various physical and mental disabilities, ranging from autism to cerebral palsy to Down syndrome. Some, like David, can't hear the roar of the crowd. Others aren't able to run the bases without getting distracted. Many more can't stand still in position for more than a few minutes. Still, organizers started the league last season with one belief: These kids can play baseball. They just haven't been given the chance. "The public doesn't know what they're capable of," said cofounder and coach Sandy Chapnick, a chiropractor from Billerica. "You don't know if you don't give them the opportunity." Not surprisingly, this isn't the kind of league where competit ive, goading parents erupt into fistfights. Stark competitiveness isn't encouraged: The overall goal, besides teaching the basics of baseball, is to get youngsters to be active and social. During at-bats, everyone gets a cheer from the bleachers, whether they run in slow zig-zags to first base or plop down in the dirt. Ultimately, there are no winners or losers - coaches don't keep score - no one is ever tagged out, and every hit (often from a tee with a coach's assistance) is a base hit. "A lot of them hit a home run every time, you know," coach Roy Schafer of Billerica said through a grin as he stood with his arms slung over a chest-high chain-link fence bordering the field. …" 17. "Scripture commands us to find a way to love- And that includes disabled kids" dated 8 June 2008 by Kathleen Bolduc from The Cincinatti Enquirer at http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080608/EDIT02/806080364/1090. "Reading The Enquirer during lunch, I almost choked on the headline "Mom cited for taking autistic son to church" (June 3). I lost my appetite while reading about the restraining order issued against 13-year-old Adam Case at the behest of the Church of St. Joseph in Bertha, Minn. Not only am I the mother of a son with autism, I write and speak on ways faith communities can welcome families that live with disability. As a parent I've experienced firsthand the frustration of trying to help my son fit in at church. It hasn't always been easy, but today Joel is an integral part of the worshipping community at College Hill Presbyterian Church. I've heard many stories of families being asked to leave a child at home because of disruptive behavior. Many of these families never return to church. Thankfully, I've also witnessed vibrant churches that creatively include children with disabilities, including those with severe autism. In the words of parents I've worked with, here are a few suggestions on ways churches can minister with families like Adam's: Ask what you can do to help. Train staff and volunteers in disability issues. Find one-on-one volunteers so that my child can be successful in Sunday school. Hold meetings at church so that the entire team working with my child is on the same page. Help me put together a brochure that describes my child's strengths/needs/disability. Act as if you're happy to see my child. Interact with my child, even though she doesn't talk. Develop a relationship with my child and with my family. Don't judge my child for his behavior when the behavior is part of his disability. Recognize and help develop my child's strengths. Pray for my child, and for my family. Educate the children in the church about different disabilities. Support my marriage by offering respite care so that my husband and I can spend time together. We are commanded by Scripture to reach out in love to Adam Case, as well as others with difficult behaviors. Jesus commands us to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Adam Case is made in God's image. If we love God and we love ourselves, we are to love Adam. Loving Adam means finding a way to include him." 18. "Hands On Learning For The Visually Impaired" dated 9 June 2008 in a press release from the MICOLE project at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080606130201.htm. * "European researchers have made it easy for software developers to build educational tools that let pupils collaborate to see, hear – and now also feel – what is on the computer screen. When you think of the solar system you probably picture a textbook diagram: nine planets, different sizes and colours, all circling the bright yellow sun. But how can a visually impaired child take in this information? How can they grasp how the solar system works? European researchers have developed a computer program that lets sighted and visually impaired pupils explore space together. Using a special device similar to a robotic arm, a visually impaired child can move around the solar system and hear about the planets. Sighted children can guide their visually impaired partners. As they move the mouse, the pressure and resistance in the robot arm gently nudges the visually impaired user in the right direction. Visionary research. The space explorer is just one of many applications developed by the EU-funded MICOLE project which is bringing multi-modal interfaces into the classroom. The software is one of the first releases of multi-modal educational computer programs. It allows sighted children and the visually impaired to collaborate, helping to remove some of the barriers that the latter group faces every day in mainstream education. Multi-modal computing is on the rise. Soon a third sense could be added to the sight and sound that computers currently use as their mode of output. Haptic devices, such as the robot arm, enable users to control computers as if they were using a mouse. Such devices also provide output – of movement, pressures or even raised bumps to deliver information to the user via the sense of touch. This output is exploited in another MICOLE application. Current software drawing software allows pupils to create pictures, but the lines are in relief. Using the haptic device, they can actually feel the picture. As they move a virtual stylus over the picture on the screen the pupils can sense t he raised lines through the device communicated to their fingertips. …" 19. "Including special-needs children in class: Is it worth it?- Alex Barton's story is tragic. But the blessings are real." dated 10 June 2008 by Barbara Curtis in The Christian Science Monitor at http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0610/p09s01-coop.htm. "Recently, a Florida teacher seeking relief from a challenging special-needs student named Alex Barton did the unthinkable: She stood him before his kindergarten peers and encouraged them to say what they didn't like about his behavior. Then she asked the students if they wanted him back in class after his reportedly disruptive actions earlier that day. By a vote of 14 to 2, they booted him. Alex's mom was understandably outraged; she plans to sue. The resulting media sound and fury has brought to light the quiet revolution in public schools across America: the placing of special-needs students into regular classrooms. Federal law holds that children with disabilities have a right to a "free and appropriate public education." But free for whom? Not for the taxpayers, who must foot the bill for the testing, evaluation, special therapy, and classroom support needed by the differently-abled students, who are increasingly popping up in classrooms. That has parents everywhere asking themselves an uncomfortable yet critical question: Does the practice of inclusion detract from my child's education? Is it really worth it? It all depends on your point of view. Mine has changed in the past 30 years, a result of having raised two generations of children – and seeing some unexpected benefits from having my son Jonny, who has Down syndrome, enrolled in regular school. My oldest went to school when "special ed" kids were housed in trailers behind the school. That was a step up from the days when they were institutionalized, but the segregation still emphasized their differences. But true to our country's melting pot idealism – in which the public schools are traditionally called on to do the stirring – special-needs students were soon included in the mix. It was a welcome change, but it created individual challenges that had to be confronted and hammered out between parents and educators on a case-by-case basis. I was drawn into this drama 11 years ago when Jonny entered Kindergarten. As a fiscal conservative, I actually struggled with the idea that our small, rural school district would bear the extra burden of a student who in the eyes of the world might never amount to much. But as enrollment time approached, I became convinced that he could make a unique contribution to his class. So Jonny became the first student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) at Liberty Elementary School in Petaluma, Calif. The school welcomed us with professionalism and grace. Looking back after 11 years (and since we went on to adopt three other children with Down syndrome, I've been through my share of IEPs – the good, the bad, and the downright ugly), I'm impressed and grateful that every person involved made what we were doing look easy. They did not add to my already significant burden as a parent. Never once did they make us feel as though they were doing us a favor. They treated Jonny with dignity. …" 20. "Obama & McCain Ed. Advisors at AEP" dated 10 June 2008 by Naomi Thiers from Educational Leadership magazine at http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2008/06/obama-mccain-ed.html. "Teachers are the intervention. Programs are not the intervention," Jeanne Century (of the University of Chicago's Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education) asserted when asked Obama's view on Reading First and good reading programs. Lisa Graham Keegan (of the Keegan Company) responded to the same question by stressing that rather than "waiting in the weeds" until one program is validated, teachers should follow key principles learned from Reading First—such as direct instruction and a base in phonics. Century, an education advisor from Obama's campaign, and Keegan, an advisor for McCain, each spoke with passion and at times precision about their candidates' positions on education at the Great American Education Forum held June 6 as part of the Association of Educational Publishers conference in Washington, D.C. Both fielded questions from players in the media and education publishing world. Sharp differences emerged when Joel Packer of NEA asked for each candidate's view on the balance between federal and state government in education policy. The important thing for McCain, Keegan said, is for states to take the lead in developing their own standards and accountability systems, possibly benchmarking against international standards. "The senator is not in favor of national standards," she asserted. Century said standards are important to Obama, but "the federal-state balance is about more than standards." The federal government should play a key role in "making sure all parents have the resources to bring their kid to school ready to learn." Obama's plan, she stressed, includes measures to ensure all children have health care, high-quality childcare, and academic help beyond the school day. To a question about merit pay ain, in contrast, believes teacher rewards should be tied to student performance, Keegan claimed. Questions on NCLB and assessment also highlighted differences. Keegan said McCain believes we should explore "growth models" for measurement. Century stressed the need to reach beyond "rigid targets. . . . We should be assessing students' 21st century skills. Can students bring knowledge to novel situations? Can they use evidence?" If schools are truly testing for 21st century skills 21. "Child Left Behind- How a special education crisis is pushing out the ones who need it most: the story of Adriana Long" dated 11 June 2008 by Chris Dovi from the Richmond Style Weekly at http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=17165. "In the short span of her tender 10 years, Adriana Long has managed to serve as poster child for more than her share of causes. Born with a terrifying host of congenital deformities, at just 11 days old Adriana died in her mother’s arms. Revived by doctors against the odds, she’d endured more surgeries than there were months of life behind her by the time she was 1. Born with spina bifida, Adriana also has brittle bones prone to fractures and breaks, her knee joints don’t bend fully, her arms can’t extend above her head or reach around or behind. Her rib cage doesn’t extend fully around her chest. In 2000, she was a Children’s Miracle Network poster child. At 4, she was a Make-a-Wish kid. In 2005, defying the doctors who said she’d never survive infancy, she was named student of the year at her elementary school in Chesterfield County. “She’s just a ham,” says Adriana’s mom, Anna Long, of the now bright-eyed, bubbly daughter who a decade ago she brought home from the hospital because she’d been told it would be best for her to die at home. This year, Adriana becomes poster child of a different sort. Virginia’s Board of Education is considering a major overhaul of its special education regulations that may fundamentally alter the rights of parents like Anna Long. If adopted, the new rules allow localities to, at the extreme, remove all special education services from a child without parental consent. They may also allow districts to severely curtail services they are willing to provide to children like Adriana. Adriana’s case illustrates what happens when the special needs of one student meet headlong the harsh reality of a school system on a fixed budget that simply can’t accommodate a growing population of students eligible for special education services. That growth is caused by more aggressive diagnosis of problems such as attention deficit disorder, which, unlike Adriana’s disabilities, don’t necessarily manifest physically, according to medical and some education expe rts. But whether or not a child’s problem is invisible, it still may require a helping hand to overcome. “The growth is undeniable, and it creates obviously some concerns for school boards and superintendents who have to meet the needs of all the children they are responsible for,” says John Kregel, chairman of the Department of Special Education and Disability Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education. “The dilemma is very real.” In 2006, the most recent year for which state statistics are available, Adriana was one of 172,704 children in the state classified by their school districts as physically, cognitively or emotionally disabled and thus eligible for a menu of special services — some cheap and some very expensive — guaranteed and entitled to them by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975 and other federal laws. Statewide, the number of kids who, like Adriana, have disabilities has grown more than 15 percent since 1997. As the number of students classified as eligible for special education services has risen over the last decade, school systems have had hard choices to make. Each of those children classified as eligible for special education represents a dollar figure, money from a city or county’s education budget that must be spent on that child alone. …" 22. "High School Students With A Delayed School Start Time Sleep Longer, Report Less Daytime Sleepiness" dated 11 June 2008 in a press release from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609071202.htm. "High school students with a delayed school start time are more likely to take advantage of the extra time in bed, and less likely to report daytime sleepiness, according to a research abstract that will be presented on June 9 at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS). The study, authored by Zaw W. Htwe, MD, of Norwalk Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center in Norwalk, Conn., focused on 259 high school students who completed the condensed School Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Prior to the delay, students reported sleeping a mean of 422 minutes (7.03 hours) per school night, with a mean bed-time of 10:52 p.m. and a mean wake-up time as 6:12 a.m. According to the results, after a 40-minute delay in the school start time from 7:35 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., students slept significantly longer on school nights. Total sleep time on school nights increased 33 minutes, which was due mainly to a later rise time. These changes were consistent across all age groups. Students' bedtime on school nights was marginally later, and weekend night sleep time decreased slightly. More students reported "no problem" with sleepiness after the schedule change. "Following a 40-minute delay in start time, the students utilized 83 percent of the extra time for sleep. This increase in sleep time came as a result of being able to 'sleep in' to 6:53 a.m., with little delay in their reported school night bedtime. This study demonstrates that students given the opportunity to sleep longer, will, rather than extend their wake activities on school nights," said Mary B. O'Malley, MD, PhD, corresponding author of the study. It is recommended that adolescents get nine hours of nightly sleep." 23. "'Rewired' brains help children read better" dated 12 June 2008 by Allison M. Heinrichs from the PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW at http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/pittsburgh/print_572313.html. "An intensive reading program conducted three years ago in 50 Allegheny County schools permanently "rewired" the brains of dyslexic children, Carnegie Mellon University researchers said Wednesday. In the scientific journal Neuropsychologia, neuroscientist Marcel Just reported that brain scans of 25 fifth-graders who participated in the reading program managed by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit improved to near-normal activity in brain areas responsible for reading. "I'm just thrilled," said Donna Durno, executive director of the intermediate unit, which serves all the public school districts in the county except Pittsburgh. "We're finding something that can help children to read better. ... Having the program so concretely defined as successful is really exciting." Nearly 1,500 students participated in the $9.6 million Power4Kids Reading Initiative during the 2004-05 school year. Several nonprofits, including the Heinz Foundation, paid for the program, which involved 100 hours of reading instruction. Just, the director of Carnegie Mellon's Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging, and his colleagues scanned the brains of a sample of those students. The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure changes in blood flow in the brain while the students read sentences and determined if they made sense. Scans were done before the 100 hours of instruction, immediately after and one year later. At the end of the program, the children who were poor readers had brain activity nearly the same as children with similar IQs who didn't have reading problems. Gains in brain activity persisted even a year after the program ended. "You can think about this as education changing people's brains," Just said. "You could assess whether you're effectively teaching a child by how their brain activity changes." Guinevere Eden, president-elect of the International Dyslexia Association and director of the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University Medical Center, said Just's study advances the work of dyslexia researchers by imaging the children's brain activity while asking them to comprehend entire sentences, rather than single words. "This is ... a valuable addition to a series of studies," said Eden, an associate professor of pediatrics. Just said his dream would be for schools that specialize in strengthening the skills of poor readers to have fMRI machines on site to monitor a child's progress. Patricia Hardman, director of the Dyslexia Research Institute in Tallahassee, said that would be expensive, but useful. "One of the key issues is if we can know initially, at the 4- or 5-year-old level, that a child is not learning and that the reason they're not learning has nothing to do with culture or IQ, but a difference in how their brain works," she said. "Then we could immediately give them the type of instruction that they need to overcome that." 24. "Sudbury boy is coming up for air" dated 14 June 2008 by Kathy Uek from the MetroWest Daily News at http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x875591989/Sudbury-boy-is-coming-up-for-air. "During most of his early childhood, Zack Barsamian sat quietly under a table lining up his toys; he didn't understand how to properly play with them. Often his hands covered his ears. The Sudbury native, alone in his world, didn't like noise and he didn't show typical child-like expressions of joy or happiness. When Zack was 3 years old, doctors diagnosed his condition as "mid-functioning" autism. He also suffered from liver dysfunction and had difficulty digesting food. Five years later and after his parents spent more than $400,000 out of pocket for Zack's treatment, the boy smiles, relates and enjoys other children in his second-grade class at Peter Noyes School in Sudbury. He plays on a Sudbury soccer team. He even has a best friend. "This is everything we ever wanted for our son," said his mother, Jennifer McInerney-Barsamian. "He is almost completely recovered. He no longer needs assistance in school and is not on an education plan." The $400,000 paid for conventional autism treatment including speech, occupational and behavioral therapists; neurologists, testing and unconventional treatment to remove heavy metals from Zack's body; expenses to travel to New York, North Carolina, Texas and Mexico to see specialists; and the cost to build an in-home clinic. Recently, the Barsamians, along with 8,500 other parents of children with autism, participated in the Green Our Vaccines Rally, in Washington, D.C., with celebrities Jenny McCarthy and comedian/actor Jim Carrey spearheading the cause. The participants hoped to raise awareness and push for elimination of toxins in vaccines, and to change children's vaccination schedules. Some people believe the mercury-based preservative thimerosal found in vaccines is the main cause of autism. The Institute of Medicine has concluded that there is no link between vaccines and autism after examining the results of 19 major studies. Jennifer found the rally validating. "I got the satisfaction of being there with all different parents - most of them are treating thei r children for a vaccine injury and seeing the improvements," she said. "It makes you realize, we're not crazy. Thousands of people and their kids are getting better." McCarthy's son, Evan, has seen improvements with treatment since his autism diagnosis, said Barsamian, who stresses "the cure" is not a quick fix. …" 25. "Montreal Neurological Institute receives $500,000 for the CIBC Fellowship in Brain Imaging" dated 16 June 2008 in a press release from the Montreal Neurological Institute at http://www.labcanada.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=85764&issue=06162008. "Banking institution CIBC is donating $500,000 to the Montreal Neurological Institute to create the CIBC Fellowship in Brain Imaging. The institute is a McGill University research and teaching institute, dedicated to the study of the nervous system and neurological diseases. The fellowship will support numerous research projects at the institute over the next five years, such as its pivotal role as the only Canadian institution in the Autism Centre of Excellence, a US-based multi-institutional study looking for early indicators of autism. In this four-year study, which began in July 2007, four medical centres in the US - University of North Carolina; Duke University; University of Washington, Seattle; and University of Pennsylvania - are scanning siblings of children diagnosed with autism and will send their raw data to the institute, one of only three centres in the world with the ability to process it. As the data-coordinating site for the project, the institute will receive all information and images about the test subjects and will be responsible for quality control and populating the database. Knowing that there is a 20% chance a sibling of a child with autism will exhibit autism, the project will map the siblings' brains to see what changes are associated with the risk and/or development of autism. "Training the next generation of scientists is one of our top priorities and is key to advancing science and shaping the future of patient care," said Dr David R Colman, Director of the MNI. "Private funding to attract top-notch trainees is essential and we salute CIBC for its outstanding support." 26. "Intel Corp. starts site to link 50M caregivers nationwide" dated 17June 2008 by Chris Rauber from the San Francisco Business Times at http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2008/06/16/daily16.html?jst=b_ln. "Intel Corp. said Tuesday it has launched the ConnectingForCare.com okesperson. "When my dad's kidney failed, my brothers and I became instant caregivers without any past experience or knowledge and we were forced to navigate a world totally new to us," Ziering said. "I've often wished that I could better connect with other people who share my experiences -- whether about a specific treatment option, maneuvering through the healthcare system or even for emotional support." 27. "Revamped Disabilities Rights Bill on Fast Track" dated 18 June 2008 by Joseph Shapiro from National Public Radio at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91625706. "Washington is expected to see a highly unusual outbreak of cooperation Wednesday, as two longtime opponents agree on a law that would extend civil rights protection to millions of Americans. Two groups that have been at odds — people with disabilities and American businesses — have put aside their differences to design a bill that now seems on an improbable fast track through Congress. Advocates for people with disabilities say that recent court rulings have made the employment protections of the disability civil rights law almost meaningless, especially to people with diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, and mental illness. Last year, a court even ruled that a man with mental retardation was not considered disabled under the law. So for several years, advocates for people with disabilities have talked about rewriting the civil rights law — even at the risk of giving opponents a chance to weaken it further. Last year, a version of a bill quickly got support from more than half of the House of Representatives. That forced the business community to negotiate. Business advocates say employers want to hire qualified workers with disabilities. And businesses benefit when the law is clearly defined. The disability side gave up parts of its original proposal and agreed to a definition of disability that's a little narrower than some disabled people wanted. But the result is that two House committees are taking up the ADA Restoration Act. The bill's backers hope to give President Bush something he can sign by the end of July. …" 28. "Spotsy changes special-ed designations- Starting this fall, Spotsylvania County students ages 5 to 8 who are classified as developmentally delayed will move to another special education category or to the general classroom" dated 18 June 2008 by Karen Bolipata from the Fredericksburg Freee Lance-Star at http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/062008/06182008/388192. "Starting this fall, Spotsylvania County schools will no longer classify students ages 5 to 8 as developmentally delayed. Those students will be placed in another special education category or mainstreamed into standard classrooms. Students ages 2 to 5 still are eligible for the program, which includes individualized instruction, often in addition to traditional classes. Special Services Director Jane Rice said there are children in the program who don't need to be there, particularly African-American students. "It doesn't take a great deal of delay to qualify, so, consequently, we've seen a lot of children labeled with that label who don't have that disability," she said. THE LABEL. Developmentally delayed students have a disability in physical, cognitive, communication, social, emotional or adaptive development, as determined by school officials. In the last school year, Spotsylvania had 16 full-time teaching positions in developmental delay. Next year, four of those teachers will be at Cedar Forest Elementary School, which is opening in the fall, and the rest have gone to other teaching positions or school districts. No one was laid off, Rice said. Eliminating the developmentally delayed classification for children ages 5 to 8 saves the county about $1 million. Rice says the money wasn't a factor in eliminating part of the program. Federal regulations allow states to use the category for children ages 3 to 8. Virginia extended it to 2-year-olds, although the Virginia Department of Education is now proposing to cut the program at age 5. DOE has held nine public hearings around the state and is accepting input via e-mail, mail and fax, until June 30. It will then make revisions to its proposal, if needed, before presenting them to Gov. Tim Kaine. Rice said the state's proposed change was a factor in Spotsylvania's decision to modify its program. Critics say the move will keep much-needed services from young children when they're most vulnerable. Sue Sargeant, a speech therapist for the school division and an officer of The Arc of Rappahannock, says putting children into "hard" labels, such as learning disability or autism, will lower expectations. "Even if one Spotsylvania County child has been mislabeled as having mental retardation during the past year, that is one child who will not succeed because he has lost access to the flexibility in team planning that comes with the developmental delay disability category," she said. …" 29. "Abuse claim probed based on psychic's report- Mom says school board 'unprofessional' to allege abuse based on psychic's perception" dated 18 June 2008 from the Times & Transcript (Canada) at http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/article/329416. "The mother of an autistic girl says the public school board in this city north of Toronto was "completely unprofessional" to formulate a theory that her daughter was being sexually abused based on a psychic's perception. Colleen Leduc wants an apology from the Simcoe County District School Board, which called in the Children's Aid Society to investigate. According to the board, the case is still under investigation, although Leduc says it was closed. Leduc immediately pulled her 11-year-old daughter, Victoria Nolet, out of Terry Fox Elementary School. "I have trust issues now," Leduc said. "What are they going to concoct next week?" Victoria has severe autism and is nonverbal. Dr. Lindy Zaretsky, a school board superintendent whose portfolio includes special education, said the school was just following protocol, adding the board is bound by the same legislation -- Child and Family Services Act -- as the CAS when it comes to suspected neglect or sexual abuse. "It is clear in all cases that this (information) must be reported," Zaretsky said. The CAS won't comment on specific investigations, but said the legislation stipulates that all cases of suspected abuse be reported "if there are reasonable grounds." "The schools are our eyes and ears in the community," said Mary Ballantyne, executive director of the Simcoe County chapter. "They are with children more than anyone else in the community and are the first to spot a child who may be in need of our protection." About 80 per cent of the CAS's calls reporting abuse and neglect come from schools, she added. But Leduc said information gleaned from a psychic shouldn't be the impetus for the board to launch a CAS investigation. "First of all, what were they doing taking a psychic's word? Then they correlated that with (Victoria's) behaviour to design a theory," Leduc said. The board stands by its decision, despite where the initial information came from. Leduc said they advised her that Victoria's educational assistant had visited a psychic, who said a yo ungster whose name started with the letter "V" was being sexually abused by a man between 23 and 26 years old. Leduc said she met with school officials yesterday, but no apology was offered." 30. "A disabled swimmer's dream, a mother's fight" dated 18 June 2008 by Alan Schwarz "As Kendall Bailey swims, his praying-mantis limbs flapping him forward, something about the water disguises his many maladies: cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism and more. Only in a swimming pool do they dissolve and allow his troubled body and mind to be all but normal. He is happy, safe and possibly the fastest disabled breaststroker in the world. "I'm going to the Paralympics," Bailey told a waiter last week at his favorite restaurant, speaking of the Olympic Games for disabled athletes in Beijing this September. He wears his Team USA jersey everywhere, every day, and sleeps under an American-flag blanket, occasionally with the medals he has won around his neck. "I'm going to swim for the U.S.A." Listening to Bailey stumble through his words, his mother, Connie Shaw, wanted to smile and imagine her son swimming on behalf of his country. But she couldn't. For two months, all she has been able to imagine is his dreams being dashed — perhaps even by the United States itself. Shaw has been left with questions similar to those of other parents who fight bureaucracies they think are interfering with their disabled children's rights and dreams. Was U.S. Paralympics really trying to protect Kendall when it formally requested that he be rendered ineligible for the Beijing Games? Or did team officials file the appeal simply not wanting the distraction of handling a 6-foot-6-inch 19-year-old with an elementary-school mind and a nursery-school temperament? Kendall Bailey is a rare case of an intellectually disabled athlete who also has the physical disabilities to qualify him for the Paralympics. But in April, amid confusion about how disabled athletes are classified both before and during the Games, officials who oversee the American team on behalf of the United States Olympic Committee formally asked that Bailey be ruled ineligible. Shaw objected and had the request withdrawn, but ever since has been distraught over what United States team officials continued to describe to her as the strong possibility her son could be disqualified after arriving in China. Bailey's local coach, Don Watkinds, shared her fear: "Kendall would be uncontrollably enraged, or he might just crawl into a ball in the corner crying," he said. "And he might never come out." The head of U.S. Paralympics, Charlie Huebner, who lodged the request to render Bailey ineligible, said in several interviews this week that he was merely "seeking clarification" of Bailey's status so that his eligibility would be assessed before Beijing. But David Grevemberg, who handled the matter for the International Paralympic Committee, said Monday that Bailey's eligibility for the Paralympics was never a plausible issue, called the United States' rationale "far-reaching," and questioned its legitimacy altogether. Only on Monday did Connie Shaw learn that United States officials were mistaken and her son was in no danger. She said she was relieved but also angry at having been terrified over nothing for two months. But she didn't have to fear how it had affected Kendall. He doesn't know a thing. "The one good thing in this whole nightmare," Shaw said, "is that Kendall doesn't have any idea of what's going on." …" 31. "HANNAH POLING REALLY DID CHANGE EVERYTHING" dated 18 June 2008 by David Kirby from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/hannah-poling-r.html#more. "On June 29, HHS, CDC, FDA and NIH will hold a major public workshop on mitochondrial disorders, autism and “triggers for neurological deterioration.” And to think, just four months ago, any scientist who had seriously proposed a high-profile, marquis meeting on such an esoteric subject would probably have been laughed out of HHS headquarters, and possibly his or her career. But that was before Hannah and her parents came along. When news of the two Poling concessions began to emerge in March, officials from the CDC and other agencies were quick to mount a defensive public relations posture, one that still clouds and confuses the importance of this seminal case, but now seems to be lifting like the haze over Atlanta. Back then, CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding and others took to the airwaves to proclaim that Hannah’s case was, 1) Extremely rare, 2) An inherited, genetic condition that would have lead to regressive encephalopathy anyway, and 3) Without any bearing on the etiology of ASD or any relationship whatsoever to the court’s other cases of autism (which Hannah did not have, we were falsely told: She just had “autism like features.”) Soon after that, I reported that mitochondrial disorders in ASD kids were not that rare after all. Estimates ranged from 7% to about 30% of all ASD cases involving an underlying dysfunction of the mitochondria, as measured through impairment of oxidative phosphorylation (and thus low cellular energy). Among regressive cases, the rate may be higher than that. The CDC took note. On March 29, Gerberding told CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta that, “If a child was immunized, got a fever, had other complications from the vaccines, and (is) pre-disposed with the mitochondrial disorder, it can certainly set off some damage…. Some of these symptoms can be symptoms that have characteristics of autism. I think we have to have an open mind about this.” In fact, the CDC’s mind had become so opened after learning how prevalent mitochondrial disorders were in autism, that th e agency agreed to dedicate a conference call with vaccine researchers and HMO executives on new research on the topic. What did they learn? That many children with regressive ASD out there also had the same low-cellular-energy biomarkers as Hannah. And there was more: The scientists told the government and the insurance industry (which is reportedly tired of footing the bill for so many neuro-damaged kids) that the nuclear DNA mutation that confers mitochondrial dysfunction, passed down through the father, could be as prevalent as 1-in-50 people, or 2% of the population. Estimates of the classic, more rare and serious form of mitochondrial “disease,” meanwhile, which is passed down through the mother via mitochondrial DNA, are about 1-in-5,000, or 0.02%. A week or so later, in Washington on April 11, the CDC announced its new draft research agenda for vaccine safety issues. Amazingly, among the questions that CDC officials now wanted answered was this one: “Is immunization associated with increased risk for neurological deterioration in children with mitochondrial dysfunction?” …" 32. "HOW TO SURVIVE AUTISM" dated 18 June 2008 by Cyndi Kershner from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/how-to-survive.html#more. "Autism moms and dads, I have four simple words for all of you: take care of yourselves. If you want to be there to see the fruits of all your hard labors in healing your children, you must make time for yourselves and reduce your stress levels. Let me be the cautionary tale. I have been working hard the last 10 years toward healing my son’s autism. Non-stop sixteen hour days of therapy, supplements, negotiating insurance, navigating the school system, IEP’s, special diets, test results, and figuring out how to pay (or not pay) all the bills…sound familiar? After eight years of this, something had to give, and the thing that gave was my health, and pretty darn near my marriage. What good is everything we do for our kids as autism supermommies and superdaddies if we crash and burn in the process? I know, I know, you’re saying there’s absolutely no way you have the time, energy, or money to take care of yourself along with all the other things that need to get done. But just take a portion of the time, energy, and money that you’re pouring into your kids’ therapies and direct it toward yourself. There is no class or book or doctor out there who will help you with this one. I wanted to pass along some in the trenches tips on what we all need to do to stay proactively healthy and grounded as we go through this crazy process of trying to heal our kids, and these are the practices I have adopted over the last two years in the hopes of creating health in my body and in my family. So here it is: How to Survive Autism 101. First, get a spiritual practice. It can be Jesus, Buddha, a Higher Power, the great Cosmic Force, I don’t care what it is, just have a belief in something larger than yourself that you can turn to so that the whole thing isn’t on your shoulders. Second, exercise. Really. It helps more than I can tell you. Again, doesn’t matter what kind of exercise, whatever floats your boat. And the boat floating isn’t optional; you actually have to like it, or it’ll be just one more thin g to check off your list.. Walk, chase the dog around, garden, do yoga, hike. A couple times a week, enough to get your heart going. Third, reduce your stress level. Stress is the root cause of most illness, and its endemic in the autism community. Exercise helps a lot with this one. Prayer and meditation are really helpful here as well. Keep the financial stress manageable by not overspending your income every month; being in serious debt for years on end is not healthy. My partner and I decided to prioritize therapies rather than doing them all at the same time, and stay mostly in the black. …" 33. "HOLLAND ON THE OMNIBUS AUTISM PROCEEDING: 5/22- Thursday, May 22, 2008, The Government’s Response, continued" dated 18 June 2008 by Mary Holland from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/thursday-may-22.html#more. "Direct Examination of Dr. Dean Jones. [Ms. Renzi] Dr. Jones is a professor at Emory University. Dr. Jones has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and worked in the department of biochemistry for about 24 years, and he now works in the department of medicine. He had a fellowship from the Nobel Committee on research in medical toxicology. He is a peer-reviewer for a number of journals; he has been in NIH study sections. He has a number of grants, including one on oxidative stress. He directs two laboratories, one on biomarkers for researchers and his own research laboratory. He has published more than 325 peer-reviewed articles and chapters. He’s published over 100 papers on oxidative stress. He lectures widely and internationally. Q: Have you ever testified in a legal proceeding before today? A: No. Q: Are you an expert in mercury or heavy metals toxicology? A: No. Q: But are you an expert in oxidative stress and sulfur metabolism? A: Yes. Q: Did you listen to Dr. Deth’s testimony and read his report? A: Yes. …" 34. "HECKENLIVELY ON THE OMNIBUS AUTISM PROCEEDING: 5/22- Mercury is Better for you than a Glass of Milk! – The Omnibus Autism Proceeding – Second Set of Hearings (Thimerosal & Autism) – Day Nine – May 22, 2008" dated 18 June 2008 by Kent Heckenlively, Esq. from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/got-mercury.html#more. "Success in a legal proceeding is usually the result of one side presenting a more compelling narrative than the other. The numerous pieces of evidence will then fall into one of the two competing narratives and the side which has the more credible evidence will generally prevail. Consider the Scott Peterson case. The defense wanted the court to believe Scott was a loving husband who wouldn’t dream of harming his wife. The prosecution pointed out Scott’s affairs, how he told Megan Fry he was a widower (before Laci disappeared), and in the weeks before Laci’s disappearance Scott was checking out tidal maps of the area from which Laci’s water-logged body was eventually pulled. The petitioners in this case have a pretty simple narrative. Child is born healthy and develops normally. Child gets shot, has adverse reactions (probably the result of a genetic variation which doesn’t allow them to excrete toxins very well or deal with immune challenges), and descends into autism. Treatment by a DAN doctor documents high level of mercury excretion and child gets significantly better. By contrast the government’s narrative is something along the lines of we could give kids a lot more mercury and nothing would happen! In fact, it’s even less harm to a child than a glass of milk! (I’m not making this up!) Considering that as a science teacher I’m trained to evacuate my class and call a Hazardous Materials Team if I break a mercury thermometer, I don’t think it’s a winning argument. Direct Examination of Dr. Dean Jones (Expert Witness for the Government) Dr. Jones has a Ph.D. in Bio-Chemistry and has been a professor at Emory University for 24 years. He has a fellowship from the Nobel Committee for his research in medical toxicology and directs two laboratories. He’s published more than 325 peer-reviewed articles and over 100 on oxidative stress. Jones was presented as an expert witness in oxidative stress and sulfur metabolism. Glutathione has an important role in metabolism and is the major th iol and major sulfur-containing element. Glutathione has many functions, from detoxification, to its anti-oxidant properties, to serving as a co-enzymatic function for other reactions. The main thrust of his testimony is that people have so much extra glutathione in their bodies that the thimerosal contained in vaccines could not possibly disrupt sulfur metabolism as theorized by Dr. Richard Deth. Sulfur amino acids are generally found in great abundance in animal products, while plant products normally contain about half that amount. …" 35. "Autism Speaks Names Nine New Members to Scientific Advisory Committee" dated 18 June 2008 in a press release from Autism Speaks at http://www.autismspeaks.org/press/scientific_advisory_committe_2008.php. "Autism Speaks, the nation's largest organization dedicated to funding and facilitating autism research, announced today that it has named nine new members to its Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), a group of scientific and medical experts who will help shape Autism Speaks' strategic plan for science and research priorities. In 2007, Autism Speaks awarded more than $30 million in science grants to fund research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism. The organization will be announcing the latest round of research grants in the treatment and basic/clinical categories in the coming weeks. The new members of the Autism Speaks' SAC are: * Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., is the Chair of the SAC and the Chief Science Officer of Autism Speaks. She is currently on the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Priorto joining Autism Speaks, Dr. Dawson served as Founding Director of the University of Washington Autism Center, an NIH Autism Center of Excellence. * Martha Herbert, M.D., Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and is a Pediatric Neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also Director of the TRANSCEND (Treatment Research and Neuroscience Evaluation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Research Program. * Craig Newschaffer, Ph.D., is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Drexel University School of Public Health. Dr. Newschaffer's research focuses on monitoring the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders, and also how particular genes might interact with environmental exposures to increase the risk of autism. He recently began working with Peking University to study autism in China. Dr. Newschaffer is the father of a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). …" 36. "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KIDS TODAY?" dated 19 June 2008 by Dan Olmsted from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/olmsted-on-auti.html#more. "This past week I was visiting relatives, and ended up meeting a family with two children. The boy was 13, and smart as a whip – fun to talk to, quick to lift a comment made earlier and insert it in a light-hearted way at just the right moment in the flow of the conversation (that's high-verbal-intelligence stuff). It's great to be around bright kids, especially when you sense them coming into their own. I mentioned to my relative what a pleasure it was to talk to him, and she told me that he was also musically gifted – she had taught him piano for the past five years. But alas, there was a kicker – this boy had struggled with what she called severe ADD, to the point that sometimes he would show up for a lesson and simply repeat, "I can't concentrate! I just can't concentrate." And, strangely enough, he could also be terribly upset by noises that wouldn't bother the rest of us. None of this registered with her as part of a pattern – why would it? – but to me I felt like I had encountered yet another gifted but neurologically injured child who is on some sort of generation-defining spectrum, however you want to categorize it. Of course, children with developmental problems so severe they cannot talk, cannot interact and will not likely be able to live independently are rightly the focus of our concern, but there is a special category of empathy that should be reserved for kids like the one I just met. Here is someone with the whole world before him and a chance to excel at a very high level. Why should he have to deal with such a big problem at such a young age? It's just not right and it ought to concern us all. Just the week before, I came across a similar situation. A former colleague with whom I had not been in touch e-mailed me, and we caught up on our recent activities. His very intelligent son – eight or 9 now, I believe, but perhaps a bit older given the way time flies – had been diagnosed with Asperger's while we were still working together. I knew he was getting intensive therapy and eve ry advantage his exceptionally capable parents could provide (he is an only child), and that he was improving. Now, his father told me, he had lost the diagnosis. That was great to hear. But … alas. His son now had Tourette's, the tic disorder from hell that, at least in its best-known manifestation, causes compulsive outbursts that often are profane and inappropriate. This child, I believe, is somewhere on the same generational-damage spectrum – something happened that caused Asperger's, and it also caused a tic disorder. Medicine is helping a lot, my friend said, and his son even ran in a race to raise money to study and hopefully cure the disorder. …" 37. "The Phantom Menace? "Four — count 'em — four of my four-year-old son's friends are in occupational therapy for sensory processing disorder, a.k.a. SPD. Considering his inner circle tops out at about fifteen, this indicates an epidemic on our Brooklyn playground. And it's not just New York. Based on studies at the Sensory Therapies and Research Center (STAR) in Denver, CO, at least one in every twenty children and adults has SPD — 3.5 million people in the U.S. alone, including one out of three gifted children, and eight in ten autistic children. So, where did this mysterious disorder come from? Are the numbers soaring because, like autism, more information about SPD is coming to light, or is SPD just a hot new way to classify the challenges of certain kids, like the "indigo children" popularized by the 1998 New Age book? Or is SPD, as Time magazine mused last year 38. "Heterogeneous dysregulation of microRNAs across the autism spectrum" dated 19 June 2008 by Kawther Abu-Elneel, Tsunglin Liu, Francesca S. Gazzaniga, Yuhei Nishimura, Dennis P. Wall, Daniel H. Geschwind, Kaiqin Lao and Kenneth S. Kosik in a press release from Springerlink.com at http://www.springerlink.com/content/l785u152131t304g/?p=057f73f69e0d4cee86c2ff48ead8befe&pi=3. "Abstract microRNAs (miRNAs) are ~21 nt transcripts capable of regulating the expression of many mRNAs and are abundant in the brain. miRNAs have a role in several complex diseases including cancer as well as some neurological diseases such as Tourette’s syndrome and Fragile x syndrome. As a genetically complex disease, dysregulation of miRNA expression might be a feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Using multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we compared the expression of 466 human miRNAs from postmortem cerebellar cortex tissue of individuals with ASD (n?=?13) and a control set of non-autistic cerebellar samples (n?=?13). While most miRNAs levels showed little variation across all samples suggesting that autism does not induce global dysfunction of miRNA expression, some miRNAs among the autistic samples were expressed at significantly different levels compared to the mean control value. Twenty-eight miRNAs were expressed at significantly different levels compared to the non-autism control set in at least one of the autism samples. To validate the finding, we reversed the analysis and compared each non-autism control to a single mean value for each miRNA across all autism cases. In this analysis, the number of dysregulated miRNAs fell from 28 to 9 miRNAs. Among the predicted targets of dysregulated miRNAs are genes that are known genetic causes of autism such Neurexin and SHANK3. This study finds that altered miRNA expression levels are observed in postmortem cerebellar cortex from autism patients, a finding which suggests that dysregulation of miRNAs may contribute to autism spectrum phenotype.' 39. "Yellow Buses Put Schools in the Red" dated 19 June 2008 by ANNE MARIE CHAKER from The Wall Street Journal at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121382803163386367.html?mod=dist_smartbrief. "The pain at the pump is hitting those too young to drive. In Nebraska, Bellevue School District is budgeting $600,000 to cover fuel costs for school buses next school year, compared with $250,000 a year ago. Kentucky's Bowling Green Independent Schools is budgeting 36% more for fuel compared with last year. The Durham, N.C., public schools budgeted $3.3 million for fuel, more than twice what was budgeted a year ago. "I've never seen anything escalate this quick," says Hank Hurd, the Durham district's chief operating officer. "There's no way for a school district to absorb those kinds of increases." The 2007-08 school year has come to a close, but as superintendents across the country finalize their budgets for the fall, many are projecting major spikes in a number of areas -- cafeteria food and heating oil, for example. Perhaps the greatest bump is for diesel, which fuels the yellow buses that bring kids to school in the first place. Some 475,000 school buses transport 25 million children -- more than half of the country's schoolchildren -- each day, and cover 4.3 billion miles a year, says the American School Bus Council, a Washington, D.C.-based group that lobbies on behalf of the school-bus industry. And the cost of fueling all these vehicles has a direct impact beyond the bus. Bowling Green has cut back a teaching position and ordered fewer new textbooks. Pennsylvania's Palisades School District will start charging kids extra when they go on field trips. The Bellevue district in Nebraska will skip a planned roofing job and defer replacing some old-but-still-functional boilers. Faced with budget shortfalls, many administrators will try to avoid cutting back "core" subject areas, such as math and reading, and turn to slashing "enrichment" programs -- like field trips to the theater. That hurts kids' motivation, says Paul Houston, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, based in Arlington, Va. "Most kids don't go to school to learn math," he says. "It's the motivators to st ay in school that are the things that get cut out first." …" 40. "WHAT DISEASE DO YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO GET?" dated 20 June 2008 by Julie Obradovic from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/what-disease-do.html#more. "In the aftermath of the Green the Vaccines Rally, the inevitable criticism of the participants and their purpose swooped in with the force of the thunderstorm that struck DC that afternoon. In the recent years of being an “Autism activist”, I have found it much easier to simply steer clear of this criticism. Message boards, Bloggers and editorials that paint me as a fear-mongering fool who uses her child as an experiment only put me in a bad mood. Initially I was compelled to argue, fighting for my dignity and looking for compassion. What I realized is that is exhaustive work, and frankly, quite fruitless, especially when the bully you’re battling is anonymous. And so it has been that I have chosen to ignore the negativity and focus on the task at hand: finding a way to help families with Autism improve the health and well-being of their children, themselves, and their finances. None-the-less, occasionally it becomes necessary to stand up and be heard. It’s as if the opposition got a new memo on how to belittle one of “us”, and frankly, it’s annoying. For starters, as JB Handley addressed in his essay “Moving the Goal Posts”, we are now guilty of “changing the game”. Evidently we can’t make up our minds about what part of the vaccine or vaccines cause Autism. Is it the mercury? Is it the aluminum? Is it both? Is it too many vaccines in combination? Somehow our inability to stick to one story makes us inauthentic. A second point accuses us of not recognizing our children had a vaccine reaction until someone or something (i.e., the internet) told us so. This too makes us less than credible. Then there’s the third point that champions there is no science to support what we believe; that it’s been more than proven vaccines don’t cause Autism…yadda..yadda..yadda. To be sure, these are not unreasonable positions for a person to have given the media coverage and the spin that takes place on an almost daily basis. But all of these points have clear answers: It’s the amount of v accines, their timing, and/or their ingredients in a susceptible child; when you’re told vaccines have no side effects, you don’t recognize them until later; yes, we use the computer to do research; and as for the science, well, there’s not enough time or space here to even go there. …" 41. "AAP: "INSULTING PARENTS WILL INCREASE VACCINATION RATES" dated 20 June 2008 by Ginger Taylor, MS AM from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/aap-insulting-p.html#more. "The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that pediatricians tell parents who don't vaccinate (HERE) lves that list contraindications and say that certain people should not receive certain vaccines. All this is a part of the collaborative effort between the AAP and other organizations (HERE) 42. "ON MEDIA: DOCTORS ARE GETTING REAL -- EXCEPT FOR PAUL OFFIT" dated 20 June 2008 by Anne Dachel from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/on-media-doctor.html#more. "What's happening in the medical world? What's going on at CNN? This week we were told by this major news outlet that some doctors are addressing the concerns of parents and adjusting the vaccine schedule. To understand the ramifications of this action we need only to look back to June 4, when Katie Couric brought up the topic of vaccine safety in a CBS Evening News story about the Green Our Vaccines rally in Washington, Marching Over Vaccines And Autism (HERE) "If you came to me and said you wanted to check titers, and you'll pay for it, would I do that for you? I would," Dr. Frances Page Glascoe, a professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center,: "I would look at Mom, Dad, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins who had developmental disabilities, including language disorders and autism spectrum disorder. That would cause me to discuss an alternative vaccination schedule." We also heard about Dr. Robert Sears who developed an alternative vaccination schedule where "patients bring their babies in for shots seven times between the ages of 2 to 9 months, never receiving more than two shots at each visit." The regular CDC schedule has children coming in three times during that same amount of time, receiving sometimes five shots at one visit. There have been a number of stories out there recently telling us about doctors who threaten parents who question the vaccine schedule. They tell them to either vaccinate or find a new doctor. It was a complete about-face to see this unexpected news from CNN telling us about doctors who want to work with parents, who would delay and spread out vaccines. …" 43. "Project Lifesaver finds lost autistic boy- Device helped authorities find child in 30 minutes" dated 20 June 2008 by ABBEY STIRGWOLT from the Newark Advocate at http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806200304. "Two weeks after Dustin Blackburn began wearing a wristwatch-like tracking device on his ankle, the Project Lifesaver program lived up to its name. Blackburn, 9, who is autistic, wandered away from his Newark yard and into some nearby woods Wednesday afternoon. His mother, Beth Blackburn, called 911 within seven minutes of his disappearance. In less than 30 minutes from the time the system was activated, Dustin had been found and safely returned home. "I was just so thankful that we put that on him," Beth said. Blackburn applied for a Project Lifesaver device for her son in early June because she was concerned he had been wandering away. Implemented by the Licking County Sheriff's Office about one year ago and gaining popularity across the state and country, Project Lifesaver is a system designed to track people with disorders such as autism or Alzheimer's who might be prone to wander away. Although the Sheriff's Office regularly performs drills to test the devices -- about 15 of which have been distributed in the Licking County area, said Capt. Thomas Lee of the Licking County Sheriff's Office -- Wednesday was the first time the system has been activated for a real-life situation. The system creates peace of mind for both law-enforcement officers and its clients, Lee said. "Look at the manpower and the resources that could have been put into this -- but we were saved because of this tracking device," Lee said. The Project Lifesaver system works through a personalized band on the wrist or ankle that emits a tracking signal on an individually assigned FM radio frequency. When a person is missing, a caregiver or loved one notifies the local Project Lifesaver agency and a search-and-rescue team responds to the wanderer's area. Average rescue time is about 30 minutes, Lee said. Blackburn called authorities at 4:35 p.m. Wednesday. They arrived at 5 p.m., activated the system and found Dustin at 5:25 p.m. The search was conducted by Licking County Sheriff's Office deputies as well as an Ohio Highway Patrol airplane and officers. Given the wooded terrain near the Blackburns' home, the tracking device was especially useful, Lee said. "We could have been out there all night looking for him," he said. Beth said Dustin was found about a quarter mile away from the home. Although she had been uneasy during the search, knowledge her son was wearing the Project Lifesaver device helped calm her fears, she said. Beth said she would encourage anyone with a loved one with Alzheimer's or other related mental dysfunction who would qualify to take advantage of the device. "(The device) is most definitely recommended, because without that we would have never found him," she said. Lee said the peace of mind Project Lifesaver provides for caregivers of clients makes it well worth the investment. "The well-being and the safety factor that the family would feel just having that on there is something you can't measure," he said." 44. "Teenager dies of measles as cases of disease rise- A teenage boy has become the first person in the UK to die from measles for two years as cases of the disease continue to rise, Government scientists have said" dated 20 June 2008 by Rebecca Smith from The Telegraph (UK) at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2164002/Teenager-dies-of-measles-as-cases-of-disease-rise.html. "The 17-year-old was admitted to hospital in April with pneumonia which developed after he contracted measles. He died in hospital five weeks later and Government scientists are urging doctors to take all opportunities to vaccinate any children who have not had a double dose of MMR. The teenager, from West Yorkshire has not been named, had been born with poor immune system which meant he was susceptible to infections and in cases like this it usually means they cannot have be immunised. But he would have been protected if there had been high vaccination rates in the community. Because of the MMR scare in the late 1990s when the measles, mumps and rubella jab was linked to bowel disorders and autism, vaccinations levels have dropped below the threshold required to control the diseases. In London less than half of children have had the recommended two doses of MMR. A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency said: "It is very rare for measles to prove fatal, but, as this tragic case demonstrates, it can happen where complications occur. "Our condolences go to the family at this sad time. This unfortunate case underlines the fact that measles is a highly infectious and dangerous illness. Unfortunately, the young person concerned had pre-existing health problems which made them especially vulnerable to measles. "This case also demonstrates again the importance of the MMR vaccine. Measles is highly infectious and therefore being vaccinated is very important - not just to protect individual children against measles - but also to create 'herd immunity' which protects those who cannot be vaccinated for various reasons." Latest data shows nationally 72 per cent of children have had two doses of MMR by their fifth birthday where as 95 per cent need to be covered in order to prevent outbreaks of the diseases. The research by Dr Andrew Wakefield has since been discounted by the majority of the medical community but vaccination rates remain low, allowing measles to make a resurgence. Cases of measles have been risi ng continuously in the England and Wales this year with a particular problem in London. The Health Protection Agency's latest data shows there have been 461 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales this year up until the end of May. In 2007 there were 971 confirmed cases of measles, the highest for more than ten years. …" 45. "UM researchers help teach kids with autism, Down Syndrome to ride bikes- John Day started the week in tears." dated 20 June 2008 by HEATHER NEWMAN from the Free Press at http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080620/BLOG12/80620082/1033/BUSINESS. "The 8-year-old from Belleville was one of 80 children with autism and Down Syndrome getting training on riding bikes at two sites as part of a University of Michigan study. All this week, he worked on his balance, his pedaling and turns. Over the course of five days, UM students and kinesiology division professor Dale Ulrich work with the children, starting them off with bikes that have rolling-pin-like rear wheels and gradually working up to the two-wheeled variety. They ride for about 75 minutes at a time, in groups of eight. This week the training was held at St Paul Lutheran School in Ann Arbor. Another camp will be held in Marne, near Grand Rapids, this coming week. For information, see www.losethetrainingwheels.org. Day was not at all sure he wanted to go through the week, and his mother Sue had to promise him a trip to the park to get him to stick with it. But by Wednesday, he was up on two wheels - and all smiles. The study title is a mouthful: The Effects of a Bicycle Training Intervention on Health and Community Participation in Youth with Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Technically speaking, it only includes children between the ages of 9 and 18 with specific conditions, but like Day, children who don't technically fall within the parameters are still included when there's room. Just 10% of kids with Down Syndrome can ride a bike, and autistic children have similar issues, said Laura Bailey at the University of Michigan News Service. By Wednesday this week, a quarter of the kids were up on two normal wheels. By the end of the five-day program before this one, 62% of the kids were riding. Researcher Ulrich directs the Center for Motor Behavior & Pediatric Disabilities at UM Kinesiology. Several years ago, he starting working with Lose the Training Wheels Program founder, retired engineer and professor Richard Klein. The goal: get as many as 60% of the kids riding in five days, and track them for a year to see how it affects their emotions and independence." 46. "AutismCares Offers Support to Families Affected by Midwest Floods" dated 20 June 2008 in a press release from Autism Speaks at http://www.autismspeaks.org/press/autism_cares_midwest_floods.php. "AutismCares is actively seeking families affected by autism who are also victims of the flooding in Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, and other Midwestern states, and invites those families to call the Autism Response Team at 1-888-Autism2 or email autismcares@autismspeaks.org to receive assistance. Families may also register directly at www.autismcares.org for one another,” said Peter Bell, executive vice president of Autism Speaks and executive committee member of AutismCares. “Many of us know firsthand how challenging it is to care for a child with autism. Add a natural catastrophe that strips a family of everything it has and it's a recipe for disaster.” Monetary donations to AutismCares may be made online at www.autismcares.org 47. "NBC ‘Today’ Show Features Missouri Family Seeking Autism Insurance Coverage" dated 20 June 2008 from the Lee's Summit Journal at http://www.lsjournal.com/100/story/11939.html. "The efforts of a Missouri family lobbying for insurance coverage for their son’s autism treatment were highlighted last week on NBC’s “Today” show. Rep. Jeff Grisamore, R-Lee’s Summit/Greenwood, worked closely with this family and many others as he sponsored legislation (HB 2265) that would require health benefit plans to include coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. The “Today” show visited the Missouri capitol in April and attended the hearing for Rep. Grisamore’s legislation, which was presented to the House Committee on Health Care Policy, chaired by Rep. Wayne Cooper, R-Camdenton. Rep. Sam Page, D-Creve Coeur, also presented a similar autism bill before the committee, HB 2351. The “Today” show focused on the financial burden that families face when providing autism treatment for their children. Currently, six states require insurance coverage for autism treatment and more than 20 states, including Missouri, have considered similar legislation this year. Grisamore points out that such insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism would only require an increase in premiums of less than one half of one percent. “The burden right now is on the parents and I think most Americans would say that’s not fair because the goal has to be intensive treatment early and get these kids into mainstream school,” NBC’s chief medical editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, said during the segment. Grisamore said the exponential increase of the incidence of autism—going from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 150—has created an urgent need to expand services for children with autism. Although his legislation did not pass this year, Grisamore said he will continue fighting for it next year. “I have spent countless hours with families of children with special needs, especially autism, who struggle to afford treatments. The needs of many of these children are not being met, even though we know early intervention is so critical to improve outcomes and reduce costs,” Gri samore said. He continued, “Among 12 neurological disorders, autism is the only one excluded from coverage by insurance companies. It is grossly discriminatory that autism is being excluded from health insurance coverage and this is an emerging civil rights issue of our day.” Grisamore, who has become a leading advocate in fighting for autism-related legislation, sponsored several bills related to autism and other disabilities during the past session. He was honored this year as Legislator of the Year for Disabilities Advocacy. He also sponsored House Bill 2075 to establish the Missouri Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders and helped ensure the passage of the Senate version, SB 768, which creates the Missouri Autism Commission and Office of Autism. View the NBC “Today” show segment at www.msnbc.msn.com, and information about Grisamore’s legislation at www.missourinet.com." 48. "My brother deserves better" dated 21 June 2008 by Chris Barton from The New Zealand Herald at http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10517513. "In the failing light of early evening, the cul-de-sac is a bleak location near the intersection of the Upper Harbour and Albany highways. Light rain falls as we walk towards the house entrance, past high wire-mesh gates. Inside the yard and approaching the ranch slider, the interior is dimly lit, a television casting its glow on the particle board floor. Jonathan comes forward from the gloom. "Hello, I'd like to shake your hand," he says. "Both hands," he corrects when I offer my right. So we shake, hands crossed over. An unusual, but friendly greeting. Jonathan, who is 24, was diagnosed as having autism at the age of 7. He has been in care since he was 14. He has lived here for almost three years. Inside is very bare, with Lockwood pine walls and sarked ceiling. We drift towards the couch in one corner where Jonathan sits with a soft drink his sister has brought. He drinks studiously, draining the bottle with a satisfied burp, then moves on to a plum, which he eats with focused pleasure. "I'd like some music now please," he says to his younger sister, who asks what he would like. "Pan flutes, Elizabeth," he replies. His older sister asks if he would like the music here or in his room. "In my room, Rachel," he replies decisively. Rachel checks with the two caregivers. One of them unlocks the middle of three white doors. The bathroom door is also locked, damaged at its bottom right-hand corner. A water stain marks the floor. Jonathan's bedroom is stark - just a mattress with dishevelled bedding on the floor. One of the caregivers offers me a plastic chair, but warns me to stay seated and not let Jonathan get it. Rachel plugs in the portable stereo. Pan flutes fill the air. Jonathan listens from the empty wardrobe space. He's restless, moving around the room, turning the light off, then on again. The room's two windows are sealed shut. Ventilation is by three large holes drilled through the glass at the top of each window. There are no curtains, no heater. Cold winter air seeps into the room. Jonathan is n ot locked in his room but is confined to the house under 24-hour supervision except for a daily beach walk with two caregivers. The spareness of his room may reflect the fact that at times he becomes angry and destructive. There is nothing else for him to do except watch TV. His sisters talk in distress about how degraded Jonathan's life has become and what happens when he's constantly bored. The room is reasonably clean, but it doesn't pay to look too closely at the walls. I've come to the house run by Timata Hou, the IHC's designated Regional Intellectual Disability Supported Accommodation Service to see Jonathan's predicament for myself. …" 49. "Four make history as they graduate from BCC" dated 21 June 2008 by LINDSAY LARIN from the Bellevue Reporter at http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/bel/news/20590409.html. "Four graduates of the nation’s first degree program for students with developmental disabilities made history June 13 during the Bellevue Community College commencement ceremony. Bergen Delisi, Leah Brand, Anna Harnois and Trent Marshall were the first students to receive an Associate of Occupational and Life Skills (AOLS) degree for successfully completing a 90-credt curriculum consisting of college-level courses as part of the Venture program. The accredited AOLS degree is the first and only one of its kind in the nation that caters to students with learning, cognitive and intellectual challenges. The four-year program integrates academic, workplace, social, and life skills to better prepare students for independence and employment. Securing a job at Skills Incorporated in Ballard, AOLS graduate Delisi of Bellevue is both excited and nervous for life after graduation. “I’m half and half,” Delisi said, who has been part of the program since the beginning. “I’m excited about my job but I’m nervous because everybody here seems like a family, meaning everyone knows everyone’s interests and everyone’s ability.” Prior to 1999, post-secondary options for pursuing a higher education were nearly nonexistent for individuals with developmental disabilities. A group of local parents reached out to BCC and together formulated what is now the Venture program. The program has 53 students enrolled and a staff of eight teachers with various training and special education experience. Program Director Mary Allason emphasizes that although the program only requires the student have an IQ of 70 and reading, writing, and math skills of the fourth grade level, many students exceed those requirements. “Everyone has some form of disability and some have multiple forms so when we’re in the classroom it’s a matter of determining where each individual student is at and how to best teach them,” Allason explained. “It’s all part of the discovery process.” The students in the program have a variety of disabilities including Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder and other learning challenges. “One thing I don’t ever want anyone to think is that it’s a certain type of disability that you have to have or cannot have to be in the program; that’s not our criteria,” Allason said. “The only criteria is that the student has to be able to absorb the material and we’ll work with them to ensure they get the most out of the program that they can.” …" 50. "RECOVERY STORY: KALE" dated 21 June 2008 from Generation Rescue on the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/recovery-stor-1.html#more. "My name is Tamra and I live in Biloxi, Ms. My son, Kale, was diagnosed at the age of two with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Integration Disorder, and ADHD tendencies. The child phyc. we took him to actually called me on the phone and said "I guess you have figured out by now that Kale has Autism". I almost fell out. I had no idea that was going to be the outcome. So, like most of us, I cried, got angry, and then got busy seeing what hope there was to cling to. Unfortunately, in this part of the country, there is not much in the way of services for our special children. So we started early intervention and every therapy we could get him into. Yes, it did help to a point. But the real help came one night at about 10:30 pm while I was online researching ASD. I came across Generation Rescue. Let me just say I was skeptical, but desperate. Kale had come to a stand still. He was having serious problems in school and could barely sit to focus. The same doctor that told me Kale had ASD would not give us an actual diagnosis on paper, he said Kale was too young to label. So we had to go to a children’s hospital in Louisiana to get our diagnosis so that we could receive therapy through the state. The doctor that wouldn't give us the diagnosis was happy to prescribe Kale all kind of drugs. At different times he was on Focalin, Adderall, and several other drugs to help him focus. What we had was a zombie that had no appetite and couldn't sleep. He would bang his head and wrestle with himself to fall asleep and many times it required one of us to lay on him so that he could calm down to sleep. When I told the doctor that Kale looked sick and hadn't been eating for several months as well as sleeping, his response was to give Kale sleeping pills. I had had enough, no more drugs!! We have not seen him since. So, my next move was to follow the steps lined up on generation rescue. My husband thought I was crazy, but no one was helping us! First I started the GF/CF diet. The teacher in Kale's SPED class told me that I wa s wasting my time and that many of the other children had tried that diet and it made no difference. I sat in my car and cried. I had to try it. Let’s just say that one month later that same teacher met me at the car and asked me what I was doing with Kale. He was sitting in circle time and actually listening to her. Not to mention he was finally eating. The dark circles had disappeared from under his eyes and he was beginning to look healthy. He eventually started to verbalize more and the therapists were getting more from him as well. All of this from a diet? I was hooked. Next was to find a rescue angle for support and a DAN! doctor for treatment. My rescue angle is a beautiful person and since then we have been able to help each other several times. The DAN! doctor I used was Dr. Julie Buckley in Ponte Verda Florida. We have one a lot closer but something drew me to her (it was God of course) and I really felt a connection to her as she had recovered her own child. My husband decided that the less he knew about all this the better off he was, but he did help when I asked for it. So we went on a 10 hour car ride to the Dan! doctor. For the first time ever I was told positive thing were in our future. She said she wanted to spend her retirement going to all the weddings and graduations of her patients. I LOVE THIS LADY. Finally I had hope. …" 51. "CDC: Vaccine Study Used Flawed Methods "A new report sed with the outcomes under study -- though this accounted for less than 1% of all children enrolled in the study. Dr. Gerberding said in her letter that thimerosal studies done by the CDC have not been "ecological," because they utilize "medical chart reviews, neurological assessments, and parent interviews." But in the 2003 study, chart reviews were not done on 99% of the study population, and no assessments or interviews were conducted to make sure that the diagnoses were accurate. The NIEHS report was largely focused on the feasibility of conducting an ecological study of the database, but many of the weaknesses identified are also applicable to the 2003 CDC study of the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) which contains the records of hundreds of thousands of HMO patients. In that investigation, CDC officials conducted at least five separate analyses of the data over a four-year period from 1999-2003. The first analysis showed that children exposed to the most thimerosal by one month of age had extremely high relative risks for a number of outcomes, compared with children who got little or no mercury: The relative risk for ADHD was 8.29 times higher; for autism, it was 7.62 times higher; ADD, 6.38 times higher; tics, 5.65 times; and speech and language delays were 2.09 more likely among kids who got the most mercury. …" 52. "BELATED FATHER'S DAY: HE SAID, SHE SAID" dated 22 June 2008 by Cathy Jameson from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/belated-fathers.html#more. "We fit the mold of that old traditional Irish Catholic family with tons of children underfoot. We’ve outgrown the nuclear family of 2 kids and a dog as we have just added a fifth child to the mix a few weeks ago. I am finding that life won’t slow down no matter how desperately I want it to. When you have several children running your life, including one with special needs, the parent’s wants get tossed aside for good. Welcome to life in the fast lane. Several years ago we knew our family size had potential to fill a hockey team. It was then that we decided sell the old fixer-upper house we’d bought on a lake and searched for a bigger, newer one off the water. Children like our son Ronan are attracted to the water not realizing the danger. Thankfully, we found the perfect home in the same neighborhood for our then family of 5. The house was larger, needed no do-it-yourself projects and was far enough from the lake so Ronan couldn’t see it or be drawn to it. Over the weekend during the children’s naptime, my husband and I usually take turns doing our own errands in town sans the kids at least one day. One afternoon, I found Steve getting ready to take a nap instead of heading out. I had too much energy to sleep so I started chatting to my incredibly tired husband about our new house. I loved how we had arranged the furniture, the fact that the kids had transitioned to new rooms without fears and we were able to play in the new backyard. The kids missed out on outside playtime at the old house since it was right on the lake and Ronan had no concept of water safety. We talked about how much safer we felt the house was for Ronan and how we had extra bedrooms in case we had any extra kids one day. I mentioned that although the house was nice, it was certainly not a home I thought we’d retire in. We long to return north when we’re old and gray with the kids long kicked out when they go to college. Steve perked up a bit when I mentioned returning to the beaches to retire and we imagined what kind of cottage we would have. I wanted something just the right size for us and for the kids to come home for visits. Steve said the house would have to be big enough for the three of us. My eyes got big. I wondered who he meant when he said the three of us since our three young ones were snoozing away on the other side of the house for naps. I wasn’t pregnant again (yet) so I asked him just who he thought the third one would be and why would this person be part of our retirement? …" 53. "BEST FATHER'S DAY GIFT: "MY SON SPOKE TO ME" dated 22 June 2008 by Craig Willoughby from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/best-fathers-da.html#more. "Every parent needs a break every once in a while, and this is almost doubly so for parents of autistic children. So, for Father’s Day, a friend of ours decided to help my wife and I out and watch my 6 year old autistic son, my 8 year old Aspergers daughter, and my totally rambunctious, absolutely normal 5 year old daughter. We gave her instructions on what to feed the girls and pointers on how to get my son to eat his GFCF food (he’s only been on the diet 3 weeks, and he still isn’t happy about it), and with great relish mixed in with a little bit of trepidation, my wife and I went out for a date. The date was nice, more so for the fact that we got to eat at a decent restaurant without trying to catch the food my son likes to throw or without listening to his screams when the noise overwhelms him and he has a meltdown. After dinner, we went to a bookstore and had a pleasant hour or so of browsing without chasing down my son to pull a book he was about to tear up away from him. Of course, this was interspersed with my wife or me calling home to check on the little ones. Everything was fine, of course, but our wonderful friend said that my son was a bit anxious, looking out the window and wondering where we were at. Too soon, the evening ended, and my wife and I headed home. Our arrival was met by our 2 daughters rushing out the front door to give us hugs, and then one of the most remarkable things that has happened to me in my 35 years. My son spoke to me. As we stepped into the house, he looked up and gave me one of his angelic smiles and said one word that melted me. He said, “Daddy!” (well, it came out as “Da-eee,” but we all knew what he meant). His first word in five years was an excited greeting to his father! Quite simply, this was the best Father’s Day gift a dad could possibly get. I did the only thing I could. I grabbed my son and gave him the biggest hug and began bawling like a little girl. Yes, a big, tough, 6 foot 4 inch man breaking down into tears. I wasn’t the only one eit her. My friend was sitting on the couch with a great big smile on her face while tears rolled down her cheeks. My wife was standing at the door, her hands covering her mouth as she cried tears of joy. Parents who have experienced this know what I’m talking about. The only way I can describe it is that it is like watching the birth of your child and hearing that first little cry. In a way, it is like they are being reborn; it is joyful and humbling and beautiful. To those people that think that the GFCF diet is a sham, I present this question; why is it that for five years, my son never once said a word until shortly after we started him on his diet? To the parents that are struggling to bring their babies out of this terrible vaccine-induced fog; please keep trying! It may not be quick or easy, and you won’t get results over night, but your child deserves the chance to speak. You deserve the chance to hear your child speak after so many years of being silent. I give you my hope that a single word can start the way to recovery. Craig Willoughby is a mild-mannered computer programmer by day, and by night uses his razor wit and sarcasm to fight the forces of evil (i.e. Big pHARMa and idiotic bloggers)." 54. "Market America Announces Plans To Launch Vitamins For Children With Autism" dated 22 June 2008 in a press release from Market America at http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112234.php. "Market America announced that it is in the development and testing stages of a new line of nutraceutical products that will support the health of children with autism and related neurodevelopmental challenges. Specialized laboratory testing often demonstrates sub-optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids in people with autism, which can be addressed with nutritional supplements. Despite these findings, Market America found in its research that parents and health professionals alike are frustrated with the limited nutritional products available in the marketplace. The announcement follows a conference held with prominent doctors who specialize in areas related to autism at Market America's Greensboro headquarters. The doctors in attendance were Dr. Emi Hosada; an Internist in Washington State, Dr. Jim Sensenig; prominent naturopathic physician and founding president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Dr. Susan Beltz; a neuroscientist and clinical scientist and founder of the Mont Black Academy in Hook Set, NH which specializes in educating and treating children with ADHD, Metabolic Disorders and Learning Disabilities, and Dr. Anne Hines; a family and Defeat Autism Now (DAN) physician in Winston-Salem, NC. Market America is working in conjunction with these doctors to develop a regimen of nutraceutical products that will promote a high quality of life for those living with autism. "It is simply mind-blowing and disheartening when you read the statistics about children afflicted with autism," said Marty Weissman, executive vice president of Market America. "One out of every 150 children is diagnosed with autism and 67 new children are diagnosed per day. As a company founded on science based products, it is time that we use our expertise to support the health of these children." The conference was held to identify areas that are lacking in autism therapy and how Market America could develop products that meet the special needs of these children. "The consensus among t he panel of experts was that children with autism need nutritional supplementation that is complete and easy to take," Said Dr. Julian Blumenfeld, Chief Medical Officer at Market America. "Current products on the market are not complete and do not enhance patient compliance. With our advanced Isotonix® delivery system we can offer nutritional supplementation designed for children that is easy to taste and tolerate. Enhancing compliance is critical for the efficacy of children's supplementation and will make the parents lives so much easier." 55. "Missing man with autism found after week-long search" dated 22 June 2008 by John Brewer from the Twin Cities Pioneer Press at http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_9668210?nclick_check=1. "Keith Kennedy, the 25-year-old autistic man missing for a week from a camp for developmentally disabled adults near Grantsburg, Wis., was found alive Sunday night, according to his mother. "It's wonderful news. He's alive," an elated Linda Kennedy said. "It's miraculous." Linda Kennedy said her son was enroute to the University of Minnesota Medical Center. She said he was dehydrated and scraped up. "We just called his name and told him we're here for him and he's going to get better and he's going to get help," the mother said after seeing her son. Kennedy was found at about 7 p.m. by a group of St. Paul and Maple Grove firefighters a mile west of Trade Lake Camp, lying next to a stream, Burnett County Sheriff Dean Roland said. "Other than some scrapes and cuts and being covered with bugs, he looked pretty darn good. We're having a party right now," Roland said. Hundreds of people had scoured the fields, forests and rivers near the camp for seven days, joined by searchers in helicopters, on horseback and in canoes. Burnett County Sheriff Dean Roland estimated that more than 40 square miles had been searched. Kennedy was in rough terrain marked by swamps and thick brush. The area had been searched three times in the past week, Roland said, and a team of about 70 searchers was about to conclude a fourth search Sunday night when they found Kennedy. Just hours before Kennedy was found, Roland was contemplating calling off the search. "Here we are a week into this, and we unfortunately have developed zero leads," Roland said in an interview an hour before Kennedy was found. Searchers also worried that Kennedy was suffering because he hadn't received needed medication for his donated kidney the entire week. "I will never forget the smile on mom and dad's face after they heard their son was safe," Roland said. It is still not clear how Kennedy, whom his family said needed constant supervision, was able to walk away from the camp a week ago. His mother didn't talk about blame Sunday night as she drove to be with her son. "Hopefully he'll survive this horrible ordeal. He's an incredibly strong individual," Linda Kennedy said." 56. "Family Meal" dated 22 June 2008 by Allen Shawn from The New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/magazine/22Food-t-001.html?ref=dining. "For my sister, Mary, who has lived in a Maryland institution for the mentally retarded since she was 8, there’s no hiding the fact that food is central. When she is eating, food appears to be the focus of her attention. She doesn’t like to be distracted from it by conversations, let alone by dramatic events. In anticipating the birthday lunches my parents planned for her on her yearly two-hour visits to their summer rental in Bronxville, N.Y., to which she was accompanied by an attendant, she would always reel off the menu she was expecting. This meal never varied throughout her teens and remained unchanged as she passed through her 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s: chicken salad, tomatoes, rolls with butter, iced tea, ice cream even when my older brother and I had reached advanced middle age, our father had died and our mother’s health had declined to such an extent that she could no longer go to Bronxville, we held the yearly lunches in a private hotel dining room and had them replicate the exact menu we made for Mary in Bronxville. By the summer of 2005, it was clear that our mother would not last much longer. At 99, she was unable to move her hands or legs or take care of herself in any way. She had not spoken for months, was hard of hearing and would only open her eyes for a few minutes at a time. Our friends Amy and Piergiorgio were now living with her and, along with an extraordinary woman named Marjorie, helping to take care of her. Piergiorgio prepared wonderful soft dishes for her, which she was fed while her eyes remained, for the most part, closed. In those last weeks, when Amy read to her, our mother, a journalist who had been a brilliantly verbal person, no longer gazed raptly up at her face as she used to do but remained curled up in sleep, in her darkness. …" 57. "Reversal of learning deficits in a Tsc2+/- mouse model of tuberous sclerosis" dated 22 June 2008 by Dan Ehninger, Sangyeul Han, Carrie Shilyansky, Yu Zhou, Weidong Li, David J Kwiatkowski, Vijaya Ramesh & Alcino J Silva in a review from Nature.com at http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nm1788.html. "Abstract. Tuberous sclerosis is a single-gene disorder caused by heterozygous mutations in the TSC1 (9q34) or TSC2 (16p13.3) gene1, 2 and is frequently associated with mental retardation, autism and epilepsy. Even individuals with tuberous sclerosis and a normal intelligence quotient (approximately 50%)3, 4, 5 are commonly affected with specific neuropsychological problems, including long-term and working memory deficits6, 7 . Here we report that mice with a heterozygous, inactivating mutation in the Tsc2 gene (Tsc2+/- mice)8 show deficits in learning and memory. Cognitive deficits in Tsc2+/- mice emerged in the absence of neuropathology and seizures, demonstrating that other disease mechanisms are involved5, 9, 10, 11 . We show that hyperactive hippocampal mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling led to abnormal long-term potentiation in the CA1 region of the hippocampus and consequently to deficits in hippocampal-dependent learning. These deficits included impairments in two spatial learning tasks and in contextual discrimination. Notably, we show that a brief treatment with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin in adult mice rescues not only the synaptic plasticity, but also the behavioral deficits in this animal model of tuberous sclerosis. The results presented here reveal a biological basis for some of the cognitive deficits associated with tuberous sclerosis, and they show that treatment with mTOR antagonists ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in a mouse model of this disorder." 58. "SD Unified To Integrate More Autistic Kids in Regular Classes" dated 23 June 2008 by Ana Tintocalis from KPBS News at http://www.kpbs.org/news/local;id=12061. "Researchers at an autism conference at the University of San Diego 59. "Health: why families with autism sufferers need a better deal" dated 23 June 2008 by Dr. Miriam from The Mirror (UK) at http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/yourlife/drmiriam/2008/06/23/health-why-families-with-autism-sufferers-need-a-better-deal-89520-20618194/. "Half a million families are hit by autism in the UK - and many of them are struggling without proper support. The National Autistic Society's "I Exist" campaign has revealed that almost two thirds of adults with autism don't get the back-up they need, and staff in many health and social-care agencies lack training. This spurred the introduction of the Adults with Autism bill in the Commons last month, calling for more help from Health Secretary Alan Johnson. The bill's promoters hope it will progress further in the autumn session of Parliament. Autism tends to be associated with children but it is a lifelong condition affecting one in 100 people. Most local authorities and primary care trusts have no idea how many autistic adults live in their area, making it almost impossible to provide adequate services. But getting the right support can make all the difference - 60 per cent of parents with autistic kids claim that lack of support early on meant they needed more long-term help. Here's what you can do if you're one of the families touched by autism in the UK. Making sense of the world. Autism always develops before the age of three and sometimes shows up as early as 18 months. The different forms of the condition are grouped under the name of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The effects range from severe learning disabilities to those, like Asperger's syndrome sufferers, who have high ability and become fully independent adults. People with milder forms may miss being diagnosed altogether. In people with autism, links between distant regions of the brain are weak. This is what makes it so difficult for them to make sense of the world. As a result they have problems communicating with and relating to others. They can't read facial expressions, don't like being touched and become isolated in their own world, often making no gestures or eye contact and not speaking. They tend to resist change, become locked into repetitive routines and as children don't play imaginatively or show interest in others . Treatment hopes. ABA - Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), an intensive behavioural programme pioneered in the US and now used in the UK, has achieved extraordinary results with its one-to-one intensive teaching method. DIR - Another US approach involves the teacher getting down on the floor to enter the child's world. Transporters - Pioneered by Professor Simon Baron Cohen, Director of the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, this method teaches autistic children to tune into facial expressions and emotions using vehicles (trains, tractors, buses) with actors' faces digitally grafted on to them. What makes it likely. It's now been proven beyond doubt that the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination does NOT cause autism. Here's what increases the risk: - Blood ties. It runs in families. For instance, the identical twin of a child with autism has a 60 to 90 per cent chance of being affected. Brothers and sisters of a child with autism have about a one in 10 chance of also having it. - Antibodies. Abnormal antibodies have been detected in children from families with ASD and in mothers with more than one autistic child, say researchers at the University of California. It's thought these antibodies alter brain development in an unborn baby in ways that lead to autism. - Mental illness. Having a parent with a serious mental illness raises a child's risk of autism by 70 per cent while having two parents will double the risk. - Being a boy. It's four times more likely in boys than girls. - Having an older dad. Two years ago a US study showed that men over 40 have a two-and-a-half times greater risk of fathering an autistic child than men under 30. …" 60. "OPTOMETRY'S ROLE IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS" dated 23 June 2008 by Randy Schulman, MS, OD, FCOVD from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/optometrys-role.html#more. "Many of the behavioral characteristics of those falling within the autism spectrum involve the visual system. Poor eye contact, staring at lights or spinning objects, looking askance, side viewing and general difficulties attending are often symptoms of visual dysfunction. Thus, any individual with a diagnosis of autism, PDD, learning disability, speech-language delay, sensory integration dysfunction, Asperger syndrome, non-verbal learning disability or with psychological problems should most certainly undergo a thorough examination by a developmental optometrist. The earlier families of children with autism undergo a visual examination and begin visual intervention, the faster the improvement and the longer lasting the gains and overall chances for success. The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that all children undergo visual exams by six months of age. If parents complied with this guideline, optometrists would certainly note many visual problems in these young, yet undiagnosed children. For those with autism spectrum diagnoses, an immediate developmental exam is essential. After age four, a child may make adaptations which further embed the visual problems. For example, an eye turn out becomes an eye turn in or a suppression becomes firmly established by a large angle head turn or tilt. Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have motor, sensory, language and social-emotional delays that affect visual processing. Likewise visual problems affect cognitive, speech-language, social-emotional and perceptual development. Specifically, delays in oculomotor function, focusing, and binocular abilities can affect gross and fine motor abilities and language acquisition. Sensory problems result when vision does not coordinate with the vestibular and proprioceptive systems properly, or if there is poor synchronization between the central and peripheral visual systems. Poor visual awareness and poor eye contact negatively affects socialization and poor visualization can hinder the development of sk ills for imaginative play. What is important is that the time period from age 18 months to four years of age, when autism is usually diagnosed, is an extremely important window of development for vision, as well as language, socialization and other crucial areas. …" 61. "New 5-in-1 Vaccine May Reduce Number of Pediatric Shots" dated 23 June 2008 from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/rxok/616798.html. "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Sanofi Pasteur's Pentacel combination vaccine for children, the company said Monday. Approved as a four-dose series at 2, 4, 6 and 15 to 18 months of age, it protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, and influenza type B. Use of the vaccine could reduce the number of injections children get before they are 18 months old by as many as one-third -- from 23 shots to 16, Sanofi said in a statement. The vaccine was clinically tested among more than 5,000 children. Adverse reactions included injection site redness, swelling, fever, fussiness, and crying. The vaccine should not be administered to infants who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome after a prior tetanus vaccine, or if a serious adverse reaction was noted after a prior whooping cough vaccine, the company said." 62. "Man with Autism Recovering After Rescue in Northwestern Wis. Woods" dated 23 June 2008 from The Associated Press at http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/20651264.html. "A man with autism is recovering at a Minneapolis hospital after spending seven days alone in the northwestern Wisconsin woods. A spokeswoman for Fairview Hospital at the University of Minnesota Medical Center says Keith Kennedy is in the intensive care unit, where he's stable and improving. His family says they are deeply appreciative of the volunteers and law enforcement officers who were part of the massive search effort that found their son on Sunday. The 25-year-old man from Shoreview, Minnesota, vanished from a camp for developmentally disabled adults. He was found about a mile from the camp, in a wooded area inaccessible to vehicles <\l > . Kennedy was weak, covered with insect bites, but safe. Searchers worried that Kennedy might suffer a medical emergency without the anti-rejection drugs he has taken since having a kidney transplant in 1995." 63. "Keith Kennedy's Parents Amazed Son Survived Week Lost in Woods" dated 24 June 2008 from The Associated Press at http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/20733794.html. "Keith Kennedy's parents figure they'll never know why their son with autism wandered away from a camp for developmentally disabled adults and spent a week lost in the woods of northern Wisconsin. They're just grateful rescuers found him in time. And Bruce and Linda Kennedy say they likely will never know how he managed to survive without the skills to fend for himself, and with a failing transplanted kidney. Twenty-five-year-old Keith Kennedy was dehydrated, suffering from hypothermia, naked, filthy, and covered with ticks and bug bites when a firefighter found him Sunday evening. He was in thick brush next to a creek bed on swampy ground about a mile from the camp at Grantsburg in Burnett County. By yesterday morning, his condition was already stable and getting better at a hospital in Minneapolis. The Kennedys live in Roseville, Minnesota, and their son lives in a group home. The parents say they will be even more careful to make sure he doesn't wander away. And they doubt he'll be going to camp again." 64. "THE “DARK AGE OF AUTISM” IS DEAD" dated 24 June 2008 by Ed Arranga from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/the-dark-age-of.html#more. "Looking back this year’s conference stood in sharp relief to previous years. Earlier years had an element of foreboding. In fact, for years the first night of the conference was reserved for a candlelight vigil with parents sharing their stories of suffering. It was the equivalent of the autism “wailing wall.” Words were not big enough to adequately articulate the enormity of our anguish. This year the energy radiated from a different place. The focus was not on surviving the present, but on moving confidently into the future. Before, laughing was also taboo. This year a sense of humor was out and about in full force. From the bright eyes and smiling faces shone a confidence that was breathtaking in its redemption. The Dark Age of Autism was as real and destructive as the epidemic itself. Parents lost their spouses, lost their jobs, lost their savings, lost their friends and lost their way. A diagnosis became an ongoing tragedy that fed on and consumed itself. Played out in thousands of doctors’ offices and picked up by the press a theme of blame, shame, and censure was waged against parents who refused to also lose their children. Doubt and disbelief grew into defiance and then open rebellion. Asking for help from your school was seen as an act of civil disobedience. Asking certain questions of the medical establishment was akin to burning the flag. Asking government agencies to perform their duties was an exercise in futility. Ironically, in the years of self-sacrifice and searching to save their children parents found themselves. The Dark Age of Autism forged a parental response more in keeping with a political revolution than a medical diagnosis. Along the widening plane of engagement parents found their voice. If your background was medicine your voice was needed; law, information technology, administration, accounting, education, IS, public relations–every profession and every voice found a matching need along the spectrum. Until finally it can be declared the “Dark Age of Autism” is Dead ! Never again will our community suffer the same type of terror that tested our limits and tried to embargo our voice. Never again will asking for help be callously ignored and construed as a weakness. The open rebellion has grown into a revolution demanding change. Welcome to the “Age of Freedom.” Previous obstacles become petty annoyances when our hard-won freedom from fear and faith in the future is measured against the puny and the wrong. Like bad actors in a canceled comedy the same talking heads appear on TV and in print spouting the same tired shtick, unaware the country has moved past them. While we have moved past you, we have not forgotten you – government and industry enablers and apologists will be dealt with in due time. A system that allowed this to occur, spinning numbers out of whole cloth to scare parents, which has created the single largest problem the world faces today will end. It will not be pretty, but in life there are prices to pay for your actions. In a poetic turn of justice The Dark Age of Autism is about to descend on its creators. As always, please let me know if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas. Thank you." 65. "WHERE THE BOYS AREN'T" dated 24 June 2008 by Dan Olmsted from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/olmsted-on-au-1.html#more. "Last week I wrote a post about two young teenage boys whose exceptional promise was being weighed down by the kind of problems we hear so much about today – one had a bad case of ADD or ADHD or whatever you call it; the other had recovered from Aspergers but now has Tourette's. Both are taking what I'm sure are strong medicines to try to "control" their disorder – drugs that no doubt have their own problematic impact on their development. And despite what looks to me like clear neurological damage, they're not even part of any recognized "spectrum" that in my opinion starts with severe autism and stretches all the way through these suddenly pervasive developmental disorders. What is the rate, I wondered, at which this entire generation, and especially boys, is being neurologically damaged? It's a lot higher than 1` in 150, I can tell you that. And why are we so blasé about this damage not only to individual kids -- who deserve the chance to excel and pursue happiness as much as we all did – but about the threat to our nation's ability to compete in the new global economy? This is a 9/11 for the health of our democracy and it seems we're sitting around wondering about "increased diagnosis" and which drugs work best for which kids. The whole situation is utterly, urgently unacceptable. To my surprise, that post based on a couple of "anecdotes" (which mainstream medicine reminds us are meaningless) generated a lot of comment – it seems there is a "hidden horde," to adapt Mark Blaxill's phrase, of kids with problems that don't qualify for a CDC-AAP "alarm" but nonetheless are evident just about everywhere you turn. Today I want to follow up on that idea by suggesting there would be even more boys with these kinds of problems except for one simple but truly horrifying fact: The odds are now so stacked against them that they simply aren't being born. This was brought home to me by an excellent front-page article in the Chicago Tribune on May 25, the Sunday of the Autism One conference. While Time magazin e chose to do a cover story that week on how fears about vaccines are endangering us all -- and Newsweek focused on bipolar kids -- the Trib headlined its story "A puzzle over fewer boy births." Click HERE 66. "New Scheduler Helps Track Kids' Shots" dated 24 June 2008 in a press release from the Georgia Institute of Technology in The Washington Post at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/14/AR2008061400789.html. "A new computerized program that helps parents and pediatricians adjust childhood immunization schedules when one or more vaccinations are missed has been developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. It's common for children to miss getting vaccines at the recommended time. About 28 percent of toddlers haven't been vaccinated according to U.S. guidelines, said a report issued recently by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only 9 percent of children received all their vaccinations at the recommended times, and only half received all the recommended doses by their second birthday, according to another recent survey. When a child falls behind in the vaccination schedule, doctors must determine when it's appropriate to give any missed vaccines or future vaccines. This typically requires the creation of a personalized catch-up schedule for each child, something that's often done while the child sits in the treatment room. The new software program is designed to ensure that missed and future vaccines are given without violating guidelines regarding vaccines and doses. "Physicians have been telling us for years that they needed a computerized program to tell them when to give vaccines after a child misses scheduled immunizations. Now this tool is available for health care professionals and parents to use, and they are excited to use it," Larry Pickering, executive director of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and a collaborator on the project, said in a prepared statement. When using the program, a doctor or parent inputs a child's date of birth and previous immunization dates. The program then creates a personalized schedule of the recommended dates to administer all future vaccines. It offers two options -- administer the vaccines as soon as possible or administer the vaccines when recommended. "Sometimes a physician sees a child that he or she knows will not return for all follow-up visits. In this case, the tool provides the physician flexibility in ad ministering as many vaccines as possible when the child is in the office rather than waiting," Pickering said. The software program can be downloaded from the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/scheduler/catchup.htm." 67. "Mother of autistic child puts priest on stand" dated 25 June 2008 by Dave Olson from WDAY6 News at http://www.wday.com/news/index.cfm?id=4663. "A woman who says her autistic child should be allowed to attend church services put her priest on the stand during a hearing in Long Prairie. The Church of St. Joseph in the central Minnesota town of Bertha obtained a restraining order against 13-year-old Adam Race, claiming the boy was disruptive and dangerous at Mass. His mother, Carol Race, is fighting the restraining order. She represented herself at Tuesday's hearing, and questioned the Reverend Daniel Walz for about 30 minutes. Walz acknowledged that he did not witness all of the alleged disruptions, but said he believes they happened. Judge Sally Ireland Robertson took the matter under advisement and said she would rule later. Afterward, Race said she was disappointed that she wasn't allowed to question the priest about his credibility. She said she and her family will return to the church if the restraining order is lifted." 68. "Jonathan’s Law Extended, Reforms Implemented "The state Legislature has agreed to pass a package of reforms designed to enhance protections for children and adults in residential care. The reforms will target four specific areas, including enhancing the standards used to determine if abuse has occurred, extending the time period for retroactive requests for information under Jonathan’s Law, prohibiting the withholding of food or hydration, and making recommendations as to appropriate work hours for direct care employees in mental hygiene facilities. “New York State has long been recognized as a national leader in serving the needs of individuals with disabilities, assisting those individuals to live as full lives as possible. However, these reforms were essential to maintain that reputation and show the public that we are responsive to their concerns,” said Governor David Paterson. “The agreements reached with the Legislature will build upon New York State’s leadership role in this area by providing additional protections against abuse and neglect of children in residential facilities, as well as acting to address other quality of care issues in the mental hygiene system. Making the decision to place a child in residential care is an exceptionally difficult choice, and these bills will give families additional confidence in their decision to entrust the care of their children to others.” This package includes four separate bills, all designed to enhance the protection of children and adults in residential care and other mental hygiene programs in distinct ways. Originally proposed by Governor Paterson in May, the bill broadens statutory definitions of abuse and neglect applicable to children living in residential facilities. This will help ensure that certain acts – such as shoving, kicking or biting – or omissions committed by residential caretakers will be automatically characterized as abuse or neglect, even if a child does not sustain obvious, serious physical injury. The bill also clarifies in statute the actions to be taken in res ponse to reports of abuse or neglect in residential settings, requiring referrals to law enforcement when appropriate, corrective action, and follow-up reporting by providers and state licensing agencies where there appears to be statutory or regulatory violations. The residential programs affected by the bill are operated or licensed by the Office of Children and Family Services, the State Education Department, the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), and the Office of Mental Health (OMH). Under the agreed-upon legislation, programs operated or overseen by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), which are not currently covered under existing law, will be included as well. …" 69. "Challenges of traveling with autism" dated 25 June 2008 from ABC6 News at http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/health&id=6225645. "Already distressing" situation for family goes out of control in an airplane at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The news that a child with autism was put off an airplane because he was unruly saddened, but didn't surprise, one local expert on the behavior disorder. Dr. Caroline Eggerding, chief medical officer of Bancroft Neurohealth in Haddonfield, New Jersey, says it "didn't have to deteriorate like that." However, she says parents should not let it discourage them from traveling with their children with autism. Dr. Eggerding says outings and vacations can be a challenge, but can be accomplished if parents accept, adapt, and are flexible. She says many children with autism are distressed in new situations. Reports on the North Carolina airport incident indicate 2 and a half year-old Jarrett Farrell was upset when a flight attendant tried to tighten the child's seat belt. Dr. Eggerding says Farrell may have been reacting to the presence of a stranger. She says children with autism communicate differently, and sometimes, their only way to show distress is with a "meltdown." That may be misinterpreted as conscious defiance by those unfamiliar with autism. She says there are simple things to reduce stress in situations that appear headed out of control. She says children should be surrounded with familiar things - perhaps a car seat for a younger child, or toys and games. If the trip is by airplane, be sure to board early, to give the child time quiet time, before the rest of the passengers get on. Dr. Eggerding also says flexibility is vital for families. "Be ready to shift gears," she told Action News. And she gave these additional tips: 1. Know your child first. Learn from each past experience. Keep a journal if necessary to know what events, sights and sounds trigger negative behavior. Your child may not be able to handle certain experiences no matter how well prepared you are. If you want to attend the event with all of your children, you may have to limit your time there. Watch for distress sign als. If you see any, move your child to a quieter area where he or she can play with a comforting toy you brought with you. If this does not work, be flexible and leave earlier than planned. …" 70. "NIH May Tighten Oversight Of Grant Disclosures "In response to sustained public pressure, the National Institutes of Health is now getting set to tighten its oversight on grants awarded academic researchers, whose institutions are required to report any conflicts of interest. Recent examples uncovered by the Senate Finance Committee, however, have embarrassed the NIH and several universities, most notably Harvard University. Over the past several months, the committee has disclosed instances where academic researchers at Harvard, Stanford University and the University of Cincinnatti accepted funding from both the NIH and various drugmakers, but failed to fully disclose industry payments. Universities are supposed to monitor researchers and the NIH is supposed to monitor the universities for conflicts involving payments exceeding $10,000 over a 12-month period. The failures underscored lax oversight. Just three months ago, Norka Ruiz Bravo, the NIH deputy director for extramural research, told The New York Times that “for us to try to manage directly the conflict-of-interest of an NIH investigator would be not only inappropriate but pretty much impossible.” She added that “I think (the system) is working to the extent that people are being honest and I think most people are honest.” In a June 20 letter ns requiring the NIH to conduct stricter oversight. “The monetary value and prestige of NIH grants is significant enough that the possibility of losing a grant for not complying with reporting requirements ought to be a strong incentive to follow the rules,” he says in a statement 71. "Custody Battle Continues Texas v. North Carolina" dated 25 June 2008 by Parul Joshi from Eyewitness News 9 at http://www.wnct.com/midatlantic/nct/news/local_news.apx.-content-articles-NCT-2008-06-25-0025.html. "A custody battle between our state and Texas continues tonight. Last week, we told you about a father in Texas who's been trying to get his son back from Carteret County Department of Social Services, for about two years. Earlier this month a Texas judge issued a Writ of Habeas Corpus ordering DSS to return Joshua to Texas Child Protective Services. They had until today to do that. Carteret County Department of Social Services Director David Atkinson sent us a signed and certified version of a Virginia court order. We called the courts to make sure it was legitimate and it is. It's an order from the Circuit Court of Norfolk that says the Carteret County General Court of Justice has exclusive and continuing jurisdiction over Joshua. It also says that Onslow County DSS before turning the case over to Carteret County found that Joshua was neglected when he was with Smith and that a psychologist’s evaluation found Smith had “several mental health issues”. The order paints a picture of Smith as an unfit father who had hurt his son. David Atkinson says "If we believe that the judge in that case included nothing but the facts you have to conclude from that somebody isn't representing the truth either a judge in Virginia or an in individual in Texas." Javan Smith is that individual in Texas he disputes all of those claims, points out he is the Vice President of the San Antonio autism society and that he always took good care of Joshua. Virginia's involvement stems from the fact that Carteret County DSS moved Joshua to a residential treatment facility there. So smith tried to get custody of his son from Virginia. The Virginia judge ruled that Virginia didn't have jurisdiction to give up Joshua essentially keeping him in North Carolina custody indefinitely. Meanwhile the “Writ of Habeas Corpus” issued by a Texas judge earlier this month still stands according to Javan Smith's counsel. Now that June 25th has arrived and Joshua Smith has not been returned to Texas Child Protective Services, the FBI is in volved. Javan Smith says, "I'm really happy they're looking into this it means to me my son's going to be safe soon." I spoke with an FBI representative who says while the Bureau does not have an official investigation going on right now the FBI in San Antonio is making inquiries on behalf of Mr. Smith in an effort to resolve this issue in the best interest of the child. Meanwhile two states have two very different views on where a little boy should be and a father determined to bring his son home. Nine on your side will continue to follow this story, and let you know of any developments." 72. "Macomb man faces jail time for molesting autistic children" dated 25 June 2008 by Erin McClary from C & G News at http://www.candgnews.com/Homepage-Articles/2008/06-25-08/QC-AUTISTIC.asp. "A 21-year-old Macomb Township man was allegedly caught on camera molesting two young autistic children left under his care June 19. The parents of the two little boys set up a video surveillance at their home to monitor the children under the care of Jonathan Maltese. When they later reviewed the video, it appeared that Maltese had sexually accosted their kids. Maltese, 21, was in the Macomb Township home at the time under the employment of a local agency that specializes in the needs of autistic children. Capt. John Roberts of the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said his department received the information the evening of June 19 and picked up the suspect the next day. He said the victims’ parents decided to monitor Maltese not because they had reason to believe he was molesting their children, but more so out of curiosity. “People want to be able to check out what’s going on,” he said. “This is probably their worst nightmare. They don’t want to believe this sort of thing is going on.” Maltese was arraigned in Shelby Township’s 41-A District Court June 23 and charged with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony carrying 15 years jail time; one charge of gross indecency between males committing or procuring, a five-year felony; and one count of accosting children for immoral purposes. Roberts said his department does not believe Maltese has a past criminal record of child molestation. He did not know whether Maltese had been removed from his care-giving position at press time. What exactly Maltese is being accused of doing to the young boys was not detailed, but Roberts did say the video revealed “criminal acts committed upon the children by Mr. Maltese.” Because the investigation is ongoing, the Sheriff’s Office was reluctant to provide specifics. “Based on the evidence of the video and interview, evidence does support the criminal sexual conduct charges,” Roberts said. Maltese was released on a cash-surety posted bond after his arraignment June 23. He is expected back in court July 7 at 9 a.m. before Judge Douglas Shepherd for a preliminary examination. The children’s names and ages, as well as the name of the autism agency Maltese worked for, were not released in an effort to conceal the identities of the victims’ family." 73. "SKITTLES + AUTISM = STUPID" dated 25 June 2008 by Kim Stagliano from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/skittles-and-au.html#more. "ABC News recently ran THIS aders might want to know that M&M Mars and other candy manufacturers have removed the artificial dyes from their candies, Skittles included, sold in Europe. But not in America (click here. 74. "HONEY GETS MORE THAN LEMON" dated 25 June 2008 by Julie Obradovic from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/do-what-we-say.html#more. "In the same month the CDC is meeting with experts from around the country to discuss the role vaccinations may have in triggering “autism-like symptoms” in susceptible children with mitochondrial dysfunction, the AAP is gearing up for an all out assault on pesky parents who question vaccine safety. They apparently haven’t gotten the CDC’s memo that, yes, there may be a problem. In an explosive move by the frustrated AAP, a campaign of coercion and intimidation is about to be launched in the hopes of finally getting parents who don’t follow recommended vaccine guidelines to do what they say without asking questions. Their method? 1. Have parents who wish to change or forgo the vaccine schedule sign a damning letter that forces them to acknowledge that they are being “selfish” and “self-centered”, taking advantage of other people’s vaccinated children, and that any refusal to participate alongside them is “unacceptable”. 2. When a parent inquires about an alternate vaccine schedule, or asks for a referral to a doctor that will implement one, tell them you don’t recommend an alternate schedule and that the AAP does not promote doctors who don’t comply with their rules. In other words, don’t help them. 3. Tell parents their kids could die without all of their vaccines exactly when they are supposed to get them. 4. If they still refuse to get with the program, kick uncooperative parents out of the practice and proceed to number 5. 5. Report parents to the authorities and their insurance carriers. Wow! Talk about a plan! (I wonder how many people it took to come up with. Can’t you just picture the heads of the AAP sitting around a board room shouting, “Humiliate them!” “Report them to the police!” “Take away their insurance!” “Make ‘em sign something!” “Scare them!”) I may not be a marketing genius, but I am a teacher, and I can tell you this: This is not the way to get people to cooperate. As the saying goes, you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge. The AAP is acknowledging that parents are refusing to cooperate with the recommended vaccine schedule, but they aren’t correctly acknowledging why. So if anyone from the AAP is reading this, please pay attention. Parents aren’t refusing to cooperate with you because of the internet or the mom down the street who warns them to be careful. Parents aren’t refusing to cooperate with you because the media is too slow to correct a “negative” story, or any of those other reasons you have identified. Parents are refusing to cooperate with you because they are afraid of vaccines; afraid of a lack of transparency; and now they are afraid of you. Make no mistake, they are not confused. They recognize neurodevelopmental disorders have skyrocketed in the last 20 years (the same 20 years that vaccines have more than tripled) and you have no idea why. They recognize our children are the sickest generation ever, and the most vaccinated, and again, you have no idea why. Most important, they recognize that you are not even remotely addressing these very legitimate concerns with real, independent, non-manipulated science. …" 75. "Merck's Gardasil not cleared for older women" dated 25 June 2008 by Lewis Krauskopf from Reuters at http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSWNAS917720080625?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews. "U.S. regulators have told Merck & Co they cannot yet approve Merck's application to expand marketing of its cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil to an older group of women, the drugmaker said on Wednesday. Merck had applied for the use of Gardasil in women ages 27 through 45. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a letter regarding the application that it has completed its review and there are "issues" that preclude approval within the expected review time frame, Merck said. "It's hard to get a feel for if this is a dead issue or if this is delayed," said Linda Bannister, an analyst for Edward Jones. "At the minimum, it's going to be delayed." Merck said it also failed to win FDA approval to expand Gardasil to protect against more strains of the Human Papillomavirus that causes cervical cancer. The company for now is dropping plans to pursue that expansion, a spokeswoman said. Shares of the New Jersey-based drug maker, which also reiterated its long-term revenue and earnings targets, fell 0.8 percent. Gardasil, approved in June 2006 for preventing cervical cancer and genital warts in females ages 9-26, has been one of Merck's most successful newer products and has helped the company recover after the 2004 withdrawal of its Vioxx arthritis treatment. The Gardasil setbacks could raise concerns about the degree of growth that Merck can hope to achieve with the product, which is the world's first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. A Merck spokeswoman said the agency has specific questions regarding Gardasil's effectiveness in this older age group. …" 76. "Disability dolls become more popular- Are Down's syndrome, blind and chemotherapy dolls a blessing or just a sick joke? Supporters say they help children" dated 25 June 2008 by Carol Midgley from The Times Online (UK) at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4206469.ece. "Take a look at the doll in the picture. What do you see? You'll probably notice almost immediately that its face is not as “regular” as the rosebud-mouthed, snub-nosed dolls that come as standard in toy shops. But if you picked it up and examined it more closely, you'd see that they are not the only features that you don't find on a “normal” doll: a horizontal crease in the palm of the hand, the ears set low on the head, a flattened bridge across the nose, a slightly protruding tongue. This is a Down's syndrome doll, designed with the aim of giving Down's children a toy that reflects themselves as they are, and not the mainstream version of physical perfection trailblazed by the likes of Barbie and Baby Annabel. They are not the only “disability dolls” available on the market. Far from it. You can buy dolls with prosthetic limbs, walking frames, hearing aids, “blind” dolls complete with guide dogs. When Mattel launched Becky - Barbie's friend in a wheelchair - it sold out within two weeks. In the past few years, the toy industry has been waking up to the fact that it makes good financial sense to cater for overlooked consumer groups. But Helga Parks, who is one of the few people producing Down's syndrome dolls, insists that money is not the motivating force for her (she sells around 2,000 dolls a year at $50 each - a nice annual earner of around $100,000). Many years ago in Germany, she says, she watched the face of her late niece, Angela, who had Down's, light up when she was given a doll with facial features like her own to play with. Angela, who died at the age of 9, pointed to her doll and said: “This is me.” Such toys are used in kindergartens in Germany to educate children about, and to destigmatise, disability. “It was very touching,” Parks says. “It made me realise how important toys like this are to help build self-esteem for kids with Down's.” So she started marketing the dolls in the US, where she now lives, via her website, downsyndromedolls.com edolls.com/> . There have been some derogatory and offensive remarks (one blogger said: “The whole thing just reeks of a bad joke”) so Parks has had to put a disclaimer on her website. But the main reponse, she says, has been overwhelmingly positive. Her new venture is producing hairless dolls - “Chemo Friends” - for children undergoing chemotherapy. The dolls come with a built-in port below the collarbone, which Parks says makes it easier to explain, for example, a catheter to a sick child. There is also an “Anatomical Teddy”, which has an oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidneys, liver, bladder, anus and rectum, so that medical procedures can be explained in a less frightening way to children undergoing surgery. But it is the Down's dolls that have so far proved the biggest success. Parks also sells regularly to the UK, Australia, South America, Saudi Arabia and many European countries. …" 77. "New Jersey’s children with autism" dated 26 June 2008 by Salvatore Pizzuro from The Leader at http://leadernewspapers.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7484. "Autism has become a buzz word in New Jersey that transcends other disabilities that affect children and adults, in terms of its diagnostic and political impact. Over the past two years, several New Jersey State legislators, including Gary Schaer and Joe Roberts, have introduced legislation designed to improve services for children with autism. Recently, the issue of a proper identification and diagnosis of autism has arisen. A U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania issued a strong decision on this issue in February 2008 on behalf of a child with autism and his mother. In Tereance D. v. School District of Philadelphia, the court held that a child with autism was misdiagnosed as mentally retarded and emotionally disturbed, thus depriving the child of appropriate FAPE (Free and Appropriate Education) for a period of years. Furthermore, the parent was not made aware of her son’s rights to autism services, extended school year services and details about such services. The child received early intervention services. However, although a school psychologist recommended that Tereance needed learning support services as part of FAPE, the child was placed in a regular kindergarten, without support. As the child’s behavior over the next year suggested the possibility of autism, no evaluation was conducted. The court’s decision in Tereance D. v School District of Philadelphia suggested that the school district was not compliant with federal law and was predisposed to mislead the parent. Although the school district moved to dismiss all complaints, the judge refused to dismiss any, finding that: …" 78. "Father jailed for attack on son- A father who repeatedly hit his son over the head, then doused himself and his two autistic children in fuel, has been jailed for six years." dated 26 June 2008 from BBC News (UK) at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/surrey/7475737.stm. "The man, 46, who cannot be named for legal reasons, carried out the attack in a remote Surrey field in April 2007. He was previously found guilty of attempting to murder his older son but cleared of trying to kill his younger son, aged five, at the Old Bailey. The court heard the father had been suffering from depression. During his sentencing, Judge Samuel Wiggs said it was a "tragedy of the greatest magnitude". Bludgeoned son. He added: "Both you and your wife had suffered from mental health problems and you had the greatest difficulties with your two children who had their own disabilities and must have been very difficult to look after. "You plainly had planned to do what you did, at least on that day, but you desisted and came to your senses. "You intended to take the life of all three of you, yourself included. You were an extremely caring father and you undoubtedly were at the end of your tether." The court heard the older boy, aged six, received nine head injuries and pleaded with his father not to kill him. The jury had previously been told that the father drove his two sons down an isolated track in a remote Surrey field and doused them with diesel fuel, while holding a cigarette lighter. He repeatedly bludgeoned his six-year-old son with a car jack before he suddenly stopped the assault, "came to his senses" and walked to the main road for help. The judge accepted a psychiatric report which found his wife's decision to divorce him had been the "final straw"." 79. "UM autism clinic takes to the road in van- A first of its kind Mobile Autism Clinic will be traveling throughout South Florida in an effort to create more awareness for children and adults with autism." dated 26 June 2008 by ERIKA CAPEK from the Miami Herald at http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/coral_gables/story/582086.html. "Friendly and popular with University of Miami students and staff, Kent Schomber's disability is hard to see. He is autistic; yet, Schomber doesn't let that get in his way. He works in the UM psychology department as a senior clerk for the Autism Center and has been called a ''poster child'' for how parents want to see their autistic children functioning in the world. ''I've noticed much improvement in the study of autism over the last 10 years,'' said Maria Lapone, the mother of 12-year-old Gabriella, who was diagnosed with autism when she was a baby. Even with improved research, one out of every 150 children is diagnosed with autism, according to Diane Adreon, associate director of the UM-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. It is estimated there are 40,000 children in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties who have autism or autistic-related disabilities and aren't getting the help they need. But with the unveiling of the first Mobile Autism Family Clinic on June 19, families who didn't have the means to get to a center now will have a free autism clinic brought to them. The UM-NSU CARD is the first to try this approach. ''It's clear that the families that needed us most couldn't get to us,'' said Dr. Michael Alessandri, executive director of the center. ``These people are underserved, underrepresented, and now finally we're able to do something about it.'' Five years ago, Alessandri came up with the idea of a mobile autism clinic after seeing a Red Cross blood mobile. But his vision didn't begin to take shape for several years because of a lack of funding. But with a recent $56,000 grant from Unicorn Children's Foundation, an international nonprofit organization, and private donations, the mobile clinic was completed this month. The 23-foot UM-NSU CARD bus is customized with a therapy and evaluation room in the back and a waiting room and work station in the front. The back of the bus has video cameras that connect to recording equipment and a monitor in the waiti ng room, so families can watch and interact with their children. ''When children are diagnosed early, there's overwhelmingly better results,'' said Florida Secretary of Health/Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros. ``This mobile unit is great because it will help with early screenings and treatment methods and provide support services to families in need.'' According to Natalee George, coordinator for UM-NSU CARD, the mobile clinic does not diagnose a child with any disability. However, visiting the clinic is the first step to take for parents looking for answers. Families will be able to meet with a clinician and have a reading done on the child. If there is a disability, the parents will be given information on what to do next, including where to go for a more formal assessment. ''Early intervention is very important,'' George said. ``It's imperative that we get into the communities that have been in the dark about autism and do something about it.'' The mobile clinic's first stop will be Sept. 13 at The Children's Trust Health Expo. It will be outside Arnold Hall at the Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m." 80. "Group advises adding vaccines for U.S. kids" dated 26 June 2008 from Reuters at http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/06/26/eline/links/20080626elin030.html. "U.S. vaccine advisers recommended adding two multiple vaccines to the regular childhood schedule on Thursday -- Sanofi Aventis's Pentacel, which protects against five infections at once, and GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Kinrix, which protects against four of them. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to include both vaccines in the Vaccines for Children program, which means that the federal government will provide vaccine free of charge to some children under 18, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Pentacel was licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week for immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis or whooping cough, polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Kinrix was licensed on Tuesday as a booster for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and poliomyelitis." 81. "Autism on a Plane: Is This Really Big News?" dated 26 June 2008 by Lisa Jo Rudy from About.com at http://autism.about.com/b/2008/06/26/autism-on-a-plane-is-this-really-big-news.htm. "A mom and her autistic child were thrown off a plane. Various versions of this story seem to agree that this particular situation was a sort of "perfect storm" of bad management, poor decision making, lousy communication, and an extremely unhappy child. Yesterday, the story was blogged on the Chicago Tribune's website she could have selected some items from her son's bag prior to liftoff - so that the bag could have been safely stowed AND the boy could have had his calming objects. The pilot should have been able to manage the situation better, perhaps asking a different flight attendant to attend to this child, or recommending what should be standard techniques for handling a difficult or upset passenger. …" 82. "The Second International Conference on Signs of Autism in Infants: Changing Outcomes through Early Identification and Intervention, October 11 and 12, 2008. Save the Date!- During this 2-day conference experts from around the world will present their latest research on indicators of autism in the first year of life, the process and tools of identification, and strategies for early intervention. These experts have been discovering the links between theory and practice that will enable infants and toddlers to escape the life altering consequences of autism spectrum disorder." dated 26 June 2008 in a press release from Child Development Media, Inc. at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/6/prweb1056554.htm. "Identifying the signs of autism before the age of one is a priority at the forefront of the scientific, health, and education communities. Steady progress is being made in all disciplines that address the autistic spectrum. This unique conference provides an opportunity for experts across key disciplines to discuss and reach a consensus on strategies for early identification and intervention. This event -- the Second International Conference on Signs of Autism in Infants: Changing Outcomes through Early Identification and Intervention -- is scheduled for October 11 and 12, 2008 in Southern California. Hosted by Child Development Media, Inc. nion of Margie Wagner that, "based on what we know from research and from experience, it is imperative that we develop intervention techniques for use as close to birth as possible. It is my belief that this conference will give us the tools we need to move us closer to that goal for the betterment of the lives of babies and their concerned parents." Additional information regarding the schedule of expert presenters and conference details will be announced soon. To request a brochure please click the link to our website ChildDevelopmentMedia.com 83. "A Community Awakening To Autism" dated 26 June 2008 from 5 Towns Jewish Times at http://www.5tjt.com/news/read.asp?Id=2668. "“My ignorance shames me,” commented a rebbetzin from Long Island. “I have found renewed strength,” said Jonathan, a parent of an autistic child from Queens. OHEL Bais Ezra’s Queens seminar, entitled “A Community Awakening to Autism,” was billed as an event that would fuel awareness, understanding, and inspiration—and it certainly did. The seminar, which took place on May 18 at Lander College in Kew Gardens Hills, drew hundreds of participants from across the tri-state area and beyond. The diversity of attendees—parents of autistic children, extended family members, friends, and community and rabbinic leaders—highlighted the reality that autism is a developmental disability that impacts so many people. The seminar was made possible through a generous grant from the offices of Councilman David Weprin, who spoke passionately at the event about education and the growing need for services to address autism—the fastest-growing developmental disability, yet one of the most misunderstood. The seminar began with an emotionally moving and inspirational film produced by OHEL Bais Ezra, which focused on the personal trials and triumphs of three exceptional Jewish families with autistic children. Not a dry eye could be found. After the showing, Mrs. Chana Tomsky, a parent of autistic children and one of the subjects of the film, shared her personal story and spoke of the need for community awareness and action, inspiring the audience with her words of self-sacrifice, dedication, and the joys of her family. Keynote speaker Susan Senator, herself a parent of an autistic child, led an informative and interactive exchange, drawing on her book, Making Peace with Autism, sharing her experiences, and providing practical steps—help in getting through the early days, developing key coping strategies, helping to keep a marriage strong, and how to have fun as a family with autism. Rabbi Marc Penner, a well-known community rabbi, spoke from the insightful perspective of a rav and a parent of an autistic c hild. Rabbi Penner focused on the importance of educating the community, instilling greater sensitivity, and the responsibility of pulpit rabbis to drive community and individual engagement in actively helping many families in need, whether through respite, fostering friendships with children, babysitting, or helping with other needs and offering true chesed. …" 84. "Doctor describes autism theories- Causes and alternative therapies discussed at Senior Center meeting" dated 26 June 2008 by Amanda Luevano from The Daily Northwestern at http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2008/06/26/City/Doctor.Describes.Autism.Theories-3385699.shtml. "Janice Frost works in a pre-K class for disabled students, where she has gained considerable experience working with autistic children. She understands the symptoms, causal factors and traditional methods of treatment. What she understands more than anything, though, is that for the boy she is currently working with, treatment is not working. "I was getting concerned about the child I now have," Frost said. "He's on medication and every week he seems to be having more symptoms. The drugs are driving him crazy." Realizing that the medicated boy was not improving, Frost started researching different medical theories and treatment options. During her research, she learned of an upcoming autism workshop she hoped would provide additional answers. That workshop, held Monday night at the Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave., was presented by the Foundation for Wellness Professionals, an association of professional healthcare speakers devoted to educating the public. Led by Dr. Constance Black, the workshop explored the role of vaccines as a possible cause of autism, and also the recent success of alternative treatment options. "One of the reasons I'm here is that I have a special interest in kids," Black said. "Overall, their health seems to have diminished quite a bit, and the number of autism cases in particular has reached epidemic proportions." Autism, because of its many different manifestations and degrees of severity, is known as a "spectrum disorder." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism spectrum disorders are collectively defined as a group of developmental disabilities characterized by unusual behavior and interests and impairments in social interaction and communication. The disorder has become remarkably prevalent in recent years, with the CDC reporting in 2007 that 1 in 150 8-year-old children in the United States were diagnosed with some degree of autism. According to Dr. Black, the disorder, which is more common in boys, costs $35 billion per year in the U.S." 85. "Cookbook benefits autism society" dated 26 June 2008 by Christie Dumler from The View at http://www.explorehoward.com/education/9687/cookbook-benefits-autism-society. "Jane Berman, special education teacher at Pointers Run Elementary School, and her class of seven preschoolers baked delicious treats throughout the 2007-08 school year and turned their classroom activity into a cookbook fundraiser. The preschoolers were enrolled in the multiple intense needs class -- early learners, which specializes in educating children with autism and related disabilities. The class sold more than 200 copies of its recipe collection. On June 11, the class presented a check for $1,647 to the Howard County Autism Society. "So many people asked for recipes," Berman said. "We thought why not make a cookbook? It was only natural to want to donate the money to the Howard County Autism Society, as autism is clearly near and dear to our class." In addition to the recipes, artwork by the students is sprinkled throughout the cookbook, which is printed on cardstock and stapled. The school paid all printing expenses, enabling 100 percent of the proceeds to go to the autism society. Kim Manning, executive director of the Howard County Autism Society, was pleasantly surprised when she received the news of the donation from Shannon Barrett, autism specialist with the Howard County Public School System. "We are so proud of these children for their hard work, and truly honored to receive this donation from them," Manning said." 86. "Study says autism coverage will have 'modest' cost" dated 26 June 2008 by DAVID WENNER from The Patriot-News at http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2008/06/study_says_autism_coverage_wil.html. "An independent study has concluded requiring Pennsylvania health insurers to cover autism treatment won't be as expensive as claimed by the insurers and businesses groups that oppose it. The study commissioned by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council concluded covering autism would raise premiums by 1 percent. The authors termed the increase as "modest," given that insurers predict premiums will rise 8.7 percent this year even without the new benefit. The study was commissioned following last year's state House passage of a bill requiring health insurers to provide the coverage. The coverage would apply only to dependent children under the age of 21. Services would be capped at $36,000 per year. Health insurers and business groups have opposed the bill, saying it would result in the most expensive insurance mandate in state history. The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, for example, predicted it would cause premiums to rise by "at least four percent." The autism bill has been championed by House Speaker Dennis O'Brien, R-Philadelphia, who has long pushed for improved services for the mentally disabled, and who has a nephew with autism. The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee was scheduled to discuss and possibly vote on the bill today. In Pennsylvania, children with autism qualify for coverage by Medicaid, the government program for the poor. Supporters of O'Brien's bill want the coverage to come from their health insurers, not the taxpayer-funded program. There's no cure for autism. Much of the treatment involves behavioral therapy, which insurers argue isn't medical care. The report said such treatment leads to better quality of life for children with autism, and noted it's most effected when started as early as possible. The study can be read at www.phc4.org." 87. "Academy teaches social skills to children diagnosed with autism" dated 26 June 2008 by Elizabeth Ayres "Having a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be one of the most difficult challenges a parent can face. Many families have had to pick up their whole lives to move to an area with a school that specializes in teaching children with the disorder. These specialty schools can and have brought some parents to the brink of bankruptcy with tuition fees and costs of treatment. But right here in Putnam County, Putnam County Schools offers a three-week program called Social Skills Academy to work one-on-one with not only local children with autism but also their siblings and their parents, all at no charge. "Forty-eight students from Baxter, Cookeville and Monterey are participating in Social Skills Academy," said Tonia Wheeler, autism consultant for Putnam County Schools. "Students are between 6-14 years of age. Twenty-four students have the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The other students are peer models who have been trained to initiate and encourage interaction with their classmates with autism." ASD is a brain development disorder that affects social interaction and communication and causes restricted and/or repetitive behavior. Every child is different when it comes to ASD, and some cases are milder or more complex than others. Extensive research on the disorder is currently underway, including work to find a cause and a cure for ASD. This year's Social Skills Academy started June 9 and will conclude tomorrow. "Students with a diagnosis of ASD and receiving special services received an application (for the academy)," said Wheeler. "Individuals must read with comprehension, demonstrate conversational skills, be independent in terms of self-help skills and have manageable behavior. Decisions to determine eligibility and whether the academy could meet a student's needs were made by the Social Skills Academy program director in consultation with other knowledgeable professionals such as Putnam County Schools (PCS) consulting teachers, classroom teachers, therapists, et cetera. This is our first year." A normal day at the academy begins at 8 a.m., with all activities during the day engineered to "prompt socially appropriate behavior," said Wheeler. …" 88. "‘Grissom’s Angels’ Join Walk Now For Autism" dated 26 June 2008 by Jennifer Caroccio from the Queens Chronicle at http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19806575&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574908&rfi=6. "Students, teachers and parents of South Ozone Park’s J.H.S. 226, the Virgil I. Grisson School, joined together Sunday in Walk Now For Autism at the South Street Seaport. Calling themselves “Grissom’s Angels,” students at the middle school decided to do more than just collect money to support autism research. This was the first year that the school raised money for autism research; last year they raised funds for cancer research. After looking over many books on special conditions, the students decided autism was a good cause since it personally touched many staff members at the school. After choosing the condition, students thought up ways they could help. They participated in the Penny Harvest, which led them to doing the walk for autism, and found sponsors in their peers, teachers, families and friends. The students took action in other ways, including volunteering their time to students with special needs who learn in a new wing of the school created specifically for students with disabilities. Claudia Bethea, the school’s parent coordinator, said that helping the special needs children with exercises like reading has made them “see the world differently.”Helping these children has also given the students an opportunity to see that everyone is born different. Bethea described the three-mile walk, which stretched around the seaport, as “massive.” Six students, eleven staff members, and five parents were part of the 3,000 people that showed up to walk. Two buses from the James Dimino Express company were donated to pick the students up in front of the school. The students met their goal of raising $5,000 for autism research and were also met with support from spectators on the sidewalks and their parents. Bethea said that the students exceeded her expectations with their enthusiasm and donations of both money and time." 89. "Family visits D.C. for autism march- Fighting for autism awareness" dated 26 June 2008 by Josh Neaves from the Rankin Ledger at http://www.rankinledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080626/NEWS/806260316. "Dana Sturdivant asked her son, Brennan, to say hello to visitors to their Reservoir area home. Instead, Brennan repeated the phrase, "I want to say," several times, speaking only to his mother. While most four-year-olds are starting to learn their usage of pronouns, Brennan is still learning simpler social interactions. According to Sturdivant, Brennan was on his way to a full vocabulary, right along with his peers, but after receiving his final vaccination shot at 16 months, something changed. "Within 24 hours he was running a fever of 105 degrees," Sturdivant said. "He lost his words within 11 days and lost his ability to point." Not long after, Brennan was diagnosed with autism, a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication. Although one in every 150 children is born with autism in the U.S. and symptoms of the disorder can appear at any point between birth and the age of three, Sturdivant is convinced that there is a correlation between the vaccine and the disorder. She is not alone. Sturdivant, a tireless advocate for her son since his diagnosis, joined more than 8,500 people, including actors Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey, in Washington, D.C., earlier this month for the Green Our Vaccines rally. The rally was held in the hope that toxins, such as mercury, would be eliminated from children's vaccines and to encourage national health agencies to reassess mandatory vaccine schedules. The group believes that toxins in the vaccines may cause not only autism but also other neurological disorders such as ADHD. While the rally might not cause an immediate reaction, Sturdivant is hoping that it will at least raise the public's awareness. She also is quick to point out that she is not against vaccines; she just believes they could be administered more safely. Still, it's an uphill battle for Sturdivant. It's a controversial position, one that the mainstream medical community has yet to embrace. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services continues to say that there is "no credible evidence to support the claim" that autism is caused by vaccines. Dr. Susan Buttross, chief of child development and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, confirmed that the medical community is unwilling to make the link - yet. But she said it's not being dismissed and is being studied carefully. The problem, Buttross said, is that the last round of vaccinations happens at about the same time that symptoms of autism would begin to appear. "They might seem related by time," Buttross said. "That's where parents often get confused." Either way, Sturdivant hopes the answers come soon. In the meantime, she's also busy trying to find a treatment that will work for her son. Presently there is no cure for autism, only treatment to lessen the impact of its symptoms. …" 90. "Randolph charity brings autism education to China" dated 26 June 2008 by Fred Hanson from The Patriot Ledger at http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x875594713/Randolph-charity-brings-autism-education-to-China. "On their first trips to China in 1992, Helen and Karen McCabe met Zhang Ge, an 8-year-old girl with autism. Helen McCabe, an assistant professor of education at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York state, would frequently travel to China to do research, her sister Karen said. “Over the years, she kept meeting more kids with autism, and she realized they didn’t have any services for kids with autism or any disabilities,” Karen McCabe said. After years of talking about it, the sisters formed The Five Project 18 months ago. The purpose of the charity is to bring information about autism to families and educators in China as well as to help develop services for people with autism and other disabilities there. Karen McCabe said that, unlike the United States, there are few special education programs in China’s public schools. There are some private programs, which charge tuition. “A lot of them are doing the best they can with what they have, which isn’t a lot,” Karen McCabe said. Since both sisters speak Chinese, “we have an ability to help people that we wouldn’t have in other countries,” said Karen McCabe, who also works for the Randolph Community Partnership. Based for now at Karen McCabe’s Fitch Terrace home, the charity has translated some materials on autism, a developmental disability that impairs social interaction and communication, and distributed them in China. They’ve held workshops for parents and caregivers as well as teachers in Beijing and Nanjing, and have also formed a support groups for families of people with autism and another for young adults with mental illness and their families. Karen McCabe said they hope to raise enough money eventually to take other American experts in special education to China and allow Chinese educators to receive training in the United States. “It’s one thing for us to explain it,” Karen McCabe said. “It’s another thing for them to come over here and see it.” The Five Project gets its name from Zhang Ge’s love of the number. Now 24, she works shelving books in the the library of a community center in Nanjing. A yard sale to benefit the project will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at 1 Priscilla Ave. in Scituate. The rain dates are the following weekend." 91. "NIMH Funds Pitt Researchers To Find Best Treatments For Children With Autism And ADHD Symptoms" dated 26 June 2008 in a press release from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center "Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC have received $3 million from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct a national study of the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with autism spectrum disorders. "ADHD symptoms are common in children with autism, but children with autism often do not respond well to stimulant medications, the conventional treatment for ADHD," said Benjamin Handen, Ph.D., principal investigator of the study and associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In this 10-week clinical trial, which will start enrolling patients in September, Pitt researchers and colleagues from the University of Rochester and Ohio State University will recruit 144 children ranging in ages from 5 to13 who have autism with ADHD symptoms. The researchers will assess the safety and effectiveness of two treatments: atomoxetine (also know as Strattera), a nonstimulant medication for treating ADHD, and parent management training in which parents learn how to use behavioral interventions as another form of conventional ADHD treatment. At the close of the trial, the researchers will continue to follow for six months all participants who respond favorably to treatment to examine the safety, effectiveness and tolerability of long-term treatment. "Existing research on medication and behavioral treatments for children with autism is sparse," noted Dr. Handen. "The findings from this study will provide guidance for doctors and parents on the best treatment options for many children with autism who also have symptoms of ADHD." 92. "Gene Variant Linked To Development Of Alzheimer’s Disease" dated 26 June 2008 from Chattah Box.com at http://chattahbox.com/health/2008/06/26/gene-variant-linked-to-development-of-alzheimers-disease. "new study published in the journal Cell has revealed that a gene variant has been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. An international team of researchers published their findings in the June 27 issue of the journal Cell. In studying the human genome, they managed to find a gene variant that actually makes people more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The variant occurs in the gene known as CALHM1. When the gene variant is taking place, Alzheimer’s can develop far easier in the brain, allowing the brain to be more vulnerable. Currently, 5.2 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s. This discovery could lead to new treatments to prevent the development of the disease." 93. "Parents call for closer special-education monitoring" dated 26 June 2008 by KAREN BERKOWITZ "A new coalition of special education parents urged the District 65 School Board Monday to closely monitor whether the district delivers the services promised in the child's individual plan. "The issue of (plan) compliance is a serious one and there are chronic violations of the IDEA," according to the 10-point platform presented by Cari Levin, a founding director of CASE, which stands for Citizens for Appropriate Special Education. The group, which first emerged this spring, stepped up its campaign last week by taking out a full-page advertisement in the Evanston Review, in which the group alleged that the district frequently turns down requests for needed services. Patricia Markham, communications manager for District 65, denied that the district sidesteps its obligations. "The district does in fact make every effort to provide all of the services that are identified in a child's IEP," responded Markham. "There may be circumstances that prevent it. When that occurs the district provides compensatory services." For instance, this summer, the district is providing speech therapy sessions to make up for those missed because a pathologist was on maternity leave. "We feel that we are effectively addressing the needs of the students in the district and this is borne out by recent routine audits that show we met all the requirements in all areas," Markham said. The group is asking the district to, among other things, stop shifting program locations and forcing vulnerable children to change schools; examine a co-teaching model to serve more children in the regular classroom setting; and rethink the "highly inappropriate" practice of mixing emotionally disabled children with "conduct-disordered" youngsters in self-contained classrooms. Levin called on the district to assess the costs of participating in a special education cooperative such as the regional Northern Suburban Special Education District; and develop a plan for an in-house therapeutic program for children with emotional disabilities. Levin, whose so n suffers from bipolar disorder, won a due process complaint against District 65 last fall, when a hearing officer concluded the district did not have an appropriate placement option in the district. He now attends a therapeutic day school. Currently, 32 of District 65's special education students are educated in schools outside the district. For students placed in private settings, District 65 is obligated to pay roughly $27,000 a year in annual tuition costs, or twice the district's normal per-pupil outlay, before the state picks up the remainder." 94. "Advisory Panel Approves 2 New Combination Vaccines" dated 26 June 2008 from THE ASSOCIATED PRESS in The New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/health/AP-MED-Combination-Vaccines.html. "A federal advisory panel on Thursday endorsed two new combination vaccines designed to reduce the number of needle sticks that young children must endure to get the recommended immunizations. The panel gave its nod to a four-in-one shot made by GlaxoSmithKline. It offers protection against diphtheria d Prevention's 95. "BIG CITY, OPEN MIND" dated 26 June 2008 by David Kirby from the Age of Autism blog at http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/david-kirby-big.html#more. "When I first began planning a public lecture in my hometown of New York City, I spoke to NYU Law School faculty member Mary Holland, for advice in securing a venue at that august university. We settled on a state-of-the-art classroom, on the second floor of Vanderbilt Hall, that could seat 130 people -- though I worried that it might look empty if we didn’t attract more than, say, 30 people or so. On a Thursday night in summertime Manhattan, even 30 people would be a decent turnout. At last count, more than 200 people had sent an RSVP, with more expected to show up at the door. Fortunately, the event has been moved from Room 204 to the Tishman Auditorium, which can accommodate 400 or more. The warm response has been exciting and heartening. And, as a native New Yorker since 1982, I am proud to say that my hometown appears to be giving the vaccine-autism theory the fair and open hearing it deserves. And what more could a relatively unknown writer ask for from his own fabled, cynical and far-too-busy-to-notice metropolis? Mary Holland convinced her university that this talk – and far more importantly, this subject – warranted proper attention from the New York City establishment – an influential and highly educated network of metro area professionals from, among others, the fields of law, science, medicine, politics, media, public health, special education, environmental protection, child development and, yes, area folks who are “nothing more” than just plain old parents of children on the autism spectrum. The Office of Public Affairs at NYU promptly issued an official press release and posted the event on its homepage HERE dical Director of the Doctor Radio Channel, and Dr. Daniel Rauch, Director of the Pediatric Hospitalist program at NYU School of Medicine. In other words, not a junk scientist among them. The discussion was spirited, lively, intelligent and unprecedented. Not long ago, it would have been unthinkable that three mainstream, leading medical professionals would be willing to even entertain this topic live on national radio, with such a “controversial” author as, well, me. Good for them, and good for NYU, and good for New York City. Right after this challenging and somewhat historic broadcast (I will try to distribute the podcast if I can), I had a very sympathetic interview with Joan Hamburg, of WOR-AM, (HERE 96. "Lili Claire opens its free clinic to families with autism" dated 27 June 2008 from KRNV4 News at http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8563505&nav=8faO. "The first free autism clinic opened its doors in Reno Thursday, the only one of its kind in Northern Nevada. The Lili Claire Foundation at Renown Regional Medical Center is one of only four in the country and is available for families who have children with autism and other neuro-genetic conditions. Along with its free service3s, it offers a resource center for medical, psychological and educational programs. The clinic is a joint project made possible by Renown Medical Center, Lili Claire and the Autism Coalition of Nevada. If you want to find out more about the center or make an appointment you can contact clinic coordinator, Brigitte Fronapfel at 982-5459." 97. "Goal of Danville event to spread autism awareness" dated 27 June 2008 by Sarah Arkin "A growing number of children with autism are prompting Danville educators to raise awareness about the disease and offer alternative learning environments for those affected. On Saturday, the Piedmont Autism Action Group is hosting a carnival fundraiser to raise money for programs for autistic children in the area. “There’s a huge number of children in the area and we’re just trying to educate the community and help these families find services and bring services in the area,” said PAAG co-founder Cheri Arnn, who also is the director of Building Blocks, the only early intervention program that works with children diagnosed with autism in Danville. Learning abilities of people with autism can range from gifted to challenged; mostly the disease affects the way in which they learn. Autism sets in before the age of 3 and lasts through a person’s lifetime. With early intervention and attention to special learning and living skills, research has shown that people with autism can go through a typical classroom and keep up with their peers. During the school year, Building Blocks works with 12 2- through 8-year-olds, using applied behavioral analysis sensory techniques and other research-based interventions for children with autism. There also are afternoon and summer programs. “We take them out of the general education classroom to focus on the skills they’re lacking or the need … academic, social, developmental,” said Courtney Adams, a teacher at Building Blocks. “We’re putting them in a one-on-one environment.” Ultimately, the idea is to prepare autistic children for entering the public school system. “The benefits and progress we see are in language skills, (motor skills), play skills and interaction with their peers and adults,” Arnn said. ost of the students who went through Building Blocks “have transitioned,” she said, and are now in typical classrooms. Students will typically start with an assistant when they head into public school. The assistant will be phased out aft er a year. The Virginia Department of Education reports that 34 students in Danville and 30 in Pittsylvania County were diagnosed with autism in 2006, but some officials say the numbers are actually much higher. Courtney Adams, who started the autism program in the Danville Public Schools four years ago and now works at Building Blocks, said about 125 students participate in the program. …" 98. "Brighton Native Authors Book On Son's Battle Against Autism" dated 27 June 2008 from WHMI 93.5 News at http://www.whmi.com/news/article/6678. "As the epidemic of autism continues to leave many parents perplexed as to what they can do, a new book by a former Brighton woman is chronicling her response when her son was diagnosed with the disorder. Kristi Chrysler is the author of “Autism: Recovery Against All Odds” and tells WHMI that when doctors said her 5 year old son Richie had autism and recommended he be institutionalized, she learned all she could, eventually choosing a bio-medical approach to his care that tries to identify the root causes and deal with them. The most widely reported cause is mercury previously used as a preservative in vaccinations, but she says that the number of vaccinations is also something to take into account with kids getting nearly three times the number now then they did in decades past. She adds that while she isn’t opposed to vaccines in and of themselves, she does feel that their overuse can be combined with other factors to put children at risk. Six years after being diagnosed, Richie, whose grandfather is former Congressman Dick Chrysler, is now considered to be recovered and is in fact joining his mother on her book tour along with his four siblings. (Pictured from left to right are Kyle, Heather, Kristi Chrysler, Chloe, John & Richie) Chrysler will sign copies of “Autism: Recovery Against All Odds” Saturday from 1 to 3pm at Barnes and Noble in Brighton. She’ll also be a guest on WHMI’s Viewpoint at 8:30 Sunday morning." 99. "Additives, Allergies and ADHD: Is There A Connection?- After Her Infant Had An Allergic Reaction, Robyn O'Brien Trolled The Internet For Information Allergies and Additives" dated 27 June 2008 from ABC News at http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/Story?id=5221554&page=2. "Whereas British consumers have revolted against artificial food dyes in the U.K., Americans haven't been as vocal as their counterparts. That is something O'Brien hopes to change. "My goal is simply to have the same value placed on the lives of the American children," O'Brien said. Mom on a Mission. O'Brien even created a Web site 100. "Mahopac schools sued over abuse allegations" dated 27 June 2008 by Timothy O'Connor from The Lower Judson Valley Journal News at http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/NEWS02/806270362/-1/SPORTS. "A teacher and other staffers at a Mahopac elementary school subjected seven autistic students in a special-education program to verbal abuse, falsified their records and engaged in sexual horseplay in front of the 5- and 6-year-old children. The charges are contained in a civil rights lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in White Plains by the parents of the seven children against the Mahopac school district, the interim principal of Mahopac Falls Elementary School, the district superintendent, a teachers aide and four other district employees who also face criminal charges in the case. "If proven, the allegations demonstrate an extremely egregious pattern of behavior by teachers and teachers aides against highly vulnerable children," said Michael Sussman, the lawyer representing the seven families. "The impact on these children has been intense." Mahopac Schools Superintendent Robert J. Reidy declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying he does not comment on any pending litigation. The lawsuit filed Wednesday claims that the alleged abuse took place during the 2006-07 school year in the school's Bridge Program. The lawsuit accuses teacher Tammy Card, speech pathologist Joyce Spiegel and teachers aides Lorrie Reynolds, Joseph Levy and Sherry Streitas of engaging in sexual behavior in front of the students. The lawsuit claims Spiegel exposed her breasts to the students "to brighten your day." Levy "slapped Card's buttocks and massaged her in front of the students," the lawsuit alleges. Levy grabbed Streitas' breasts in front of the children, the lawsuit claims. And Levy and Reynolds "engaged in sexually explicit discussions in front of the students," according to the 29-page complaint. Spiegel is also accused of falsifying school records to indicate she provided required speech therapy to the students. In addition, the lawsuit accuses Card, Reynolds and Spiegel of calling the children by derogatory names like "Drool Machine," "Satan's Child," "Sloth," "Rodent" and "Nico Nico Pancake Freako." Carmel town po lice arrested Card, Reynolds, Spiegel and Levy on May 3, 2007, on multiple misdemeanor counts of child endangerment. Card also was charged with misdemeanor assault. All pleaded not guilty. Charges are still pending in Carmel Town Court. Sussman said the children have suffered "lasting impacts" from the alleged abuse. Some of the children now act out in sexually inappropriate ways, he said. "Some of them have been unable to recover and adjust," he said. The lawsuit does not name a dollar amount that the children's families are seeking. The lawsuit is the second federal civil rights case filed against the district in connection with the allegations. In May of 2007, four other aides sued the district, claiming they were suspended and told not to speak to parents or the media about the allegations, even though they were the ones who first reported the allegations to the district in March of that year. That case is still pending. Last year, Card's lawyer, Keith Harriton, criticized the allegations as a witch hunt conducted by disgruntled aides. He did not return calls yesterday seeking comment." 101. "Coverage of autism clears Senate hurdle" dated 27 June 2008 by DAVE PIDGEON from the Intelligencer Journal at http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/223657. "A bill to mandate private insurance coverage of autism treatments passed a crucial test Thursday, but state senators attached two amendments unrelated to battling the neurological disorder. House Bill 1150 now includes regulatory authority by the state over the proposed merger of Highmark and Independence Blue Cross, the two largest health care companies in Pennsylvania. The other amendment mandates insurance coverage of colorectal cancer screenings. Senators on the Banking & Insurance Committee passed House Bill 1150 unanimously. The bill now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee vote came after a recent study commissioned by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containtment Council, which reported an increase of $1 per month in premiums for every insurance customer if the autism mandate became law. The mandate caps private insurance coverage at $36,000. Businesses employing 50 people or less would be exempt from having to provide autism coverage. The autism mandate passed the state House last year by a 194-0 vote. The prime sponsor is House Speaker Dennis O'Brien, a Philadelphia-area Republican whose 21-year-old nephew has autism." 102. "11-Year-Old Is Left Unattended on School Bus" dated 27 June 2008 by Sopan Joshi "An 11-year-old boy stayed unattended on a bus operated by D.C. public schools for about two hours Wednesday after the driver and an attendant, who delivered other children to school, failed to notice him. The boy, who apparently had fallen asleep, woke up in a bus parking lot on New York Avenue NE. He opened the bus door and was then driven to his school, the High Road School on Kansas Avenue NE, by another school bus driver. Apparently, neither the first driver nor the attendant realized that he boy had not disembarked at the school, nor did they check the bus before parking it. The bus transported only four children, including the boy. The driver apologized to the boy's mother. David Gilmore, the school district's transportation administrator, said "appropriate disciplinary action" has been taken. The boy's mother, Evelyn Sykes, was at the school for a meeting with teachers when her son was driven there a few minutes after 11 a.m. As she was driving the child home, Sykes said she heard him say he never wanted to go to school again because he was scared. She took him to Children's National Medical Center 103. "ADHD with Autism Explored "A new grant has been awarded to conduct a national study of the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with autism spectrum disorders. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC received $3 million from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct the study. “ADHD symptoms are common in children with autism, but children with autism often do not respond well to stimulant medications, the conventional treatment for ADHD,” said Benjamin Handen, Ph.D., principal investigator of the study and associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In this 10-week clinical trial, which will start enrolling patients in September, Pitt researchers and colleagues from the University of Rochester and Ohio State University will recruit 144 children ranging in ages from 5 to13 who have autism with ADHD symptoms. The researchers will assess the safety and effectiveness of two treatments: atomoxetine (also know as Strattera), a nonstimulant medication for treating ADHD, and parent management training in which parents learn how to use behavioral interventions as another form of conventional ADHD treatment. At the close of the trial, the researchers will continue to follow for six months all participants who respond favorably to treatment to examine the safety, effectiveness and tolerability of long-term treatment. “Existing research on medication and behavioral treatments for children with autism is sparse,” noted Dr. Handen. “The findings from this study will provide guidance for doctors and parents on the best treatment options for many children with autism who also have symptoms of ADHD.” 104. "Gov. helps dedicate autism treatment house" dated 27 June 2008 from The Associated Press in the Great Fall Tribune at http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/NEWS01/80627011. "Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who has an autistic son, helped dedicate a treatment house for severely autistic children in Gallatin County. The Candlelight Community Living Initiative, between Bozeman and Belgrade, will house four autistic children ranging in ages from 10 to 16. A.W.A.R.E., Inc. will run the center through a contract with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. A.W.A.R.E. CEO Larry Noonan said the house was built in response to the increase in the number of children being diagnosed with autism. He says it gives families with severely autistic children the ability to keep their children in state, even if they can’t live at home. Noonan said the house is the first of its kind in Montana. The house cost $300,000 and another $200,000 was spent to train 14 staffers, he said. Schweitzer’s office helped facilitate the funding by requesting a waiver allowing Medicaid dollars to be used, Noonan said. Schweitzer’s 21-year-old son, Ben, has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism that impairs a person’s ability to interact with others. “He’s very intelligent, he’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever known, and he’ll live with Nancy and I for the rest of our lives,” Schweitzer said Thursday. But he said his work on the project was less influenced by his experience with his son than by what he says has been a theme of his administration. “It comes down to our treatment of the mentally ill, reforming our corrections system, all the ways we help the last and the least in Montana,” he said." 105. "Punished for Autism?- Several incidents in the last month have moms thinking" dated 27 June 2008 from Mom Logic.com at http://www.momlogic.com/2008/06/autism_discrimination.php. "An airplane was about to take off from Raleigh, N.C., when they turned around to remove an upset, autistic toddler and his mother. According to an American Airlines statement, Janice and Jarret Farrell were kicked off primarily because Janice wouldn't put her bag in an overhead compartment--but they also said that Jarrett was crying and screaming so loudly that "the child's well-being was in question." Was it really necessary to remove them from the plane--after all, what mom hasn't had the nightmare of a scared * In May, Carol Race's * Also in May, Alex Barton's * Just this month, Darla Granger "Autism discrimination against our kids is not new, what's new is that it's being noticed by the general public," said Genevieve Hinson 106. "Growing Up With Autism: Working With School-Age Children and Adolescents" dated 27 June 2008 in a book review by Clara C. Park from Psychiatric Services at http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/59/7/818. "Books like this one, consisting of many chapters, most of them with more than one author, inevitably vary in their usefulness according to the interests and experience of individual readers. Those readers should be aware, however, that Growing Up With Autism has an unusual focus, but a welcome one: it concentrates on a population that is, in the tactful language of one chapter, "less able." The majority of children growing up with autism may have a degree of retardation; some may never talk at all. Yet published research has focused on the high-functioning or Asperger's children, while the more severe impairments go unaddressed. There are many children, adolescents, and even adults to who must be taught joint attention, functional communication skills, and everything that seems obvious but is far from obvious. This book is full of suggestions about how this can be done. Some chapters, of course, are more useful than others, and not every chapter title communicates its usefulness. So the table of contents may be only a beginning; readers should be ready to explore the subheads, conveniently printed in boldface, for further guidance. In general, the more examples and brief case histories, the more helpful the chapter will be to the teachers and caregivers who are increasingly called upon to work with this challenging population. The title of chapter 6, "Assistive Technology as an Aid in Reducing Social Impairments in Autism," may not seem particularly attractive, but it's a chapter crammed with unexpected and practical suggestions for intervention. The chapters on autism and the law are particularly helpful. Chapter 13, "Criminal Justice and the Law," proclaims its focus by its title, as chapter 7 does, "Advocating for Services: Legal Issues Confronting Parents and Guardians." But an over-general title like that of chapter 8, "Family Resources During the School-Age Years," may conceal valuable material on legal issues as well. This chapter points out that families contemplating a move to another state should ask not only about available services but about waiting lists for those services—they may be very long. In the same chapter, readers can find a table listing "Departments Responsible for the Administration of Developmental Disabilities Programs in the 50 U.S. States." The table, however, requires careful reading; autism is nowhere mentioned, though retardation and aging appear prominently. What parent, teacher, or caregiver looking for services for a severely autistic child would think to find them under such titles as New Mexico's Department of Health, or Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare, or Arizona's Department of Economic Security? But whatever the caveats, readers concerned with autism will find this a useful book to add to their shelves." 107. "Low birth weight, prematurity may raise autism risk" dated 27 June 2008 by Anne Harding from Reuters at http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNewsMolt/idUKCOL76223620080627. "Low birth weight and preterm delivery increase the likelihood that a child will be autistic, with girls being at particular risk, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. "Pediatricians are probably sensitive to the fact that low birth weight children or children born too soon have special developmental needs," researcher Dr. Diana Schendel of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, told Reuters Health. "This study simply supports that they should not overlook the behavioral aspects of development." She noted that while boys far outnumber girls in the general population of children with autism, physicians "may need to be aware that they will see more equal numbers of boys and girls" with autism among low birth weight and preterm children, based on the current findings. Schendel and colleague Tanya Karapurkar Bhasin based their results on a comparison of 565 autistic children with 578 children the same age without the disorder. All of the children were born in the Atlanta area between 1981 and 1993. The researchers found that among low-birth-weight and preterm children, autism was less common than other developmental disabilities, such as cerebral palsy and hearing or vision loss. However, children born weighing less than 2,500 grams -- or roughly 5.5 pounds -- had about twice the risk of autism as those with a normal birth weight. Similarly, children born before the 33rd week of pregnancy were twice as likely to develop the disorder as those born at full-term. Girls seemed to be particularly at risk. …" 108. "Psychiatric genetics: progress amid controversy" by Margit Burmeister, Melvin G. McInnis & Sebastian Zöllner in a review from Nature.com at http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v9/n7/abs/nrg2381.html. "Abstract. Several psychiatric disorders — such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and autism — are highly heritable, yet identifying their genetic basis has been challenging, with most discoveries failing to be replicated. However, inroads have been made by the incorporation of intermediate traits (endophenotypes) and of environmental factors into genetic analyses, and through the identification of rare inherited variants and novel structural mutations. Current efforts aim to increase sample sizes by gathering larger samples for case–control studies or through meta-analyses of such studies. More attention on unique families, rare variants, and on incorporating environment and the emerging knowledge of biological function and pathways into genetic analysis is warranted." 109. "Plethora of Shots Burdens Providers" from the June edition of Pediatric News at http://www.pediatricnews.com/article/PIIS0031398X08702406/fulltext. "A complex regimen of 21 vaccines added to the routine child immunization schedule since 2000 has left many health care providers shaking their heads. Dr. Andrew D. Racine, chief of clinical pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, took his frustration one step further and took out his calculator. By his calculations, administration of the new vaccines recommended for pediatric patients from infancy through adolescence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians has added up to 17.8 weeks of salary for a full-time nurse in a busy practice, as well an up-front inventory cost of $100,000-$200,000. “The instigation for this [study] was just looking at our nursing staff,” said Dr. Racine following the oral presentation of his results at the joint meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies and the Asian Society for Pediatric Research. “They were going crazy.” Dr. Racine noted that 10 childhood vaccines were recommended in 1983. That number now stands at a mean 27 vaccines per healthy child, depending on their gender and risk profiles. Added to the schedule since 2000 are pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV7) at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months; influenza vaccine at 6 and 7 months, then annually to all patients up to 5 years and to 50% of 6- to 21-year-olds; meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate (MCV4) vaccine and tetanus/diphtheria toxoid/acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine at 11 years; hepatitis A vaccine at 18 and 24 months; rotavirus vaccine at 2, 4, and 6 months; 3 human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to girls at 11 years; and a second varicella vaccine at 5 years. To find out how much staff time was needed to administer these added inoculations, Dr. Racine conducted an observational time-flow analysis of nurses in a busy urban academic practice as they simulated the tasks required to deliver one childhood inoculation. He then multiplied the mean time to deliver a shot by the number of vaccines required per one pediatric patient over the course of childhood and calculated the total time cost to practices of various sizes. The study was designed to be widely applicable to many types of practices: large or small, private or academic, staffed by experienced or relatively inexperienced nurses. Tasks in the simulation included checking the chart for a vaccine order, obtaining the vaccine from storage and drawing up the medication, accessing the examination room, counseling parents, administering the shot and, finally, recording the immunization on the child's personal immunization card and on the chart. Because nurses varied in the time they required to prepare and administer a shot, Dr. Racine offered two calculations for each type of practice: one in which nurses took a mean 5 minutes to deliver an inoculation and one in which nurses took a mean 10 minutes to complete the tasks. (The total mean time per vaccine in 50 observed simulations was 8 minutes, plus or minus 1.8 minutes, depending on the nurse's experience level, the day, and the time of day in the clinic.) The analysis used conservative assumptions, Dr. Racine noted. For example, time spent ordering and stocking vaccines was not included. The formula assumed that all patients received their immunizations on time, so no added time was allotted to investigate and administer catch-up vaccines. Likewise, no allowance was made for discussions with parents who oppose vaccination. Despite those exclusions, the time added up to a substantial burden, even for a small panel of 1,000 patients, he reported. “We've got anywhere from about 4.5 weeks of nursing time for a small panel that gave shots quickly to almost 18 weeks for a full-time equivalent nurse just to give these vaccines to a large panel of patients,” said Dr. Racine. (See box.) The potential implications of the study are profound, he added. “We think this incremental cost [in terms of nursing time and up-front outlays for vaccine stock] presents significant challenges for the pediatric community and to the public policy goal articulated in Healthy People 2010 of increasing the proportion of all children and adolescents who receive all of their recommended vaccines,” he said. In addition, Dr. Racine called for a revamping of payment schedules for pediatricians by both public and private payers to reflect the high costs of administering a vastly expanded vaccine schedule." 110. "Is Animal Assisted Therapy Really the Cat's Meow?- The jury's out on whether animals can initiate long-lasting improvements in mental health" by Scott O. Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz from the June edition of Scientific American at http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=is-animal-assisted-therapy. "In 1857 British novelist George Eliot wrote, “Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions and they pass no criticism.” So it is no surprise that scholars have long been intrigued by the possibility that animals possess largely untapped therapeutic powers. But are animals good for our psychological and physical health, either as pets or as “therapists”? Most Americans are animal lovers; about 63 percent of U.S. households contain one or more pets, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Several, but not all, studies suggest that those of us who own pets tend to be somewhat happier than those of us who do not. In addition, research by Erika Friedmann and her colleagues at the University of Maryland School of Nursing shows that pet ownership predicts one-year survival rates among victims of heart attacks . Though interesting and potentially important, studies such as these are difficult to interpret because pet owners may differ in unmeasured ways from people who do not own pets. For example, pet owners may be better adjusted psychologically and have fewer cardiac risk factors (they may eat healthier diets and experience lower levels of hostility) than non–pet owners. Easing Stress ? To unravel the potential influences of pets on well-being, researchers must conduct experiments that randomly assign some people, but not others, to receive a pet, either in the laboratory or in their home. Studies by psychologists Karen Allen of the University at Buffalo and James Blascovich of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and their colleagues demonstrate that the presence of a favorite pet during a stressful task—such as performing difficult mental arithmetic—largely prevents spikes in participants’ blood pressure. In contrast, the presence of a friend does not. In addition, Allen’s work shows that stressed-out, hypertensive stockbrokers who were randomly assigned to adopt either a pet dog or cat ended up with lower blood pressure than those who were not. These studies suggest that the presence of pets may lower our blood pressure and stress levels, although they do not tell us the reasons for this effect. They also do not inform us whether we would observe similar effects with other preferred stimuli, such as a good luck charm or a favorite doll. …" 111. "All in the mind" in the July edition of Nature Genetics at http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v40/n7/full/ng0708-805.html. "Abstract. Findings of an excess of de novo structural variants in cases of autism and schizophrenia have raised hopes that neuropsychiatric conditions may yet prove genetically tractable. Past experience suggests that success in finding causative variants will require exceptional rigor and caution. Many fields of genetics, for example, linkage for mendelian and complex traits, transcriptomics, candidate and genome-wide association studies, medical resequencing, and copy number and structural variant (CNV) association, underwent or are undergoing a process of evolution from biologically inspired guesswork to standardized, adequately powered and statistically grounded methodologies. Each generation of geneticists seems to have rediscovered afresh the problems of multiple testing, ascertainment bias and false positives. Most eventually hit upon multiple experimental replication as an empirical way to deal with a multitude of unexamined confounding factors, and worry that even in this they may be indulging their confirmation bias. The casualty rate in this self-assembled process of discovery is unacceptably high. In this issue, Nicole Allen and colleagues (p 827 ) describe how they built the SzGene database to carry out a meta-analysis of over 1,000 largely inconsistent genetic association studies of schizophrenia from the candidate gene era. From a field of 3,608 published common variants in 516 different genes, they find just four results with "strong" epidemiological credibility. Of course, curious enthusiasm drives most investigators. All the historical perspective in the world of science could not prevent us from immediately comparing the genes on this list to the regions in which Walsh et al. (Science 320, 539–543; 2008) renic individuals in this study. Rather, a smattering of rare CNVs was found to be collectively about threefold more frequent in individuals with schizophrenia than in controls (after devoting an equal effort to discovering variants in cases and controls, a procedure now thankfully considered essential by most referees). These variants are notable by their rarity and by being previously undescribed in the Database of Genomic Variants (http://projects.tcag.ca/variation/), both marks of uncertain significance given that the discovery of structural variants is very much an ongoing activity. ..." 112. "Correlations of Autistic Behaviors Shown in Children with Down Syndrome" from Ability Magazine at http://abilitymagazine.com/news_Autistic_Down.html. "In a continuation of his research looking at children with a co-diagnosis of both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other well-known genetic disorders, Dr. Walter E. Kaufmann and colleagues recently published a study that examined the difference in brain structure between children with either Down syndrome alone and children with both Down syndrome and ASD. Dr. Kaufmann and his research team at the Center for Genetic Disorders of Cognition and Behavior (GCB Center) at the Kennedy Krieger Institute believe this will provide more clues to the cause of autism, and lead to better diagnosis and care of children with both Down syndrome and ASD. The study, which appears in the online journal NeuroReport, used anatomic MRIs to compare the brain scans of children with Down syndrome to children with both Down syndrome and autism, as well as a control group of typically developing children. The study found that the brains of children with a co-diagnosis had significantly more white matter in the brainstem and cerebellum when compared to children with Down syndrome alone. The data also showed that children with both disorders exhibited an accelerated brain growth between the ages of two and five years-old. The volume of white matter in the children with a co-diagnosis tended to decrease slightly with age, but the volumes of white matter remained relatively constant in the group with Down syndrome alone. The study supports the theory that the underlying cause of autism lies in the cerebellum, particularly the enlargement of the cerebellum due to increased white matter. The findings also suggest that the underlying mechanisms of ASD in Down syndrome may be shared, at least in part, with those in autism alone. The early pattern of accelerated brain growth in childhood with Down syndrome and a co-diagnosis of ASD resembles the pattern of head and brain growth typically observed in children with autism alone and differs from children with Down syndrome alone. These differences make it important for researchers conducting bra in imaging studies on Down syndrome to carefully evaluate the presence of ASD, as autism in Down syndrome may often go undiagnosed. Perhaps most importantly, the increased white matter in individuals with Down syndrome and a co-diagnosis of autism represents a distinguishing feature that is associated with abnormal behaviors which are typically seen in children with either disorder, namely repetitive motor movements known as stereotypies. Further research on autism in Down syndrome as well as autism in other conditions may help clarify the causes and functional consequences of autism in the general population." 113. "Autism Speaks Announces More than $3.8 Million in New Treatment Grants- Thirteen Research Projects Representing a Variety of Treatment Approaches Funded Over Next Three Years" in a press release from Autism Speaks at http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science_news/autism_speaks_2008_treatment_grants.php. "As part of its commitment to establishing effective treatments for those affected by autism, Autism Speaks has announced more than $3.8 million in grant awards to investigate promising treatments over the next three years. Thirteen innovative grant proposals were selected, including six proposals from Autism Speaks' first review session devoted solely to studies of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches. This research will help parents make informed choices for their family members at a time when treatment options for autism are far from standardized. "We are excited to be funding several innovative and promising treatment studies, including studies of complementary and alternative medicine therapies. It is important that these approaches be rigorously tested so that parents can have confidence in their safety and effectiveness," said Geri Dawson, Chief Science Officer at Autism Speaks. Research into vitamin B12 injections, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, oxidative stress markers, sensory-based interventions, and acupuncture will evaluate the benefits of these therapies using rigorous scientific trials. Another study will survey parental and clinician attitudes toward the gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet, in preparation for future studies of this commonly-tried dietary intervention. A key feature of many of these studies is to track multiple characteristics of participants in an attempt to find which individuals are most likely to benefit from a specific therapy, given the growing awareness of the need to "individualize" treatments for the diverse array of people with autism. Another innovative project will explore a role for cholesterol in autism, given its involvement in brain development. Taking a cue from a rare cholesterol disorder in which affected individuals frequently have autistic traits, this research will determine whether levels of cholesterol are low in autism, and if simple dietary supplementation will improve behavior. Several studies will address the efficacy of beha vioral interventions. One project focuses on stereotypies, such as hand-flapping or body-rocking, that consume much of the time and attention of a person with autism, thus competing with their ability to learn. To find techniques that minimize the interference of these behaviors during learning, this study aims to recognize when motivation to engage in these behaviors is low during the day, and to see if such low-motivation periods can be encouraged through different methods. Other projects will investigate the benefits of other special interventions that include both high- and low-tech innovations. Three projects will test computer-assisted programs designed to help teach social skills. One uses an interactive "drama book" in which the story depends on what and how something is said in order to teach the importance of speech prosody – the nuances of rhythm, loudness, and timing of speech that convey meaning, which is often hard to grasp for a person with autism. Beyond computers, another project will evaluate the effectiveness of integrated play groups, which provide an opportunity for children with autism to interact with their typically-developing peers. Perhaps of equal importance, this study will also teach the typically-developing children about how best to interact with a person with autism, in an effort to promote his or her inclusion and social development. Although research must also continue to drive us to an understanding of the biological causes of autism, there is still much to be done for the treatments available today. Autism Speaks is committed to funding treatment research that will lead to information that helps parents decide how to best spend their limited time and financial resources to support their children. Lay abstracts describing these newly funded grants can be found here ." 114. "New Sites for CTN Study Announced" in a press release from Autism Speaks at http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science_news/ctn_announces_new_sites.php. "Autism Speaks, though its Clinical Trial Network (CTN), has long supported research aimed at finding treatments to ease the distress of people with autism. Now the CTN has added two new sites, CRCNJ in Voorhees, New Jersey and AMR-Baber Research in Naperville, Illinois, to the growing list of research centers participating in its Study of Fluoxetine in Autism (SOFIA). The goal of the study, which follows successful earlier trials, is to examine the effectiveness of a new formulation of the medication in reducing repetitive behaviors commonly displayed by children and adolescents with autism. The SOFIA study features a melt-in-the-mouth formulation designed specifically for children and adults with autism. The sponsors of the study are seeking an FDA indication for the drug for treating this core symptom of autism. Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) often prescribed under the brand name Prozac® to treat depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other conditions. The drug is designed to increase serotonin levels in the brain and may therefore address symptoms related to abnormal levels of serotonin observed in people with autism. Researchers at both new sites are currently looking for children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 17 years who meet the DSM-IV criteria for autistic disorder. Interested parents local to Voorhees, New Jersey should contact Catherine Smith at CRCNJ on 856-346-1806 ext 106, or email her at csmith@thecnnh.org 115. "Can You Hear Me Now? by Patrick Fasano in a press release from Autism Speaks at http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/ownwords/intheirownwords_fasano.php. "Patrick, who started the “Can You Hear Me Now” sibling support group, is the 16 year old brother of a child with autism. He is planning a baseball clinic for both the siblings and children with autism and is creating a pamphlet to be distributed to new families of Helping Hands Behavioral Outreach Program e of the immediate praise and acknowledgement that my brother received when he initiated or engaged in an interaction appropriately. When I went to elementary school, I soon realized that other families did not have all these teachers in their home and that their siblings did not act like my brother. For many years, I pretended that I was the only child, not telling anyone that I had a little brother. Thomas' behavior was erratic and inappropriate. He embarrassed me when he would act out in public and I just did not want him around. …" 116. "IAN Research Findings: Regression" in a press release from Autism Speaks at http://www.autismspeaks.org/inthenews/ian_findings_regression.php. "The Interactive Autism Network (IAN), a project collecting information online from families of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) from throughout the United States, reports on developmental regression in autism. What does current research say about loss of language, social, motor, or living skills in children with ASDs? How many families participating in the IAN Project report that their child experienced such a loss? Please Note: These Findings Are Preliminary. The analyses presented here by the Interactive Autism Network are preliminary. They are based on information submitted via the Internet by parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) from the United States who choose to participate. The data have not been peer-reviewed -- that is, undergone evaluation by researchers expert in a particular field -- or been submitted for publication. IAN views participating families as research partners, and shares such preliminary information to thank them and demonstrate the importance of their ongoing involvement. We encourage autism researchers investigating these topics to apply for access to the IAN database. Contact researchteam@ianproject.org. Regression in Autism Spectrum Disorders. The term regression refers to a loss of previously acquired skills, such as language, motor, or life skills. Although not all children with ASDs experience such a loss, it has been documented that a substantial number of them do, especially in the realm of language.[1] [2] In fact, a child's loss of previously acquired words has been described as a “useful red flag for ASD in a significant minority of cases.” [3] Researcher Sally Rogers of the U.C. Davis M.I.N.D. Institute describes three patterns of autism onset:[4] 1. No period of typical development -- autism symptoms present from birth 2. Developmental plateau -- child begins to reach developmental milestones and then stops acquiring new skills 3. Regression -- child loses skills How many children with ASD experience regression has been the focus of much recent research, as has the question of how many develop normally (or do not) prior to such a loss of skills. One study of 351 children with ASD found that 46% were reported to have regressed.[5] The majority of those who experienced regression had not developed typically prior to losing skills, exhibiting what has been called “the delays-plus-regression phenotype.”[6] Another study found that 41% of children had lost language skills, social skills, or both.[7] A third, using a very strict definition of regression, reported only 11.8% of children with autism, and 5.5% of children with other ASDs, had experienced a “clear or possible” loss of skills.[8] …" |
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