Took Will to Gymboree today, trying to get him around other kids so maybe to help him with his talking. It was great! He didn't do everything the other kids did but he didn't hit anyone!! He even hugged two kids. He loved it, the climbing, the colors, the slides! It is expensive but grandma is going to pay for it and it is great exercise! He did pay attention to the carpet for a while but I'm proud of him all the same!!

Today I am confused. Hopeful by the eye contact that I am getting from my son and the interaction he is having with other children. I am discouraged by him losing his words. He only has said mom, down, dada, and gaum (for grandmom), but doesn't seem to want to use them. I just want to hear what my sweet little one is thinking!

As a parent of an ASD child I am never without resources to find help for my son. There are thousands upon thousands of websites, blogs, news programs, articles, and check out clerks out there who will offer me advice on how to help my autistic child. Everyday I discover new therapies for him… I uncover new diets…. I hear about a new behavior intervention model… I see a story about how surfing can help people living with autism… There are so many fantastic new things to try, and believe you me I am extremly grateful for them. If it were not for a vitamin website I accidently found a few years ago I never would have come to understand how supplements would be of such great benefit in my kiddos life. With all of those resources available there has been one group in the autism community that has been largely underserved….THE PARENTS. News Flash: Parents of Autistic Children are under a unique and powerful neverending stream of stress. They have so many battles to fight, tears to dry, and therapies to try to pay for that often times this stress piles up in their hearts like unattended laundry. I know all of this first hand all to well… There is a new website that is geared for supporting these parents. It is designed by people who understand how difficult their life can be…and I am proud to be a part of it! Please forward this site to anyone you think might need it. WWW.ASDPARENTSUPPORTNETWORK.COM

I posted this in my journal on my CafeMom page...I thought some of you might find it interesting... What Is Independence? I have found myself thinking about this a lot lately. My job for the past eight years has sometimes been called "Independence Facilitator" as well as Instructional Aide. I used to think that this title was unattainable with some students knowing that they would never be on their own living in their own house. Now that I am in the Adult Transition class, I see the tail end of what our district offers to students with various challenges prior to their graduating from our district. We work on life skills, functional skills and the kids hold a wide variety of jobs on and off campus. We offer our students pride in their jobs and their abilities. So, some have asked me, will any of them ever really be independent? Well, I ask myself that question a lot and the answer is another question...WHAT IS INDEPENDENCE? I used to consider myself an independent adult, but here is just a brief list that proves that in reality I am not necessariy an independent adult: 1. I NEVER cook dinner meals 7 days a week. I am dependent on various restaurants in the area to make my family's dinner life complete (trust me, they are happy about this choice) 2. I am one of the only ones on my block who mows her own lawn, but I can't edge it so I "depend" on my husband to do this. 3. I can flush a toilet by myself, but if it doesn't flush properly, I am dependent on my husband to figure out why and if he can't we are dependent on our plumber friend to solve the problem. 4. At work, I am able to wash all the dirty laundry at the school, but I am dependent on a student to carry it since I have had back surgery recently. By the way, they also do the wash...and fold better than I do! 5. I can make sure I take proper care of my daughter, but if I can't figure out a health issue, I am dependent on medications or doctors to help me in this area. 6. I am able to wash the bed sheets, but I am dependent on my husband to put them on the bed in "military style" the way he likes it. 7. I am independent to push the sprinkler button to water our lawn, but am dependent on my husband to fix any broken sprinklers. 8. I am able to balance the check book and all financial matters in our house, but I am dependent on the bank doing their part to put the money where I want it. 9. I can see there is a spider on the wall, but I am dependent on my husband relocating it to the backyard...okay, or smooshing it 10. I can take the trash cans out to the curb every Wednesday night, but I am dependent on the disposal company to get it to the dump or wherever trash/recyclables go. I could go on and on, but in reality none of us is truly independent. In all actuality, life would be kind of boring if we could do everything. We all live in a community and rely or DEPEND on those in our house, school, family, job, grooming, chores...and all the little and big things in life. So, if you find yourself reading this journal, you might say, "What the heck is this lady's post about?" My point is that for those in this world who are challenged by autism or other issues in life, we all can be independent to some degree, but we ALL need to rely on others for things that challenge us or things that just aren't our cup of tea. Being independent is different for all of us. For some, it will be living with their parents and going to a day program to attend a much needed job. For some, it will be being the sole resident in their own house. For others, it can be living in a group home with others who will assist and champion for them. For some, just being living examples of positive attitudes in the shadow of major challenges is truly inspiring. So my challenge is to put on new lenses of love and see the potential that we all have to be whatever "independent" means for each of us...not just a narrow view of independence that the world sometimes portrays. I'd love to read any of your thoughts or comments on my viewpoint.

Well, we did the party yesterday, and it went awesome!! I think I was more nervous because it was at a Chuck E Cheese-like place that's next to our grocery store. I've avoided going there b/c as we all know you go once and everytime you do groceries there will be a melt down. So it's the "Birthday Party Place"! Now if we want to go at another time... well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. But there were tokens & games, then pizza & brownies (cupcake style). He drank fruit punch (normally it's either milk or water!) Only one fit, when it was time to eat! He didn't try to open the gifts or claim the candles as his own! All & all it was a great time. Although, I did decline the invite to go to their house after, I figured we had a good time, let's not push it. We'll save that for another day.

Autism news, opinion and discussion of autism related health, education and residential care issues. http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/

Byonetics -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a nutshell, Byonetics is a CD listening program, created by Jean Genet, that imbeds dolphin sounds behind water sounds. There is a CD that the child listens to at night, one for the parents, and one that is supposed to run 24/7. The purpose is supposed to break down the blockages in the brain so that autism can be overcome. It is supposed to help the OT, Speech and other therapies be more effective.

Upcoming Cruises Go to: autismontheseas.com for more information. June 2008, departing Port Canaveral, FL to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, 7 nights August 2008, departing Bayonne, NJ to Bermuda, 5 nights November 2008, departing Ft Lauderdale, FL to the Caribbean, 5 nights *New!! January 2009, departing Tampa, FL to Key West/Cozumel, 4 nights *New!! April 2009, departing Galveston, TX to Eastern Mexico, 7 nights *New!! August 2009, departing Los Angeles, CA to Western Mexico, 7 nights

(this was originally from my other blog, but I don't think anyone has ever read it) Wednesday, January 2, 2008 For as long as I can remember, I've had a problem with crowds. Individually, people are fine (mostly) and I enjoy having a couple of friends over. But when I get to large groups of people where I need to interact, I usually have a problem. I've known ever since I was a little kid that I had to be careful at parties. At first, I thought that it was a problem with food. Too much sugar can and does cause problems. For the most part, I don't snack outside of meals, and I try to limit consumption of sugar. Realizing this alleviated some of my problem, but didn't solve it. I still have to be careful around crowds, or else I'll get overwhelmed and either get a bad headache or really fatigued, or both. I first consciously realized this when I was able to go to the mall by myself when I was a teenager. I would come down with a splitting headache within minutes of going in to the mall. A friend of mine noticed that I was looking at everything, like I didn't have a filter telling me what was important and what wasn't. I'm still amazed by the fact my friend noticed this, as no one else I've known has ever given me such helpful advice. He told me to make a plan on where I want to go, then stick to it. This helped dramatically and I was able to go shopping without making myself sick. A couple of days ago I was at New Years party with my family. We went to our neighbors' house, and they had invited several of their other friends. I had met several of the friends separately, but didn't know any of them well other than our neighbors. When in this kind of social situation, I used to talk about work, but I've been making an effort to not talk about work with my friends and family. I've realized (and been told) that most people can't really follow what I do, and I would rather learn now to talk with people about more "normal" stuff. I was having a hard time participating, more so than I've had in a while, and spent most of the night chasing after the kids and playing Guitar Hero with the teenagers. So once again I retreated from the social situation that I didn't have a solution for and when to a domain that I was more comfortable with. My big realization came from a question I asked myself, "Why do I do OK at work and in public, but when it comes to a private situation with people I know and like, I lock up and can't really participate?" I thought about it for a bit, and then it occurred to me that people at work I'm OK with because we can always talk about work, or technical stuff that I'm comfortable with. It really doesn't take much work on my part to talk endlessly about the latest programming technique, or what I read about solar power, or any other interest that I know about. So, that leaves the last group of people in my problem, public strangers. And then I realized, I'm alright with them because they're on the outside of my personal box. Like dangerous animals at the zoo, they are safely on their side of the moat, separated from me by figurative windows. I don't have to worry about them, because I've learned to treat most people like window dressing. (Ironically, dept. store manequins have always given me the willys) I don't feel like this is much of a solution, but at least it's a better understanding of the problem. I'm unsettled both by my continuing problem with interacting with people, but also on my unconscious solution when dealing with people in general. Maybe most people do this too, but I feel like this is different somehow. I'll have to revisit this idea when I've had more time to think about it.

My hubby recently went away for a week, when he does this we usually send him video & pic messages by the miraclous cel phone! Well, this week at supper I couldn't take it anymore and recorded the sound of the open mouth chewing, attached it to a pic and titled it the Sounds of Supper. Needless to say, everyone who was around my husband when he got it were very quiet then uproared with laughter as they realized what they were listening to... now to capture the gas they both think is a riot!!!

Yesterday while I was getting something out of the kitchen cupboard, Nick came up to me and asked me for a snack. It was close to dinner time, so I said no. "Oh, mama", he said with an upbeat urgency, "I'm a growing boy, I need a snack!" WOW- great words buddy!

I often describe Nick as the eternal optimist. Even when he knows that the answer will be no, he'll often ask anyway. "Can I have a cookie bar for breakfast?" to which I'll reply, "Do we eat cookies for breakfast?" "Noooo...." he'll say. Then he'll add cheerfully, "Maybe tomorrow". This is a mantra that we hear often.

Autism surrounded by misunderstanding-experts Sunday, February 19, 2006 Autistics score big in St. Louis Autism surrounded by misunderstanding-experts It would seem that the title of this article is indicating that autism is surrounded by misunderstanding, according to experts. But sometimes it looks like autism is surrounded by experts ( as well as by misunderstanding) as in, "We got you surrounded, autism. Come out with your hands up!" Besides that, it seems that up until now the "experts" have done much to contribute to the misunderstanding of autism. Maybe the title should be read like this, "Autism is surrounded by misunderstanding 'experts'." This weekend in St. Louis, though, these experts got it right. By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - People with autism are more intelligent and able to function better than previously believed, but mistrust of doctors, biased tests and the Internet have bred myths about the condition, experts said on Sunday. At a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, researchers presented reports showing that even autistics who do not speak can have above-average intelligence. They also offered additional studies disputing claims that vaccines can cause autism. "The current figures are that 75 percent of autistic people are mentally retarded, with the mute the most ... impaired," said Dr. Laurent Mottron, an autism researcher at Montreal's Hopital Riviere des Prairies. But Mottron believes the wrong intelligence tests are used to assess autistic children. Many are tested using the Wechsler scale, a common IQ test that includes questions about words and concepts learned in school. The Raven's Progressive Matrices test measures abstract reasoning and consistently gives autistic children higher scores, Mottron said. The average boost in score is 30 points, Mottron said, enough to put someone previously considered mentally retarded into the normal range and the average to gifted status. Mottron was so impressed by the abilities of one autistic student, Michelle Dawson, that he made her a co-author of some of his papers. Autism is a term used to describe a broad range of symptoms, from an inability to use language normally, to exhibiting deeply disturbed and repetitive behaviors. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it affects anywhere between one in 500 and one in 166 children. Morton Gernsbacher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison questioned a common idea among autism researchers that autistic people lack a "theory of mind," which, among other things, gives an ability to empathize with others. Again, she said, the wrong tests are used to assess this ability. NO AUTISM EPIDEMIC? Dr. Judith Grether, a California epidemiologist, said she questions the idea that there is a new autism epidemic. She said it is impossible to find out how many cases of autism there were in the past, because many people with autism were often diagnosed as retarded, or never diagnosed. Without that information, it is impossible to say if the number of cases has grown, she said. "We have to do the studies to find the answers," she said. Grether said researchers in California have begun taking prenatal blood samples from pregnant women and will look for clues when and if some of their children are diagnosed with autism. They are examining hormones, heavy metals, immune system proteins and other factors. The studies found no link with vaccines, said Dr. Irving Gottesman, a psychiatrist at the University of Minnesota, but said the CDC has initiated four new studies "to tie up the loose ends." New studies are focusing on genetic susceptibilities. Gottesman said the studies may help ease the fears of parents that a vaccine-autism link has been covered up. But he said scientists are battling a plethora of Internet Web sites devoted to the idea that mercury causes autism like [...] safeminds.org. Gernsbacher, the mother of a child with autism, said some parents may join these lobbying groups over the advice of doctors because they get "pat answers" to initial concerns about their children. Many may have been told that boys develop later than girls, for instance. "The mistrust (of government-funded studies and of their pediatricians) may have arisen from those kind of experiences," she said. © Reuters 2006. This is not a real figure from the Raven's Progressive Matrices referred to by Mottron in the article, but is vaguely similar. The RPM are always solvable in the horizontal as well as vertical direction, this one seems to be a set of 3 sort of related problems that are solvable only in horizontal rows. The RPM gives 8 choices to choose from. Thank you, Michelle for telling us that in one of the comment sections of the Diva Blog. Referring to Michelle Dawson as "one autistic student" is kind of misleading. As far as Autism Diva knows Mottron brought Michelle Dawson on board his research group as a colleague and researcher, but Dawson wasn't strictly a "student" as in university or college student. Perhaps Michelle Dawson will correct that if Autism Diva has it wrong. Michelle Dawson was the second name on the paper presented by Mottron at that meeting in St. Louis.

Hidden Smarts: Abstract thought trumps IQ scores in autism Bruce Bower There's more to the intelligence of autistic people than meets the IQ. Unlike most individuals, children and adults diagnosed as autistic often score much higher on a challenging, nonverbal test of abstract reasoning than they do on a standard IQ test, say psychologist Laurent Mottron of Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies in Montreal and his colleagues. The same autistic individuals who score near or below the IQ cutoff for "low functioning" or "mental retardation" achieve average or even superior scores on a test that taps a person's ability to infer rules and to think abstractly about geometric patterns, Mottron's team reports in the August Psychological Science. "Intelligence has been underestimated in autistics," Mottron says. Autistic people solve problems and deploy neural resources in unusual ways, which are poorly understood and might contribute to problems with IQ tests, he asserts. Mottron regards autism as a variant of healthy neural development. For that reason, his group—including study coauthor Michelle Dawson, herself diagnosed as autistic—prefers the term "autistic" to "person with autism." The researchers studied 38 autistic children, ages 7 to 16; 13 autistic adults, ages 16 to 43; 24 nonautistic children, ages 6 to 16; and 19 nonautistic adults, ages 19 to 32. Volunteers completed an age-appropriate IQ test and a Raven's Progressive Matrices test. The latter test includes 60 items, each consisting of a series of related geometric designs and a choice of six or eight alternative designs, one of which completes the series. The nonautistic children and adults scored slightly above the population average on both tests. In contrast, autistic kids and adults scored far higher on the Raven's test than they did on the IQ tests. These youngsters' average IQ was substantially below the population average, but their average score on the Raven's test was in the normal range. One-third of autistic children qualified as "low functioning" by IQ, but only 5 percent did so by Raven's scores. Moreover, another third of the autistic children achieved "high intelligence" on the Raven's test. As in previous research, autistic volunteers performed well on an IQ task that required them to reproduce geometric designs using colored blocks. The new findings confirm prior indications that autistics score poorly on IQ tests despite processing perceptual information well, comments psychologist Uta Frith of University College London. In a 2000 study, Frith's team noted that autistic and nonautistic children made equally rapid and accurate visual judgments, such as discerning which of two lines was longer. In people with autism, a lack of social insight derails the ability to acquire skills and information from others, a key to IQ success, Frith theorizes. Autistics thus succeed only on self-explanatory tasks, such as the Raven's test. The Raven's test may measure autistic intelligence better than an IQ test does, adds psychologist Helen Tager-Flusberg of Boston University. Nonetheless, many autistic children are extremely impaired intellectually, she says. Researchers generally sell short the unique features of autistic intelligence, Dawson responds. For example, autistics shift flexibly back and forth between focusing on details of a scene or its overall configuration, whereas nonautistics single-mindedly concentrate on the big picture, she says. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Letters: The article didn't mention that traditional IQ tests are in one sense "language" tests. The Ravens test doesn't involve language processing in a typical manner. A person with a language disorder, as an autistic person is assumed to be, would do better on a nonverbal test. That the intelligence of autistic people can be underestimated is really due to the fact that our culture assumes that language skill equals intelligence.

February 21, 2006 IQ Testing for Nonverbal Abilities Yields Dramatically Improved Scores for Children with Autism One of the single greatest factors in determining the direction of educational planning for children with special needs is their IQ. The profound tragedy for many children is that accurate and reliable testing for IQ is either not readily available or it is misapplied. The testing focuses on what are the learning deficits--memory, processing, or "intelligence" in a variety of forms; goals, accommodations/modifications, and curriculum all should be designed in consideration of these factors. IQ testing also tends to set the bar of expectation and tracking. Is the child achieving to his or her "level" is an implicit and pervasive issue at IEP meetings. However, if the compass needle of the IQ testing points in the wrong direction the whole IEP proceeds down the wrong road. At the recent conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science it was reported that "people with autism are more intelligent and able to function better than previously believed." The problem is that incorrect testing such as the WISC has been applied. The results of tests like the WISC is that as many as 75% of children with autism have been labelled mentally retarded which may be an overstated number. The problem with the WISC is that it is a verbally based test, and most children with autism have severe verbal deficits. While the WISC is a valid instrument which is widely used, it may not be useful for children with autism, according to this report. This report recommends the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices ("SPM"). This test has been found to be valid and reliable over a period of years. The Coloured Progressive Matrices are for younger children and the Stanford Progressive Matrix is for children 6-16 years of age. The advantage of this test is that is nonverbal in nature. According to the report from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, improvement of 30 standard points have been demonstrated which could move a child's designation from the range of mental retardation to the range of average intelligence. The point of testing is to properly identify a child's needs and strengths and to create an individualized IEP. In the event the testing is wrong, the plan that is built around that testing will tend to miss the mark. Parents need to carefully examine the testing that has been applied to their child, and determine if new or additional testing may be required. The SPM may be applicable or another IQ test that evaluates nonverbal abilities such as the Leiter-R or the CTONI. These are critical questions that must be examined. This recent report puts a much needed spotlight on this issue not only for children with autism, but for all children who have special needs.

Golden Gate Regional Center Whom Do We Serve? What Is A Developmental Disability? What Is A Developmental Delay? Who Is Considered "At Risk" For Having A Child With A Developmental Disability? How Do I Apply For Services? Can I Lose My Eligibility For Services? What Does It Mean To Have An Active Or Inactive Status? What Happens If I Move? Whom do we serve? Golden Gate Regional Center serves individuals with developmental disabilities and their families who reside in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties. In addition, we provide early intervention services to infants between birth and three years of age who are developmentally delayed or believed to be at high risk of having a developmental disability, and genetic counseling and testing for individuals at high risk of having a child with a disability. What is a Developmental Disability? According to the California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 4512, a developmental disability is defined as a disability which originates before an individual attains age 18, continues or can be expected to continue indefinitely, and constitutes a substantial handicap for that individual. A substantial handicap means a condition which results in major impairment of cognitive and/or social functioning, and represents a condition of sufficient impairment to require interdisciplinary planning and coordination of special or generic services to assist the individual in achieving maximum potential. Included in this definition of developmental disability are conditions such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism. Also included are disabling conditions found to be closely related to mental retardation or to require treatment similar to that required for individuals with mental retardation. This definition of developmental disability does not include other handicapping conditions that are solely physical, learning or psychiatric in nature. The following are descriptions of eligible conditions: Mental Retardation Mental retardation is characterized by less than average intellectual functioning and significant limitations in at least two of the following areas: communication, self-care, home living, social skills, use of community resources, self-direction, academic skills, work, leisure, health and safety. Mental retardation is a condition, not a disease, nor is it a mental illness. Cerebral Palsy Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by damage to the brain, usually occurring before, during or shortly following birth. "Cerebral" refers to the brain, and "palsy" to a disorder of movement or posture. The resulting impairment can range from mild to severe. Some characteristics are: awkward or involuntary movements, poor balance, irregular walk, poor motor coordination, and speech disturbances. It is neither progressive nor communicable. It is also not "curable" in the accepted sense, although education, therapy and applied technology can help persons with cerebral palsy lead productive lives. Cerebral palsy is not a disease and should never be referred to as such. Autism Autism is a developmental disorder that affects multiple aspects of the individual's functioning. The disorder is characterized by impairment in social interaction (withdrawal, failure to engage in interaction with peers or adults), delays in both verbal and nonverbal communication skills, deficits in cognitive skills, and impairment in the ability to engage in make-believe play. Individuals may engage in repetitive activities (for example, rocking, hand flapping, and lining up toys), or a limited repertoire of activities. The number of characteristics present and their severity vary greatly. Onset of this disorder is usually before 30 months of age. Epilepsy According to the Epilepsy Foundation of America, epilepsy is a physical condition that occurs when there is a sudden, brief change in how the brain works. When brain cells are not working properly, a person's consciousness, movement, or actions may be altered for a short time. These physical changes are called epileptic seizures. Epilepsy is therefore sometimes called a seizure disorder. Other conditions related to mental retardation This category includes other conditions closely related to mental retardation or requiring treatment similar to that required for individuals with mental retardation, but does not include other handicapping conditions that are solely physical in nature. Some examples are polio, muscular dystrophy, arthritis. What is a Developmental Delay? A developmental delay is defined as a significant difference between an infant's or toddler's current level of functioning and the expected level of development for his/her chronological age in one or more of the following developmental areas: Cognitive Motor and physical ­ including vision and hearing Communication Social or emotional Adaptive Infants and toddlers, birth to 36 months of age, who are determined to have a developmental delay are eligible to receive early intervention services. This determination is made by qualified personnel who are recognized by, or are part of a multi-disciplinary team, including the parents. Other infants and toddlers who are eligible for early intervention services are those who have been determined by qualified personnel to have either an established risk condition, or a high risk for a developmental disability. An established risk condition exists when an infant or toddler is diagnosed with a condition which has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay, although that delay may not be evident at the time of diagnosis. High risk for a developmental disability exists when an infant or toddler has a history of a combination of biomedical risk factors such as low birth weight, prematurity, severe respiratory distress, or seizure activity during the first weeks of life. Who is considered at risk for having a child with a developmental disability? Individuals considered at risk of having a child with a developmental disability include: Women 35 years of age and older. Families with a previous child or relative with a chromosome abnormality such as Down Syndrome. Individuals exposed to environmental toxins, alcohol, or drugs. Individuals with a developmental disability. Families or individuals with a history of an inherited disorder or birth defect. Couples who are at risk to be carriers of genetic disorders common in certain ethnic/racial groups. Individuals who are at risk of having a child with a developmental disability may receive referral assistance from Golden Gate Regional Center for genetic counseling and diagnostic services. Individuals may request funding for the purchase of genetic counseling and/or specific diagnostic studies in accordance with Golden Gate Regional Center's funding policy and guidelines. How do I apply for services? You may apply for services via telephone, fax, letter or through our website. The request goes to the Intake Unit, (1-888-339-3305; fax 1-888-339-3306) , which conducts a basic screening to determine if further assessment and diagnostic services are appropriate. Persons with developmental disabilities may apply for services directly or be referred by others. The Supervising Social Worker will assign an Assessment Social Worker who will schedule an initial appointment with you to be held within 15 working days following your initial contact (or request for services). This appointment takes place in your home or at the regional center, at which time you and your family are given an overview of the regional center and its services. If necessary, the Assessment Social Worker will arrange for assessments to determine eligibility. For infants and toddlers between birth and three years of age, assessments regarding eligibility are performed within 45 days following the initial intake. For persons three years of age and older, assessments are performed within 120 days following initial intake. Assessments may include ­ but are not limited to ­ psychological, medical or developmental evaluations. Eligibility determinations are made by a group of regional center professionals of differing disciplines, such as psychologist, physician and social worker. Eligibility for ongoing regional center services is established upon determination that the person has a developmental disability with a substantial handicap, or for infants from birth to three years of age, is at risk of having a developmental disability. You are notified of your eligibility by letter within 10 days after the determination is made. Any applicant who is not eligible for ongoing regional center services will be informed of his/her appeal rights and the fair hearing process, and will also be referred to other appropriate resources. Can I lose my eligibility for services? The Lanterman Act states: An individual who is determined by any regional center to have a developmental disability shall remain eligible for services from regional centers unless a regional center, following a comprehensive reassessment, concludes that the original determination that the individual has a developmental disability is clearly erroneous. (Lanterman Act, 4643.5(b)) What does it mean to have an "active" or "inactive status?" An individual's status with the regional center is active when the individual and his/her family are actively partnering with the regional center on plans, decisions and choices regarding provision of services and supports to meet desired outcomes. When an individual is receiving services that are purchased by the regional center, his/her status is automatically considered to be active. If you or your family member decide that you no longer need or want direct or purchased services from the regional center, you may request that your status become inactive. If your needs, or the needs of your family member change, you can reactivate your status by contacting us. If we have difficulty contacting you or your family member, we will attempt to locate you by telephone, visiting your last address, or contacting other involved agencies such as a school or work site. However, if we still cannot locate you or your family member, we may initiate the inactivation of your status. What happens if I move? If you move from Golden Gate's service area to another area of California, services will be provided by the regional center that serves your new location. Please notify us of your current address, and we will transfer your records to the appropriate regional center. If you are planning to move out of California, we can assist you in establishing contact with an agency in your new state. If you give your written approval, we will transfer your records to that agency.

My son will be 4 in june and we are recently diagnosed this last month with ASD. Everyone says time is a factor with these children. Well they all said once you get diagnosed things will get easier , not for me, Small town NO services it is a waiting game. Now knowing what is wrong the waiting game is killing me and not getting my son any farther ahead.. Anyone else in the same boat...Need ideas

I am asking if you would help spread my kids story and alert the everyone you know of the "Easter Dumping" that occurs across America in all 50 states and encourage the public to stop adding to the already overly crowded rabbits in our local SPCA & Rabbit Shelters. This story not only send this strong message but also shows how an 11 yr old boy who has autism helps spread the word. Thank you so much for doing this!!!! I have three kids and my youngest, Ryan, has autism and is non-verbal. I have a good friend who is very involved in Delaware County's 4-H program and has always been after me to get Ryan involved in 4-H. Last year the PA Bureau of Autism Services offered a mini grant to help families who have a child(ren) with autism gain access to a therapy or a service that they might not financially be able to afford for their child(ren). I took all the information that my friend had given me on the 4-H Clubs/Summer Camps and sent it along with the application to the state. I got the mini-grant for Ryan and signed him up right away to 4-H! I can't begin to tell you how much he loves being a member and what 4-H has done for him. We decided to enroll Ryan in the rabbit club along with his older sister Brooke. They both had a blast at their meetings and before winter break started an assignment was given to the Rabbit Club members. You have to research and do a small project on your favorite breed of rabbit. Over the break Ryan & Brooke would look on the internet, read books and help each other complete their project. I was not allowed to know what their favorite breed is until we attended our next Rabbit Club meeting which was in January. Brooke picked a lop eared rabbit and Ryan was so proud to show his fellow club members and friends his favorite breed which was a Dutch rabbit. I believe fate stepped in that day.. Later that night I was surfing the web and typed in Petfinder.com and up popped Ollie & Oreo. We went to see them at the Delaware County SPCA and we decided to adopted Ollie & Oreo. Prior to adopting Ollie & Oreo we talked as a family what it would take to open our home and hearts to rabbits. This was not an impulsive adoption by any means. Ollie is a brown/white lop eared male rabbit & Oreo is a black & white male dutch rabbit who both had very heartbreaking stories. Even though we had a good understanding of what our commitment would be and general care knowledge of rabbits through 4-H we still felt we needed to research further. It did take a few weeks to have Ollie & Oreo neutered and we were thankful to have that time to make sure everything was in place for their arrival into a new family. Oreo is known as an "Easter Dumping" and what that means is a family decides to get their child(ren) a bunny from the local pet store as a gift for Easter. They don't think things through nor do they realize the 10+ year commitment you are making taking on a rabbit. In an "Easter Dumping" the child(ren) lose interest and the adult is stuck, which they don't want, taking care of the rabbit. They show up one day after the Easter holiday at a local SPCA or Rabbit Shelter and turn over their rabbit which is very heartbreaking. The sad version of the story is some rabbits magically appear one busy day in a corner at the local shelter/SPCA without anyone knowing until the day slows down and the staff realize another "Easter Dumping" has occurred. The scary and tragic part of this story is not all families openly turn over the rabbits some rabbits are let loose outside (which is not good for a domestic rabbit because they are not the same as the wild rabbits we see in our backyards) to defend for themselves and they have no clue how to do that! Ryan had a "100 Day of School" project assignment which he pulled off all the names of the adoptable rabbits available at local shelters here is PA. We were shocked that he had enough names for his project with many, many more still listed. Ryan and his older sister asked if I could help them write to all the local newspapers and tv stations to help them bring awareness about the rabbits. We, the three of us, have also been able to pull a bunny expert on-board to help with our mission.The letter that you are reading now is what Ryan, Brooke and I came up with to submit to everyone who will open their hearts and ears. Both are very passionate about saving the rabbits and helping to educate all. Please help to bring their story to the publics attention before the already overly crowded rabbit shelters & SPCA see a hug added increase to their already overwhelming numbers of rabbits who are currently waiting to be adopted. If you go on Petfinder.com you can see how many rabbits are up for adoption here in our area already. Help to educate the public and hopefully will stop the impulsive madness that happens every year with rabbits. Sadly, now the shelters are starting to see a huge rise in bunnies being turned over. Support your local rabbit shelters www.luv-n-bunns.com that help find great homes for the lost bunnies. Ashley, Brooke & Ryan

Homeschooling Article 13 is far more sweeping than any right articulated by our Constitution or Supreme Court, guaranteeing all children the right to seek information of all kinds. International author and commentator Marian Koren explains that although the state should generally refrain from interfering in the family, “the State also has a positive obligation in supporting the possibilities for children to seek information or to express their views.” Ultimately, “it is the duty of the State to respect the rights of the child and his freedom to thought, conscience, belief, expression and opinion.” (emphasis in original) Although the United States has not yet ratified the CRC, there is a growing sentiment that the state should bear the responsibility for ensuring that children are “properly educated,” instead of parents. A striking example occurred this past February, when a California court declared in In Re Rachel L. that “parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children,” unless they are certified by the state to teach. In so ruling, the court declined to follow the Supreme Court’s 1972 decision in Wisconsin v. Yoder and its 2000 ruling in Troxel v. Granville, which guarantee parents the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children. Whose Responsibility? Rachel L., like Article 13, presumes that it is ultimately the state’s duty to ensure that the child’s right to information is respected. The California court quoted repeatedly from an earlier California decision in 1952, which concluded that children must be educated in traditional public or private schools, subject to state standards and regulations: anything less would “take from the state all-efficient authority to regulate the education of the prospective voting population.” (emphasis added) The language of “all-efficient authority” is not the language of liberty. According to Dr. Martin Guggenheim, Professor of Law at New York University, “our future as a democracy depends on nurturing diversity of minds. The legal system’s insistence on private ordering of familial life ultimately guards against state control of its citizens.” There may be questions over the “best way” to educate children, but according to Guggenheim, the American answer is that “unless the answers are so clear that there is no room to disagree, parents are free to decide for themselves what they believe will best serve their children.” Thankfully, the public outcry to this decision led California courts to decide to rehear the Rachel L. decision this summer, allowing parents - at least for the moment - to continue teaching their children at home. But only time will tell whether the California courts will have a change of heart, or whether the damaging decision will simply be repeated. The strong words of the first Rachel L. decision suggest that this is a real possibility. America’s legal heritage has consistently held that parents, not the state, have the right to decide whether their children would best benefit from public schooling, a private school, or even learning at home, but this recent decision from California highlights just how tenuous this freedom can be. If we wish to secure these freedoms, we must act now to place parental rights beyond the reach of judges by protecting them within the Constitution.

On 11-05-07 our family unknowingly began an emotional roller coaster ride that we were not planning on taking for at least another seven years. Our beloved golden retriever of 7 yrs, Biscuit, was diagnosed with stage 5 leukemia and it wasn't until the x-ray results came back on 11-7-07 that not only confirmed the blood work results of leukemia but also shown a large cancer mass near the left side of his heart. He had been living with this villain for a year prior without us even knowing and it wasn't until “evil” decided to show it's ugly face in the form of an eye infection on the 5th thus started us on the ride from hell. I have three kids who all have different degrees of disabilities. My two girls have learning disabilities which for them, right now, is a pain in the butt but they will learn what tools, strategies etc.. for education learning works for them and I am sure they will go onto college, get married, have babies and live a healthy, happy life. Ryan is a different story. Ryan has autism, non-verbal, mental retardation, muscle disorder and a host of other issues. I am always fighting for all of my kids to get a better quality education from our school district and services from the insurance company that will help make a difference in their lives. For Ryan I have to fight extra hard and that has put stress on all of us but was easy to swallow with Biscuit in our lives. We got Biscuit as a puppy when my oldest, Ashley, was in 2nd grade and on Biscuit's first vet visit without the doctor knowing nor was it discussed or was I wearing anything that indicated I had a child with autism.. the vet came out and said Goldens are great family pets and especially for kids who have autism. Ryan had a great bond with Biscuit and we were very blessed with Biscuit for his gentle nature, his patience and his love for not only Ryan but for all of us. Even though Ryan is non-verbal Ryan communicated very well with Biscuit and Biscuit knew all of Ryan's cues. Ryan has the knowledge of three forms of communication methods but uses two of the three. Ryan uses a Pathfinder(which is a computer like device that Ryan can type all his wants, needs etc..), ASL (American Sign Language) and PECS (which is talking with pictures). Ryan would use the Pathfinder & ASL to communicate with Biscuit and Biscuit would come when called by Ryan. When we found out Biscuit was sick on Monday the 5th I had a lot of people tell me to wait until the weekend to tell the kids and not to upset them when they are in school. I have always been open with my kids about all different kinds of things and felt I shouldn't change that policy now. It was very difficult for them to hear the news about Biscuit and the girls made it very clear to me that if something should happen they wanted to say goodbye to Biscuit. I swung into action and formed a plan with family, neighbors and friends. I told the girls that if I needed to rush Biscuit to the vet while they were in school someone from my list would come to pick them up at school and bring them straight to the vets. I notified my kids teachers of what was going on with Biscuit, what my plan of action is, updated them on a regular basis and they were very understanding and a great source of support for my kids. We also talked in length as a family about all the possibilities of treatment and what those outcomes would or would not be. On 11-12-07 Biscuit started to go into shock and we, the girls & I, rushed him to the vets. My Mom came to our house to stay with Ryan and Michael had just finished work when I called him to come quickly to the vets. It was explained at least twice by the doctor what was going on with Biscuit and I had asked the girls if they understood what the doctor had explained if they had any questions to please ask her. They both said they fully understood what was going on. We decided as a family to not let cancer put Biscuit in further pain. The doctor explained twice what meds would be used and what would happen. We all sat on the floor around Biscuit and I holding all 95 pounds of him in my arms with is head on my chest and Biscuit looking into my eyes and all of us telling him that we love him, he is a good dog and we would not leave him. When that pink medication went in we all held him tight and kept talking to him as he went to sleep. When we got home I went to Ryan all ready in bed and explained through my tears that Biscuit was sick and now is up in heaven with God. On Wednesday morning we, Ryan, the girls & I, were sitting around the breakfast table and I noticed that Ryan was looking around. My heart broke and thought God please give me the strength.. Ryan signed "where" & "dog" and I said, “Ryan where is Biscuit?” He got up from the table and walked over to the window and pointed up in the sky. That's right Ryan.. Biscuit is up in heaven. He came back to the table and noticed Ashley was crying he hugged & kissed her. He then looked at Brooke saw she was crying and gave her a hug & a kiss. At this point I am crying and gave everyone a hug & a kiss. A few days later our vet called we had decided to have a private cremation done and Biscuit ashes were ready. The kids decided to pull out pictures of Biscuit from when he was a pup up until about a month a go before he passed away and they put the pictures around his ashes that were in a small mahogany box placed on our dining room table. The kids would stop and look at the pictures to remember the funny times with Biscuit. I truly believe this has helped all of us. It wasn't until a few days after that Ryan was standing at our dining room table looking at the pictures of Biscuit when I walked passed and he stopped me to ask if he could have two pictures. I told him to pick which pictures he wanted then I went back to whatever it was I was doing. Ashley came into the kitchen in a panic and told me to come into the dining room now! I rushed into the dining room and Ryan is standing at the table with Biscuit's pictures in his hands crying. I told him that we all missed Biscuit and it was okay for him to be sad. It wasn't until that moment that I realized that Ryan understood more about death then I gave him credit for. I was so wrapped up with trying to protect him from grief and pain.. that he was silently alone grieving the loss of a best friend. I learned a very valuable lesson that day... we needed to grieve as a whole family together. It is still very difficult for all of us and the hardest part for me is putting the key in the door. I know in my brain that he will not be waiting for me on the other side of that door but my heart is very hopeful. Ryan still looks out at our backyard almost like he is waiting for Biscuit to come home. They say time heals all and only time truly knows that.. From my kids: Dear God, Thank you God for sending Biscuit to us. We miss him every day and love him very much. Please tell him we hope to see him again in heaven with you someday. Love, Ashley, Brooke & Ryan Christine Jameison

rio's My name is Rio and I am the proud parent of a child with self-injurious behaviors - serious hair pulling, head banging, etc. My goal in life is to make sure that Nikoli is loved, cherished and adored. THAT'S IT. I do not want to make him something that he is not. I find it inexcusable that parents minimize their child's autism diagnosis and pass it off as learning disabled, reading problems and/or develovelopmental disabilities. We all have choices and life and I choose to go down the long and winding road with a smile on my face and a few band aids in my purse. xxoo Rio Bless you one and all

A friend is running a marathon to raise money for ASA specifically to help families pay for biomedical intervention. Here is a link to her fundraising page. http://www.firstgiving.com/run26forautism Please pass this on to anyone and everyone. Her daughter is sooo cute.

Yesterday we were in a big box home improvement store. Harrison does pretty well in those, but they are not as interesting as some other kinds of stores and he has really sensitive hearing. Although he is almost 10 and big for his age, we still let him ride in a shopping cart (takes up the whole cart) because it means we can do what we need to more quickly. We're working on having him walk and help push the cart in other more engaging stores and also at times when it isn't so loud and busy. Anyhow, we just got into the store when some nosy loudmouth lady says to him "You are too big to have them pushing you around." We just totally ignored her and didn't even register that we heard, but I kept wondering if there was something I could've said without causing a scene. I wanted to snap something like, "When you have an autistic child, then you can comment about how I raise mine," but I don't even believe that, so what could I have done? Maybe it was just best to ignore her - there is so much ignorance and nosiness out there, but it made me feel as if I'd been assaulted and not stood up for myself and my child. I totally subscribe to the notion that you are responsible for your own happiness and that you have the choice about how you let others make you feel, but when it comes to my son, I am just a lot more sensitive and don't embrace those practices as easily. Any thoughts?

Needless to say, my life is a bit crazy right now, so I haven't had much time to post as much as I like to. But, I want to continue on with the Autism information and share some more with you about my son. After the initial diagnosis, I went through every phase of emotion possible that a human being could experience. At first, I was devastated. Almost to the point of accepting the fact that I lost a child. I didn't know what the future had in store for him, if any, nor did I understand the full gammet of what Autism was and how to interact. Then I became depressed. I felt as though I was drowning in fear and helplessness. These two emotions overcame me for quite a long time - actually a few months. I gathered as much information as I could and began to reach out to other families. As I read about their children and got to know some adults with Autism, I weeped constantly. Is this what was in store for my baby? Will he never be able to be a productive member of society? Worst yet, will he never be able to have a relationship and possibly children one day? These and so many other questions circled my brain in a constant battle with reality and the fear of the unknown. I have always been known for my determination, often times so much so that I am an irritant to those who are closest to me. After I began to understand that this is our life and I was being selfish by expecting Jesse to conform to society, I promptly gave myself a swift slap in the face, hugged my little boy and told him how much I love him while he is loudly grunting his dissaproval for being touched and pushing me away. I simply smiled and observed. The thought of never having something you want so much was overpowering me. Anything I ever wanted in my life, I fought to get. This, I couldn't fight. This life is Jesse. Understanding that my other kids are pretty well grown, need some guidance once in awhile, but Jesse is 2 and our next to the youngest is 13, Jesse gets a lot of attention. Attention he doesn't want. I think the hardest thing I have had to overcome is the discipline. Nesse - thank you so much for referring me to the Magic 1-2-3 books. They are wonderful!! It definitely has not been the best AT ALL and we still have our issues, but it's getting better. I came from a family with strict rules and strict discipline. My father was not afraid to paddle us or take his belt off and use it if he thought we needed it. Believe me, sometimes, I think we deserved more than we got because I know we drove our parents crazy!! So, I learned from them and raised my kids the same way. Autism is a completely different world. I was working for a VERY large world-wide corporation as a project manager and making a decent living. Enough that Shawn could stay home with the kids. My life happened like clockwork and I made schedules, things got accomplished on task. I ran my personal life the same way until Jesse was born. I knew right away that Jesse was not a normal infant. He needed attention and help, but didn't seem to want it once we gave it. So, this is how we began to understand: We observed and recognized the things he DID like. He loves being held or wrapped tight. He also loved to be up high. If you held him and sat down, he would cry - still does. He loves having something in his mouth constantly. He would want his bottle in his mouth all the time even if there wasn't anything in it. He now walks around holding his sippy cups in his teeth. He will chew on ANYTHING that isn't stapled down and loves to chew plastic. He loves drastic sensations. For example, he loves feeling sandpaper, rubbing hard objects on his skin to the point of bruising himself, he loves extremely hot or extremely cold objects, he loves the rough welcome mats for your house, he also loves to walk barefoot on the cat litter collection mat which is hard plastic with hard plastic bumps, he loves hot spicy food, and many other sensations. He loves to brush his teeth, but only with his vibrating tooth brush. He loves to explore He loves to be outside He loves to swing He loves to jump on his trampoline Once we identified those major things that he really likes to do, we began narrowing down the things he doesn't like. For example: He doesn't like change He doesn't like strangers He won't get into a different car than what he is used to unless me or Shawn is with him. He doesn't like to be in public places unless there is a big open space and very few people. Do not try to take any toy car from him at any point in time! He does not like the clippers to cut his hair, but will sit still for the scissors. He cannot tolerate his hands being sticky He cannot tolerate loud noises He cannot tolerate instant changes. He needs to be notified of the change, but only notified at a point when he is open to understanding. He cannot process information if he is in his "zone". He has a meltdown every night at bathtime just by putting water in his hair. He will not tolerate the doctor's office Demands put on him are accomplished at his pace and only on his time. Anything otherwise, results in a meltdown. His pants have to be a certain length, or he constantly pulls at them and hollars at you until you do something about it. He cannot be in a dark room. This will also result in a meltdown. His light or his TV has to constantly be on at night or he will scream until there is light. Only tell him something if you know for a FACT that it is going to happen. Meltdowns will occur if he is told something that doesn't happen - even after an explanation - doesn't matter. Certain textures and the look of food is cause for him to refuse to eat it. Whatever you do, don't force him to take a bite. Yep, you guessed it - meltdown! He does not like his hair brushed. Sometimes he will tolerate it, but most of the time, we have to hold him down just to get the rats out. Ok, I could probably go on and on with these lists, but I think you get the idea. Now, we know what he likes and what he doesn't like. We then have to identify those things that he doesn't like, but is REQUIRED to do. Then we find different ways to do them. Eating and taking a bath are pretty important in my book, so we have to figure out different ways to get him more comfortable with it. For example, I count to 3 and get him to blow rasberries while I dump water over his head quickly to wash the soap off his hair. We do this 3 or 4 times and we're done. He got to spit and make noises while I got the washing accomplished. To get him to eat, well, we are still playing with that one, but sometimes we find he will eat it off our plate before he'll eat off his. One way we get around it is if he sees us transfer the food from our plate to his, he'll eat it. If we put it directly from the pot to his plate, he won't eat it. These are only simple little things we did to understand Jesse. In doing this, we understood that our household could not be about what NOT to do, but about what you SHOULD do. For example, instead of saying, "Don't rip the pages out of the book," we say, "Be nice to the book and turn the pages instead." It seemed I could tell him all day long what not to do, but when I started telling him what he COULD do, he understood better. Honestly, this changed our way of thinking so we aren't constantly looking at the "bad" things he does, but pointing him to the "good" things to do. It's really changed our outlook. Simple little thing, but big impact. I've seen the TV specials on Autism and they paint a picture of this unruly child who bears such a burden on the families they are giving up hope and cannot cope with their daily lives. I am not saying by any means that it's not true, but I know it is not true in Jesse's case. Working with Jesse constantly with hand-over-hand instruction has given us the ability for the communication we have today. He now signs as many words as he speaks and if he cannot make you understand, he will move your hands or take you to the place he needs something accomplished. Yes, he still bangs his head when he is frustrated and cannot convey his message to us or doesn't understand instructions, but, it is getting better. His 3 word vocabulary blossomed into about 40 words in 10 months. Twice as fast as I actually thought he would. Phonics and sign language videos from the library have helped a bunch. Don't be afraid to ask for direction or resources. These are our children. This is our future. Understanding Jesse has helped me grow as a person. I now know what my purpose is. I know that my son has been the angel to bring our household to a greater understanding of life and shown us the innocence we once knew as toddlers. Simple understanding truly is the purity of my son. We are in a colorful world, but where would we be without the black and white outline to know our boundaries? Jesse helps me draw my lines.

WHY I LOVE MOM Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, 'I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed'. She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches. Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry. She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk, wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse. Mom then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails. Dad called out, 'I thought you were going to bed.' 'I'm on my way,' she said She put some water into the dog's dish then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV's , hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework. In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the n ext day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals. About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular.. 'I'm going to bed' And he did..without another thought. Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live longer...? Cause we are made for the long haul....(and we can't die sooner, we still have things to do!!!!) Sounds like a typical day at our home. Send this to five phenomenal women today...they'll love you for it! I just did. Then go to bed.

You know how after a while somethings just irritate the poop out of you and you take a deep breath and keep going. Well, the other day after listening (ok tuning out) the persistant reciting of Thomas the Tank Engine at 78 rpm from my son, I realized how lucky I am that he is so high functioning and how far he has progressed since we began this journey. At 2 when he wasn't talking any more than mama (still his favorite word) we weren't sure what was going on, the Dr. said he'd grow out of it. Thankfully I was lucky enough to know a ST who put me in touch with the local Developmental services. They labeled him as speech delayed and developmentally delayed. It took about a month and a half to have all the testing done to confirm everything. Finally we got into a ST/DT preschool program eventually we incorperated OT. He started to speak a few words at a time then 3-4 word sentances. He was being slightly more tolerant of situations. But I was (and still am) the single person who gets through when he escalates. Anyhow, here we are almost 4 years later and kindergarten is almost done. He dealt well with the move across country. I did well with not maiming any of the school employees. And he, unfortunately doesn't fall in Arizona's criteria for Austims Support, so we have the diagnosis from the medical team in Maine (that took 3 years to get) and it's no good here because PDD-NOS is too broad a catagory and he turned 6. He doesn't completely fall under Asperger's b/c he had early onset speech delays, but other than that he fits the other characteristics. Just means something for me to do, I guess. But what all this tells me is... .how lucky I am, he is now conversational (if he wants to) he is potty trained (pooping took a LONG time), and he is integrated in his kindergarten class and has been invited to his first birthday where it's not my friend and not invited b/c the whole class was invited! But he still is in his own world, his walls are more transparent and there are a lot more open windows!!

we are showing a documentary film titled AUTISM YESTERDAY following 5 families journies through autism from BEFORE diagnosis, through development, to loosing there labels of autism....using biomedical approaches bring hope to the world of autism. the event is being held at USM Portland Glickman Library off of Forest Ave/302 and cradeled by bedford rd in Portland. it's a 30 min film which will be followed by 5 local dr's who will answer questions. 3 are DAN dr.s and 2 are DAN friendly meaning they use some DAN protical in their practice and or have some DAN training. the event runs from 10 am -12 noon. parking AND the event are free. please use the parking garage on campus. we will have TABLES of resources from Books, to take home papers, bags of goodies and resources given at the door along with your program of resources, and dr's bio's. we will have info on all the diets used for those on the spectrum, as well as SAMPLEING of foods on them (just for fun) and tons of recommended reading books to brows through and to see what is out there and avalible. we will have the parents rating scale displayed showing different interventions ratings of success for all to see and even a road map for help as to WHAT things may help YOUR child or loved one. hope to see many there, and to help many in this process. we also will have 2 local families there with recovering children as well, for you to chat with. there will also be resources of an upcoming starter class to DAN/biomedical called Autism 101. we will learn the basics working up to the more complex with special guest all while connecting to other families on their journey to finding the best of their children. christel king if you need directions, more info, or missed the event and want some of the info please call 207-318-3951 movie copies can be purchased at Generation Rescues official site as well as on amazon

We moved from Maine to Arizona last year and because of the timing and when schools start, his new kindergarten didn't have his paperwork so they did their own testing... and he tested out of just about every level of ST. He gets OT, because of my persistance (and his teacher's) and a "socialization group" with school. But... I'm just glad we'll be in another school district next year. He has excelled... but I think he would benefit from more, but they just don't have the resources... that and he doesn't fall in Arizona's autism diagnoses! So I have the dx from Maine and out here if they aren't dx'd before they are 6 they don't qualify for any additional assistance, so early intervention helped us and hurt us all at the same time! But at least he's high functioning and is adapting fabulously

Is there anything that I can do at home that might be beneficial to my son while we are waiting around for his treatments to begin? He is 3 1/2 years old. I would like to be doing something with him to help him instead of just waiting. Thank you in advance. Laurie

In Michigan we are trying to get the insurance legislation out of the committee phase...they are planning a rally on Apr 22 so we did another news story! http://tv7-4.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=122352

Blood/Brain Barrier in Infants: Letter to FEAT News On Autoimmunity and the Blood-Brain Barrier I am responding to the post of 9/23 about autoimmunity and the connection with a faulty blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier is not intact in infants until at least 6 weeks of life. This is why a newborn with a fever must be subjected to a spinal tap to rule out menningitis. Any virus or bacteria that a newborn is exposed to can go directly to the nervous system. This is why the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth is so dangerous. Between 1991 and 1999, when the shot contained thimerisol, giving it at birth would have resulted in mercury crossing into the brain since the blood-brain barrier was not yet intact. As a nurse, I'm concerned that this information about the normal timing of a blood-brain barrier forming is not more readily known. I think this normal delay in the forming of a blood-brain barrier is an important piece of the puzzle and one of the reasons for the surge of autism in the 90's. Mary Barbera RN, MSN

My dad and I have always had a loving relationship. I always have felt loved, and I knew he cared, but I never felt understood...our interests are very different. I am musical, a writer, singer, and love to be with people, an indoor cat., and the center of attention...eccentric. My father is athletic, quick to make up his mind and slow to change, a team player, but not the leader by choice, a hard worker, and an outdoorsman. We don’t really talk a lot, never ever did much? When my third child was diagnosed with autism he had all his questions answered through my mother. Just like through my growing up years, we communicated all the important stuff through her. Sometimes I have wondered if he really understands the magnitude of what autism has done to his only granddaughter. At first I think he thought I was being melodramatic, and then I took a band trip to Austria for 10 days and he and my mother took care of my children for 10 days. Since then things have changed, not between him and I, but between my daughter and him. I think it is because they can’t communicate traditionally. He can’t communicate through anyone to communicate with her. With Eowyn you have to meet her where she is and she chooses whether or not to let you in. I think maybe he understands the value of the relationships she does have. I know that she is very selective in who she lets into her inner circle, and I am glad he is one of them. My dad has one passion, and that is his triathlons. He surprised us all by announcing he was going to run the Penticton Iron man for Autism as a fundraiser to raise awareness for Eowyn. He ran it before, 2 years ago, and when he was 55, and now at 57 he is going to run it again. He is fundraising for Autism Speaks, but more importantly he will be raising awareness about autism as he goes. Here is the excerpt from his first email to his friends and family he sent out tonite… “I am just starting the long process of fund raising for Autism Speaks. I am doing this to help kids like "Eowyn" our grand daughter to get support for their learning and development. I am training 5 days a week in preparation for the Ironman Canada on August 24th in Penticton B.C. You can donate online if you would like to help me along, thanks! gord http://www.walknowforautism.org/c.lwKUJaNUJtF/b.3949209/siteapps/personalpage/ShowPage.aspx?c=lwKUJaNUJtF&b=3949209&sid=elJSJ7ONKgKWI8OVKwF” I am so excited to see him do this because in some small way it is like he and I are finally on the same page, doing something together.

My refrigerator door is bare, bare as can be. I keep putting things on it, and a certain person in my house keeps taking things off... the magnets, the photos, everything. The fridge used to hold magnets from every doctor's office, pizza delivery place, dry cleaner, whatever (we bought this house and the firidge "came with helpful magnets from the previous owners to help us get to know our new town"... As of right now, nothing, not even photos of himself at the beach are allowed to live on the firidge. I have tried to put up pictures of his art, important papers I need with really strong magnets with large clips on them, the beach photos (he loved the beach), but nothing, NADA, not a spec, is allowed to be on the fridge. I don't know why. Part of me would like to find a way to battle this strong-willed kid of mine and stick the photos and mementos up there with clear contact paper, my way of saying that the fridge will be the one sane thing in our home that looks like everyone else's - I guess this will just be another battle I will not win... So, we have a "vanilla" fridge ala Marty.

This Saturday was the Georgia Walk for Autism and boy was it amazing. Just 6 weeks ago was told by another mom that she was doing the Walk for Autism and was looking for donations. After a bit of thought I decided to give it a try. As busy as we've been all I did was e-mail family and friends and have them forward the e-mails along to others. I hoped to collect $200, maybe $250, but the automatic goal was $500! $500? There was no way I could raise $500. By the walk we had raised over $500. Aaron was so proud. His eyes would grow big as I updated him on the totals. For him it might as well have been $5000. The best part came at the walk. We were surrounded by children and families with Autism. Just glancing around you could identify many of the children effected by their behaviors or even their blank stairs despite the color, wonder and excitement around them. Aaron was normal. What did Aaron enjoy best? There were many games with little prizes; whistles, pencils, and best of all, stress balls! There is nothing better than little trinkets except for maybe the bubble machine. It spat out huge bubbles with smaller bubbles inside. This machine was surrounded by boys who watched as the bubble grew out of the turning plastic rings and then flapped, squealed, or grinned with excitement as the bubbles popped on their fingers. What a site to see! It made me long for simple pleasures like that, though maybe seeing my child so happy is pleasure enough for a life time. I noticed other interesting trends this weekend. Aaron was not the only boy carrying a stuffed animal. I was in fact, surprised at how many boys his age and older had some little treasured friend clasped tightly in their hands. The past few weeks we have been carrying Mittens, a beany baby cat he received from his therapist. Mittens has certainly not taken Croaky's place in Aaron's heart, Aaron is just making sure all is fair and that Mittens has a chance to see the world. While Aaron is gone Croaky is spending time with his other friends or napping. The other thing I noticed was how some people look at kids on the spectrum. I was standing with my NT daughter listening to a man giving me his sales pitch about special life insurance & estate planning for families with children with special needs. He kept looking down at Anne with very sad eyes. He referred to how I must have my hands full--which i really do with her, but only because she's the only girl and the baby of the family--and how we could use the extra help. I kinda got offended. Why is he sad? Aaron makes me happy and I do my best to make him happy. Sure, it can be a struggle at times, but like I said, it's a struggle with my NT kids, too! Don't look at my child like he's different or broken. I love him like he is. He has no right to be sad. I don't know why it bothered me so much. I guess part of it is that unless I invite you to share my pain, you can't have it. It makes me wonder if I look at people that way. I don't think I do, but he may not have thought that either. If I find out that someone is very sick, has a birth defect, or is struggling in some other way do I pity them? Gosh, I hope not. Now, I have gotten way off topic. I guess all that is left to say is it was such a wonderful day despite the clouds, rain, and the incredibly loud music that seemed a bit ironic to me considering all the Autistic people in attendance. If you have not been to one of these events, you should go next year. It was truly amazing and has definitely made me want to seek out other opportunities to participate in the local Autism community.

Hello everyone, Boy am I glad I found this group. My son was just diagnosed with autism on April 10, 2008 and I am now in the process of trying to find him any and all the help that I can give him. I live in Fl and this whole autism thing is new to me. What should I start doing first and what kind of programs are out there? Thank you so much. I feel this group is going to be a great asset to me. Laurie

The Little Playdates Company Donating DVDs to Help the National Autism Association during Autism Awareness Month in April SALT LAKE CITY--Throughout Autism Awareness Month, The Little Playdates Company is offering their award-winning social building DVDs free to the first 500 people who make a donation to the National Autism Association. Little Playdates is a long-time sponsor of NAA and features a 30-second public service announcement on the early detection of autism in each of their videos. During the month of April, representatives from Little Playdates and the National Autism Association will be available for media interviews to discuss autism and video modeling. Autism affects 1 in 150 children in the U.S., making it more prevalent than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. To make a donation to NAA and receive a free Little Playdates DVD, please visit: http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/proddetail.php?prod=LittlePlaydatesDonation Media contacts: To schedule an interview with NAA and The Little Playdates Company, please contact Wendy Fournier, wendy@nationalautism.org, 877-622-2884; or, JoAnne Pettry, joanne@littleplaydates.com, 801-550-3066. Pictured above: NAA President Wendy Fournier with Little Playdates CEO JoAnne Pettry Think Autism. Think Cure.

TACA 2008 Autism and Medical Breakthroughs Conference - May 3 > TACA is pleased to welcome: Jerry Kartzinel, MD and Dan Rossignol, MD, > FAAFP for the 2008 Autism & Medical Breakthroughs Conference on > Saturday May 3, 2008 from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Additional speakers may > be announced. > > Dr. Kartzinel's practice is solely devoted to the research and > treatment of autism and other neurodegenerative disorders. His > approach includes a comprehensive history and physical exam, and > laboratory investigations that seek to find what is biologically > different in a child. Once found, he implements therapeutic > interventions and monitors closely how they affect restoration of > health and behaviors. Dr. Kartzinel is now working with Dr. Julie > Buckley at Pediatric Partners. Dr. Kartzinel will present "Common > Medical Problems and Treatment Options for Children with Autism" with > important new findings.

Well life for me and my family has now changed drastically our son was diagnosed Feb 2008with ASD. We live in a very small community where services are bad. I am now on a life long mission to change this. I am also writing a book. I will kepp you al updated

As the mom of four kids, 3 with special needs, and my only daughter with autism, I get tired when I am at walmart and she is on the floor screaming and people are glaring, and I say "she has autism" and they look back at me like - "isnt that rain man" and I am like "do I look like we are about to go to Vegas???" I mean honestly? or... My mother wants to know more about autism so she looks it up on the internet and gets a scientific definition that makes her hair turn grey....does it really have to be this complicated??? No it doesnt. I mean Autism is complicated because it is a spectrum disorder, and nothing in my crazy insane life is simple...but the definition of Autism really isnt that complex...so I made a video essay to explain the basics of it...generalizing for the masses. This is not a scientific tome, it is a grandma - here watch this and then you will understand why when you smile or frown at the kid she cant tell the difference...and uncle joe, I hate to break it to you, we arent letting you take her to Vegas because she isnt Rain Man (sigh) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1XMSPfNyiA

Check out this link to view the news story me and Harrison did for our local news station regarding Autism Awareness!! http://www.fox33.com/category/story/?id=133034 Enjoy!

Autism Digest Magazine: Something to Think About! Do you ever think about thinking? Most of us don't, unless we've gotten ourselves in a predicament and want to figure out what went wrong. Then we replay in our minds our thoughts and feelings and those of our partner(s) to see where we got off track. It's nebulous territory - and often confusing! Imagine how difficult this can be for the child with autism, who struggles with social understanding. How do we start teaching them the social thinking that is behind every social action? One way is by reading social thinking "guru" Michelle Garcia Winner's regular column in the Autism Asperger's Digest. Michelle has an uncanny knack of dissecting social thinking into understandable pieces and creating effective teaching strategies. It's one column not to be missed! Autism Asperger's Digest: real life information for meeting the real life challenges of ASD.

we are starting tomorrow to wean dylan from his depakote and haldol with the peds guidance. the fun is about to begin....i hope it isn't too rough.

So, I was wondering if anyone else has a child that is HIGHLY INTERESTED when an info-mercial comes on to the television. So far my son feels I will need the Buxton Organizer for my birthday, his dad needs Muddy Puddy, and the other day I was cleaning the hard wood floors and my son came around the corner and asked with great excitement "are you using Orange Glo?", then when I was cleaning the toilets he wanted to know why I wasn't using Kaboom! His father came home the other day with Orange Glo and our son was so excited like it was Christmas or something. He also is hooked on the Charmin Ultra and that carpet commercial even when he was a baby he would be in the other room and hear the commercial, drop what he was doing and run in to see it. Just a funny to share with all.

Tonight I actually went through with it... I ripped up the carpet in my son's room. You see, he is a flooder, and I have finally had enough. No more silent laments to the heavens, no more cursing under my breath, no more gritting my teeth, no more threateining (myself, not him)... You know, "If he does it ONE MORE TIME, I am going to rip up that carpet!" No more using every towel in the house to try to mop it up, no more trying get get him to mop it up "though the carpet" because hey, what is gone is gone, and once the water is poured, the party is over. Or perhaps it is just begun... Because then you can slide in the wetness of the floor - which brings great joy to him. He likes to pour large tubs of water, if he can get them. Those plastic storage tubs - that we all know and love so much with the handy snap top lids. He also likes to pour out anything that comes in a spray bottle - especially blue liquiids. He likes breaking blue glass, too, but that is another story, and we no longer have any blue glass in the house. I just could not take doing the loads and loads of laundry after another one of his floods.... I have been threatening to rip up the carpet for about 3 years now, or ever since we have lived in this house. So, this is a huge step for me. His room now looks very "institutional". Remakrably, at 7, I don't think he even cares. I am in the process of bleaching out the wet spots on the floor as we speak.... We live on a slab... so, there were 2 wet spots, but the carpet stains revealed he had been much busier over the last 3 years than I had probably known... He is a very resourceful young man... I think taking action is a good thing. With the floor cleared, I can move on, and so can he. We can go select some nice peel-n-stick tiles or some vinyl to put in his room, and he will be GONE when it is put down. God only knows I don't want him to know "how it got on the floor" so he can take it back up again. Then if he floods, urinates, pours, or otherwise soils the floor, he can more readily partake in cleaning it, and there will be no mystery about what is lurking beneath... I can get him his own mop and bucket, and he can take part in being responsible for his actions instead of me just wanting to scream, or cry, or eat something, or feeling like the Lone Ranger. As I wirte this I am feeling a lot of things. I am sad, frustrated, angry, - glad that the carpet issue is over. I feel like I had to make this decision on my own, and truthfully, I did. That frustrates me. I am angry that I waited so long, thinking that maybe this would all go away? It seems so ridiculous. I am always so critical of others who are not on the reality train and by not being there - all I did was create frustration for myself and my family. Was my ego involved? Would we be a "weird family" for having peel-n-stick in a kids room? Or, is this just what we need to do to get through our son's childhood? Time to take a look at myself...

Just wanted to let folks know that I'll be at the Learning Disabilities of Maine Annual Conference...this Friday April 11th in Waterville. Thought maybe I'd meet some of you there? For more about the conference please see http://www.ldame.org/events.html

I just recently purchased the book called "The Explosive Child" and it talks alot about a condition called ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). Has anyone else ever heard of this?? Have any of you had an experience dealing with a child or anyone else with this?? Please give me all the input you can. I am very interested in ANYTHING you have to say about it. Thanks Guys!!!

well I am off to an appointment with the Pediatrician, we found out on Monday that my youngest son is deaf in his right ear. I guess the next stop will be an ENT.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 High school seniors in special-education classes will be required for the first time this year to pass California's exit exam to qualify for a diploma after lawyers for the disabled failed to get them an exemption. A legal settlement, expected to be filed today in Alameda County Superior Court, will end a 7-year-old lawsuit that challenged a state law requiring all students - including those with mental or physical disabilities - to pass the test of basic math and English skills to graduate. Passing the exit exam became a requirement for all seniors in 2006, but lawyers from Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley won exemptions for special-education students in 2006 and 2007. Both sides said today's settlement includes no exemptions. That means Shaneka "Precious" Washington and other seniors in special education who have met all other graduation requirements will not get diplomas on graduation day unless they pass the test in time. "I would be heartbroken," said Washington, 18, a senior with learning disabilities at Balboa High School in San Francisco. "I don't like to cry in front of people, but that would be the day I would." Students have six chances to pass the test between grades 10 and 12. Washington has passed the math portion, but not the English. It's not clear how many students face a similar challenge. Although 47,000 seniors attend special education this year, not all are on a diploma track like Washington and classmate Darinell Collier, 18. Collier said he has worked hard for 12 years despite a learning disability that hampers his ability to read and write. "If I did all this to get this far, and I don't get a diploma, I'm going to be mad," he said. All diploma-track students in special education are considered part of Chapman vs. California, the class-action lawsuit against the state Department of Education and state Board of Education filed in 2001. Back then, having to pass the exit exam was either a threat or a welcome improvement, depending on who was asked. "The exit exam is in the students' best interest," said state Superintendent Jack O'Connell, who wrote the exit exam law in 1999 while serving as a Democratic state senator from Santa Barbara. "To me, this is all about helping students succeed." O'Connell has argued that the exit exam represents the minimal level of academic skills students need to function in an increasingly competitive economy. He says the exam lends meaning to a high school diploma, and he is quick to remind critics that those who fail can try to pass indefinitely beyond graduation day. He said the anticipated settlement will provide tutoring for each senior in special education for two years after graduation day at a cost to the state of $525 per pupil each year. The courts have generally agreed with O'Connell, whose law has withstood efforts to derail it. While ultimately unsuccessful, the Chapman case handed some interim victories to the students. The case influenced state lawmakers in 2004 to delay the exit exam as a diploma requirement for two years, giving schools time to establish better programs to help students pass the high-stakes test. And when the courts gave the go-ahead in 2006, the Chapman lawyers won exemptions for disabled students that year and in 2007. "We've been successful for several years in a row about getting kids exempted, but we were not able to do so this year," said attorney Sid Wolinsky, the founder of Disability Rights Advocates. "The exit exam is a disaster for kids with disabilities." About half of all special-education students who take the exit exam fail it. That's worse than the rate for English learners, whose failure rate is 23 percent. By contrast, 7 percent of students in regular education fail. Attorney Roger Heller at Disability Rights Advocates would not disclose the specifics of the anticipated settlement but said it will establish a panel of neutral experts to study the exam's impact on special-education students and make recommendations. "The idea here is to try to find a long-term solution to benefit kids going forward," Heller said. Among those who want to shield special-education students from the exit exam is state Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, whose bill exempting them was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in October on grounds that it conflicted with the wishes of Superintendent O'Connell and the state Board of Education. Now Romero is trying again with SB1446, an emergency bill that would exempt this year's special-education students and those in the Class of 2009. But even the students' lawyers aren't counting on it. "Without the support of the Department of Education, I don't think it has much of a chance," Heller said. At Balboa High, meanwhile, Washington said she'd like to become a lawyer and work for a firm like Disability Rights Advocates. "I will get a diploma, I promise you," she said. "I will make sure that Shaneka Regina 'Precious' Washington will cross that stage." E-mail Nanette Asimov at nasimov@sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/02/MNMRVTENI.DTL And what hurt me more was the comments left by some of these people on this thread. I have picked a few that were quick sicking grownman wrote: Boy the equal outcome set is really in fine form-the definitional requirement for 'disibility' has been expanded=we spend 1/3 on special ed= they have all kinds of 'accomodations-you damn right they should be held to the same standards! In fact I say make the test harder-raise the standards-my kid passed it as a sophmore-and he's lazy-equal outcomes through lower standards? We've don't need C students in Med -schools dsummoner wrote: Boo freaking hoo. Cry me a river. If you can't pass a 7th-10th grade level English and mathematics examination then you don't deserve a 12th grade diploma. Half the state budget goes to the so-called "education" system in this state? Hundreds of millions of tax payer dollars thrown down the rat hole to provide an "education" that I would suspect is grade school equivalent of that provided in many foreign countries. Couple that with "can't grade with a red pen" and "we don't want to hurt any feelings so you all get As" feel-good crapola and even with such watering down we get handwringing and whining. whattimeisit wrote: If the parents of regular ed kids ever got wind of how much money is actually being spent on so few "special" kids, there would be riots in the schools. I did part of my psych internship in a school setting, and the aides, the materials, the attention that were given to kids who had no business being there in the first place was unbelievable. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't experienced it first-hand. It's great that these kids have to be held to the same standards are the regular ed kids. sfsomaguy wrote: What a total and absolute bunch of bunk! Why have any standards for anything at all, it's discriminatory. What a joke. Why not just hand out HS diplomas to everyone like their just pieces of toilet paper and have no meaning whatsoever. A HS diploma should mean that at the very least that a person could read and write English and perform basic math. The test is so watered down that an ordinary elementary school kid could easily pass it yet most of the people commenting here find that to somehow be unjust! Where are your brains? As to aiding "Special Ed" kids, the State pays billions in doing so and mainstreaming them while gifted kids go wanting for funds and schools are going bankrupt due to compliance with ADA requirements. If you want to give them something for taking up space, extra effort by teachers, special accommodations, and billions of our tax dollars ( and we have the timerity to have them pass a basic test) then just give them a certificate and don't cheapen a diploma. ChgoSaint wrote: "I am disabled! Treat me like an equal! (except when I want something, then give me favoritism.) whattimeisit wrote: Special education funding has been cut, just like all education funding has been cut. What does that mean? It means the "special" classes were cut. Where do the "special" kids end up? In regular ed classrooms. And the teachers tear out their hair dealing with these kids, many of whom are simply behavior problems and waste the teacher's time and disrupt the classroom. The diagnosis of "learning disabled" is a complete sham, cooked up by the educational psychology contingent to keep "school psychologists" employed. School psychs do nothing except adminster I.Q. tests to kids expressly for the purpose of slapping the "labels" on kids to shuttle them to special classes. Special education is a huge scam that has shuttled billions over the years to serve a tiny minority of kids. Regular ed parents are clueless about this, for the most part. perm3800a wrote: I am so tired of this culture. Not every human condition is NORMAL or should be treated as EQUAL. We are NOT all created equal - if we were, I would be built like Raquel Welsh with Albert Einstein's brains and Marilyn Monroe's sex appeal. I'm not. A diploma is not a reward for showing up. If it is to mean anything, it has to be earned. For many children with profound disabilities, 'educating' them is just an very expensive way of making their parents feel like they didn't produce something useless by forcing society to treat the child as as valuable as a less damaged one. Sorry, cruel as it sounds - your kid is damaged goods. You may love them, they may have a winning personality or a special talent but they are NOT normal and no amount of money or teachers aides or toilet paper diplomas will make them so. If they can't pass the test for the diploma, they don't deserve the diploma. Really. perm3800a wrote: jkmm - while I am sure that you love your handicapped child very much, s/he is disabled. Not Normal. I do seriously resent the amount of money spent to keep one non-verbal, profoundly impaired chld in school for fourteen years while music, art, phys ed and other 'enrichment' programs are cancelled for the other students because of the resultant budgetary shortfalls. Your selfesteem is NOT worth the thousands of bright students who drop out each year because schools teach to the lowest common denominator and they just can't make themselves sit through it anymore. I would gladly park your kid's chair in the park if it meant that the bright kids in his school would get language labs and art teachers and smaller classroom sizes. Your child deserves love and understanding but not a disproportiate allowance of a very limited resource

I truly need some help here guys. My 7 yr. old son has become SO very destructive. I have tried so many forms of discipline with him and nothing seems to work or make an impression on him. I live in a Public Housing Development and I am charged (and pretty hefty too) for any and all damages that are caused to my apartment. He has broken closet doors. Destroys the blinds in my home. This past weekend he destroyed 2 of the screens which I am now going to have to pay for. And just now he went in my room, climbed on my dresser and jumped to my bed. In the process he kicked a great big hole in my wall!!! I can barely afford my rent as it is and I'm already behind on payment for repairs. Any suggestions?? Any other parents have a similar problem that they have dealt with?? With ALL of my kids it's really hard to keep him in my view at all times. (Trust me, I TRY!!) What can I do?? PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!

Blessed My son is disabled I am blessed. That makes no sense, is what you say. My son is speechless, I am blessed. In this case silence is not golden, is what you say. My son cannot call me mama, I am blessed. You shake your head in sadness, you have nothing to say. My son always plays alone, I am blessed. Where is the pleasure in that, is what you say. My son has some quirky behaviors, I am blessed. You need to be stern, is what you say. My son was created by a living GOD, I am blessed. How can you still have faith, is what you say. Seven days a week my faith lives in my son, I am BLESSED. My so was injured by the vaccines, Now he is blessed. My son kisses and hugs us, We are blessed. My son is a magnet for strangers prayers, They are blessed. My son can conquer mountains, He is blessed. My sons eyes are the doorway to his soul, He is blessed. My son knows JESUS is the purest form, He is blessed. I my son has touched you heart, You have been BLESSED. Written by: Diana Olivarria-Alvarado

so i'm gonna try to make a long story short here it goes.... dylan was almost born at 26 weeks they stopped my labor with tributiline (sp.) and gave me brethine to take for a while. he managed to stay in and i was induced at 39 weeks. they had to use a vaccum and forceps and left a huge hematoma on his head for an hour or so. from day one he cried and threw up and couldn't go poop. they said colic..he will grow out of it, blah blah blah. well he finally stopped throwing up at 18 months and then he still couldn't poop, he would strain til he was blood red in the face, finally at age 3 he prolapsed his rectum. so then came the rx laxatives. he seemed to always be an angry baby and toddler, was social with adults but not other children, he head butted his little brother the day we brought him home from the hospital. since then it has been downhill. he had his tonsils and adnoids removed due to obstructive sleep apnea at 4 and from birth til 3 had endoscopy, colonoscopy, upper gi, ultrasound....he was thought to have colitis, gastroenteritis, ect. well at age 5 we noticed to facial grimacing thing he was doing, took him to the neuro they discovered he had a seizure disorder, tics (motor and vocal), anxiety, mood disorder, sensory integration disorder...you know the whole sha-bam. then at age 7 pdd-nos and now adhd. they have had him on so many drugs but as of now he is on haldol, depakote, clonidine, adderall and he was on topamax for his tics but when his neuro got tired of us....he took him off of it so now his possible tourette's is in full swing, to the point of him being in pain. so here's my question and i could really use your advice.....i'm thinking of having his psychiatrist take him off everything gradually of course, and only taking clonidine for his sleep and topamax for his tics and putting him a gluten free diet. possibly taking him to the mayo clinic in jacksonville florida. what do you guys think? any advice or helpful hints? thanks for listening to me ramble with love, leeann

At age 21, many of our children on the spectrum will age out of the system. What does this mean for the individuals who have had their needs supported through school and programs for most of their lives. What is out there for them in the form of jobs, resources, support staff, housing, funding..... My son is 13.....Twenty one can seem so far away at this point, but, on the other hand, I never imagined that I would have a teenager on my hands with needs so great. What are your thoughts? Experiences? Fears? Ideas? How can we advocate now so the system will be there in the future? Is money that is allocated for autism at the federal level addressing the needs of the adult population?

so i'm thinking that adderall is not going to work for dylan's adhd. it seems to make his sensory issues very..well...extra sensitive. he cries alot more and has more outbursts. anyone had this problem with stimulants?

Green Our Vaccines Rally With Jenny McCarthy & Jim Carrey RALLY INTRODUCTION & GENERAL INFORMATION Please join Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey for the most historical event of 2008, the Green Our Vaccines Rally. Jenny and Jim are working hard to eliminate all toxins from our children's vaccines and have our national health agencies reassess the mandatory vaccine schedule, as our children are receiving TOO MANY, TOO SOON. While Jenny and Jim support the vaccine program, like many, they feel vaccines are too toxic. This country has the ability to provide a safer vaccine supply and schedule to our children and they ask you to join them to demand this for our country's greatest asset, our children. Who: Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey, sponsored by Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), Generation Rescue and HEAL What: A March and Rally to give everyone who loves a child with Autism a day for their voices to be heard. When: June 4, 2008 9:00 a.m. – Gather in DC (see March info below) 10:00 a.m. – March (PROMPT START TIME) 12:30 p.m. – RALLY CONCLUSION Where: Washington, DC Why: Demand Congress take action to Green Our Vaccine Supply while reassessing our current vaccine schedule. Ask Congress to reenact legislation that would eliminate mercury and other toxins from our children's vaccines, study the instance of Autism and other neurological disorders in vaccinated versus unvaccinated children, and to extend the statute of limitations to allow all children affected by vaccine induced Autism to file in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). How: You must register online to attend the Rally. Is this date & location confirmed: YES. Permits and policy participation for this important event have been secured. This venue is safe for parents and children to attend. Register online. March: We will start lining up for the March at 9 a.m. at the corner of 4th Street SW, and C Street SW, just past the Holiday Inn Parking (Colonial Parking). There will be a large number of people, so it is very important for all marchers to be on time so we can assemble and go over instructions. We will be in motion at 10 a.m. For those who cannot march, you can meet us at the rally site in front of the of the Capitol Building, West Capitol Grounds. There will be a team of rally staff, that will be easily identifiable, to guide you and inform you of all marching rules and regulations. It is vital that you register for the March and Rally. Stay Tuned with the LATEST RALLY INFO: Join the JennyDcAutismRally Yahoo! Group for the latest in updates and news as it relates to the rally. Arrange carpool, ask other state representatives questions, etc! How to Join? Send an email to: JennyDcAutism-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Questions: Please email us at GreenOurVaccines@aol.com Special thanks and appreciation to the team of volunteers & family participation to make this event happen beyond words. Thank you. Let's show our gratitude to this courageous couple, Jenny & Jim, who are working so hard to support our cause in honor of our children, by attending the Green Our Vaccines Rally. This is the day our voices will be heard. So let's join together and be LOUDER THAN WORDS.

CDC Under Siege http://www. huffingtonpost. com/deirdre-imus/cdc-under-siege_b_94720. html Posted April 2, 2008 | 04:45 PM (EST) Andrew Speaker Tuberculosis, Autism, Autism Vaccine Mercury, Autism Vaccines, Cdc, CDC Cancer, Centers For Disease Control, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, David Kirby, Gerberding, Hannah Poling, Hannah Poling Autism, Health, Public Health, Tb, Tuberculosis, Breaking Living News When American scholar Warren Bennis said, "Bureaucracies are beautiful mechanisms for the evasion of responsibilities and guilt," he might well have been speaking of the current state of affairs inside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Once revered around the world, hardly a month passes without another news report questioning the credibility, scientific independence, and integrity of the nation's premier health agency. Over the past four years headlines frequently chronicle a disturbing litany of allegations charging top CDC officials with wasting money on questionable research priorities, public relations stunts, distorting or ignoring health concerns raised by their own scientists, and retaliation against those who object to the censorship of scientific findings. The past three years have been particularly unpleasant for CDC Director, Dr. Julie Gerberding, but apparently not as bad as she and her managers are making it for many CDC scientists. In 2005, alarmed at the rapid decline in morale and concerned for the credibility of the agency, five former CDC directors sent Dr. Gerberding a letter complaining that the agency's politicization was jeopardizing its national and international reputation. You would think criticisms like this would result in a re-evaluation by top CDC officials, but apparently not. The frustration of long time officials was raised again in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) article, "Exodus, Morale Shake CDC" (Sept. 10, 2006). The article quotes Dr. Stephen Cochi, an advisor in the CDC's Global Immunization Division, who said, "The capacity of the CDC to [tackle public health problems] has seriously eroded in a very short time...The American people need to be concerned. " As troubling and often embarrassing revelations continued to plague the CDC, some believed the agency is simply an example of bureaucratic incompetence. Others, inside and out, suggest something far worse. Accusations about manipulation of research data, suppression of safety information, even suggestions of scientific fraud has created a "crisis in confidence" among CDC officials, resulting in scientists leveling harsh criticisms regarding the agency's priorities and asking if its actions, or inactions, are actually putting the public's health at risk. Chief among the complaints from scientists and citizen's groups has been the way the agency continually disputes, downplays or ignores scientific findings, often from some of their own researchers, and fails to draw any conclusions, or "links," between environmental/industrial pollution and chronic diseases affecting the American public, particularly children. These criticisms have been voiced for several decades. An example of how the agency can design a study so that it fails to link disease and pollution can be found in the way the CDC investigated the cancer clusters in Fallon, Nevada and Sierra Vista, Arizona. In a 2006 article published in The Tucson Weekly, the CDC's "foot-dragging" and unscientific methods used to investigate the clusters raised serious questions about the study's integrity and the agency's credibility and commitment to protecting the public's health. In describing the CDC's slow reaction to the life and death situations, it is not difficult to see how many would level accusations of "cover-up" to describe the "faulty manner" in which the agency responded to the cluster investigations. The CDC itself admits the agency repeatedly fails to identify, or connect, environmental chemicals to these clusters. Quoting from the CDC website, "From 1961 to 1982, CDC investigated 108 reported cancer clusters in 29 states and 5 foreign countries...The studies were begun in hopes of identifying a viral cause of cancer clusters. During these investigations, however no clear cause was determined for any of the reported clusters. " Two of the latest in a long list of reported controversies dogging the beleaguered agency involves the delayed disclosure of a 400-page study conducted in the Great Lakes region and the demotion of the study's chief scientist, Christopher De Rosa, a director of the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) since 1992. Released in early February by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit journalism organization, the study found exposures to PCB's, lead, mercury, dioxin, pesticides and other toxins may have caused "low birth weights, elevated rates of infant mortality and premature births, and elevated death rates from breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer. " In an article accompanying the study, "Great Lakes Danger Zone," reporter Sheila Kaplan, interviewed Canadian biologist Dr. Michael Gilbertson, one of the study's reviewers. Dr. Gilbertson explained, "The whole problem with all this kind of work is wrapped up in that word 'injury.' If you have injury, that implies liability. Liability, of course, implies damages...The governments, frankly, in both countries [US and Canada] are so heavily aligned with, particularly, the chemical industry, that the word amongst the bureaucracies is that they really do not want any evidence of effect or injury to be allowed out there. " In response to the CDC's handling of the report, Michigan Representatives John Dingell, Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupack, Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee launched a congressional investigation charging the agency with a "Cover-Up." In a statement released on February 28th 2008, Chairman Dingell wrote, "If the administration has willfully withheld a report from the public, it raises questions about whether they are putting the public health at risk and about the scientific integrity of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. " The release of the Great Lakes study comes on the heels of new accusations charging top CDC officials with down playing cancer risks posed by formaldehyde exposure found in the 144,000 trailers purchased by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for victims of Hurricane Katrina. In a February 8, 2008 article in the AJC, "CDC under investigation over Katrina cancer risk," investigative journalist Alison Young reported the House Committee on Science and Technology has begun investigating "disturbing allegations" of improper suppression of "critical information" and "also looking into whether the Atlanta scientist who sought to make the risks public has been the subject of retaliation by the agency." This individual would be the same CDC scientist leading the Great Lakes study, Dr. Christopher De Rosa. The article cites a letter sent to Director Gerberding from the Committee's chairman and two other subcommittee chairmen stating, "The agency's conduct has called into question its ability to investigate public health hazards accurately and appropriately in the future." Again, suggestions that liability, rather than the health of the people living in the trailers, seemed to be the primary concern of FEMA and CDC officials. Cleaning up toxic chemicals in the environment can cost businesses a great deal of money. Liability for the diseases caused by these chemicals can cost business even more money. Today's political climate, inside the CDC and out, is not interested in holding corporations accountable for anything, even allowing toxic pollutants to poison our children. This would explain why we have a nation of sick kids and why only a few in government seem interested in doing anything about it. And if the suppression of safety data and intimidation of agency scientists raising health concerns were not bad enough, the CDC also stands accused of hyping certain health threats and terrifying the public in the hope of benefiting from the "fear" campaigns. Sandwiched between the Great Lakes and FEMA trailer "cover-up" reports, another article by the AJC asks "Did CDC hype TB case as a fund-raising ploy?" (March 13, 2008). The article chronicles the hysteria created over 31-year-old Atlanta attorney, Andrew Speaker, a man CDC officials diagnosed with XDR TB five months after an agency "strategy" session focused on obtaining more funding for the rare and deadly form of TB. According to the article, "The handling of the Speaker case was so unusual that it has raised questions among other TB experts, including whether CDC publicized Speaker's case in a quest for more money. " While the CDC's Media Relations Director Glen Nowak maintains "the agency's actions were justified," the agency "has refused for nearly seven months to release documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) about any role the agency's XDR TB funding strategy played in its handling of the Speaker case." As it turns out, Speaker didn't even have the deadly XDR TB. All that hype and the young man had a different, "more treatable" form of TB all along. It's a little disturbing that the world's leading health agency would misdiagnose the type of tuberculosis this man has. Makes you wonder how often situations like this are sensationalized way out of proportion and sending the public into a panic. Anyone remember monkeypox? When was the last time you heard about that? And what has become of that deadly bird flu that dominated the news for about a year? Ever notice how the urgent predictions of impending disaster disappear after the CDC gets a big boost in funding from congress to combat these diseases? We know every year the CDC and health officials claim 36,000 people die from influenza. This little piece of propaganda is spread annually by medical reporters on all the morning and nightly news programs. But does anyone ever ask these so-called "experts" to prove this statistic? No...talk show hosts and medical reporters just regurgitate the "talking points" with no interest in accuracy. For anyone interested, investigative journalist Kelly O'Meara actually did ask "how does the CDC arrive at its numbers of deaths related to influenza?" In an article for the Washington Times Insight Magazine, CDC spokesman Curtis Allen admited the 36,000 deaths "are not 'real' numbers" and are actually nothing more that a computer generated guess. "There are a couple problems with determining the number of deaths related to the flu because most people don't die from the influenza...We don't know exactly how many people get the flu each year because it's not a reportable disease and most physicians don't do the test [nasal swab] to indicate whether it's influenza. " In a follow up article "A Shot In the Dark - Part I," using the CDC's own data, O'Meara found "The greatest number of actual inluenza deaths recorded since 1979 were 3,006 in 1981. " I found both these stories with a simple Google search, something medical reporters and their interviewers might want to try. (Flu Secrets You Should Know 2/3/04). Although never held accountable for these misrepresentations, top CDC officials have consistently shown themselves to be quite creative at exploiting certain health threats, like TB, influenza and bird flu, when it suits their purposes, and ignoring other health threats, like childhood cancer and autism, when it doesn't. How do they keep getting away with this stuff? No where has the CDC's credibility suffered more than in the way it has responded to questions about vaccine safety, and if vaccines are associated with increased rates of autism. When you study the way the CDC has responded to the autism epidemic you will see a very similar pattern of behavior as what occurs when the CDC investigates cancer clusters. Their studies never find a "link" or an "association" because that is what they are designed to do. For years thousands of parents have maintained their healthy, normally developing children regressed into autism following vaccinations. And for years the CDC has vehemently denied any evidence of an association. The debate has been the subject of thousands of news stories with neither side backing away from their steadfast positions. On March 6, however, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution carried a front-page headline: FIRST AUTISM-VACCINE LINK: HOW HANNAH MADE HISTORY. The article details an admission by the federal government, that Hannah Poling, a nine-year-old Georgia girl, was harmed by the nine vaccines she received at 19 months, after which Hannah became autistic. The leaked landmark concession was actually filed last November 9th but the decision remains sealed even though Hannah Poling's parents have asked that the documents be made public. There's that secrecy thing again. The government's concession was deemed so significant that CNN made it a lead story throughout the day. Predictably, CDC Director Gerberding rushed to the microphones to reiterate the agency's standard talking points in response to the Poling bombshell. "The government has made absolutely no statement indicating that vaccines are a cause of autism," said Gerberding. Apparently, this is the CDC's story and they are sticking to it. Meanwhile there are nearly 5,000 other claims filed on behalf of children diagnosed with autism awaiting review in vaccine court. By the end of the day, news of the concession made headlines around the world and was one of the lead stories on every nightly news program. In a report for the CBS Evening News, reporter Sharyl Attkisson uncovered nine additional cases where the government awarded compensation to vaccine-injured children who developed autism. There has been a lot of parsing of words and the expected "spin" about this decision from the usual sources. But none of these "opinions" changes the facts. Individuals can continue to argue whether or not vaccines cause autism, but there is no arguing that the government -- not a court or a judge -- the government's medical experts conceded this case having determined that vaccines DID harm little Hannah. Hannah Poling did not have autism before she received nine vaccines in one day, but soon after Hannah was diagnosed with autism. And the government's medical experts -- not a judge -- said this little girl should be compensated. Of interest is the leaking of a second decision involving Hannah Poling filed on February 21st carried in a March 19th AJC op-ed by journalist/author David Kirby. The second concession states, "The cause for (autistic) encephalopathy in Hannah at age 19 months was underlying mitochondrial dysfunction, exacerbated by vaccine-induced fever and immune stimulation that exceeded metabolic reserves. " Kirby clarifies several misconceptions being reported in other news reports and makes several very good points. 1. Instead of health officials expressing concern for other children who may have experienced the same reaction as Hannah, parents are "met with stonewalling, denial, and misinformation. 2. Hannah's underlying condition was not a "rare" or "inherited" disease. Hannah was asymptomatic prior to receiving her vaccines and by all accounts developing normally. 3. The government still hasn't released either decision. The conflicts of interest between CDC officials and the vaccine industry are vast, appalling and were detailed by UPI in 2003. "The Vaccine Conflict" is a must read for anyone concerned about industry influence on government agencies. The article provides shocking details about how the CDC collaborates with the vaccine industry. Following a four-month investigation, UPI found: In two cases in the past four years, vaccines endorsed by the CDC were pulled off the market after a number of infants and adults appeared to have suffered devastating side effects, and some died. Members of the CDC's Vaccine Advisory Committee get money from vaccine manufacturers. Relationships have included: sharing a vaccine patent; owning stock in a vaccine company; payments for research; getting money to monitor manufacturer vaccine tests; and funding academic departments. The CDC is in the vaccine business. Under a 1980 law, the CDC currently has 28 licensing agreements with companies and one university for vaccines or vaccine-related products. It has eight ongoing projects to collaborate on new vaccines. Those are some very serious conflicts. So when Dr. Gerberding or any official rushes to the microphones to tell us vaccines don't cause autism we should consider the source and the implication for the agency if shown to be wrong. If the CDC were capable of suppressing and minimizing the health risks associated in formaldehyde trailers or pollutants in the Great Lakes, why wouldn't they do the same with vaccines and their association with autism? Why should we trust an agency to tell us the truth about a public health disaster that they may have created? Make no mistake; I am sure there are thousands of dedicated good people of conscience and science working inside the walls of the CDC. It is regrettable that the credibility of the entire agency is being tarnished. The bottom line is this...we cannot have a public health system that suppresses health information and deceives the public. Period! Whether it is about chemical pollution, air quality in trailers, or immunizations. This is totally unacceptable both morally and ethically. There should be a zero tolerance policy for any government official who knowingly deceives the public about the safety of products we use and give our children. America deserves better and it is time we start to demand better as if our lives, and our children's lives depend on it. Because the truth is...they do.

ACHAMP] Commentary by Dr. Boyd Haley onCNN coverage Vaccine-autism question divides parents, scientists http://edition. cnn. com/2008/ HEALTH/condition s/03/24/autism. vaccines/ To all: This represents the major problem parents of autistic children face in getting national public support. The very idea that “it is a parent versus science” debate. It isn’t-- all of the well done biological science supports an oxidative stress based illness and nothing reduces reduced glutathione better than mercury or organic mercury compounds. What else toxic is the autistic infant exposed to? The work by Holmes, Bradstreet, Hornig, Deth, Haley, Nataf, James, Lathe, etc. support the concept that a toxin has injured these children that is mercury based. Yet this science is never presented or discussed by the mass media---instead it is always a well educated CDC physician versus an emotional mother of an autistic child that seems to be highlighted. Sometimes, it is a single courageous physician (usually also the parent of an autistic child) presenting the argument. Nothing wrong with this, except it totally excludes the very hard fact that thimerosal has been proven to be one of the most toxic and, specifically neurotoxic, of compounds AND the biological systems affected in autistic children are those that are mercury sensitive. Let’s see how many of the above listed researchers are interviewed in the CNN presentation on the “mystery of autism causation”. I will bet the farm that most of the research discussed will be the famous 5 epidemiological studies, paid for by the CDC, and done totally by foreigners who all now live in Europe and work for vaccine manufacturers. Also, 4 of these studies were done on foreign data bases and the “Danish studies done by Hviid” were done, according to their own published data, on a data base with less than 5 autistics per 10,000 while the rate in the USA was 67 per 10,000. When will the mass media experts as the tough questions? Why hasn’t a premier USA university been commissioned to evaluate the possible causation between vaccine exposure and autism? Given the Amish report by Dan Olmstead this should have been done long ago. The rate of autism in the non-vaccinated population is where the answer to this question lies---and I am sincerely of the opinion that the CDC already knows the answer to this question. Let’s see if the study from the Medical Center in Mannitoba, Canada that showed an asthma rate of about 16% versus 5% on children vaccinated at 2 months versus 4 months of age will be discussed. It clearly shows a relationship between age of vaccination and an illness that has increased like autism. This morning on CNN Dr. Gupta presented a piece on the observation of autism like symptoms in pre-term babies. I was shocked as I have talked to parents of autistic children who were born premature who were vaccinated on the day of birth even though these children are medically compromised. Go figure. In my opinion, our vaccine program is in the hands of incompetent individuals and Dr. Paul Offit proves this every time he speaks. Boyd Haley

http://www.turnto10.com/northeast/jar/health___fitness.html Wendy Fournier does a great job in this interview.

go to www.ireport.com and join for free..it is the site for CNN...check it out

Being present is one of the main goals of many spiritual practices, particularly those originating in the East. Being present means not only living in the moment, but also not spending time rehashing the past or worrying about the future. It is a way to get the most out of life because when you are not present you miss out on what is happening. You waste time focusing on things you have no control over, namely the past and the future and relinquish control over what you can affect - the present. Being present is something I have been working on improving for several years. I used to be a junkie for the past. I lugged it around and poured over it every chance I got. If only I had done, or not done that. If only that had been different. If only...... I was wasting my life. Having a child severely curtails the amount of time you have to sit around and moon over the past. There is so much to do in the now, and so much of it is so new and amazing that there isn’t time for much else. When my son was six months old, we moved to a new city where we didn’t know anyone. We made a few new friends, but basically we were starting from scratch with our social/support system. Harrison and I spent a lot of time together, just the two of us. At times it was lonely, but I began to see a quality in him that I admired, even though I didn’t know what to call it then. He was very present and he was nearly always happy. What ever he was doing took up his whole focus. He wasn’t thinking about when he fell down that morning or when I barked at him the day before. He was just in the moment. He didn’t know enough to worry about tomorrow. I started to see things in a new way when I looked at the world through his eyes. Geese flying across the sky, calling out to each other as they flew was a miracle. Meeting the neighbors new dog was an important event. A new box of crayons was cause for celebration. Experiencing life that way was pure and whenever I could let go of my old habits and just be present with him, it was almost holy. As he’s gotten older he hasn’t lost that capacity to be present. His developmental delays have given him an unexpected gift. He hasn’t learned from the adults around him how to fret about tomorrow or dwell on the past. He just “is” in a way that many people spend years trying to learn how to be. If he gets mad at me, it doesn’t last. As soon as he is done, that feeling is really gone. He doesn’t harbor it for the rest of the day or remember next week how I wouldn’t let him have what he wanted. The picture he is drawing or the food he is eating are what makes up his world. He has the capacity to remember yesterday and is starting to learn to anticipate tomorrow, but I hope that he never learns to not be fully present. He inspires me, and I’ve got a lot of years of bad habits to break.

My last post was about having what you want, but one of the things that has taken me the longest time to figure out is how to want something, especially if I really want it, and still “hold it lightly.” I’m not entirely sure I get it every time, but life is better for me, and for those around me, since I’ve been trying not to clutch at and control everything so tightly. “Holding it lightly” is a term to describe not being too attached or consumed by something happening or by it happening in a certain way. If you find that you feel devastated when something didn’t turn out the way you envisioned, you are not holding it lightly. If, instead, you can “roll with the punches,” you probably are. Anyone who’s seen the piles of mail and other papers in my house knows I am not anybodies definition of a perfectionist, and yet, as my dear husband once put it, “You have a lot of opinions, and a lot of opinions about how things should be.” As husbands often are, he was dead on. I wanted to feel in control of my life by meticulously structuring certain aspects of it, and requiring the people around me to fit into those structures. When things didn’t go according to plan or other people didn’t comply, I was miserable. And worse yet, I felt more out of control than ever. A wise woman once asked me why I thought my son had been given to me. Having a special needs child will rock your need to have things happen in a certain way like not much else can. I had never thought about it like that before, but I do believe in a quantum universe, where everything is interconnected and everything happens for a reason. Now each new day is an opportunity to loosen the grip on my expectations, to look for creative solutions, and to feel blessed for all that I do have. I still get frustrated sometimes and on some days, downright defeated, but it doesn’t usually last long. I’ve finally realized that even if I don’t get what I think I want, I often end up with something better, or at least I’ve gained some new insight into myself. And best of all, I know for sure that I am the one at the helm of my life. I can’t control all that occurs in my world, but I can control how I operate with what I’m given and that gives me a lot of peace.

Figuring out what you want isn’t always easy. Then there’s the added challenge of finding a way to go after it. If what you want seems daunting or out of reach, whether it be an object or a goal, sometimes you can achieve it, (or at least the main essence or impact of it), in other ways. We are in the process of remodeling Harrison’s bathroom. The people who lived here before us had daughters and the entire bathroom was pink, but more importantly it was outdated and not very functional. Harrison’s not the kind of kid who is that concerned about using a pink bathroom, but he never took to the teeny tiny, shallow builders tub with it’s plastic shower walls and for most of his 9 years has used our bathroom to wash and for brushing his teeth. There are less toys in the master bath now than there once were, but I’m still looking forward to relocating the big plastic frog and his array of plastic lily pads somewhere else. Then there was the chewed up moulding and vanity. When we first got him, our dog, Jake, used to chew up something of mine every time we left him alone in the house. In good weather we would put him outside with bowls of food and water, but one rainy day we needed to be gone for several hours and so decided to lock him in Harrison’s bathroom. It has a window that looks out on the street and plenty of space to move around. Jake still wasn’t so crazy about the idea and he chewed big chunks out of the wooden door frame and vanity drawers trying to escape. Fortunately, he seemed to learn from this experience that if he wanted to have free reign indoors while we were gone, he’d better stop chewing things. We haven’t had that problem since. That was several years ago, but for the longest time we didn’t really know what we wanted to do with that bathroom, and so it stayed the way it was, unused, pink and with dog bites out of the woodwork. We were pretty sure that we didn’t want to undergo the inconvenience and expense of a full bathroom gut and remodel, and so we finally started to look at how we could make the most impact without starting all over again. How could we achieve the look of a bright, updated and functional bathroom without removing everything that wasn’t working? One of the biggest offenders was the pinkish grey floor tiles. In the right light, with the right things accompanying them, they might almost be mistaken for terra cotta, but when paired with Pepto Bismol striped wallpaper, they were definitely pink. We opted to keep the tile and distract from it’s pinkness by patching the chewed up vanity and painting it a rich paprika color. The tiny tub was replaced by a larger one that actually fills the alcove in which it sits and instead of a plastic shower wall, we now have a lovely tiled space done entirely in 2x2 slate pieces. They also have a touch of pinkish brown in some of the tiles and so instead of fighting with the less desired color of the floor, we have found a way to harmonize and minimize it. The stomach settling wallpaper is being replaced with a sophisticated jungle print that should carry Harrison through childhood into his teens. The bathroom isn’t completely done yet, but already I can tell that when it is, Harrison and his pond props will look forward to hanging out in it and we can reclaim autonomy over the master bath. But how does this concept translate to other things? If you’ve always wanted a little, red, sports car and don’t see that as being a viable option for the near future, you could start looking at what it gives you or what it represents to you. Do you want it as a status symbol or maybe you just like the feeling of freedom that riding with the top down gives. How else can you get those same feelings without actually owning the car? Maybe this provides you with a chance to take a look at your values and examine the importance of status symbols in your life. Will riding your bike give you the same free feeling, or perhaps renting a convertible on occasion will satisfy you. You might even learn that you hate driving with bugs whizzing past your head and having your hair always in knots. In any case, you will probably know a little bit more about why you want what you want. Having these insights provides the building blocks for designing your life and this will take you one step closer to surrounding yourself with a world that makes you feel as comfortable as a long soak in the tub.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/02/mccarthy.autsimtreatment/index.html#cnnSTCVideo CNN LARRY KING LIVE Jenny McCarthy's Autism Fight Aired April 2, 2008 - 21:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, Jenny McCarthy and her relentless quest to help her autistic son. She says he has recovered from this mysterious condition. But there is no cure for the devastating disorder that affects millions. On World Autism Awareness Day, there's information, there's help and hope for a terrifying disease that tears families apart. Autism: Solving the puzzle, next on LARRY KING LIVE. We've got a major program tonight with lots of featured guests. We begin, of course, with Jenny McCarthy, the actress and entertainment personality. Her son Evan has autism and she tells Evan's story in her best-selling memoir "Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism". She's also on our Web site today with a kind of brilliant episode about all of this. What do you make of what CNN is doing today? JENNY MCCARTHY: Oh, I think it's about time. I think they need to do a World Autism Day. It's a global epidemic. And it's not going to get any better until change is implemented. Let's take a look at you and your special son, Evan. Watch. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY "LOUDER THAN WORDS") MCCARTHY: Hi. Who's that? It's Evan. I love you more than the size of the whole sky. EVAN: I love you than the whole -- than the whole jungle right here. MCCARTHY: What? EVAN: Wow! Look at all the horses. MCCARTHY: This is a beautiful horse barn, sir. Oh, no. Oh, no. Everybody watch out. There's a scary monster. I love you more than all of the animals on the planet. EVAN: And I love you then in outer space. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Damn, is he cute. MCCARTHY: He is. KING: You've shared his story before. Give us a little history of Evan and autism. MCCARTHY: Sure. Evan was diagnosed with autism just before the age of three. He started having seizures is what made me lead to look for more answers. One of the seizures went into cardiac arrest. It's something that we still, you know, have to deal with. But soon after those seizures, he was diagnosed with autism. KING: What did you do about it? MCCARTHY: Instead of, you know, leaving it as a dead end, you know, diagnosis, I went online and I found a community called Defeat Autism Now. And for 12 years, thank God, this community of doctors and scientists, who have been healing and treating kids with autism, I believed enough -- even though my pediatrician at the time said it's all bull -- and followed this treatment and my son got better. And the amazing thing is that I want people to know first off -- because a lot of the things that we're going to talk about is vaccines -- is that I'm not, nor is the autism community, anti-vaccine. We're anti-toxin and we're anti-schedule. But the thing is, the way I treated Evan and the way a lot of the way these parents are treating their kids is not treating autism. We are treating vaccine injury and the kids are getting better. KING: What do you mean by anti-schedule? MCCARTHY: Well, the schedule back in '93 was 10 shots given. Today there are 36 shots given. KING: Do you think that's too many? MCCARTHY: Too many too soon. When I was on this show before, I said we need an alternate schedule. This is too much. We need to get rid of the toxins, the mercury -- which I am so tired of everyone saying it's been removed. It has not been removed from the shots. We'll get into that later more. Aluminum, ether, antifreeze -- these are toxic ingredients in shots that need to be removed. KING: As you know, we'll have doctors here and some will agree with you, some don't. What was the reason for the increase to so many shots? MCCARTHY: Oh, God, I can't wait for you to ask that question. I actually have a shot, you know, schedule here that you can actually -- can you guys get in close on that? This is not so good of a copy. But you can see 1983, the shot schedule was 10. Ten shots. Now widen out and take a look at the whole schedule now -- 36 shots given. KING: Why? MCCARTHY: And you visually see it. I'd like to know that. And we put our trust, as parents, in the pediatricians (INAUDIBLE). KING: But the guess would be that discoveries were made... MCCARTHY: The discoveries were made but, you know... KING: ...to prevent new dis -- why wouldn't you want to prevent a disease that hasn't been prevented before? MCCARTHY: Yes, but I think -- I personally haven't heard of that many people falling off the map that we needed to implement 26 new shots in this time. And isn't it ironic, in 1983 there was 10 shots and now there's 36 and the rise of autism happened at the same time? And parent after parent after parent says I vaccinated my baby, they got a fever and then they stopped speaking and then became autistic. KING: Is your link scientific or statistical? MCCARTHY: Well, I believe that parents' anecdotal information is science-based information. And when the entire world is screaming the same thing -- doctor, I came home. He had a fever. He stopped speaking and then he became autistic. I can't -- I can see if it was just one parent saying this. But when so many -- and I speak to thousands of moms every weekend and they're all standing up and saying the same thing. It's time to start listening to that. That is science-based information. Parents' anecdotal is science-based information. KING: Where is Evan on this autism spectrum? MCCARTHY: Evan, after one year of treatment, the state came back over to evaluate him and said Evan no longer qualifies for any more autistic services -- autism services. So he's now... KING: What do you mean? MCCARTHY: He's done. He no longer qualifies. He goes to typical school... KING: And you don't call him cured. What do you -- you call him... MCCARTHY: Let me explain that, recovered, because a lot of people get confused by that. You can't become cured from getting hit by a bus. And this is a really great analogy. But you can recover from getting hit by a bus. It's the same thing with autism. You know, these kids were mowed over. And they regained skills -- their skills back through therapy. And Evan regained all those lost skills that he once had after getting hit by that bus. Now there's no cure. But you can be damn right that kid recovered. He recovered. Now I can't say cured, because I don't know what he would have been like before the bus hit him. KING: So does any -- does Evan have any big difficulties now? MCCARTHY: Evan -- seizures, we still worry about. He has a lot of gut issues. A lot of these kids still have a lot of medical issues. Sometimes he has problems with audio -- auditory processing. Other than that, he does not qualify with -- he's so-social. Everything is, you know, right on target. He's really a wonderful example of hope and possibility for parents out there. KING: Great news. Way ahead of where you were last time. Jenny McCarthy is our guest. She's going to be sort of like our co-host throughout the entire hour, that (INAUDIBLE)... MCCARTHY: Boy, am I. KING: Boy, yes. (LAUGHTER) KING: She'll take over by 9:25. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY "LOUDER THAN WORDS") UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's time for parents around the world to know that they have a voice. It's time for people to start hearing us. Thousands and thousands of us are screaming for the same thing. And this is going to go down in history at a time when mothers fought the giant to save their babies. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Jenny McCarthy remains with us, as she will throughout the entire show. We're now joined by David Kirby. David is the author of a provocative "New York Times" best-seller, "Evidence of Harm." The subtitle is "Mercury in Vaccines and The Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy." You're not a doctor, right, David? DAVID KIRBY, AUTHOR, "EVIDENCE OF HARM": No, I'm a journalist. KING: What led you to this? KIRBY: It was the politics of the situation, the Homeland Security Bill back in 2002. A bill was passed and a rider was slipped in to dismiss lawsuits against drug companies for having put this mercury-containing preservative into the vaccine. KING: That's in the law? MCCARTHY: Well, it was in the law and then it was rescinded and now it's -- this is the reason we have the vaccine injury court, so that these families can go in. KING: That was the recent court in Atlanta, right? MCCARTHY: That is correct. The case in Atlanta with Hannah Poling. And we're here to discuss this debate whether vaccines are related to autism or not. I'm here -- I've never said this before, Larry. This debate is over. Vaccines can trigger autism. It happened to Hannah Poling. It happened to many other kids. I've confirmed it. And we need to deal with this. KING: When you began the study and the book, did you have a belief? MCCARTHY: No. I was agnostic up until about two weeks ago. And as I've been reporting on this more and more, as I reported on The Huffington Post last week, there are many, many more Hannah Polings out there. The reaction, Larry, should not be stop vaccinating. The reaction should be let's reform the vaccine program so that parents feel better about bring their kids in and that we can protect for immunity without the collateral damage that I do believe has happened in at least some autism cases. KING: Jenny, will you agree that some cases have nothing to do with vaccines, which makes it more puzzling? MCCARTHY: Absolutely. You know, environmental toxins play a role. Viruses play a role. Those are all triggers. But vaccines play the largest role right now and something needs to be done. You know, testing these kids for immune issues, you know, that would help so much, changing the schedule. You know, I don't understand -- as a precautionary measure, why don't they do this? If everyone is screaming this and they're so worried about parents going into offices right now telling the pediatrician j everyone is going I'm too scared to vaccinate my child. This is the new parents' number one fear -- I am afraid to vaccinate. I am not trying to start this global non-vaccinating world. I'm trying to implement change. KING: David, if we know that, do we know why? KIRBY: Well, one of theories that has evolved with Hannah Poling is this underlying mitochondrial dysfunction. KING: What (INAUDIBLE)? KIRBY: Mitochondria are the little batteries in each cell. They convert oxygen in food into energy. Hannah had a dysfunction of her mitochondria. She had low cellular energy. And what the government admitted in her case is her vaccines overloaded her system, it created vaccine-induced fever and an immune response that basically taxed her reserves. Now, this is a minority of autism cases. We need to find out how many kids this happened to. We also need to find out what is causing this underlying mitochondrial dysfunction. Mercury and aluminum and environmental toxins are all suspects in this. KING: In all honesty, this is to both of you -- you, Jenny, are you anti-vaccine? MCCARTHY: No, I'm not, because if we had no vaccines, we'd have a very scary world. KING: You're not against the polio vaccine, for example? KIRBY: No. But I would like to see a different schedule. I would like -- I would like medicine and vaccines to be individualized to the child. KING: Hard to do that, wouldn't it? KIRBY: Well, I think it needs to be done. KING: Are you anti-vaccine, David? KIRBY: I'm not anti-vaccine at all. I'm pro-vaccine, actually. And I got a lot of criticism from some parents for that. But I think if we're going to do it, you get one chance to vaccinate your kid and do it properly and do it without causing harm. We are now learning with this mitochondrial dysfunction there is a DNA mutation that's passed down through the father. And we can start testing these kids for this mutation, which means they're more at risk for mitochondria dysfunction... KING: Probably due to you, jenny, and programs like this, the percentage of children getting vaccinations is dropping. Do you think that's good? MCCARTHY: I think it's only good because it's the only thing that's going to shake up the CDC to do something about it. And, you know, it's a damn shame that we invited them here on this program on World Autism Day to come sit with us so I can ask them questions on behalf of the autism community. And they denied their appearance again, which, of course, they're going to give their statement. And where are they? You know, my message to them from the community is this. They might have silenced some of our children, but they will never silence the mothers. KIRBY: I think that's (INAUDIBLE)... MCCARTHY: And we will keep talking until we see change. And you're damn right if I was pregnant and had a boy, I would be scared to vaccinate, too. You need to find a doctor that can find an alternate schedule. Generationrescue.org has three of them on there. Parents need to be tough right now. KING: The CDC has sent us a statement which says, in part: "Parents who are watching your show tonight may have concerns about vaccinating their children and that's understandable. However, they should know that current recommendations to vaccinate are based on years of scientific research by the world's foremost experts. If any parent out there is concerned, sit down and discuss your concerns with your child's doctor." What do you make of that, David? KIRBY: I agree with it. I wish the CDC would encourage parents earlier on, such as Hannah Poling's parents, gee, you might want to consider spreading out the vaccines. Now, they had no way of knowing that she was set up for failure and injury. She got compensated through the injury program. We can't be afraid of this situation. We have to work to make it better. KING: Do you agree with that statement by the CDC? MCCARTHY: You know, they're... KING: It looked like you didn't. MCCARTHY: They seem to keep changing and softening. You know, I think -- I think they're realizing the tide has come in and now they're trying to hold back an ocean. And parents with -- you know, that are going into, you know, questioning vaccinations to their pediatricians -- the phone calls I get every week are, my pediatrician yelled at me and said, what, you don't trust me? You need to trust me. Well, our trust is broken. If people are listening to parents like us screaming at the top of our lungs this happened, of course, they're going to be scared. KING: David, you stay with us. And, Jenny, of course, you'll stay with us. And when we come back, we'll be joined by three prominent physicians -- one kind of in the middle, one who agrees and one who disagrees, on this World Autism Day. This is our special look at this dreadful disease and what we can do about it. We'll be right back. A dog named Levi, a girl named Emily -- why he is the key to her living a normal life. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) EMILY: My life is so good. (END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY "LOUDER THAN WORDS") KING: We're back. Jenny McCarthy and David Kirby remain with us. We're joined by Dr. Jay Gordon, associate professor of pediatrics at UCLA Medical School. He recently released an educational DVD called "Vaccinations: Assessing the Risks and the Benefits." I have it right here in front of me. And he -- you are her son's doctor, right? DR. JAY GORDON, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS, UCLA MEDICAL SCHOOL: Yes, I am. KING: Dr. Harvey Karp is a fellow at the American Academy of Pediatrics, a best-selling author of "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" and does not believe there is scientific evidence of vaccine and autism linking. And Dr. David Tayloe is president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He also does not believe of the scientific evidence between vaccines and autism. I've been calling it a disease. It's a condition or a disorder, right? Is that the correct term or anybody disagree? DR. HARVEY KARP, FELLOW, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS: Yes, you would have to say so, Larry, because it seems that there are multi- factors that influence it -- some genetic, perhaps some environmental. And so it seems more of a spectrum than a specific disease. KING: All right, where, Dr. Karp, is David and Jenny and Dr. Gordon -- before we here from him -- where are they wrong? KARP: Well, I think that most important, where -- let's start with where they're right, which is that we need to do something now to find out the reasons for children developing autism, because it is ramping up and it's something that we need to be concerned about. And they're also... KING: Where are they wrong about the vaccines? KARP: Well, they're wrong to say that we can -- well, they're -- number one, they're wrong to say that the vaccines are proven to cause autism. If you look at the studies -- and they're mounting up now... (CROSSTALK) KARP: ...over the last 12 years, you see that these studies show over and over again that mercury is not associated with autism, that measles vaccine is not associated with autism, that kids who have autism don't usually have an immunization that occurs right before the onset of their symptoms. MCCARTHY: All of those are not independent studies, though. KARP: Well, there are many, many studies and some studies have flaws and some studies don't. (CROSSTALK) KARP: But, for example, in California, if you look at what's happened with -- we took mercury out of the vaccines back in around 2002 and when you look... MCCARTHY: Are you saying there's no mercury in the vaccines right now? KARP: When you look at -- when we've taken out... MCCARTHY: Are there any -- is mercury still in the vaccines (INAUDIBLE)... (LAUGHTER) KARP: We have removed... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just in flu vaccines. KARP: We have removed... GORDON: No, no. MCCARTHY: That's it? GORDON: No, the tetanus shot also has a full complement of mercury. And, by the way, I don't believe that -- I don't believe that we've proven that vaccines cause autism. I think they contribute to autism. I think that there are a lot of environment at least influences, many of which you know about more than anybody that I know. But vaccines do contribute to autism. They don't -- there's nothing proven. KIRBY: I think we can't the aluminum content, as well, because that's been going up (INAUDIBLE)... KING: What does Dr. Tayloe think? DR. DAVID T. TAYLOE, JR.. PRESIDENT-ELECT, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS: Well, first of all, the childhood vaccine program is the most beneficial public health program in the history of mankind. MCCARTHY: We know that (INAUDIBLE). TAYLOE: And you must have immunization rates that approach 90 percent to keep diseases such as polio, measles, whooping cough and diphtheria from coming in here from countries. They're one plane ride away and we're that close to an epidemic. So, for the American Academy of Pediatrics to want to change the immunization program, there would have to be medical evidence -- indisputable medical evidence that we ought to change it. Now... MCCARTHY: But isn't parents'... TAYLOE: ...we've changed it about six times just in the last 10 years. We changed the whooping cough vaccine, we changed the polio vaccine, we changed the rotavirus vaccine. KING: Why are there so many? TAYLOE: Because we've been able to develop ways to vaccinate children to prevent pain and suffering. Just in my practice, I've watched three children die of each of the different kinds of bacterial meningitis that we immunize for today. And it's tragic when that happens. I, in my practice, have not referred a child to the compensation program for a vaccine-related injury... MCCARTHY: But do we really need all of these? TAYLOE: ...and our practice has seen over... MCCARTHY: Do we really need all of these, though? TAYLOE: ...over a hundred thousand kids a year. MCCARTHY: I mean honestly. Let's look at this. (CROSSTALK) TAYLOE: They're recommended. KARP: Which disease do you want your child to get? (CROSSTALK) KARP: Pick the one you want your child to get. GORDON: That's not fair. That's not fair. MCCARTHY: Let him talk for a minute. Thank you. GORDON: That's not fair. Nobody wants their child to get any of these diseases. KARP: But that's the point. MCCARTHY: Let him talk for a minute. GORDON: What we have to assess are risks and benefits. KARP: Sure. GORDON: The risks of the -- of our vaccine schedule exceed the benefits. Nobody sitting here is anti-vaccine. Nobody is saying we've proven that vaccine -- David -- David Kirby's book is entitled "Evidence of Harm," OK? The evidence is there. We have to address the evidence. We do not have respect for the instincts of our parents. We don't have respect for the immune system. The immune system is a complicated, complicated system in the body -- complex. We should not be giving the same dose of polio vaccination to a 10 pound baby as to a 180 pound adult. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you need scientific evidence that that's (INAUDIBLE). GORDON: You need to prove it's safe that... MCCARTHY: First. GORDON: Yes. KIRBY: There is a bill in Congress to study vaccinated versus unvaccinated populations in this country. Doctor, would you support that legislation? Would you? TAYLOE: We support... KIRBY: (INAUDIBLE)? TAYLOE: We are not afraid of the truth at the American Academy of Pediatrics. MCCARTHY: Well, will you support the unvaccinated/vaccinated study? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need that study. TAYLOE: We support vaccine research and are leading (INAUDIBLE). MCCARTHY: Has anyone looked at the (INAUDIBLE)... (CROSSTALK) KIRBY: No, would you support a study of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children? KING: The Amish don't vaccinate? GORDON: No. And they have a very low incidence of autism and... (CROSSTALK) MCCARTHY: So why isn't anyone looking at that? (CROSSTALK) KING: We have so many guests ahead... (CROSSTALK) KARP: You know, we have to look at the fact that the Amish are a specific genetic group, as well. KING: We've got to move ahead. KARP: So you have to be very careful how you (INAUDIBLE). KING: By the way, Dr. Gordon and Dr. Karp will return. Thank you, Dr. Tayloe, for your brief participation. We're going to do a lot more on this issue, though, and we'll have you back. And, David, thanks very much. Great meeting you. Do you think vaccines cause or contribute to autism? Vote now at CNN.com/larryking. We'll be right back. One family's six children with autism -- how do they manage? That's next on LARRY KING LIVE. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL JOHN NORTON, FATHER OF SIX AUTISTIC CHILDREN: Every closet, everything has either a hook. That's where we -- that's the heater area. This is, of course, where we had a washer and dryer, so you have a hook there. We lock all doors. (INAUDIBLE) plywood. We slide it over, that's for this way. They can't get into the kitchen and destroy it. Now, this one here is the children's room. It does look an absolute disaster. No sheets on the bed because they don't stay on. We put them on and they're off within a few minutes. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: We were in error. Dr. David Tayloe of the American Pediatric Association does remain with us. Before we meet that extraordinary family in Murray, Utah, Dr. Karp wanted to ask something, I believe, of Dr. Tayloe -- I'm sorry Dr. Gordon. GORDON: We're all fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics and we have been for decades. And the one thing that has always troubled me is that the American Academy of Pediatrics has accepted millions and millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry over the past decades. And those millions of dollars, I think, certainly could influence policy. And I don't know how -- I know that you are president, elect, is that correct? KING: Does it influence policy? TAYLOE: I would say it does not influence policy. We have very strict conflict of interest and ethical statements, and abide by the professionalism guidelines of the AMA and are very sensitive issues. Again, we're not afraid of the truth about vaccines. We're all for vaccine safety research, efficacy research, all of that. (CROSS TALK) KING: We've got to go to this family, guys. In Murray, Utah, John and Robin Kirton join us. All six of their children, all six, have autism. Now, life with kids would be a challenge under any circumstances. All six; here's a look inside the household from a documentary that will be on the Discovery Health Channel this fall. Then we'll talk with them. Watch. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN KIRTON, HAS SIX AUTISTIC CHILDREN: Come to see Sarah get her diaper on? Sarah? Yes? See the diaper? Are you getting a diaper? There you go. There you go. Eat your cereal. That's good. ROBIN KIRTON, HAS SIX AUTISTIC CHILDREN: Do you guys know what I'm doing, Hun? What does it sound like I'm doing? That's OK. Just a little spill. Do you want to wipe it? You're such a good helper. Yay! Such a good helper. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Kids range in age from, I guess, infant to 14. Bobby is the oldest. Are these all from the same marriage, Robin? R KIRTON: No, my -- our oldest, Bobby, who's 14, he's from my first marriage. Otherwise, the rest of the children are from our marriage together. KING: Why do you keep having children? R KIRTON: We love children, Larry. We just -- that's the first thing I knew I wanted to do since I was a child, was to be a mother. And it's great. I know we're from the -- we have religious beliefs where families are a joyous thing. Families are forever. And we just love being parents. KING: Are you Mormon? R KIRTON: They're our greatest joy. Yes, we are. KING: I believe that Jenny wanted to ask you something. MCCARTHY: Hi, you guys. R KIRTON: OK. Hi Jenny. MCCARTHY: Hi there. My question is, so many parents tell me about their financial strain and how much autism costs. I'm wondering, that's just with one child. I can't even imagine what your expenses are to treat autism and deal with this. Can you give us a rough estimate per year? J KIRTON: Per year? I guess we never actually figured it out. We just try to make it week by week, and day by day. Whatever needs are needed, we try and take care of the best we can. Whatever the guesstimates have been -- we had some people saying it's 500 extra a month for an autistic child. I think that's pretty optimistic. R KIRTON: Yes. I'd say so. KING: Dr. Karp, do you think there's a gene question here? KARP: Like I said, to the best we know -- KING: Hold on. KARP: There are multiple factors that are involved. I think that genes, we know, clearly are involved with some cases of autism. And we have to believe that there's an environmental risk as well. That's why we've looked so hard at mercury. We've looked so hard at the MMR vaccine. Those have not panned out in extensive studies. One of the things that is an opportunity that we have now is to promote the National Children's Study, which is looking at 100,000 children from birth and seeing what chemicals they're exposed to. If we can follow children in their chemical exposures over the first several years of life, we have a good chance, really the best chance of our generation, to help solve the problem of what is it that's triggering in these children the autism that we're seeing. KING: John, do you have the same pediatrician? J KIRTON: Unfortunately, we haven't been able to have a steady pediatrician over the years. I mean, we moved here to Utah about five years ago. And obviously, we had some children before then as well. We've unfortunately had to bounce around. And as far as the thing that was mentioned earlier, as far as some of the causes, I mean, we know that autism is a spectrum disorder. We believe it's a spectrum of causes. That can be, of course, can be environmental. It could be genetics, obviously, maybe possibly in our situation. Could be just the environment, as far as around people where they live. Or, of course, with vaccinations as well. We just feel that it causes a lot of thing. It's going to need a spectrum of treatments as well, Larry, because it could be a diet, or it could be a number of different things that could be tried. We're trying some sound therapies right now as well. We're trying a lot of different things. KING: You guys have a lot of guts. John and Robert Kirton in Murray, Utah, all six children with autism. We'll be back with our group after this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KING: The landmark court case linking vaccines and autism. We'll hear from the family that won the battle. (END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TERRY POLING, MOTHER OF AUTISTIC CHILD: I wanted to know why my daughter, who had been completely normal until getting nine vaccines in one day, was suddenly no longer there, no longer verbal, no longer responding. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Joining us now in Atlanta, Dr. Jon and Terry Poling. They were involved in a historic decision. They guested on this program I think the same night. Before we talk to the Polings, let's take a videotape look at their daughter Hannah, and a little bit about her story. Watch. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DR. JON POLING, FATHER OF AUTISTIC CHILD: Hannah got very sick shortly after a series of vaccinations that she received at about 19 months old. And after that rather acute illness, she never was the same again. What does the mouse say? HANNAH POLING, AUTISTIC CHILD: He can't talk. J POLING: Does he make any sounds? H POLING: Make another one. T POLING: She just started to deteriorate over a period of time. She was very anorexic. She was not paying attention to her surroundings. Are you finished with this? H. POLING: Yes. Let it dry. T. POLING: OK, we're going to move it over and let it dry. Do you want to do another one? H. POLING: Yes. T. POLING: OK, let's get you some fresh water. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: The Polings won a historic decision. The federal government conceding that they should get money from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. How is Hannah doing, Jon? J. POLING: Hannah is doing very well. But it's up and down. It's almost like she's doing great and then it's like the tornado that hit Atlanta the other day sometimes. KING: How did you feel, Jenny, when that verdict came down? MCCARTHY: You know, it came down in the fall. And you guys were the first ones that really came out in the media, and we were like, finally. I was, needless to say, pleased that everyone got to see that I'm not the only one screaming and yelling the same thing, that we vaccinated and something happened. KING: Were you surprised, Terry, that you won? T POLING: Well, no, I wasn't. I was surprised that we didn't have to have a hearing. But I felt that we had a very strong case. And I was not surprised. But I do want to make one thing clear, Larry. There's a lot of talk out there that we had a hearing. And we absolutely never had a hearing. We had our affidavits and our medical records, and that was it. And one day we got an e-mail from our attorney telling us that the government has decided, after reviewing the medical records and affidavits, that they're conceding our case. So when people say that there was expert testimony in our case, there was no expert testimony. There was no court hearing. KING: Dr. Karp, how did you react to that? KARP: Well, here's the thing; it appears that the vaccines may have pushed over -- you know, that Hannah has this mitochondrial disorder problem, and it may have aggravated that and pushed her over the edge. The vaccines are actually about 1,000 times weaker than getting the disease. We know that getting a high fever, getting illness can take someone with a mitochondrial disorder and push them into a decompensation. The concern -- (CROSS TALK) KARP: Of course well do, but we don't all have the type of disorder that Dr. Poling has proven in his research. GORDON: She has mitochondria, as we all have mitochondria. They became disordered. MCCARTHY: Yes. KARP: What we do know is that if you have -- if you get exposed to a vaccine, it's about 1,000th as strong as getting the disease itself. If you get Measles, the chance of getting encephalitis, the chance of getting pneumonia, the chance of getting a severe reaction to the Measles is about 1,000 times more than getting that reaction from vaccine. GORDON: Those are old data. They are not good data. They were never good data. KARP: They're excellent data. They've been demonstrated -- MCCARTHY: The fact that they say is rare. I think that Julie Gerberding of the CDC is going to have to eat her words. KING: Think this is going to lead to other results? MCCARTHY: Oh, my gosh. I will be on the front line of that. KING: Thanks Polings. We'll be in touch. When we come back -- no, thanks, guys. We've got a lot of program tonight. We'll be back with our three doctors and Jenny right after this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KING: It gives new meaning to man's best friend. See how this dog has changed this six-year-old's girl's life. It's ahead on LARRY KING LIVE. (END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) KING: Anderson Cooper will host "AC 360" at the top of the hour. What's up tonight, Anderson? ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Larry, coming up at the top of the hour on 360, breaking news about the safety of air travel in this country. Four airlines are under investigation, accused of breaking FAA safety rules. There is going to be testimony tomorrow about it on Capitol Hill. Tonight on 360, you will hear from the whistle blowers before they tell lawmakers their stories. You simply will not believe some of their accusations. Our investigative correspondent, Drew Griffin, is working the story as we speak. You'll only hear it at the top of the hour on 360. Also tonight, Florida could be back in play for the Democrats. Just a couple weeks ago, it seemed like that state's delegates would not be counted, but today new life was breathed into the possibility their votes will count. We'll look at how the candidates are reacting, as well as give you the new and surprising polling data out of Pennsylvania. Is Barack Obama actually narrowing the gap there? All that, and more, Larry, at the top of the hour. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Anderson Cooper, "AC 360," 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific. Jenny McCarthy's mate -- call him that -- Jim Carey, called in. He says, and I'll like you gentlemen to comment, vaccines are more of a profit engine than a means of prevention. And that's why there are so many vaccines. Is that true? Jay Gordon. GORDON: I think that's partially true. Vaccines are hugely profitable. Vaccines make the pharmaceutical industry billions of dollars. They make my business billions of dollars. I don't believe that Dr. Taylor was influenced by the money the American Academy of Pediatrics receives. But I think that the American Academy of Pediatrics policies are influenced by this profit motive. KING: What do you think of Jim's statement? TAYLOE: I think vaccines are a very difficult way to make a profit in a pediatric practice, because the price of the newest vaccines are like 120 a dose, one dose. And the insurance companies don't want to pay us much more than that very bare-bones amount for all the costs we have with the vaccines. Then the administration fees are less than what's recommended by Medicare in most practices. So physicians, as a rule, are taking a loss on vaccines in their practices. But we feel so committed to the public health effort, that we're going to do it. And just about half the children receive government funded vaccines, which are free vaccines that go to the states. There's no profit at all there. You just give the vaccine and then charge a government controlled administration fee. So this is not a profit center for pediatrics. This is something that's for public health that we all do. And it's the right thing to do. GORDON: That's disingenuous. The manufacturers of the vaccines make money. It may be a hard way to make money. Doctors sell vaccines or take an administration fee. KARP: If I could just make a comment to this, which is that the cost to our society during the Polio epidemic that we had, during the -- from the cases of Meningitis that you and I saw when we were doing our training, the cost to the society, the financial cost, the human cost is immense. Allow me just to finish this. MCCARTHY: All right. KARP: Which is that the investment that we make in prevention is -- a dime in prevention saves you a dollar in cure. That's what we want to do with autism. That's what we want to do with infectious diseases as well. Immunizations are a boon to children, a boon to family -- MCCARTHY: We get that they're saving lives, but the increase is ridiculous, you guys. Look, it's plain and simple. It's bull (EXPLETIVE DELETED). KARP: No, it's not. MCCARTHY: Too many shots too soon. (CROSS TALK) MCCARTHY: My son died in front of me due to a vaccine injury. And there are many -- every week I get a picture of a dead child. KING: You lost a son? MCCARTHY: Evan died in front of me for two minutes, cardiac arrest. Every week, I get a picture sent to me of a child that died following a vaccination. (CROSS TALK) MCCARTHY: Are we considered acceptable losses? KARP: Jenny, let's bring it down just a notch for a second here. When we look at autism, 75 percent of kids with autism, there's demonstrated change that the child has in the first year of life before they get to this period when they're getting the Mumps, Measles vaccine. MCCARTHY: Give me Mumps and Measles. I'll take that way over autism any day. KARP: That is not the option. That is not the option. GORDON: It can be given later. A vaccine that maybe of a great public health value, but is of no benefit to that particular child. KING: You present a tremendous dilemma to the parent. GORDON: Yes. TAYLOE: There have been 14 studies, MMR, Mercury -- MCCARTHY: Are they independent studies? No. KING: She would take Measles. TAYLOE: This is the best medical evidence. MCCARTHY: In a heart beat. In a heart beat I'll take it. You know how many parents would? Let me just shift for a second because I want to get this out. Let's go on to ingredients, you guys. Ingredients, Mercury, Aluminum, antifreeze. KARP: There's more in the environment than there are in vaccines by far. MCCARTHY: These are OK? It's OK to inject it into a baby? TAYLOE: We're injecting -- this is a direct -- KARP: Ninety percent of the mercury is out. KING: Sorry, I've got to interrupt. When we come back, Jenny has an important announcement. We'll be right back. Don't go away. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) EMILY AINSWORTH, AUTISTIC CHILD: He helps me everywhere. KING: You'll meet Emily and her four-legged friend right after the break. You don't want to miss it. (END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) KING: I know an hour seems like a long time, but we apologize for devoting to little time to so important a subject in so many blocks. We promise to do a lot more on this. We're trying our best. You know, dogs are called man's best friend. They may also be life-changing companions for some autistic children. Take a look at a six-year-old girl named Emily Ainsworth and her four-legged pal, Levi. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ALISON AINSWORTH, MOTHER OF AUTISTIC CHILD: Come here, boy. Prior to having her back, we were a family who was desperate for any bit or degree of help or hope. DARREN AINSWORTH, FATHER OF AUTISTIC CHILD: When we first talked of getting levi, I was very much a skeptic. I'll eat crow all day, because he has made such a difference. It's unbelievable. E. AINSWORTH: He helps me keep me safe and focused. A. AINSWORTH: Just simple things that we take for granted, her having the opportunity to cross the street, go to the playground and still be safe. We've seen a tremendous growth in her ability to socialize with other children. E. AINSWORTH: Tori, you can pet it. Tori? You can go ahead. Good job, Tori. We walk around in the mall with Levi. A. AINSWORTH: I want people to know that they have hope, even if it's just a little bit. E. AINSWORTH: Levi makes me happy because I feel happy. He's my best friend. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Some story, huh, Jenny? MCCARTHY: Yes. KING: You and Jim Carey are working on an important event? MCCARTHY: Jim and I are going to lead a march and rally in Washington, D.C. And I'm announcing it right here on June 4th. You can go on GenerationRescue.org for more information. We will be there and we're asking every parent that can make it there in Washington on that day, every grandma, mom, dad, to be there with us marching, rallying. You have a voice that day. KING: Marching for? MCCARTHY: Autism. KING: Are you raising money? MCCARTHY: Oh, no. This is a day -- you know, I've been talking to parents across the country, thousands of them. And they're so dying to have a voice one day. So we're bringing the media. We're bringing the attention, and now I'm asking every parent that's watching this right now, come there that day and you will be heard. KING: Where do you go online? MCCARTHY: GenerationRescue.org. KING: GenerationRescue.org for information, but it's June 4th in Washington. MCCARTHY: In Washington, D.C. We're inviting all. KING: You and Jim Carey will be leading it? MCCARTHY: Yes, we will. KING: What is it going to be like with him leading a parade? MCCARTHY: He's very passionate about this issue. KING: But you know, once he gets in front of a crowd. MCCARTHY: He might do a few things. KING: He might do a few things. What puzzles you the most, Dr. Tayloe, about autism? TAYLOE: Autism is a disease that just doesn't have an easily identify cause or therapy. KING: You call it disease? TAYLOE: Yes. KING: What puzzles you the most, Dr. Karp? Is it a disease to you? KARP: Why it's going up. It's something that is terribly affecting families. As I said, there are multiple causes. We look at immunizations as being temporally related. But there's pesticides, fire retardants, other chemicals that kids have never been exposed to before. We need to do the research. It's a very simple answer to just look at vaccines. I'm not saying we shouldn't look at vaccines. But we need to really broaden our view. KING: Dr. Gordon? GORDON: What puzzles me the most is why families with children with autism are having so much trouble getting respect from the government, from their doctors. Why do we not -- KING: Doctors? GORDON: They do not get respect. As I said to you, I get a lot of people transferring to my office because their doctors will not talk to them. MCCARTHY: They treat them. GORDON: And they will not respect their -- KING: Why? GORDON: Because we know what we know, and we don't want to deviate from it. Suggesting that changing diet or changing the vaccine schedule will change the incidence of autism is anathema to many pediatricians, if not most pediatricians. TAYLOE: At the American Council of Pediatrics we're making some progress on that, because we had two policy statements in November, and a tool kit for our members. We're getting 18 and 24 month screens. I like to screen between six and 12 months, carefully. MCCARTHY: You guys did make an announcement that you're going to work with Defeat Autism Now, correct? TAYLOE: We are quite willing to work with anyone on this. We would like to be -- MCCARTHY: These doctors have been dealing with autism. I have been begging them to sit down with us. They just announced yesterday that they will sit down with the Defeat Autism. As a matter of fact, there's a conference this weekend, so I'm hoping you guys come. (CROSS TALK) KING: You have ten seconds. Do you expect to see a healing in this lifetime? MCCARTHY: Yes, I do. KING: Thanks to all of you very much. Congratulations to our good friend Jimmy Kimmel, who is celebrating his 1,000th episode. Catch the celebration tomorrow night at a special time, 11:35 p.m. on ABC. Might even see me. Check out CNN's number one show page, CNN.com/LarryKing. We've got a special guest commentary by Jenny McCarthy and parade leader Jim Carey. You can also email upcoming guests, send an I ask question or download our latest podcast, Lewis Black. We're online 24/7 at CNN.com/LarryKing. It's time now for Anderson Cooper and "AC 360." Anderson? 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CNN) -- In light of the recent Hannah Poling decision, in which the federal court conceded that vaccines could have contributed to her autism, we think the tide is finally turning in the direction of parents like us who have been shouting concerns from our rooftops for years. Autism is a debilitating disorder, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is suffered by 1 in 150 kids, making it more common than childhood cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. Recently, England and Ireland reported that autism is affecting one in 58 individuals. Is it any wonder that autism has become many new parents' No. 1 fear? We've met some of the most amazing moms and dads who are forging their own path to prevention and recovery. When our son, Evan, was diagnosed with autism we were lucky enough to benefit from their knowledge and experience. Evan has been healed to a great extent by many breakthroughs that, while perhaps not scientifically proven, have definitely helped Evan and many other children who are recovering from autism. Parents vs. scientists: Watch the latest test case » There are some who wonder what we mean when we say "recovering" from autism. They confuse the word recover with cure. While you may not be able to cure an injury caused in a terrible car accident, you can recover; you can regain many skills that you once lost. In the case of autism, we think there are treatments that often bring about such healing, so that the observable symptoms of the condition no longer exist. Even though we may no longer see any symptoms of autism, we can't say a child is "cured" because we do not know what they would have been like had they never been injured. We believe what helped Evan recover was starting a gluten-free, casein-free diet, vitamin supplementation, detox of metals, and anti-fungals for yeast overgrowth that plagued his intestines. Once Evan's neurological function was recovered through these medical treatments, speech therapy and applied behavior analysis helped him quickly learn the skills he could not learn while he was frozen in autism. After we implemented these therapies for one year, the state re-evaluated Evan for further services. They spent five minutes with Evan and said, "What happened? We've never seen a recovery like this." Watch Jenny McCarthy talk about her son's autism » Evan is now 5 years old and what might surprise a lot of you is that we've never been contacted by a single member of the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, or any other health authority to evaluate and understand how Evan recovered from autism. When Evan meets doctors and neurologists, to this day they tell us he was misdiagnosed -- that he never had autism to begin with. It's as if they are wired to believe that children can't recover from autism. Watch CDC chief on vaccines, autism » So where's the cavalry? Where are all the doctors beating down our door to take a closer look at Evan? We think we know why they haven't arrived. Most of the parents we've met who have recovered their child from autism as we did (and we have met many) blame vaccines for their child's autism. We think our health authorities don't want to open this can of worms, so they don't even look or listen. While there is strong debate on this topic, many parents of recovered children will tell you they didn't treat their child for autism; they treated them for vaccine injury. Read about latest fight over vaccines and autism Many people aren't aware that in the 1980s our children received only 10 vaccines by age 5, whereas today they are given 36 immunizations, most of them by age 2. With billions of pharmaceutical dollars, could it be possible that the vaccine program is becoming more of a profit engine then a means of prevention? Don't Miss Vaccine-autism link divides parents and scientists iReport.com: Living with Autism In Depth: Unraveling autism's mystery CDC: Autism information center We believe autism is an environmental illness. Vaccines are not the only environmental trigger, but we do think they play a major role. If we are going to solve this problem and finally start to reverse the rate of autism, we need to consider changing the vaccine schedule, reducing the number of shots given and removing certain ingredients that could be toxic to some children. We take into account that some children have reactions to medicines like penicillin, for example, yet when it comes to vaccines we are operating as if our kids have a universal tolerance for them. We are acting like ONE SIZE FITS ALL. That is, at the very least, a huge improbability. Even if the CDC is not convinced of a link between vaccines and autism, changing the vaccine schedule should be seriously considered as a precautionary measure. (If you would like to see some ideas for alternative schedules, check out http://generationrescue.org.) We wish to state, very clearly, that we are not against all vaccines, but we do believe there is strong evidence to suggest that some of the ingredients may be hazardous and that our children are being given too many, too soon!

Thursday, April 03, 2008 Jenny Slam Dunks Docs on Larry king.. Mom Jenny Slam Dunks AAP Docs on Larry King by Barbara Loe Fisher In what can only be described as a brilliant turn last night on Larry King Live, young celebrity Mom Jenny McCarthy stood her ground with a defiant "anecdotal evidence IS scientific evidence" in calling on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to back away from one- size-fits-all vaccine policies that recommend all babies get dozens of doses of vaccines. Describing what happened to her son, who suffered convulsions and nearly died after a round of vaccinations and then regressed into autism, Jenny was accompanied by her pediatrician, Jay Gordon, M.D., and journalist David Kirby in a face-off with AAP pediatricians Harvey Karp, M.D. and David Tayloe, Jr. M.D.. It was a ground- breaking television debate about vaccine risks that highlighted the soft underbelly of a medical community unwilling to deal with the reality that regressive autism is part of the vaccine injury spectrum... Watching Jenny talk about how she recovered her son from autism using diet and alternative healing therapies while resolutely rejecting the tired old platitudes offered up by the two pediatricians trying to defend the indefensible vaccine schedule promoted by the AAP, I smiled as I remembered how it was when I was a young Mom in the 1980’s and 1990’s and debated doctors on TV. Those were the days when the vast majority of Americans had no idea vaccines could brain injure children and the U.S. media was often bullied by AAP and CDC officials into downplaying reports by mothers that their children died or were brain damaged after vaccination... The AAP and CDC leadership have essentially joined with the pharmaceutical industry and stuck their heads in the sand for three decades, refusing to take action even though parents and a few courageous doctors have repeatedly come to the table at the CDC, FDA, NIH and Institute of Medicine and pleaded with them to responsibly investigate the clear pattern of regression into poor health after vaccination that so many children are suffering. Pediatricians and vaccine manufacturers have hidden behind the protection offered by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which Congress gave to them as a gift in an exchange that was supposed to make the vaccine system safer and more trustworthy... The sad truth is that the public trust has been betrayed by those operating a mass vaccination system now crumbling precisely because there was a refusal to listen to the calls by mothers of vaccine injured children to take constructive action in the 1980’s and 1990’s... Today, those responsible for the betrayal of the public trust will be forced to deal with a new generation of Moms, exemplified by Jenny McCarthy, who are not starting from ground zero like we did. These Moms are holding their broken children in their arms and looking back in anger and disgust at the long, tragic history of denials by those operating the mass vaccination system. This generation of mothers and fathers, many of whom will spend a lifetime trying to heal their vaccine injured children, are standing on a platform of knowledge built brick by brick by those who have gone before and shouting: "It ends here and now with me... During the Larry King show, Jenny announced that she and Jim Carrey will be leading a march for autism awareness in Washington, D.C. on June 4... For more information, go to Jenny’s page on the Generation Rescue website at http://generationrescue. org/vaccines. html and http://nvic. org/ http://vaclib. org/

This was written April 11, 2007 in one of my other blogs. As you can see, it was a few weeks after the diagnosis and I was still a bit weak in the composure department. I cannot for the life of me find the videos I showed to our coordinator at that time. If I do, I'll post them. This is only an example of what I went through with many people invovled in Jesse's care. In the beginning it was pretty laid back and non-chalant (sp?) Well, yesterday was our first meeting with the EIP coordinator. She was a very nice lady and full of information. She outlined the state program and what will be offered to Jesse, the laws, the appointments, and the list goes on. Most of the programs were income based. You have to either be dirt poor to qualify or extremely rich to pay for them yourself. Well, we fall right in the middle where we make too much to qualify, but don’t make enough to pay for them. So, we have to take what we can get. The coordinator said something to me that struck a nerve and maybe I’m over-reacting, but it worried me. When she came into the house, Jesse stayed his distance until he saw that we were talking and laughing, then wanted to be the center of attention. When she spoke to him, he looked at her, smiled, and then laughed. Normally, Jesse is a flirt to any woman who looks his way. The coordinator commented that she didn’t understand why he received a diagnosis of PDD-NOS if he has eye contact because children with autism don’t look you in the eye. Huh!? She asked what our concerns were and we showed her a bunch of video clips. Our biggest concern was Jesse hitting himself and banging his head on the floor and walls. After that, we showed her video of Jesse sitting and spinning the wheels on his wagon for hours. Her comment to that was, “well at least he moves between two wheels and doesn’t stay with one. Most children with autism only focus on one item and don’t change back and forth like that.” WHAT?? My biggest question is; why doesn’t he PLAY with his toys and cars instead of turning them upside down and spinning the wheels? Jesse is just beginning to push his toys across the floor, but as soon as he sees the wheels spin, he turns them over and starts spinning the wheels and gets into his “zone.” Once he’s in his “zone” you cannot pull him out of it without a tantrum. Our coordinator told us that he will be re-evaluated and see how he progresses. At this point, since the first doctor gave us a diagnosis of PDD-NOS, Jesse is in the program. I felt that she was pretty knowledgeable, but am now questioning whether we are doing the right thing or not. Simply because Jesse shows signs of autism, does that put him in the spectrum? I know there are different types and every child is different, but to make generalized statements – is that right? Do I just have an unruly child?

It was October 2005, just a few days after our final child was born on Sept 28th, that we came home from the hospital. Our “his, mine, and ours” household had received the last of 8 children and we were happy. Everyone took their turn playing and holding the new baby while I rested from the C-section. I was glad for the rest as I knew once everyone went back to their daily tasks, every responsibility would lie back on my and Shawn’s shoulders. A new baby is always a joy and the hugs, kisses, and “I love you’s” were abundant. As the days passed, I became restless with our new son. It wasn’t like I was inexperienced as a parent and I couldn’t understand why his behaviors were so different from anything I had experienced. So, I began to ask around. I joined Parents as Teachers and started asking questions. I asked questions of Jesse’s Pediatrician. I asked other parents. The only answers I received were that he was young enough that I just had to give it some time. Every two hours, he was awake. Not necessarily to eat, but just awake. He could not sleep with his light off. He had to be wrapped tightly in his blanket or squeezed before he became comfortable. He hated strangers. He hated being introduced to baby food. He spit out everything we gave him, but took to regular table food very quickly. Jesse screamed every time we changed his diaper. Any loud noise caused him to scream uncontrollably for hours. Trips to the store became unbearable while having a screaming baby in tow. Once Jesse was old enough to crawl, he discovered the art of beating his head about the walls and the floor. So much so that we continually took him to the doctor to find out what was wrong and to be sure he didn’t damage his brain. If we hadn’t had some friends staying with us to testify that we weren’t abusing him, we would probably be in jail for child abuse. That’s when we discovered that Jesse didn’t feel pain. After 6 months of no sleep, Shawn and I became agitated. I demanded that my doctor tell me what was wrong with my baby. Still nothing. My husband, Shawn, has a friend with a little boy who is autistic and that he thought Jesse displayed those same signs. He tried to push me to get him tested, but I resisted. MY son is NOT Autistic!!!! I was in denial. March 8, 2007 is a date that I will never forget. I succumbed to my husband’s constant prodding and made an appointment with a developmental pediatrician to have Jesse tested. I thought I was going to prove him wrong. I was still in denial. Once those words rolled from the doctor’s tongue, I broke down right there in the office!! I began crying while my son had crawled under the exam table sitting and rocking back and forth while spinning the wheels on his favorite car we brought with us. Jesse was only 17 months old once this diagnosis was written down. Jesse’s pediatrician re-reviewed his records and decided that they could have probably diagnosed him around 9 months because of his behaviors. I still have Jesse’s diagnosis papers. I used to cry when I read them. His papers say, “closes doors, upset if prevented, hits head when frustrated, spins wheels, dislikes loud noises, static radio – screams, doesn’t know how to play, sorts toys, 3-4 words, understands no, doing last 6mo. Throws a fit, never points, eye contact ok, peers – stays away from, no pretend play, spins self, closes doors, sorting, no responses to name. Within a week of this diagnosis, we had a whirlwind of information, therapists, and coordinators come our way. I was so overwhelmed from the diagnosis, the extra people and information was simply information overload and I think I was close to a nervous breakdown. I even went to work crying while my co-workers side-stepped me just wanting to stay out of the line of fire. Once in awhile, they would refer me to an article or something to do with autism, and I would just break down. My boss was such an understanding lady and just wanted to know more about it. She hadn’t even heard of autism until Jesse was diagnosed. So, we would sit for an hour or so after work once in awhile and just talk about it. She’s a great lady. So, with the unknown road ahead of us, we accepted any help that was thrown our way. I was constantly searching for families who were dealing with the same things, researching the disease and trying to find more information. I felt that educating myself would help me deal with our new life to come. Well, much has changed. With April being Autism Awareness month, I’ll continue my story throughout the month. Everyone who is touched by Autism should know they are not alone. I felt very alone in the first couple of months from diagnosis, but now know that I am only one among many who have spoken out about Autism and how it affects our lives. Autism isn’t contagious nor is Autism a disease. Autism is a different way of life. Much like a rose needs their thorns for protection, my son needs me to be his guidance. Jesse is my soft petals that show me how sweet the rain truly is.

No it's not a riddle. I was wondering if anyone out there were familiar with a condition called tongue-tied. There is a medical term but it however, I can't spell it. My son was born with it and we had it corrected at about 7-8 months and wanted to know if anyone else has experienced the issues we have. I searched the web and have found tons of medical "stuff" regarding it but no after effects.

Hi- In the last newsletter that I sent out, I encouraged members to post their stories on the CNN website, as the site was requesting photos, videos and testimonies to bring awareness to autism this month. I posted a few compositions that I have shared in Foggyrock in the past with a few photos of my son Wynn. Here is the link to see my post: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-7820 I was browsing the CNN site and recognized several photos/user names from our Foggyrock community and was so thrilled to see them there. If you posted on the CNN site, be sure to hit reply to this blog, and share a link to your post. Also, add that link to your personal page, under Favorite Websites, so it will be easier for you to go back and read the comments that come in. If you haven't yet posted, or want to post again, the CNN link is: http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=2678 I'll look for you there!

If you are a parent of a child with a disability, you probably participate in a number of on-line discussion groups, email lists, etc. If so, then you probably have seen parents sign their emails with a list of their children’s diagnoses… often in the form of acronyms. With some of these kids’ complex medical conditions and learning disabilities, it can look like alphabet soup in the signature! In fact... (for the rest of the story go to http://lookingforlifeshumor.wordpress.com/ )

April is Autism Awareness Month!! Lawmakers Unveil Legislative Effort on Autism Package of bills crafted based on California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism report SACRAMENTO - Lawmakers today unveiled a comprehensive legislative package of eight bills to combat the rise in diagnoses of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in California. The bills were inspired by a report issued by the California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism. "This Commission was charged with providing real solutions and recommendations to improve the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families," said Senate pro Tempore Don Perata (D-Oakland), who authored the resolution that created the commission (SCR 51, 2005). The Commission consists of health experts, family members, business leaders, educators and researchers and is chaired by Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento). "The rise of child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder affects families, schools and communities all over California," Steinberg said. "Today this Legislature is responding strongly to the challenges this disorder poses to the state." After conducting extensive public hearings and town-hall meetings throughout California, the Commission submitted its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature in its report: An Opportunity to Achieve Real Change for Californians with Autism Spectrum Disorders; September 2007. You can read the report at: http://senweb03.senate.ca.gov/autism/index.html "With the broad participation of parents, families, consumers, educators, clinicians, researchers and advocates the Commission's report provides a momentous step in forging new directions for real change," said Dr. Barbara Firestone, Commission Vice-Chair and President & CEO of The Help Group. The Autism legislative package includes the following bills: SB 1563 (Sen. Perata) to provide appropriate and equitable coverage for ASD by private health plans and insurers SB 527 (Sen. Steinberg) to improve the early identification and intervention for young children with ASD SB 1175 (Sen. Steinberg) to expand the housing and independent living opportunities for adults with ASD SB 1475 (Sen. Tom Torlakson) to improve the coordination of ASD services and programs between regional centers and school districts for children from birth to five years of age SB 1364 (Sen. Gil Cedillo) to improve community awareness and outreach efforts on ASD by the California Department of Public Health SB 1531 (Sen. Lou Correa) to improve the training and knowledge of ASD among law enforcement officers AB 2303 (Assembly Speaker-Elect Karen Bass) to expand the credentials that would qualify teachers to educate students with ASD AB 1872 (Asm. Joe Coto) to establish a state clearinghouse for the education of students with ASD. The Autism Legislative Package is supported by numerous families and stakeholders such as actor Gary Cole, the parent of a child with ASD. "The Autism Commission has not only garnered enthusiastic support from stakeholders and autism organizations, but today's California autism legislative package brings real hope into the lives of individuals and families coping with autism throughout our state and nation," said Cole. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), commonly referred to as autism, are brain based developmental disabilities characterized by language/communication problems, impaired social interaction and repetitive rigid behaviors and interests. Once considered rare, autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability and is more prevalent than juvenile diabetes, childhood cancer and pediatric AIDS combined. Autism now affects 1 in every 150 children in the United States; every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed. Autism is four times more common in boys than girls and occurs in children of all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Nationally, the diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis. The economic impact of autism is estimated to exceed $90 billion annually.

AUTISM Category: Life we have ended up in the world of Autism because of our brave son Levi. Our son was not born autistic! He was developmentally meeting all his mile stones on time or early (accept crawling, he was talking at 10 months old and putting words together at 12 months old). He became very ill after his 6 month shots, diagnosied as RSV which he had for 8 month which later was changed to asthma. (an ear infection per month followed as well) 2 weeks prior to our sons first brithday we had him tested by the state with a program called Parents As Teachers to find out where he was developmentally and tested out at 18 months of age (6 months advanced) He then recieved his MMR and Convax shots at 12 months of age and changed THAT day. with in 9 hour he developed a seizer disorder that continues to effect him, and ran 104-105. He lost his eye contact, stopped responding to his name, stopped playing with his toys, and watching his movies, started obsessivly spinning things, lost all his lang, began lining things up, and having melt downs when he was redirected. He was so sick and became so self abusive that we were LITERALLY in the hospital or dr's officer 3 times a week with the head banging on the walls, floor and doors. even knocked himself out once. they told us that he was going to give himself brain damage or shaken baby syndrom if this continued and that we needed to pad his walls and put a helmet on him or institutionalize him.....this was our 1st born with all our dreams wrapped up in him....and all he would be, that just died on that day....I called the same organization 2 weeks after the shots to have this DIFFERENT child reEvaluated. he tested out at a 2-4 month old age level meaning we had lost 14-16 months development with his vaccinations. later we also found out he actually contracted the measels from his vaccination, and tetnus from his 6 month shots, he was also mercury poisened, leading to his immune system crashing. to top that, 4 kids died of the same batch my son got with one of his vaccination (with in 48 hours) and with the MMR one kid in the SAME TOWN got the same batch and had to have his leg from the knee down aputated.....yet neither were recalled......our son did start speach therapy and after 2 months there were no gains.....then an OT came to eval our son for services and discribed him to a T with out even meeting him. our son ONLY ate gram crackers, animal cracker and a drank a gallon of milk a day at this point, had sensory issues (couldn't touch wet or slimy things like fruits or veggies let alone eat them and yet under registared pain, HE actually cut himself with glass one time just,to watch himself bleed) he had started to walk on his toes, and flap ect.....she wasn't allowed to diagnosis him but offered me a book to barrow, called Biological Treatments of Autism and PDD, William Shaw. I saw my son ALL over this book, and at the end there was story from this mom that started doing this PROTICAL called DAN- defeat autism now, that brought about great results. we started the next day....DAN protical believes that AUTISM is where a kid has medical issues which results in symptoms we diagosis and CALL autism. As you address these medical issues, then the symptoms then disappear, resulting in no longer qualifing as Autistc but also healing the body to work like it's meant to work.... with 24 hours of just diet changes (gluten free. casein free) our sons eye contact came back, and he was more there, and ALL his self abuse stopped as well. we were impressed. we also noticed his zoning out spells stopped, (we had 80 of these a day before hand) which we later found out were absent seizers that were being triggered by the gluten, and when gluten was removed so were the seizers. ( if he accedently gets ahold of it, we see them return) he held out and wouldn't eat for 4 day, and then the day came when on day 4 he ate ANYTHING we put infront of him with out sensory issues ect, veggies, fruits, meats ect. we then decided to try something else in the book called DMG. (a food suppliment used to boost the immune system and triggers lang in 50% of ASD kids) with in 8 hours we had 8 words.....which we were in total disbelief, this is the same kid that LOST his lang and therpay hadn't brought about results. our speech therapist that day ASKED what we had changed, (she was floored to) she also noted that his attention went from 2 min to 45 min JUST THAT DAY, it was wild. we took it out to see if what we were seeing was real, (the lang did not stay when we took it out) and tried again in 2 weeks to have a full sentence of LOVE YA MAMA after just 4 hours of the first dose. I BAWLED. I hadn't heard mama in over a year and had forgotten what it sounded like. they had told us he would never talk again. we had hope.......to get our beloved son back......4 years later on this journey our son is now mainstreamed in kindergarden and before even attending his first day of school he was reading at a 4th grade level, spelling at a 3rd grade level, and doing math at a 1st grade level (now at a second grade level) he loves making powerpoint presentations and loves having friends to get together with. He has a great imagination, loves playing with his younger sister and teaching her things. He is social, has friends, loves entertaining the world!!! (he is a funny and smart kid) He has lost his diagnosis 2 times only to have a medical problem send him flying back on spectrum (GI scope sent him back a whole year in developement, and then scarlet fever) they are looking at gene SNPS right now to explain this as well. He is still slightly delayed in his speach but the teachers all say his classmates enjoy him and he is fitting in just fine. he will require no aid even next year for full day of first grade. This has lead to book chapter offers, speaking engadgments, ect for our family but the best and really important thing is it has allowed us to help other families on their journey to getting their child back, health wise and mind wise. our kids are trapped in their bodies that don't work right, as we heal them from the inside the mind follows.... GREAT AUTISM SITES Generation rescue http://www.generationrescue.org/ Autism Research Institute- DAN Protical explained more http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/index.htm To find a friend/parent to help mentor you, and find resources (rescue angel) http://www.generationrescue.org/angels.php To find a DAN (Defeat Autism Now) Dr. to help you. ****not all DAN dr's are created or trained equally, so I encourage you to find a rescue angel above to help you locate a QUALITY one. http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari-lists/danus.html I hope this info helps many.....and bring many of our growing population of Autistic kids back to good health, physically, mentally, and nurologically. Blessings Christel King- proud mom of Levi

my virtual world Current mood: artistic Category: Life today I had the BEST day dream I had to share because only YOU all would understand!! as I stood over the stove cooking some chicken fajita's gfcfsfyfcfnfvf (gluten free, casein free, soy free, yeast free, corn free, nut free, vinegar free) but full of flavor and nutrition and having my natural soda with no artificial sweeteners just taking in the day and enjoying cooking, and thinking of all the newbie's that are coming to this diet with Jenny McCarthy's new publicity my mind drifted...... I was cooking in my newly opened restaurant that catered to those with allergies. the WHOLE facility was gluten free, casein free, soy free, egg free as well as had menu items for those that had to be potatoes, rice and yeast free as well. no one was allowed to wear makeup working there because of CC issues, our bathroom soaps were gfcfsf, we clean with natural products, everything goes through a dishwasher, everything is fresh not frozen and I could see them menu as such Maine dish choices of *pick to sides to go with unless preselected one is offered (even then we do subs for the below sides) GRILLED STEAK (seasoned and full of flavor- McCormick safe ones) choice meats of beef, venison, buffalo, or lamb HOMEMADE MEAT LOAF (made egg free, also can be made to be potatoes or rice free) in meat flavors of buffalo, beef, venison, turkey burger, osterage or lamb -this is chalked full of ground up veggies (can be preordered to your Childs allergies)including zucchini, carrots, finely sliced orange, yellow, red and green peppers, squash, potatoes- and high protein carbs being amaranth, flax seed meal and done with some hemp protein as well FAJITA'S- done in chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, venison, buffalo, goose, or duck with sauce of onions, garlic, paprika, and chili powder spices, in a tang of vinegar free salsa with sea salt and pepper, wrap in amaranth and buckwheat or bean, or rice and tapioca. comes with black bean dip STIR FRIES- WITH CHOICE OF VEGGIES AND MEAT -LAMB, BEEF, PORK, VENISON, BUFFALO, MOOSE OR CHICKEN -ONIONS, PEAS, PEA PODS, CARROTS, BEAN SPROUTS, PEPPERS- RED ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN OR PURPLE, BOCK CHOY, CABBAGE seasoned with sea salt, can come on bed of rice, or millet ROAST PORK- done with carrots and potatoes- we do have the option of potatoes free as well ROASTED TURKEY- done with gf gravy with loads of flavor from natural drippings ROASTED CHICKEN- done with potatoes and steamed broccoli steamed with the chickens own broth- again can be potatoes free ROASTED LAMB- sweet flavored done with honey or agave syrup or salt flavored with Italian seasoning PORK OR LAMB CHOPS -perfectly flavored from wood and natural spices PORK RIBS- flavored by food and natural spices, also have optional DADDY SAMS SAUCE IN MILD AND SPICY ROASTED LAMB- in a delicious Italian spice rub ROASTED GOOSE- tender, juicy ROASTED DUCK- tender juicy POT PIES- LIGHT FLAKY CRUST WITH CHOICE OF CHICKEN, TURKEY, BEEF, LAMB, VENISON OR MOOSE FLAVORED, WITH CARROTS, PEAS, BROCCOLI AND OR SQUASH AND ZUCCHINI SPEGETTI AND MEAT SAUSE- meat balls made of your choice of meat, osterage, buffalo, beef, lamb burger, or venison mised with amaranth snaps, or rice and peppers and onions for extra flavor. sause made in store over your choice of noodless, quinoa, rice, potatoe, buckwheat, corn or lentil HOMEMADE CHILI- LOOK OUT IT'S THE BOMB KIDS MENU- BURGERS- LAMB, TURKEY, BEEF, GROUND PORK, BUFFALO, VENISON, OSTERGE (you can have it preordered to have veggies listed on the meat loaf above to be ground into the meat as well) this comes with a homemade millet bun made in house, or a bean flour or amaranth and buckwheat bun. with optional lettuce, homemade katchup consisting or tomatoes paste, water,lemon juice, salt and stevia, and mustard, vinegar free garlic pickles (can be on burger or on side) FAHETIA'S as above but smaller portions PIZZA- on homemade crusts, (choice of amaranth and buckwheat, amaranth and garbanzo been, millet and bean, millet and buckwheat, rice and tapioca, rice and buckwheat, rice and millet, rice and bean) in safe sauce done in house, rice cheese, with choice of toppings, turkey or pork bacon (nitrate and nitrite free) Genoa (like pepperoni) peppers (red, orange, yellow, green or purple, mango slices, ham, onion, carrots, CHICKEN FINGERS OR NUGGETS-MILD,,SWEET OR SPICY- done in a variety of flavored flours, millet, rice, corn (done in separate dedicated pot) almond meal (done in separate dedicated pot) buckwheat, bean, coconut (for the sweet) potatoes, potatoes, and chestnut. HAM SLICES, OR TURKEY SLICES- a deli type tray with choice of sides below- recommend cold veggies and French fried or chips SIDES STEAMED VEGGIES- drizzled with coconut oil, canola, or olive, sea salt, and black or white pepper -optional green beans with or with out almond slivers -zucchini and squash mix, -peas and carrots -green beans and colored peppers -peas or pea pods -broccoli -mushrooms done in drippings from your choice of meats (bacon-pork, goose, duck, turkey, chicken, olive oil, canola oil -onions and peppers- done in canola, coconut oil or olive oil -onion, peppers and mushrooms -crinkle carrots - whole carrots done in coconut oil and honey for a sweet and salty taste -corn on the cob -sucatash, or lima beans on their own done in coconut oil for a buttery flavor -mixed wax beans - stir fry mix of any of the above MINASTRONE SOUP- HOME MADE WITH GREEN BEANS, CARROTS, CORN, PEAS, MEAT AND POTATOES SEASONED FRIED RICE, MILLET, OR POTATOES- in Italian, with veggies of onion, colored pepper shards (green, red, orange, purple, and or yellow) garlic, salt and white or black pepper BAKED POTATO-with optional toppings of bacons, coconut oil, chives (fresh), garlic coconut spread, sea salt, pepper (black or white) pepper shavings (orange, re purple and yellow for a sweet taste) onions that were caramelized in either coconut oil or canola (depending on taste and allergies wanted), mushrooms caramelized as the before and or rice cheese (THIS IS CASEIN AND SOY FREE) HOME MADE FRENCH FRIES- sweet potatoes, white or yellow, or taro flavored or mixed done in canola oil, or olive deep fried or baked HOMEMADE CHIPS- taro (multi colored) white, yellow and sweet potatoes DEHYDRATED SNAP PEAS- for those looking for a crunch, slightly flavored with sea salt and oil, either canola or olive CRISP SALAD- your choice of greens and vegetables- carrots, sliced or crinkle cut, mushrooms, peas, pea pods, fancy cucumbers, jicama, peppers- yellow, orange, red, purple and green, onions- dressing options in house made Italian, plain oil, garlic and salt, sweet onion and pepper sauce, or hummus COLD VEGGIE SIDES -crinkle cut or strips or carrots -fancy sliced cucumbers -jicama -snap peas -colored peppers- solo red, orange, yellow, purple, green or a combo of your choosing DESERTS - (because we are aware of yeast issues in our kids we offer many flavorful non yeast feeding items) HOMEMADE ICE CREAM OR SORBETS -POT PIE based in -chocolate -chocolate with fresh raspberries, -or chocolate with chocolate chips (all cfsf) -COCONUT milk based - coconut flavored - chocolate -chocolate coconut (with actually graded coconut in it) -chocolate coconut with almond and chocolate chips -chocolate and chocolate chips -chocolate and pecans -chocolate and almonds - chocolate paradise- containing, almonds, pecans, chocolate chips, and coconut shreds Sorbets -raspberry -blackberry -mango -strawberry -blueberry FRUIT CUP SIDES- your choice of fruits in a salad, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, pears, cranberries, can also include pecans, almonds or coconut slices and or a coco cream whip topping SWEET PIZZA (done on either a sweet gram cracker crust gfcfsf or course or no sugar garbanzo bean and amaranth, or amaranth, and buckwheat crust -coconut cream with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries (solo or mixed) -coconut cream with nuts (pecan. almond or mixed) -coconut cream with cinnamon and chocolate chips (can be done with or with out pecans or almonds) -berry sauce- with whole berries baked COLD CRISP PEARS- WITH COCONUT DIPPING SAUCE FRUIT CHIPS- PEARS, STRAWBERRIES HOMEMADE FRUIT ROLL UPS- STRAWBERRIES, RASPBERRY, BLACKBERRY MUFFINS- BLUEBERRY, RASPBERRY, BLACKBERRY, LEMON/LIME, CHOCOLATE CHIP, CRANBERRY, ALMOND AND PECAN, CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE CHOCOLATE LOVERS PARADISE- CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS BAKED INSIDE, WITH DOUBLE FUDGE FROSTING (THIS IS GREAT FOR BIRTHDAY PARTY'S WITH THE ABOVE ICE-CREAM OPTIONS) PEAR SAUCE, PEAR RASPBERRY SAUCE, PEAR BLUEBERRY SAUCE, PEAR CRANBERRY SAUCE, PEAR/LEMON/LIME SAUCE TAPIOCA PUDDING, WITH RASPBERRY, BLACKBERRY, BLUEBERRY OR COCONUT SAUCE, WE HAVE A TRIPLE STACKER OR PUDDING, FRUIT SAUCE AND COCONUT CREAM TREATIES (GRAMCRACKER CRUST, THICKENED FRUIT SPREAD, CREAM TOPPING) COMES IN RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRY, BLUEBERRY, CRANBERRY, LEMON/LIME, AND CHOCOLATE FLAVORS. CHOCO TACO- GRAMCRACKER CRUST IN TACO CURVE, WITH CHOCOLATE ICE-CREAM, AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS INSIDE PIES- RASPBERRY, CHEERY, BLACKBERRY, BLUEBERRY, APPLE DRINKS (ANY OF THE BELOW CAN BE MADE INTO HOT OR COLD TEAS OR SODAS) -PEAR JUICE - STEVIA SWEETENED CRANBERRY JUICE - PEAR AND CRANBERRY JUICE -BLUEBERRY JUICE -RASPBERRY JUICE -HOMEMADE ALMOND MILK (SOY FREE) VANILLA OR CHOCOLATE -RICE MILK VANILLA OR CHOCOLATE -HEMP MILK VANILLA OR CHOCOLATE -DAIRY FREE POTATOES MILK IN VANILLA OR CHOCOLATE -NATURAL ROOT BEER -STEVIA SWEETENED LEMONADE OR LIMEADE -TEAS -COFFEE (WITH CREAM CHOICES OF POTATOES, HEMP, ALMOND, OR COCONUT) SWEETENED WITH RAW SUGAR, HONEY, AGAVE, MOLASSES OR BROWN SUGAR. SEASONED WITH VANILLA POWDER, NUTMEG, ALLSPICE OR CLOVES -CAPPUCCINO WITH ALTERNATIVE MILK CHOICE AND SPICES ABOVE -ESPRESSO I HAVE A BREAKFAST MENU IN MIND TO OF WAFFLES, CREPES AND PANCAKES OF VARIOUS FLAVORED FLOURS WITH COCONUT CREAM SAUCES AND BERRY SAUCES OR MAPLE SYRUP OR AGAVE SYRUP, CAN BE MADE EVEN IN PECAN OR ALMOND FLAVORS, POLENTA FRIED LIKE A FRENCH TOAST WITH MAPLE SYRUP, FRUIT SAUCE, OR COCONUT CINNAMON CREAM SAUCE, HASH BROWNS, FRUIT CUPS, TURKEY OR REGULAR BACONS AND HAM SLICES, HOMEMADE DONUTS ( CINNAMON, FRUIT FILLED, AND CAKE LIKE) BISCUITS AND GRAVY, MUFFINS LISTED ABOVE, COFFEE TYPE DRINKS, AND JUICES AND MILKS. oh and gfcfsf yogurts based in rice, potatoes and coconut, with many fruit varieties, fruit roll ups and fruit chips even to go in this wonderful dream of mine, it was DAN conference weekend and you were all there eating and with your recovered kids, happy and dishes clanging. parents didn't have to hover over there kids for fear of what they would eat or touch, everyone was socializing and talking about their journey from autism to now, the walls are bluish aqua, very calming with large fun fish painted on the walls, (hung with photo's of our famous pioneers of DAN) with non milk and soy based non toxic pains, quiet classical music, with NON florescent lighting, and blue lights on the walls and tables for a calming effect. my recovered young adult son was one of motivational speakers talking about the change in government and how autism had gone from not being talked about and in the closet to out in the open, now well funded (covered by insurance) treated biomedically, genetically screened for (yasko mutations looked for) so as not to trigger kids with environmental triggers (like metals, vaccinations, pollution- on supplements from birth and now covered by preventive insurances, free for high risk families) how the numbers have rapidly reclined and kids previously effected were recovering all over the place.....so much has been learned and through it was have retaught America what healthy eating used to be, not drinking another animal milk, or unborn animal fetuses (eggs), educated on yeast issues and autoimmune issues which lead to treating depression, fibro, thyroid disease, diabetes, and cancers naturally with nutrition, cleaning up our environment after admitting how we were all poisoning ourselves.......and having to chelate like 1/2 of America, special education rooms across America are empting as IQ"s are going up, dr's school now is preventitive training and nutritional based verses more chemicals to cover up symptoms and instead are treating the sources of problems....... my son walks in, grabs his favorite meal and asks if I am coming back to the recovered kids parade that afternoon with all the other DAN protocol pioneers, after all it's national DAN day in sweet old America, a holiday, which normally everywhere is closed to celebrate, but we remain open to honor all those hard working moms who slaved over hot stoves to get their kids healthy, and go against the grain......in more ways then one.......oh and by the way we ship frozen meals to those moms who are now working to do nutritional counseling due to all they learned from helping THEIR kids........lots of love my day dreaming me......in my virtual reality world

freedom to be levi and mom Current mood: satisfied Category: Life I have had this whole attitude change today. I was hospitalized for three weeks with my newest and on the phone constantly fighting to get kids taken care of only to come home to a trashed house and HAD to be just a mom for 3 days, to my suprize it was the happiest i have been in years. not fighting the state to take care of this or that, or find inhome support or respite care to get this or that done, no dr's appointments to go to, or suppliments to order, foods was all made incase I still had to stay in the hospital longer ect. so no real from scratch cooking and realized I was so busy having to keep life going, that I forgot about life. this is the first saterday in years I have sat back and enjoyed my kids, cooking, cleaning doing laundry, and just being mom. (it helps that my sons autism issues for some reason since upping folic acid in the last few days has made him a breeze.) i feel like I am experience life with out the autism effect......boy all that we don't know we are missing everyday......it has made me hunger for the norm.....and work harder to get there. please this doesn't mean I don't love my son with autism. HE isn't autism, he HAS autism, but it's fleating as we fight this thing so leave our family alone, so I can once again be mom......i have sat in awe this week watching empathy and sympathy be displayed in my son for the first time in 5 years (started b12 upped folic acid and readded LDN) his social ability last night with the changes had me in tears as he was initiating like he never was autistic, was making suggestions for play, engadging in regular socail interaction with out it being an effort. he was playing by the game rules, didn't have to ask WHAT to do, clearly asked and suggested idea's, had the motor skills to do them, was laughing and playing an NO one in our our neighborhood had any hint he was a special needs kid.....I didn't have to explain any weird behavoirals, or tantrums, or gestures......i felt........free.......I can't remember that time in our life......it's been 5.5 years since we were there.....fully there.....he now is even stating I can't have that I'm allergic instead of excussing it on autism. HE gets it. the montel williams show contacted us back wanting more info for their show on the 2nd on recovered kids. I asked him if he wanted to go on and talk about autism and what it was like for him. he even TOLD me yesterday mom I'm not autistic anymore I'm normal now........I cry while writting this......he justs wants to be levi just like I just want to be mom. he came in this morning and said "mom I love you, your my hero.....gave me a hug and asked if he could have snaps now and hemp milk. gotta love him........building ours futures, we are......

Sunday, November 04, 2007 national guide for autism helps- for a road to recovery!! Current mood: hopeful ***IMPORTANT WEBSITES FOR MORE INFO*** Autism Research Institute- Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) project to train physicians and other healthcare professionals how to implement advanced DAN! approaches to the diagnosis and successful treatment of autism. There are now several hundred DAN! physicians worldwide and thousands of children - many of them the sons and daughters of DAN! physicians -- who are no longer diagnosed as autistic and have been mainstreamed into their school systems. For information on DAN! go to http://www.autism.com/ To find a DAN! Dr. go to http://www.autismwebsite.com/practitioners/danus.html The Parents' Ratings scale of interventions' data are available online at http://www.autism.com/treatable/biomed/ARI_TreatmentRatings_Form34QR_February2007.pdf webcast presentations from the Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) conference. There is no charge to view. Alexandria - April 2007- http://www.autism.com/danwebcast/2007alexandria.htm Seattle - October 5-8, 2006- http://www.autism.com/danwebcast/2006seattle.htm Defeat Autism Now! Webcast Topics Recovery is Possible Triggers of Autism Vaccinations Diets Chelation Nutritional Supplements Viral and Immune Issues Naturopathic Treatments ABA and Other Therapies Future Pregnancies Environmental Toxins Biochemistry Gut Pathology and Treatment Methylation Research Watch this video of these recovered kids. Autism, is treatable http://www.autism-recoveredchildren.com/ www.danasview.net- most complete guide to autism I have found- she has several kids on the spectrum most of which are now recovered. You can read up on her whole journey with all of them on her site SUPPLIMENT INFO AND RESOURCES http://www.danasview.net/supps.htm has info on what supplements do what www.kirkmangroup.com 1-800-kirkman for hyperallergenic supplements for autistic kids (one of the most recommended sites by DAN dr's) www.houstonni.com most recommended site by DAN Dr's for enzymes Prothera- company designing supplements for autistic kids (also called Klaire labs.) mention Dr McCandless name and get 20% off their items. (discount for spectrum kids) They have some of the most potent probiotics on the market, also hyper-allergenic and milk free. The number is 888-488-2488. they have catalogs they can send to you to know what they have available. http://www.biogro.us/wateroz.html - place to by liquid vitamins for those kids who hate pills www.BestPriceVitamines.com -place for discounted supplements www.allergyresearchgroup.com - site for supplements for those with many allergies or intollences www.needs.com – place to order supplements from many of the recommended companies in one place www.asdmarket.com –another place you can get many vendors stuff in one place www.nationalautismassociation.org is carrying some supplements and giving the best price they can, profits go into research and helping needy families with scholarships. www.Iherb.com is free shipping over $20 www.beyond-a-century.com is good if you are looking for a single pure item (like one amino acid with no fillers etc) www.froogle.com and you can enter any supplement and find the cheapest internet price. www.vrp.com use the following PIN 211032 you get a 10% discount http://www.vitacost.com : Flat rate $4.95, but very low costs, use 5% off code WE56A6 www.IllnessIsOptional.com carries some things at a 20%discount. www.clickwell.com (guaranteed content, generic herbs and nutrients at lowest price) COMMONLY USED PHARMACIES FOR COMPOUNDED MEDS OR SUPPLIEMENTS Hopewell-800/792-6670 Coastal: 912/354-5188 Lee Silsby: 800/918-8831 http://www.leesilsby.com/ Wellness: 800/227-2627 COMMONLY USED DAN DR. LABS www.greatplainslaboratory.com GREAT PLAINS LAB http://www.gsdl.com/home/ GREAT SMOKIES LAB http://www.doctorsdata.com/ DR'S DATA LAB http://www.immuno-sci-lab.com/index2.html IMMUNO SCIENCE LAB Here is also a link to Direct Labs if parents are having problems getting tests ordered from their primary care physician. www.directlabs.com BOOKS RECOMMENED FOR MORE INFO AND EXPLINATION ON SUBJECTS ON HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD 1 read in explaining the autism reversal- Children with Starving Brains, by Dr. McCandless Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD, By Dr William Shaw. The Puzzle of Autism (explains how RNA plays into autism) by Dr. Amy Yasko What Your Dr May Not tell You About Childhood Vaccinations, by Dr. Caves Evendence of Harm, by David Kirby A Drug Free Approach to Asperger Syndrome and Autism. By Judyth Reichember-Ullman, ND LCSW.,Robert Ullman, ND and Ian Lueker, ND. It has every single behavior and how to get treat it! Autism: Effective Biomedical Treatments, by Jon B. Pangborn, Ph.D. and Sidney M. Baker, M.D Recovering Autistic Children, edited by Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D. and Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. Facing Autism: Giving Parents Reason for Hope and Guidance for Help, by Lynn M. Hamilton Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Mother's Story of Research and Recovery, by Karyn Seroussi. A fascinating account of a determined mother and her scientist husband's success in bringing their son out of autism Healing the New Childhood Epidemics. Autism, ADHD, Asthma & Allergy by Dr. Kenneth Bock Changing the Course of Autism by Bryan Jepson ********************************SUPPORT GROUPS AND DISCRIPTIONS************************ Biomedical DAN (Defeat Autism Now) Protical Support Group. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/chelatingkids2/ THIS LIST IS FOR PARENTS OR FAMILY MEMBERS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE ACTIVELY CHELATING WITH A DOCTOR , OR WHO HAVE AN APPOINTMENT PENDING TO BEGIN CHELATION. THIS IS NOT AN INFORMATION ONLY SITE. If you are just starting this journey and looking for information, then below are some links that we hope will be of some help to you: MAINE BIOMEDICAL AUTISM SUPPORT GROUP http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Autismbiomedicalsupportmaine This group is here to support Maine residence whose lives include and are effected or affected by those with ASD. (Autism Spectrum disorder, including but not limited to Autism, ADD, ADHD, Aspergers, PDD, PDD-NOS ect.) We are here to help in the pursuit of "recovering" or bettering their child's quality of life and to achieve a healthy full functioning future. Information on many biomedical treatments such as DAN(Defeat Autism Now)protocol, special diets, (GFCF, SCD, LOD) supplements (Minerals, Amino Acids, Vitamins, EFA's), chelation (DMSA- TD, suppository and oral, DMPS- TD, suppository, and oral, NDF+ ect), secretin, allergy reduction, both IGG and IGE avoidance and elimination, as well as rotation helps can be found here. We are also here to help support the families emotional needs with all we go through while caring for our family members with special needs. support monitor, Christel King, christelking1@verizon.net, 207-318-3951 Autism Mercury Support Group http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Autism-Mercury/ To discuss current issues related to the increasing incidence of autism the potential link between excessive mercury exposure. Topics include: mercury detoxification ("chelation"), mercury-related issues/news, and vaccination-related issues/news. Most members are parents of children with autism, aspergers, ADD, ADHD, PDD, PDD-NOS, SID, oppositional defiance disorder, apraxia, speech disorders, and/or other related symptoms. In addition to mercury, we also discuss other heavy metals (for example: arsenic, antimony, lead). Also welcome: mercury poisoned adults; other disorders/issues related to mercury poisoning; other biomedical treatments for ASD. Autism Biomedical Discussion group http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/abmd/ The Autism Biomedical Discussion group has been created for the discussion of research and biomedical interventions as they apply to the investigation and treatment of autistic spectrum disorders. The ultimate purpose for this group is to empower parents and physicians to make informed decisions on biomedical treatments for the children in their care. Topics of discussion include immunology, endocrinology, gastrointestinal issues, allergies, metabolic and mitochondrial issues, genetics, exposure to neurotoxins, possible vaccine injury, dietary and nutritional protocols, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical interventions. All topics of discussion need to be specific to addressing diagnostic and treatment protocols for individuals with autism. Please be advised that group discussions can involve technical, scientific and/or medical terminology. Parents, physicians and researchers are encouraged to participate. Anyone with an interest in solving the mystery of autism is welcome. This list is NOT for discussion of behavioral or educational interventions, or for the discussion of occupational and speech therapies. It is requested that you refrain from these topics during discussions on this list. http://www.generationrescue.org/ ..> ..> Generation Rescue is a parent-founded, parent-funded, and parent-led organization. Our mission is to share the truth with parents about the cause of their child's developmental disabilities so they can focus on treatment. ..:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /> Generation Rescue believes that childhood neurological disorders such as autism, Asperger's, ADHD/ADD, speech delay, sensory integration disorder, and many other developmental delays are all misdiagnoses for mercury poisoning. ..>..> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/autismbiomed/.com This is a support group for parents, professionals, friends and family interested in meeting and discussing caring for people with autism and related disorders. Our group will have online support as well as regular local meetings. Particular topics of interest are DAN! protocol, chelation, diets, and various other biomedical topics. All topics are welcome including school issues, district placement, therapies etc. Autism_LDN@yahoogroups.com a group for those using LDN (low dose naltrexone). http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/HBOTherapyforAutism/ for more info on HBOT and support- there is also an online manual located at: www.hbotmanual.com To find providers for hbot you can go to: www.hbotproviders.com csb-autism-rx-subscribe@yahoogroups.com The CSB Autism Council was created for Dr. McCandless' patients and consultees as well as those who want to support her ability to conduct non-funded clinical research studies. More than 20,000 copies of her book have been sold from many sources; only purchasing a book (for yourself or to donate) from will admit you to the group. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ASD_Kids/ This is an informational group geared to help you raise your Child(ren) affected with Autsim Spectrum Disorders. Autism Spectrum Disorders include, but are not limited to: Autism, Aspergers, PDD-NOS, Rett Syndrome, and ADHD. This is a list with loads of up to date research, facts, theories, and information regarding all aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorders. This group will not give you information on "THE treatment" to help your child, but rather will try to provide its members with information on ALL known treatments, both mainstream and alternate, for ASD children. From this wealth of information it is hoped that our members will be able to pick and chose those nuggests that will help their child(ren). Every child with ASD is different thus the "magic bullet" for one family may or may not be the magic bullet for another. Online Asperger's Syndrome Information and Support (OASIS) site: http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/ ..> ..> PASS If no meeting is posted below for your area we suggest visiting ANDI (Autism Network for Dietary Intervention) www.autismndi.com. "The PASS List" (Parent Support System), managed by Karyn Seroussi and Lisa Lewis, consists of over 150 volunteers in 30 states and 11 countries. These parents have offered to provide support to other local parents "doing the diet". Many of them have founded, or belong to local support groups for dietary intervention. Note: asterisks next to individual names indicate local GFCF Support Group Meetings cthomas@bates.edu jweagles@midmaine.com recoveringwishes@verizon.net Christelking1verizon.net For MAINE residents Contact the above. All others look on the national site ..>..> FURTHER DIET INFO GFCF resources: www.AutismNDI.com (tips and online support group, and local parent volunteers) www.gfcfdiet.com (food lists and online support group) NOT ALLOWED ON THIS DIET- gluten (wheat, barley rye and oats) casein (milk protein) and often recommended soy as well These things can be found also in school supplies and cuase issues for example NO NO's most don't think about Crayola washable magic markers (contain soy- regular ones are fine however) finger paints (contain gluten and soy) colored pencils (all of them have soy) play doe (contains gluten) all color wonder products (contains soy) Palmer Paints (all contain soy) Rose Art crayons (contain soy) stickers back (contain gluten always call company first), bandaids (can contain gluten call company to check), medical tape (woven tape can contain gluten), sunscreen (contain soy) http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GFCFrecipes/ Recipe group for cooking a gluten-free, casein-free diet, especially for chidren. Parents needing cooking support, food questions and want to swap recipes for all kinds of GFCF cooking. Plain and Fancy, Snacks and Family dinners http://www.missroben.com/ this is BY FAR the most comprehensive place to order allergen free of foods from MANY companies. They have a "free of" area where you can fill out what you can't have and it brings up ONLY items you CAN do from many companies make it easier to find what you are needing SCD resources: www.pecanbread.com Book: Breaking the Vicious Cycle www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info LOD (Low Oxalate Diet): Oxalates are a simple type of compound that is similar in structure to sulfate, except that the sulfur atom is replaced by two carbon atoms. Oxalates may be present in excess for those with Autism for several possible reasons. Scientists have shown that in conditions of bowel inflammation, oxalates are absorbed from the food and wind up in circulation in the body, causing mischief. Oxalates are supposed to all leave the body via the stool! Trying_Low_Oxalates-subscribe@yahoogroups.com YEAST FREE DIET Feast Without Yeast: Four Stages to Better Health, by Bruce Semon, M.D., Ph.D http://www.yeastconnection.com/ FEINGOLD DIET http://www.feingold.org/2englishintro.html 1. What is avoided on this diet?1. Artificial food dye and flavors [petroleum-based additives] 2. BHA, BHT, TBHQ [petroleum-based preservatives] 3. Salicylate-containing foods and non-food products 4. Aspartame (Nutrasweet, an artificial sweetener) 5. Artificial (synthetic) preservatives BHA, BHT, TBHQ ALLERGY ELIMINATION OR ROTATION DIET http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/foodallergyautism/ This group is for parents of children who have severe food allergies and who also have an autism spectrum disorder. There seems to be a subset of children on the autism spectrum who have either severe food allergy and/or multiple food intolerances. The purpose of this group is information sharing. Body Ecology Diet: This is a commonly understood principle in alternativemedicine/nutrition. The ideal situation is where the blood is kept slightly on the alkaline side of the normal range (7.4). This is thought to discourage the growth of yeast, viruses, gut bugs, parasites and also discourage the growth and spread of cancer. Acidity also leads to conditions such as chronic fatigue, allergies, and arthirtis. It is suggested that every meal contain 20% acid-forming foods and 80% alkaline-forming foods. Foods recommended on Body Ecology Diet: Acid-forming foods (20% of meal): - animal foods (beef, poultry, eggs, fish, etc.) - buckwheat -organiz, unrefined oil -stevia (sweetening herb) Akaline-forming foods (80% of meal): - land vegetables (most) - ocean vegetables -millet, quinoa, amaranth - sea salt - herbs and herb tea - seeds 9except sesame) - mineral water (plain or sparkling) - lemons, limes, unsweetened cranberries, and black currants - cultured foods (raw organic apple cider vinegar, raw cultured vegetables, kefir) - soaked and sprouted almonds Neutrals (not acidic or alkaline): - butter (raw) - ghee Foods NOT recommended on Body Ecology Diet: Acidic forming foods: - sugar, candy, soft drinks - flour products - beans, soybean products, and tofu - nuts and nut butter - wine, beer, alcohol - saccharin, nutrasweet, equal - commercial refined vinegar Alkaline-forming foods: - fruits (except lemons, limes, unsweetened cranberries, black currants) For more info check out: 1) http://www.autismndi.com/news/display.asp?c..News&shownews=20040721140600 2) www.bodyecology.com Special helps for families http://www.specialfoods.com/taxdeductions.html for more info. http://www.danasview.net/taxinfo.htm for everything from equiptment to therapy miles and suppliments ..> ..> Tax Deductions for Allergies and Chemical Sensitivities ..>..> ..> ..> Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code applies to persons who itemize their deductions on Schedule A of Form 1040. Total medical expenses, which now include drugs and medicines, are deductible to the extent they exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income. In addition to the obvious deductions, items such as special filters and air cleaners and the costs of their operation are deductible expenses. Vitamins and supplements, when prescribed by a doctor, are treated as drugs and medicines. All transportation costs for medical care are deductible including bus, taxi, train or airfare as well as out-of-pocket costs for doctor, dental and hospital trips. Auto mileage is deductible at 9 cents per mile. This deduction includes the cost to transport and visit sick dependents. (note: mileage changed- it's 18 cents a mile in 2006..) Most importantly, Special Foods!TM products and food supplements qualify as a medical deduction when they are prescribed by a physician or other health professional for alleviation or treatment of an illness. (The IRS does not grant deductible status when the foods are considered to be for nutritional needs.) A leading case is that of Dr. Theron Randolph (Theron Randolph, 67 TC 481), where the Tax Court held that a deduction was allowable for "the additional cost of chemically uncontaminated foods". Uncontaminated foods require special care in growing, packaging, and transporting that result in a higher retail cost. The benefit received by patients was relief from medical problems. Similarly, costs for unusual foods required because of allergic reactions to foods are deductible expenses, because they are eaten to provide relief from medical problems. It is important to note the wording, "for alleviation or treatment of an illness". The IRS regularly refuses deductions for substituting foods "for nutritional needs", such as special diabetic diets or self-imposed vitamin and organic food plans. When prescribed by a physician or other health professional for alleviation or treatment of an illness, the added cost of any special foods over that of commercial foods is deductible. In other words, when you cannot eat regular foods, the costs of the special foods above the costs for common foods you are replacing in your diet, are deductible. For example, if you eat fresh malanga tubers, you would deduct the difference between the cost of malanga tubers and the cost of white potatoes, the item the malanga tubers would be replacing. If you eat malanga flour, you would deduct the difference between the cost for malanga flour and the cost of regular wheat flours. When you use malanga noodles, you would deduct the difference in price between malanga noodles and regular wheat noodles. Other deductible expenses should include: 1) extra shipping costs, and 2) the additional mileage for shopping over that of local grocery trips, at 9 cents per mile. (18 cents in 2006- check IRS for 2004, 2005, etc rates..) Finally, extensive documentation is essential in case of a tax audit. Keep all receipts and be sure your health care professional gives you a prescription before you incur expenses. ..>..> WATCH FOR NAA's special helping hands scholarships- http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/helpinghand.php SOUTHWEST AIRLINES MEDICAL PROGRAM- they will fly the child and parent to the needed Dr. at a highly discounted price. We have used this to send some of our kids/adult friends with autism to see DAN dr's out of state for as a low as 24 dollars for a round trip ticket….. http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/share_the_spirit/medical.pdf Careforce.- Free Airline tickets from Continental Airline to visit doctor out of state. You will call Melia Reed at 281-360-5314. All she needs is a note from a doctor stating that you have an appointment on certain date. Her fax number is 281-361-7114. You can use this program once a year. ***NOTE*** This was posted in 2007. http://www.miracleflights.org/ They work with all these other airline programs and if they can't get tickets through one of the programs, they buy them for you. Also, they will fly both parents along with the patient. Angel flights AutismLink (www.autismlink.com) has a list of over 7100 providers of service all over the Country. If you're a parent looking for therapy or support, or a provider wants to add yourself to our database, we welcome you to visit. It's all provided free of charge. You can search by zip code to find the providers closest to where you live. (Speech therapy, Dan doctors, OT, ABA, etc. etc.) We also have a mentoring program, so if you're new to the diagnosis and you need some help, we match you up with someone in your area who has volunteered to be a mentor to help you through the diagnosis and in finding services. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AutismForSale/.com – place for buying used therapy equiptment 24 or more hour respites available across the country We have 12 professional staff members ready to travel to you via bus, train, plane, etc., to provide 24 or more hour vacation respites for you and your family. We will either stay with your loved one or accompany you on your trip. You can visit Professional Education and Respite Service LLC at www.vacationrespite.com for more information or call toll free at 888 664 9886. If 16.00 per hour for licenced, fully insured, experienced Special Educators or Mental Health Professionals who have worked extensively and provide educational and meaningful activities with children and adults with a variety of disabilities works into your budget, check us out. If you want a just a baby sitter, to watch movies, and eat popcorn with your child, call a babysitter. there is a yahoo group dedicated to autism and insurance coverage at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/autism_insurance_information http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bzk9GHD7tRY -it's got some great snack ideas, some cross contamination cautions, some products, recipe tips..etc New beginnings will begin holding online conferences monthly. Topic will be different each month. You can register here: http://www.nbnus.com/NBN_online_conference/preregistration/

This month's Autism Asperger Publishing Co. newsletter focuses on females on the spectrum from young girls facing issues of bullying to adult writers making their way in society. It's worth clicking and browsing through it. http://www.asperger.net/Newsletter_Spring08.pdf To Our Daughters: Love the Gift of Who You Are and Love Yourself How I Spent My Day "Off" Today Browsing the Bookstore Kids’ Korner First-Person Perspective Females with Autism: A Male Perspective Thoughts and Ideas as a Woman on the ASD Spectrum Identification of Females with Autism Spectrum Disorders Making a Difference Flexibility

Talk about irony... today, April 1st, is the 1st day of Autism Awareness Month, it’s April Fools Day and it was also Andy’s 1st ISP (individual service plan) meeting (which is a plan for adults in day programs/adult services.) I don’t even know where to begin except it was a total shock to the system. I KNOW, because of my work, through friend’s experiences and my own experinces over the years that IEP meetings can be difficult and even contentious, and that school systems can be difficult to deal with… still in all my experiences I don’t remember ever feeling so disheartened. The first 3/4 of Andy's ISP meeting was fairly meaningless, at least in my book. As part of Andy’s IEP we always had to write a “vision statement” (it’s mandatory in my state) that spoke about our vision for Andy for the future. It would be a paragraph or two… fairly short simple and to the point. Today was a protracted exercise in writing something similar to a vision statement except I found little meaning in any of it. As I listened I knew (like only a parent can know) that the things we spoke of would very likely never come to fruition. We went over things like his community membership, (going to the Y once a week with his dad…whoo boy!) his relationships (not just having paid staff in his life… yeah Like they are going to change that????) and his “residential life (what he does at home for chores ect…) None of these things will be improved or changed at his day program and it just felt like such a fat waste of time. When we finally got to the goals and objectives Andy’s coordinator looked to the person who runs the day program and asked so what are the goals he will work on? Well I almost fell over. They are asking the program person before me? I sat stunned. The person who runs the program (who I like) said that there were 5 goals. It was then I found out that it was rare to have 5 goals, usually there are only 2 or 3. More stunning stuff was to come when I discovered that the OT and the SP&L therapist (each come in once a month or so to do evals or make some recommendations) EACH, in slightly different worded recommendations suggested as a goal for Andy to learn to follow a visual schedule. I felt sick. Andy has been following a visual schedule since he was 8 years old… At least the OT also made a sensory recommendation, BUT I especially couldn’t believe the SP& L person would make that recommendation. The day this person evaluated Andy I had given her an extremely detailed “social communication” evaluation from an Autism expert who used the SCERTS guidelines to asses him. I SPECIFICALLY asked her to please use one of the recommendations from that evaluation because of the expertise in Autism that the evaluator had, and because I felt the NUMEROUS recommendations that had been made in the evaluation were so important. Even worse was those of us at the meeting had just discussed in great detail how Andy had to work on his communication skills, due to how his serious difficulty with communication impacted nearly every facet of his life, but especially his behavior and also ability to interact socially with others. I asked if I couldn’t contact the therapist to discuss other options for his communication goal. I said it was absolutely vital that he have a goal that was related to his social communication skills. BUT, I was told by the boss of the person who runs the program told “no”, we have to have another meeting with everyone present. (I suspect this is because of the complaining I have been doing about the program and they don’t trust me as far as they can throw me.) Hooo boy another meeting! Another disheartening thing was Andy’s work. At school he worked about 6 hours a week. I expected that due to the nice skills he had developed and because of the few nice strengths he has, that his work time would be expanded. When Andy started there, I negotiated with the dept of mental retardation for funding for 4 hours a week of a job coach for him (to be shared with another client) so Andy could do volunteer work 8 hours a week. Little did I know that 4 hours are work time, 2 hours are transportation time and 2 hours are for the job coach to do paper work.(I don’t think that there is anyway on God’s green earth that the Job coach could possibly have 2 hours a week of paperwork for Andy when he is only working 4 hours a week) I am finally, truly, coming to understand that Adult programs are another world. Because most adults with autism get most of their funding by Medicaid, at least in my state, no teaching of anything but “lifeskills” is allowed. Life skills meaning cooking and personal health, like exercise. I am finally, truly, coming to understand that all of the hard work we did in the 18 and one half years Andy was in school means nothing in the adult world. The adult world of day programs is ALL about Medicaid regulations and bureaucracy and little about what a person with developmental disabilities really needs to become more competent and more productive in the everyday world. I have had many people tell me “you need to start your own program!” If only it was that simple. There is such a teeny tiny amount of funding now for adults that to start a program is all but impossible unless you can get a millionaire benefactor to support the program. I know this for a fact because I know someone who has been working now for over 3 years to get an adult program up and running. I spoke with her the other day hoping that the program may be running in the next year. She told maybe two years if things go well! I also know she has a benefactor and is seeking more of the very wealthy (who are concerned) because to depend on the state or federal government programs leaves you so tied up in red tape that the end result is exactly what Andy has right now. So on the first day of Autism Awareness month I got another rude awakening into what Andy’s future looks to be… I wish it was just a cruel April Fools joke… but I have learned too much and I am starting to see the truth. For those of you out there whose sons and daughters are in their teens I wish you well and hope and pray that their futures will not be as bleak as Andy’s looks to me right now. For those of you who have children in late elementary school I suggested you start to advocate now for better funding for adult services. We all know how slowly change comes, especially when you are trying to change the status quo. For all of these children who have been diagnosed with Autism, who are growing older every day and who will completely overload the very little that is available for adults, the future will not be any better, unless we start now.

Hello everyone. It's April 1 and I'm not fooling you...here are some freebies and discounts from AAPC. During April, AAPC (Autism Asperger Publishing Company) is offering discounts on some of its popular titles. They are also offering a free autism awareness magnet picture frame with each order during April. Here is a link to take you there: http://www.asperger.net/autism_awareness_month_2008.htm In addition, to kick into Autism Awareness Month, they are providing weekly tips to parents, professionals and individuals on the spectrum. The first week's tip is below: http://www.asperger.net/Tips_for_the_Week_of_April_1.pdf If you would like to get on their email list, go to www.Asperger.net They have some really fun looking handouts. Happy Tuesday! Joanna K-V www.AisForAutism.net

Rowan's Story - http://thelittleelephantintheroom.wordpress.com/

Today our 7 yr old autistic daughter woke up with a fever of 101. This is not the first time that this has happened or the last. Every time she gets really ill she is able to communicate more freely. She asks questions, names things, tells us things and we see a little less echolalia. Has anyone else had this happen? Has anyone talked to a doctor about this? Is there, maybe, a medication that might create the same response. It is so wonderful to hear her communicate with her oldest brother,,,it is still halted and non typical but so much better and less confusing for all involved MOSTLY for her. Any ideas please let me know. I don't want to drug her to the point of making her sludge through her day. And I don't want to put her on stimulants and make her hyperfocused...Just wondering if there were any ways to make this work.

I belong to other social sites (myspace and cafemom). I posted my recent blog on each site and this is the only one that got any response. I've been on myspace for three years and have lots of friends, some "real-life" and some online, some family even... Sydney was diagnosed because my mother watched a program that described austistic people as being in their "own world". Sometimes I feel like I've crossed over into hers rather than pulling her into mine as I'd hoped... I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who read and responded to my recent blog for a warm welcome into your world.