Hello parents, Has anyone gone through MRI and EEG? How was it? Any kids on medication and what are the side effects? MY son's neurologists has scheduled the above and I'm curious!!!She thinks my boy has silent seizures!! Ever heard of that?

It was a long day. Michelle was the best kid in the world. She has some pain and I have been keeping an eye out for any pain, since she can't tell me. She can't eat anything but soft foods for a few days and that is really hard for her. Akron childrens hospital was wonderful with her. Any how I will quit until our next adventure. Thanks again.

Hi Foggyrock members- Autism Research Institute asked me to write a personal testimony about tissue donation for their recent mailer. It is such an important issue that I thought I would share it with you too....Here it is: No parent wants to ever consider that they will outlive their child. It goes against every parental instinct. Hence, from before our babies are even born, we take every possible precaution to insure health, safety and a long life. From prenatal vitamins to sonograms, from baby monitors to diaper cream, from seat belts and helmets to life jackets, we spare no costs in protecting our children. It is more than a duty. It is an undeniable responsibility that isn't to be taken lightly. However, history teaches us that, no matter how careful and cautious we are, we can't always keep our children safe. Especially in a world where the rates of autism continue to rise...in every community, and even in our own homes. No car seat or crib bumper set prevented autism from knocking on my family's door. My son, Wynn, was diagnosed ten years ago, in spite of my best efforts otherwise. My heart broke in two that day, as any parent can imagine. Even today, all these years later, I still feel physical pain while I learn of another child being diagnosed with this same life-altering disability. I find myself incredulous that we are still in the dark as to the causes of autism and of knowledge of treatments that would offer freedom and relief to a population that deserves so much more. That is why I've registered both of my children with the NICHD Brain and Tissue Bank for Developmental Disorders. It's excruciatingly painful to imagine a life without either one of them, but pondering a future without answers is beyond comprehension. Those few minutes of my time might just make all the difference. I encourage you to take a few precious minutes as well....... Shannon Johnson Co-Founder Foggyrock.com FROM Autism Research Institute: Dear Autism Research Institute Friends, The Autism Research Institute is working closely with scientists and clinicians throughout the country in an effort to find effective treatments for this devastating disorder. According to these experts, limited availability of tissue from children who suffer with autism is hampering research because without actual tissue it is difficult to determine the basic biological defects responsible for this disorder. In an effort to increase research, the ARI has entered into a partnership with the Brain and Tissue Bank for Developmental Disorders at the University of Maryland in contract to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to support tissue donations. Anyone Can Be a Donor Anyone, regardless of age is invited to register as a tissue donor. The tissue bank is just as much in need of control tissue as tissue from those with autism. Tissue must be recovered within 24 hours because after this time the tissue has lost most of its usefulness for research purposes. Therefore, advanced registration is especially important in that it enables the intricate process of tissue recovery to occur in a timely manner. Even if a person is not registered in advance, tissue donation may still be possible by calling the toll free number above. The Brain and Tissue Bank will make every attempt within its means to ensure successful tissue recovery. To register: Call 1-800-847-1539 or 1-410-706-1755 (from outside the continental U.S.) to request a packet or discuss any questions or concerns relating to tissue donation. Contact the NICHD Tissue Bank: University of Maryland Department of Pediatrics 655 West Baltimore St., 13-013 BRD Baltimore, MD. 21201-1559 Toll free 800-847-1539 Ph. 410-706-1755 Fx. 410-706-0038

Two Choices What would you do? You make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice? At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay' Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team. 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'. Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day! AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces. If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process? A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them. You now have two choices: 1. Delete 2. Forward May your day, be a Shay Day.

Police and military Road blocks are also a fact of life at the moment.... I need to pass through at least one between home and the family farming business I work in.... One day this week, I had two of my office staff in the car, an old mazda 323, along with Zack - safely I thought strapped into car seat.....( he is off school due to elections this weekend), and our border collie x jack russell puppy..... we get stopped and the policeman asks me if he can search the car... of course I say... where would you like to look... in the trunk the policeman replies... I get out the car, and by the time I get to the trunk Zack is in the driver's seat... pressing the horn.... now I know he can unclip the seat belt!! I look cautiously at the armed army and police officers around... hoping that they are not offended by the noise from the car.... thankfully they dont' appear to worried about it.... the policeman then says he has seen enough (and i breath a sigh of relief... the horn is getting rather insistent!).. the next trick is to get the four year old and the puppy out of the drivers seat..... child has white knuckle grip on the steering wheel, so I have to wrestle him out of there, into his seat... amid very LOUD protests... and put his seat belt back on... then move the puppy of the seat too... After all this... I'm sweating profusely... partly fromt he wrestling match, and partly as am I am little concerned as to how the owners of the weapons are getting on.... the conversation with the policeman then goes something like this: policeman (shaking his head in disbelief I think "is he always like this" me: "yes, at the moment he is, he wants to drive the car" policeman: "you should get him his own toy car" me: "he already has several, he wants the real thing" policeman "goodbye, you may carry on" Two days later..... We went through the same road block today, with the same policeman on duty... it was just Zack, myself and the puppy this time, we were in a different vehicle too, just to confuse matters. The policeman pulled us over, then recognised Zack.... and says: "Oh, this is the young man who wants to drive" The policeman leans into the car, shake's Zack's hand (thankfully Zack obliges with a hand shake and a smile!!) The policeman then says that we can carry on without being searched!

http://www.twincities.com/opinion/ci_9685529?nclick_check=1 Putting embarrassment in its place By Caryn Sullivan Article Last Updated: 06/24/2008 07:31:22 PM CDT Last week, the Pioneer Press featured an article by John Campanelli with the headline: 'Truth? They dare.' Campanelli wrote that one of the terrible things about being a parent is 'like it or not, your young kids are going to embarrass you.' He noted that when kids are young we tolerate their socially unacceptable behavior, such as loudly commenting about Santa's bad breath while perched on his lap. Adults are typically empathetic (they've been there), and other kids are amused. As kids mature, however, the circle that encompasses acceptable behaviors shrinks. By middle school, adults consider students who comment on another's halitosis rude, not cute. The mischievous kids who hovered at the perimeter of the social circle either shift toward the middle or become ostracized. I suspect that many who read Campanelli's description of the 4-year-old girl who loudly commented about a gentleman's "big butt" had a similar experience. Just last week, my 17-year-old with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) made such an outside-the-circle remark in public. What is a passing phase for most parents seems destined to be my lifetime companion. I suspect some families dealing with conditions like Tourette Syndrome, ADHD or Alzheimer's, to name a few, are acquainted with the mortification zone, where I often dwell. Since I have a relatively low threshold for embarrassment, I've been mortified by my guy's behavior on countless occasions. Is he to blame? By virtue of his condition, he doesn't have a dependable filter that stops him from blurting out comments or doing things others might consider, but reject. I feel guilty because I know the nuances of what is cool and what is taboo are confusing, and the line between entertainment and embarrassment is fuzzy for him. Yet, I also know he relishes making outrageous comments. Always the entertainer, he can't comprehend why we laugh when comedian Jim Carrey talks with his butt cheeks in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," but gasp when he mimics Carrey in the crowded Chicago Shedd Aquarium ‹ with his shorts around his ankles. If I don't always know how to interpret or respond to his behavior, strangers are understandably clueless. I've often longed for a symbol like a wheelchair or white cane to broadcast his challenges. Absent that, I constantly run interference to protect us all from others' misunderstanding or judgment. Lately, I'm wondering whether I'm observing the unintended consequences of a lifetime of being coached into the circle, manifested at times by high anxiety, low self-esteem and defiant behaviors. Is it time to accept that he is who he is? Is it time, as Campanelli suggests, to "let it go"? As I pondered these questions Sunday night, my husband returned from searching for 25-year-old Keith Kennedy, a man severely challenged with autism who wandered away from his Wisconsin camp. A week after Keith Kennedy disappeared, firefighters found him, dehydrated and covered with bug bites but, miraculously, alive. Suddenly, my concerns about embarrassment were ‹ well, embarrassing. While having a "runner" like Keith Kennedy is inordinately stressful on a family, it's one of many challenges of living with a person with a social/communication disorder. I've canvassed friends about their most embarrassing moments with their special needs kids. Junior pooping in the public pool on the hottest day of the year took the prize. While we've endured some unmentionable incidents, we've persevered through a thousand more-trivial embarrassments ‹ touching the untouchable on a White House tour, speaking the unspeakable at the movie theater ‹ with the threat of "the big one" ‹ a pool-closer ‹ always lurking in the background. But everything in life is relative. With Keith Kennedy in the hospital ICU, I recognize there are worse things in life than being glared at or stared at in public. With him safely asleep in his bed, I appreciate our son is a complex guy who adds a lot of color to our lives. He's the one who put me under the table when he told our new friends that "everyone who read 'The DaVinci Code' knows that Jesus was banging Mary Magdalene," but made my heart soar by performing a stand-up comedy routine at his new school; he's the baby lover who makes us squirm when he touches or blows air kisses to every baby he encounters, but made me proud by offering his money jar when he learned the University of Minnesota was raising money for a new Children's Hospital; he's both a teen-age guy who loudly told his brother to check out a woman's cleavage and a mama's boy who says, "Mom, you have bags under your eyes ... but you're still beautiful." I see that I have a choice about how I relate to him. I can embrace the lighter moments and deflect the embarrassing ones. As to others, I can establish a context for his behavior so they might be less offended or hurt if he ignores their attempts at conversation, for example. As to him, I can keep trying, gently, to impress upon him that good manners are important and that others' feelings matter, too. When I confront the mortification zone, I can remember the Kennedy family's courage and fortitude. I can wrap myself in armor constructed of our guy's sweetness and humor and coated in the Kennedys' faith and resolve, and stop being embarrassed by outside-the-circle behaviors. If the Kennedy family can survive the past week's nightmare, then I should be able to kick embarrassment out of the house and invite acceptance to move in, at long last. Caryn Sullivan is a Minnesota attorney and writer. Her column appears from time to time on these pages. Her e-mail address is carynsullivan@comcast.net.

Well, its official, my son is Autistic. Down on paper makes it so real. I've known for a few months now but to have it written down on one of those diagnosis sheets.....Autism (diagnosis code 299.00). I asked the neurologist, so this is official, and he said yes, if you need it in writing I can take care of it. I guess for the deeming waiver.?. I have decided their is not a word for this emotion. I'll start back with the hope tomorrow...

Tomorrow Michelle is going into Akron Childrens Hospital for some oral surgery. She can't eat and that is going to be a big deal for her. It is scheduled for 11:30, so it is going to be a long day. I've done this before but she was only 6 or 7. I have been the biggest grouch for the last week. I threw a fit last night and fed her and put her to bed, then I had a few cold beers and watched TV in bed. I was just so aggravated that I did not want to be around anyone even my Honey. Sometimes I just can't tell people how I feel and I get irritated and even depressed. Thanks for letting me unload on you great people.

Autistic Man Recovering After Rescue In Wis. By Steve Karnowski Associated Press. tinyurl.com/52vweo Keith Kennedy's parents figure they'll never know why their autistic 25-year-old son wandered away from a camp for developmentally disabled adults and spent a week lost in the woods. They're just grateful rescuers found him in time. And Bruce and Linda Kennedy, as well as their son's doctor, say they likely will never know how he managed to survive without the skills to fend for himself, and with a failing transplanted kidney. Keith Kennedy was dehydrated, suffering from hypothermia, naked, filthy, and covered with ticks and bug bites when a St. Paul firefighter found him Sunday evening. He was in thick brush next to a creek bed on swampy ground about a mile from the camp in northwestern Wisconsin. He had been missing for just a half-hour shy of a full week, and didn't take his anti-rejection drugs. "How did he survive? He's a very lucky young man," Dr. Timothy Whelan of the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, told reporters Monday. He probably had just hours left to live by the time he was found, the doctor said. But by Monday morning, Kennedy's condition was stable and improving. His temperature was back to normal from a low of around 84 and he was getting fluids. The ticks weren't the type that carry Lyme disease, but Kennedy was getting antibiotics as a precaution. "Right now his kidney function is not very good, but he is making urine," Whelan said. He said it hadn't been necessary so far to put him on dialysis, and the doctor said he was optimistic that the kidney Kennedy received from his father in a 1995 transplant would recover well enough. Kennedy's clothes weren't immediately found. Whelan noted that it's not unusual for hypothermia victims to think they're hot and take their clothes off. But Linda Kennedy said it wouldn't have been unusual for her son to take his clothes off "if they were wet or awful." Fortunately, temperatures were mild. The 13 campers at the Trade Lake Camp in Grantsburg, Wis., had just been given their nighttime snacks and the others were heading off to bed when Kennedy disappeared June 15. Staffers speculate he sneaked back to the cafeteria to get more popcorn, then ran off because he was afraid of getting in trouble. Hundreds of volunteers joined law enforcement officers, firefighters and medics in the search that followed. His parents prayed for a miracle and refused to give up hope, but by Sunday evening had begun discussing with authorities whether to scale back the search. When they heard shouts that he had been found, they got in the sheriff's car so quickly they didn't get confirmation that he was alive until they were en route to the scene. "I can't even put it into words," Linda Kennedy said, choking up with emotion. "You can only imagine what we've been going through. It's parents' worst nightmare, it's my definition of hell on earth. It's a nightmare that just wouldn't end. And it's just so incredible how everything came together and we're at this point now. We're just so grateful and so hopeful." Bruce Kennedy said it would have been fascinating to have followed his son on his journey. But his son, who can speak only four words, isn't likely to provide any insights on what happened. "We're not anticipating him communicating anything about this," he said. "He's never spoken in the past tense in his life." Keith Kennedy had been a "runner" since he was 3 years old, his mother said. The parents kept their Minneapolis home where he grew up tightly secured. "Our house really, truly was like Fort Knox," she said. They tried constantly to make sure someone knew where in the house he was, but he would still manage to escape go to nearby stores or factories, they said. "I think he bit off more than he could chew," Bruce Kennedy said. "I think he got overwhelmed and he lost his bearings and somehow landed in a horrible spot. But maybe we'll never know." Whelan said there's no good way to know if Kennedy ate or drank anything in the woods, though his mother said he would have known enough to drink from a stream if he was able. He probably lost a lot of weight, though his doctor and parents didn't know how much. Searchers had passed near the spot where he was found at least a couple times, but it wasn't clear if he was there yet or ended up there later. Linda Kennedy said the lesson is that it's imperative for searchers to keep going back over areas that have already been checked. The Kennedys, who live in Roseville while their son lives in a group home in Shoreview, said they'll likely stay glued to either side of him when they take him out in public again. Bruce said he was going to do some research into GPS tracking devices. And they weren't sure if they'll let him go to camp again. "When hell freezes over," Linda Kennedy joked. DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW SUBSCRIBE. . . ! . . . Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.

THE “DARK AGE OF AUTISM” IS DEAD Looking back this year’s conference stood in sharp relief to previous years. Earlier years had an element of foreboding. In fact, for years the first night of the conference was reserved for a candlelight vigil with parents sharing their stories of suffering. It was the equivalent of the autism “wailing wall.” Words were not big enough to adequately articulate the enormity of our anguish. This year the energy radiated from a different place. The focus was not on surviving the present, but on moving confidently into the future. Before, laughing was also taboo. This year a sense of humor was out and about in full force. From the bright eyes and smiling faces shone a confidence that was breathtaking in its redemption. The Dark Age of Autism was as real and destructive as the epidemic itself. Parents lost their spouses, lost their jobs, lost their savings, lost their friends and lost their way. A diagnosis became an ongoing tragedy that fed on and consumed itself. Played out in thousands of doctors’ offices and picked up by the press a theme of blame, shame, and censure was waged against parents who refused to also lose their children. Doubt and disbelief grew into defiance and then open rebellion. Asking for help from your school was seen as an act of civil disobedience. Asking certain questions of the medical establishment was akin to burning the flag. Asking government agencies to perform their duties was an exercise in futility. Ironically, in the years of self-sacrifice and searching to save their children parents found themselves. The Dark Age of Autism forged a parental response more in keeping with a political revolution than a medical diagnosis. Along the widening plane of engagement parents found their voice. If your background was medicine your voice was needed; law, information technology, administration, accounting, education, IS, public relations–every profession and every voice found a matching need along the spectrum. Until finally it can be declared the “Dark Age of Autism” is Dead! Never again will our community suffer the same type of terror that tested our limits and tried to embargo our voice. Never again will asking for help be callously ignored and construed as a weakness. The open rebellion has grown into a revolution demanding change. Welcome to the “Age of Freedom.” Previous obstacles become petty annoyances when our hard-won freedom from fear and faith in the future is measured against the puny and the wrong. Like bad actors in a canceled comedy the same talking heads appear on TV and in print spouting the same tired shtick, unaware the country has moved past them. While we have moved past you, we have not forgotten you – government and industry enablers and apologists will be dealt with in due time. A system that allowed this to occur, spinning numbers out of whole cloth to scare parents, which has created the single largest problem the world faces today will end. It will not be pretty, but in life there are prices to pay for your actions. In a poetic turn of justice The Dark Age of Autism is about to descend on its creators.

Helping HANDS for Autism Act Introduced in the House ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By Carin Yavorcik Bill provides for lifespan autism services and awareness Members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a companion to the Helping HANDS for Autism Act this week. The Helping HANDS for Autism Act (HR 6282) is a three-part legislative package designed to support families dealing with autism spectrum disorders, increase awareness among first responders and public safety officials and provide housing options and services for adults with autism. It was introduced by Reps. Kay Granger (R-TX), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Dan Burton (R-IN) and Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX). The bill is a companion to S 2950, introduced in the Senate last April. An estimated 30 million people in the world have an autism spectrum disorder, 1.5 million in America alone. Every day in America, 60 families learn their child has autism. These families face challenges of care, support, education, financial hardship and medical and health care issues that make autism a national public health issue. Though there is no cure, autism is treatable and individuals with autism have tremendous potential. What the Bill Does: 1. Creates a grant program to provide "autism navigator" services to help families navigate the web of services and care they need. Navigators will help guide families to current health, education, housing and social services that are often available to individuals on the autism spectrum. Too often, families feel overwhelmed after diagnosis and often lost as to where to turn for help. The program will help connect families to important treatment options soon after diagnosis, help families identify education options, and help coordinate individuals' care and community support. 2. Provides for the development, demonstration and dissemination of a standard curriculum for the training of first responders (police, fire departments, emergency medical technicians and other volunteers) in assisting individuals with autism and other cognitive behavioral disabilities. It provides grants to states and local governments to support training of first responders. People with developmental disabilities, including autism, have up to seven times more contact with law enforcement officers than others, according to an article in the F.B.I. Law Enforcement Bulletin in April 2001. That is why training is so important. Something as simple as first responders turning off flashing lights and sirens on a police car could make the difference between a peaceful or chaotic encounter. 3. Creates a HUD task force comprised of appropriate national and state autism advocacy groups, community-based organizations and parents who are charged with developing a housing demonstration grant program for adults with autism. The goal of the grant program is to provide individualized housing and services to adults with autism spectrum disorders.

By Elizabeth Cohen Five years ago, Kathye Petters-Armitage's first child received the exact vaccinations on the exact schedule recommended by her pediatrician. But when she gave birth to her second child, Petters-Armitage had a change of heart. In the intervening two years, she'd read a lot about concerns that vaccines cause autism and decided to ask her pediatrician to give her new baby fewer shots spread out over a longer period of time. "I wasn't a hundred percent convinced there was a link between autism and vaccines," said Petters-Armitage, of Santa Clarita, California. "But I didn't want to be one of those parents who found out the hard way." http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/06/19/ep.vaccines/index.html

By Julie Obradovic Reprinted from Age of Autism In the aftermath of the Green the Vaccines Rally, the inevitable criticism of the participants and their purpose swooped in with the force of the thunderstorm that struck DC that afternoon. In the recent years of being an "Autism activist", I have found it much easier to simply steer clear of this criticism. Message boards, Bloggers and editorials that paint me as a fear-mongering fool who uses her child as an experiment only put me in a bad mood. Initially I was compelled to argue, fighting for my dignity and looking for compassion. What I realized is that is exhaustive work, and frankly, quite fruitless, especially when the bully you're battling is anonymous. And so it has been that I have chosen to ignore the negativity and focus on the task at hand: finding a way to help families with Autism improve the health and well-being of their children, themselves, and their finances. None-the-less, occasionally it becomes necessary to stand up and be heard. It's as if the opposition got a new memo on how to belittle one of "us", and frankly, it's annoying. For starters, as JB Handley addressed in his essay "Moving the Goal Posts", we are now guilty of "changing the game". Evidently we can't make up our minds about what part of the vaccine or vaccines cause Autism. Is it the mercury? Is it the aluminum? Is it both? Is it too many vaccines in combination? Somehow our inability to stick to one story makes us inauthentic....... http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/what-disease-do.html

From Redbook Magazine Nicole Kalkowski knows that beyond the stress, fear, and family turmoil that come with learning that your child has this devastating disorder, there is also a devastating aloneness. In our second installment of Living With Autism, we follow this mother of three as she struggles to save her son and finds help - for her children and for herself - in unexpected places. In part one of REDBOOK's series about raising a child with autism,....... http://www.redbookmag.com/home/autism-and-motherhood

By Mark F. Blaxill In his best-selling book Evidence of Harm, our Age of Autism colleague David Kirby saved his “final note” for a comment on the global legacy of thimerosal exposure in vaccines. In the book’s closing passage, he wrote: “If thimerosal is one day proven to be a contributing factor to autism, and if U.S. made vaccines containing the preservative are now being supplied the world over, the scope of this potential tragedy becomes unthinkable. “The United States, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, is not exactly the most beloved nation on earth. What if the profitable export of our vaunted medical technology has led to the poisoning of hundred of thousands of children? What then?” As Bush Administration officials have moved with surprising determination to defend the safety both of the current flu vaccine program (which targets expectant mothers with injections of ethyl mercury) and past vaccine program recommendations (which permitted the injection of unintentionally excessive amounts of ethyl mercury in infants), one often overlooked implication of the Administration’s policy has been to make Kirby’s nightmare suggestion a reality. U.S. vaccine manufacturers have continued to ship thimerosal containing vaccine formulations all over the world, in effect offering a defiant double standard of mercury risk for infants from rich countries as compared to poor countries......... http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/sick-hamsters-m.html

Thank you! 5th Annual TACA Picnic Raises $110,000 and Counting! More than 2,200 people turned out for the fifth annual TACA family picnic presented by US Autism and Asperger Association held at Camp James in Irvine on June 1, 2008. This amazing day included fun for families, great food, and a visit from TACA friend and spokesperson, Jenny McCarthy. TACA would like to thank all who attended, our sponsors, in-kind donors and volunteers. This event, looked forward to by families all year, wouldn't have happened without the huge community support we received. http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/events/picnic/picnic2008/2008-picnic-recap.htm

On June 4, 2008 the Green our Vaccines March & Rally occurred in Washington DC with hosts Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey. Rally speakers included: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Dr. Jay Gordon, Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, Dr. Boyd Hayley and the hosts Jim & Jenny. More than 40 autism and environmental organizations supported these efforts and an estimated over 8,500 individuals participated. Every state was represented including friends from Mexico, Canada and the Philippines. Sponsors of the rally include: * Jim Carrey & Jenny McCarthy * Talk about Curing Autism – TACA * Healing Every Autistic Life – HEAL * Moms Against Mercury * Generation Rescue With more than 50 media outlets present here are some of the professional and family created video, pictures and follow up articles from this historic event. http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/jenny/dc-rally/green-our-vaccines-rally-recap.htm

18 hour power cuts are the norm at the moment, I think Zack forgets that power exists sometimes, it is off by the time he wakes up in the morning, and only returns around 10pm - long after he has gone to sleep... something he has recently started, when the power does come on... he looks around with an absolute look of delight (often runs for the TV to turn the teletubbies/winnie the pooh video on) and says in a voice of absolute wonderment.... POWER!!!!

Mentally challenged children are being subjected to shock treatments for punishment. see:www.naturalnews.com/023494.html

Dr. Shiv Chopra, as a vaccine and drug regulator for Health Canada for nearly forty years, evaluated every red-hot topic in public health. He tried, sometimes successfully, to protect the public from ineffective and harmful vaccines, genetically modified foods, pesticides, carcinogenic antibiotics and hormones used in food-producing animals, and agricultural practices that promote Mad Cow Disease. Unsurprisingly, he was fired from Health Canada in 2004 for “insubordination” -- in other words, refusing to bow to corporate and government pressure to give a pass to unsafe substances. Dr. Chopra has now written a book, Corrupt to the Core, about his decades of struggle to have the law recognized as being above political policy. Chopra observes that despite vaccinations, some childhood diseases are appearing with increasing frequency in the very populations that have been vaccinated for several generations. He finds it alarming that “the list of vaccines being administered to young children has been enlarged to include many more viral and bacterial infections with little or no scientific rationale.” The U.S. Center for Disease Control continues to argue that 36,000 people die annually of the flu, even though available statistics show that the true number is less than 100. Meanwhile, current research has shown that merely increasing vitamin D levels reduces the incidence of the flu by more than 70 percent. Vaccination programs whose scientific basis is so flawed as to border on the absurd include Tamiflu, which has been discontinued in Japan because of so many deaths from sudden serious psychiatric disorders, and Gardasil, which during the first year of its use has resulted in more than 3,500 adverse events, more than any vaccine in history. Gardasil contains a whopping 675 micrograms of toxic aluminum, and one of the scientists who developed it, Diane M. Harper, warned that the vaccine had never been tested on young girls before it was released for widespread use by them. Perhaps the worst is MMR, which supposedly provides immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella. More than 4,900 U.S. families have filed lawsuits after their children became autistic within days of getting this shot. A second area of concern in Dr. Chopra’s career was bacterial antibiotic resistance, which is wholly avoidable and caused solely by use of antibiotics in food-producing animals and the reckless over-prescribing habits of doctors. There are currently entire classes of antibiotics that should not even be on the market; Dr. Chopra fought vigorously and unsuccessfully to keep Baytril and Revelor-H off the market. They were finally banned more than a decade after his warnings because of the undeniable harm they caused. Sources: Vitality Magazine April 2008

WELCOME TO BEIRUT by Susan F. Rzucidlo (Beginner's Guide to Autism) "I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with autism-to try and help people who have not shared in that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this.." There you are, happy in your life, one or two little ones at your feet. Life is complete and good. One of the children is a little different than the other but of course, he's like your in-laws, and you did marry into the family. It can't be all that bad. One day someone comes up from behind you and throws a black bag over your head. They start kicking you in the stomach and trying to tear your heart out. You are terrified, kicking and screaming you struggle to get away but there are too many of them, they overpower you and stuff you into a trunk of a car. Bruised and dazed, you don't know where you are. What's going to happen to you? Will you live through this? This is the day you get the diagnosis. "YOUR CHILD HAS AUTISM"! There you are in Beirut, dropped in the middle of a war. You don't know the language and you don't know what is going on. Bombs are dropping "Life long diagnosis" and "Neurologically impaired". Bullets whiz by "refrigerator mother" " A good smack is all HE needs to straighten up". Your adrenaline races as the clock ticks away your child's chances for "recovery". You sure as heck didn't sign up for this and want out NOW! God has over estimated your abilities. Unfortunately, there is no one to send your resignation to. You've done everything right in your life, well you tried, well, you weren't caught too often. Hey! you've never even heard of autism before. You look around and everything looks the same, but different. Your family is the same, your child is the same, but now he has a label and you have a case worker assigned to your family. She'll call you soon. You feel like a lab rat dropped into a maze. Just as you start to get the first one figured out ( early intervention) they drop you into a larger more complex one (school). Never to be out done, there is always the medical intervention maze. That one is almost never completed. There is always some new "miracle" drug out there. It helps some kids, will it help yours? You will find some if the greatest folks in the world are doing the same maze you are, maybe on another level but a special-ed maze just the same. Tapping into those folks is a great life line to help you get through the day. This really sucks but hey, there are still good times to be had. WARNING! You do develop and odd sense of humor. Every so often you get hit by a bullet or bomb not enough to kill you, only enough to leave a gaping wound. Your child regresses for no apparent reason, and it feels like a kick in the stomach. Some bully makes fun of your kid and your heart aches. You're excluded from activities and functions because of your child and you cry. Your other children are embarrassed to be around your disabled child and you sigh. You're insurance company refuses to provide therapies for "chronic, life long conditions" and your blood pressure goes up. Your arm aches from holding onto the phone with yet another bureaucrat or doctor or therapist who holds the power to improve or destroy the quality of your child's life with the stroke of a pen. You're exhausted because your child doesn't sleep. And yet, hope springs eternal. Yes there is hope. There ARE new medications. There IS research going on. There are interventions that help. Thank God for all those who fought so hard before you came along. Your child will make progress. When he speaks for the first time, maybe not until he is 8 yrs old, your heart will soar. You will know that you have experienced a miracle and you will rejoice. The smallest improvement will look like a huge leap to you. You will marvel at typical development and realize how amazing it is. You will know sorrow like few others and yet you will know joy above joy. You will meet dirty faced angels on playgrounds who are kind to your child without being told to be. There will be a few nurses and doctors who treat your child with respect and who will show you concern and love like few others. Knowing eyes will meet yours in restaurants and malls, they'll understand, they are living through similar times. For those people you will be forever grateful. Don't get me wrong. This is war and its awful. There are no discharges and when you are gone someone else will have to fight in your place. But, there are lulls in wars, times when the bullets aren't flying and bombs aren't dropping. Flowers are seen and picked. Life long friendships are forged. You share and odd kinship with people from all walks of life. Good times are had, and because we know how bad the bad times are, the good times are even better. Life is good but your life in never normal again, but hey, what fun is normal.

We have been pottying Iain, our youngest for awhile now with the help of our behavior therapist. Unfortunately, it was not working out great as our little man is 'on his own agenda'. ;) So, we re-evaluated and decided that our best way to approach this is to just take away the diapers and go for it. We are still scatterplotting his times on the toilet, but now instead of us initiating his trips to the loo, we will now rely on him to initiate. He does MUCH better when left to his own devices to go to the bathroom, but we still have no success with the tinkles as yet. I am thinking this will go one of two ways; 1. He will freak when he hits his socks for the first time and potty train within 24 hours (oh, PLEASE! Pretty, pretty please! lol) 2. I will be buying cleaners by the palette and for an extended period of time. Either way, we know he will be a challenge and also that he is ready. He will begin school in September. We have a few tricks from the BT and will be using them right away. On one hand, I can hardly wait to do this, on the other hand....eeeeeek! We begin next weekend as I must stock up on more Thomas undies. lol Wish us luck!

So we have "officaly" started to work on potty training...i am going to update this blog every day with our good days and with our bad....this is day one..Silas seems to really like wearing his undies..:) Day 1-June 19th 2008...He did GREAT today he stayed dry all day...untill he went outside and he peed twice, and he does not care if he is wet so i have to keep checking on him to see if he is still dry..lol...and he is not saying he has to go...i am just taking him about every hour to hour and a half..and he seems excited! at nap obviously he wears a diaper t he pooped in his diaper...but thats ok, we are just starting...:) Day 2 June 20th 2008....Woke up dry, he peed a HUGE pee on the potty....9:13 am asked him if he had to go he ACTUALLY said YES!!!! so i took him but he did not go, BUT he got up on the stool to wash his hands and started peeing....so he DID have to go and he RECOGNIZED the feeling of having to go....!! i know it will not happen overnight but this is a HUGE step for him...realizing the feeling of having to go!!! He also seems to NOT enjoy all the prise and excitement like the other kids did...when he does pee on the potty and we get all happy for him he gets MAD..and i think embarrassed or somehting..possibly overstimulated...?.so we give high fives and a piece of candy..lol..he is ok with that..:) We had a few accidents today..BUT we had some victories to..so it was a good day!! we have a whole new habbit..lol. ..he has ALWAYS loved sticking his hand down the front of his diaper, or tucking his blanket in there..well now that he has been wearing undies, he has very EASY access and is CONSTANTLY playing with himself...should i try to curb this behavior now...or ignore it because we are just starting the potty training and i dont want to frustrate him to the point where he rejects undies ya know...lol.. i think that is one of the reasons he LOVES wearing them ..lol...i have asked him EVERY morning for almost a year if he wanted to wear undies today, he woudl ALWAYS say NO...but yesterday he said YES...lol..and now he REFUSES the diaper, even at nap time..so we had to go get cool pull ups for nap time..lol Day 3 June 21 2008
Silas woke up this morning and peed on the potty, and then we to took the kids to a kids fishing tournament so we put him in pull ups..so he did not haev much of a opportunity to go this afternoon..But after nap time he peed and POOPED in the potty for the FIRST TIME EVER!!...YEAH SILAS!!!!!Now we are back in undies for the rest of the night..:)..so wee shall see...:)he seems to not empty his bladder each time he goes except for when he wakes up in the morning and after nap..he lets out little squirts of pee and he lets squirts out in his undies but doesn't soak them Day 4 June 22 2008....WHAT A GREAT DAY!!!! I was worried because we have church on Sundays and its alwyas a crazy day..Silas peed after he woke up this morning them we put on a pull up and got dressed and headed for church.i took silas potty when we got to church and he had peed in the pull up BUT he peed and POOPED in the potty when i took him!!!! and then i took him between sunday school and church and he peed again!!!! then i took him after church was over and he peed again!!!! and then we stopped to go out to eat on the way home and i took him potty and he peed AGAIN, and then i took him once more before we left to come home and he peed YET AGAIN!!!! so he was dry all day except for the accident he had in the car on the way to church!!!!im SOOOOOOO proud of him!!!!! Day 5 June 23 2008....Silas did ok today, he did poop on the potty but had allot of pee accidents....ooo and he ALMOST made it all the way to church..:).....he had just went as we got there...church is about a hour away. and he went right before we left. he would have made it but he wanted to go see his little girlfriend and when he saw he he started laughing and lost it..lol.... Day 6 June 24 2008....Silas has been waking up from naps and night time DRY!!!! YIPPIE!!!!!...and for the first time he was UNCOMFORTABLE in wet undies, Gabe was chasing him around the house and he was laughing so hard he started peeing and he ran with his legs WIDE apart to the bathroom all by HIMSELF...LOL...:)..and he peed outside today..lol..he thought that was the funniest thing ever..lol.... Day 7 June 25th 2008...Silas pooped in his undies today..BUT peed on the potty ALL DAY!!! not one single accident!!!!!!!! Day 8 June 26th 2008....ok i would say silas has got the peeing on the potty part down pretty good....he tells me now which is AMAZING..but when he says he has to go you better run..lol....he is having some trouble with poopin on the potty...but i think he is trying REALLY hard....today at the bus stop he kept saying he had to pee....and he would let out a dribble....he did this like 6 times....and then he pooped in his undies..i think he was trying....because he kept saying he had to go, but all he did was let out one dribble..then 2 minutes later..i pee i pee i pee...he probably felt like he had to do somehting but he wasn't sure what it was.....lol. so we will have to work on number 2...LOL.. i am so proud of him!!!!! LAST ENTRY!!!!!!!!! July 2 2008!!!! as of today i say that Silas is officially potty trained!!!!!i have not had to change o poopy diaper OR clean it out of him undies in 4 DAYS!!!! he was having trouble knowing the difference between the having to poo feeling and the having to pee feeling but i stood him in front of a mirror and showed him..lolololol...and he got it....i dont knwo if thats what did the trick or what but he got it!!!! he wore undies to church and stayed dry and clean the WHOLE time..and wore undoes to walmart, and the doctor office..LOL.....i am so proud of him!!!! and he is pretty proud to!!!!!im sure there will be accidents here and there....but i cant beleive how fast he went from REFUSING to loving it!..

WE left Pa-Pa's house today and my son was totally clean. As I was driving down the road my daughter said; "Mom, what's all over Colton's face?" I said; "It looks like blood" We figured out that my little man had had a nose bleed and smeared it all over his face. I did'nt have anything to clean him up with so we proceded down the road. Then my daugther says; "Mom, look now." Colton had taken almost all the blood off his face and out of his nose for that matter and made a race track on his chest with which he was playing with his matchbox cars in. Hey, wonder if the therapists would say this was a good sensory outlet. Sometimes you just have to laugh; you know?

How can you get the PEC cards if you cant afford them? How can you get Hyperbaric Chamber treatments if you cant afford them? How can you get the therapy swings if you cant afford them and live in an apartment with no where on the outside to make one!

Finally I have a little money to go to the store and get my baby more glutten/casseine free food. Seems he's down to almost nothing to eat before I get more money. I get so nervous about feeding him. This food costs so much. I'm calling today about getting B-12 shots too. I've heard they give them more energy, hope they don't change him to hyper active and too hard to deal with. I do think he keeps constant chest conjestion and has since birth so I'm hoping they will make him healthy for like the first time ever. Starting hyperbolic treatment on July 2nd and finally can order his vitamins. Can you guys find the vitamins anywhere cheaper than New Beginnings, just wondering? You know good ones that are glutten/caseine free, free of perservatives, and food colorings. I've researched and found vitamin defieciencies can be a cause of seizures, so I'm hoping getting him on them will stop the staring spells. Up to now I've mainly talked about helping him, and planned to help him. Boy, did our tax check come late. My husband made me so mad, borrowing my money to help my son right when I was ready to help him. He refinanced the house and needed the closing cost, sometimes I feel I'm the only one fighting for my son, fighting to get him truely well..

Autism on "Days of Our Lives": Is This a Good Thing? Your Opinion Requested! I think I watched two episodes of the soap opera Days of Our Lives back in the 1970's. I haven't seen the show since then. So I have no clue whether this press release from Autism Speaks (which is working with the show's writing staff) represents a breakthrough or a pitfall for the autism community. Here's what the release has to say: http://autism.about.com/b/2008/06/11/autism-on-days-of-our-lives-is-this-a-good-thing-your-opinion-requested.htm?nl=1 The growing autism crisis – which has recently drawn increasing national attention -- is addressed in a personal manner beginning in the June 24 episode of NBC's daytime drama “Days of our Lives” in an insightful story based on the experiences of the series' head writer, Dena Higley, who, with her husband has raised Commisioner Abe Caver, Dr. Lexie Carver and Theo an autistic child of their own. NBC joins with Autism Speaks, the nation's leading autism advocacy organization, to help convey a message of hope and useful information during the course of the storyline.

In October 2006, the organization “Autism Speaks” convened a group of pediatric gastroenterologists and autism specialists to review the available evidence relative to diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to propose future research initiatives. A goal of this meeting was to reach a consensus of this group on appropriate diagnostic evaluation and treatment of GI symptoms in children with ASD........Read more at: http://www.thoughtfulhouse.org/pr/jan07.htm

This past June 3rd, Tommy "aged out" or graduated from high school. Here in Texas autistic students can stay until age 22 in a vocational program set up to help prepare them for jobs when they reach 22. Tommy did well in this program, but will now go into a workshop provided by the state. There ha will receive further training. It's important to register your children with any state waiting lists to receive services for them...even if they are higher functioning than Tommy. Every little bit helps.

Products and Services Materials to teach children Our goal is to increase language and communication of skills of children who fall on the autistic spectrum or have development delays while showing them how much fun it is to do so. Our materials are created to be appealing and motivating to people with autism. Natural Learning Concepts understands there are many levels of communication. Materials that students relate to are created to achieve mastery in language and social skills. We will always aspire for greatness in those with autism. We make sure that our materials are top quality and equally enjoyed by educators as well as those on the autism spectrum. http://www.nlconcepts.com/

Kids Clear™ is a 100% pure pharmaceutical grade bentonite clay that has a very high cation exchange capacity (a 98-107 meq/100g on the CEC scale), which means it has a very high ionic surface charge when mixed with warm water. The Kids Clear™ Detoxifying Clay Baths not only draw out chemical toxins and pollutants from the body, it also assists in pulling out heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, copper and lead. http://www.evenbetternow.com/proddetail.php?prod=kidclear

Discovery Toys has sensational products that encourage multiple levels of learning for all children. For children with autism, the diversity and breadth of learning opportunities that our products offer provide you with great value and fabulous results. http://www.discoverytoysinc.com/autism_customer.html

WE ARE DONE!!!! This first year homeschooling Mom has never looked so forward to summer vacation this much ever! The boys did great!!! Grades are as follows! John- Spanish II- A American History- A Algebra II- B American Lit- B Chemistry- B Jamie- PE-A Spanish-A Literacy and Compositions-A Algebra-B World History-B Jamie did wonderful considering that this is his first year since 3rd grade to be out of the Special Ed setting and working at grade level!!!! and we are moving onto grade 11!!! John was a huge help to Jamie and me. Quite the little tutor I have here! If it wasn't for John setting the example and helping out with Algebra tutoring, we would not have the success with Jamie that we did! So a big kudos go to John!!!! I know we all worked our butts off and we are now going to take in some R&R next week! Gotta get house cleaned up tonight and tomorrow since finals took so much time with all the studying! I should be on here more in the coming days! Teresa

Hidden CDC Data Confirms Vaccine-Autism Link Press Release Contacts: For Immediate Release CoMeD President [Rev. Lisa K. Sykes (Richmond, VA) 804-364-8426] June 12, 2008 CoMeD Sci. Advisor [Dr. King (Lake Hiawatha, NJ) 973-263-4843] WASHINGTON, DC – A newly published study in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences,[1][1] the official journal of the Worl d Federation of Neurology,[2][2] links mercury from the Thimerosal in vaccines with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. This study represents six years worth of effort by independent researchers to gain access to hidden US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data in the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD). In 2003, the Government Reform Committee of the US House of Representatives asserted, “(a)ccess by independent researchers to the Vaccine Safety Datalink database is needed for independent replication and validation of CDC studies regarding exposure of infants to mercury-containing vaccines and autism.” Nonetheless, this new analysis of some of the data in the carefully guarded VSD database, documenting the mercury poisoning of a generation of American children, would never have been possible without the intervention of Congressional leaders, parent autism advocacy groups, and legal experts. Ironically, only a few independent researchers have gained even this limited level of restricted access to the VSD database, despite the fact that the VSD Project is funded by hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. The new study, led by Dr. Heather Young, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, examined the CDC-supplied medical vaccination records from the VSD of 278,624 children, born from 1990 through 1996. This study calculated the average mercury exposure children incurred from routine childhood Thimerosal-containing vaccines, by year of birth, during their first year of life. After calculating average mercury exposure by year of birth, the study then estimated the prevalence rates of various medical diagnoses for children born in each of the years examined. The prevalence rate of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders correlated with the average mercury exposure children received: increasing/decreasing levels of mercury exposure from routine childhood Thimerosal-containing vaccines resulted in corresponding trends in prevalence rates of these diagnoses. By contrast, medical outcomes presumed to be unrelated to mercury exposure did not correlate with the average levels of mercury exposure from routine childhood Thimerosal-containing vaccines. Depending upon the specific neurodevelopmental disorder examined (autism, autism spectrum disorder, tics, emotional disturbance, attention deficit disorder-hyperactivity disorder, and developmental/learning disorder), the observed overall risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders was significantly higher (about 2- to 6- fold) following an additional 100 micrograms of mercury exposure. For autism alone, the overall risk was about 2.5-fold higher following an additional 100 micrograms of mercury exposure. These results demonstrate that the suspicions of those serving on the Government Reform Committee were correct: “…(t)o date, studies conducted or funded by the CDC that purportedly dispute any correlation between autism and vaccine injury have been of poor design, under-powered, and fatally flawed. The CDC’s rush to support and promote such research is reflective of a philosophical conflict in looking fairly at emerging theories and clinical data related to adverse reactions from vaccinations.” To financially support further research conducted by independent investigators in the VSD, please use the PayPal link on CoMeD’s website, http://www.mercury-freedrugs.org, for your tax-deductible contributions. CoMeD, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(C)(3) corporation actively engaged in legal, educational and scientific efforts to stop all use of mercury in medicine, and to ban the use of all mercury-containing medicines. [1][1] Young HA, Geier DA, Geier MR. Thimerosal exposure in infants and neurodevelopmental disorders: An assessment of computerized medical records in the Vaccine Safety Datalink. J Neurol Sci. 2008 May 1 4. [Epub ahead of print] Article available at: http://www.pharmalot.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/thimerosal-vaccine-study.pdf [2][2] The World Federation of Neurology is a non-governmental organization associated with the World Health Organization (WHO).

I pulled Evan from K at the beginning of the year and have been doing bits of home schooling and have been tossing around the idea to continue. I was put in touch with a group of HS moms. I met a few of them the other day and after that I am on board completely. I am in a position to be at home right now an am going to begin HS for 1st grade in the fall. For me the pros out-way the cons right now. Evan's anxiety is just so high when it comes to the idea of "going" to school. I would love to here from others who HS, what seems to work for you.

SCIENTISTS ARE NOW LOOKING FOR THE EARLIEST SIGNS OF THE MYSTERIOUS DISORDER AS DESPERATE PARENTS HUNT FOR TREATMENTS THAT MAY IMPROVE THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES. Just found this article at Newsweek online, although it dates back to Feb 28, 2005. Here's the link for you parents who are new to the dx. of autism. Several research doctors & their studies from Yale, McMaster University (Toronto), Lovaas Institute, LA, Indiana University School of Medicine & more are mentioned. http://www.newsweek.com/id/48872

So we are at the beach on vacation. DH was slathering up J with sunscreen (btw, Aubrey Organics paraben free etc sunscreen!) and he doesn't like it-what 2 year old does regardless of a diagnosis, right? So J screams "WHAT"S HAPPENING ME??" Well DH and I started laughing and couldn't stop, #1 because it was hilarious and #2 J asked an ORIGINAL QUESTION!! He used his own syntax! We were so happy! And then J was even more upset because here he was in crisis and his parents were laughing uncontrollably. So I picked him up and saved the rest of the sunscreen application for later!

New Middle School upcoming 6th grade Aspie son to attend - principal I like so much is LEAVING Just found out. Crying and feel nauseated. 5TH grade was horrible, and was hoping for a better 6TH grade year. Feel defeated and somewhat betrayed. Glad for her she is mo ving to a new position in neighboring county..but yet was counting on her because she understood AS, and tolerated NO BULLYING on her campus. Now I don't know "what" kind of administrator we will get stuck with. 5TH grade Elementary principal was clueless, rude, and could care less about my son's emotional welfare. Just cannot handle a REPEAT of the nightmare we just finished 3 weeks ago !!!!

Has anyone ever heard of, or had any experiences with the Lindamood-Bell learning process?

Pass the word: Only 287 signatures needed to reach 27,000 Against TeenScreen! Click here: http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html Pass the word! http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/us/08conflict.html? ex=1213502400&en=23737184f344c4 ca&ei=5070&emc=eta1 New York Times Child Experts Fail to Reveal Full Drug Pay By Gardiner Harris and Benedict Carey June 8, 2008 A world-renowned Harvard child psychiatrist whose work has helped fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in children earned at least $1.6 million in consulting fees from drug makers from 2000 to 2007 but for years did not report much of this income to university officials, according to information given Congressional investigators. Senator Charles E. Grassley pushed three experts in child psychiatry at Harvard to expose their income from consulting fees. Dr. Joseph Biederman belatedly reported at least $1.6 million in consulting fees. By failing to report income, the psychiatrist, Dr. Joseph Biederman, and a colleague in the psychiatry department at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Timothy E. Wilens, may have violated federal and university research rules designed to police potential conflicts of interest, according to Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa. Some of their research is financed by government grants. Like Dr. Biederman, Dr. Wilens belatedly reported earning at least $1.6 million from 2000 to 2007, and another Harvard colleague, Dr. Thomas Spencer, reported earning at least $1 million after being pressed by Mr. Grassley's investigators. But even these amended disclosures may understate the researchers' outside income because some entries contradict payment information from drug makers, Mr. Grassley found. In one example, Dr. Biederman reported no income from Johnson & Johnson for 2001 in a disclosure report filed with the university. When asked recently to check again, he reported receiving $3,500. But Johnson & Johnson told Mr. Grassley that it paid him $58,169 in 2001, Mr. Grassley found. The Harvard group's consulting arrangements with drug makers were already controversial because of the researchers' advocacy of unapproved uses of psychiatric medicines in children. In an e-mailed statement, Dr. Biederman said, "My interests are solely in the advancement of medical treatment through rigorous and objective study," and he said he took conflict-of-interest policies "very seriously." Drs. Wilens and Spencer said in e-mailed statements that they thought they had complied with conflict-of- interest rules. John Burklow, a spokesman for the National Institutes of Health, said: "If there have been violations of N.I.H. policy — and if research integrity has been compromised — we will take all the appropriate action within our power to hold those responsible accountable. This would be completely unacceptable behavior, and N.I.H. will not tolerate it." The federal grants received by Drs. Biederman and Wilens were administered by Massachusetts General Hospital, which in 2005 won $287 million in such grants. The health institutes could place restrictions on the hospital's grants or even suspend them altogether. Alyssa Kneller, a Harvard spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement: "The information released by Senator Grassley suggests that, in certain instances, each doctor may have failed to disclose outside income from pharmaceutical companies and other entities that should have been disclosed." Ms. Kneller said the doctors had been referred to a university conflict committee for review. Mr. Grassley sent letters on Wednesday to Harvard and the health institutes outlining his investigators' findings, and he placed the letters along with his comments in The Congressional Record. Dr. Biederman is one of the most influential researchers in child psychiatry and is widely admired for focusing the field's attention on its most troubled young patients. Although many of his studies are small and often financed by drug makers, his work helped to fuel a controversial 40-fold increase from 1994 to 2003 in the diagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder, which is characterized by severe mood swings, and a rapid rise in the use of antipsychotic medicines in children. The Grassley investigation did not address research quality. Doctors have known for years that antipsychotic drugs, sometimes called major tranquilizers, can quickly subdue children. But youngsters appear to be especially susceptible to the weight gain and metabolic problems caused by the drugs, and it is far from clear that the medications improve children's lives over time, experts say. In the last 25 years, drug and device makers have displaced the federal government as the primary source of research financing, and industry support is vital to many university research programs. But as corporate research executives recruit the brightest scientists, their brethren in marketing departments have discovered that some of these same scientists can be terrific pitchmen. To protect research integrity, the National Institutes of Health require researchers to report to universities earnings of $10,000 or more per year, for instance, in consulting money from makers of drugs also studied by the researchers in federally financed trials. Universities manage financial conflicts by requiring that the money be disclosed to research subjects, among other measures. The health institutes last year awarded more than $23 billion in grants to more than 325,000 researchers at over 3,000 universities, and auditing the potential conflicts of each grantee would be impossible, health institutes officials have long insisted. So the government relies on universities. Universities ask professors to report their conflicts but do almost nothing to verify the accuracy of these voluntary disclosures. "It's really been an honor system thing," said Dr. Robert Alpern, dean of Yale School of Medicine. "If somebody tells us that a pharmaceutical company pays them $80,000 a year, I don't even know how to check on that." Some states have laws requiring drug makers to disclose payments made to doctors, and Mr. Grassley and others have sponsored legislation to create a national registry. Lawmakers have been concerned in recent years about the use of unapproved medications in children and the influence of industry money. Mr. Grassley asked Harvard for the three researchers' financial disclosure reports from 2000 through 2007 and asked some drug makers to list payments made to them. "Basically, these forms were a mess," Mr. Grassley said in comments he entered into The Congressional Record on Wednesday. "Over the last seven years, it looked like they had taken a couple hundred thousand dollars." Prompted by Mr. Grassley's interest, Harvard asked the researchers to re-examine their disclosure reports. In the new disclosures, the trio's outside consulting income jumped but was still contradicted by reports sent to Mr. Grassley from some of the companies. In some cases, the income seems to have put the researchers in violation of university and federal rules. In 2000, for instance, Dr. Biederman received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to study in children Strattera, an Eli Lilly drug for attention deficit disorder. Dr. Biederman reported to Harvard that he received less than $10,000 from Lilly that year, but the company told Mr. Grassley that it paid Dr. Biederman more than $14,000 in 2000, Mr. Grassley's letter stated. At the time, Harvard forbade professors from conducting clinical trials if they received payments over $10,000 from the company whose product was being studied, and federal rules required such conflicts to be managed. Mr. Grassley said these discrepancies demonstrated profound flaws in the oversight of researchers' financial conflicts and the need for a national registry. But the disclosures may also cloud the work of one of the most prominent group of child psychiatrists in the world. In the past decade, Dr. Biederman and his colleagues have promoted the aggressive diagnosis and drug treatment of childhood bipolar disorder, a mood problem once thought confined to adults. They have maintained that the disorder was underdiagnosed in children and could be treated with antipsychotic drugs, medications invented to treat schizophrenia. Other researchers have made similar assertions. As a result, pediatric bipolar diagnoses and antipsychotic drug use in children have soared. Some 500,000 children and teenagers were given at least one prescription for an antipsychotic in 2007, including 20,500 under 6 years of age, according to Medco Health Solutions, a pharmacy benefit manager. Few psychiatrists today doubt that bipolar disorder can strike in the early teenage years, or that many of the children being given the diagnosis are deeply distressed. "I consider Dr. Biederman a true visionary in recognizing this illness in children," said Susan Resko, director of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation, "and he's not only saved many lives but restored hope to thousands of families across the country." Longtime critics of the group see its influence differently. "They have given the Harvard imprimatur to this commercial experimentation on children," said Vera Sharav, president and founder of the Alliance for Human Research Protection, a patient advocacy group. Many researchers strongly disagree over what bipolar looks like in youngsters, and some now fear the definition has been expanded unnecessarily, due in part to the Harvard group. The group published the results of a string of drug trials from 2001 to 2006, but the studies were so small and loosely designed that they were largely inconclusive, experts say. In some studies testing antipsychotic drugs, the group defined improvement as a decline of 30 percent or more on a scale called the Young Mania Rating Scale — well below the 50 percent change that most researchers now use as the standard. Controlling for bias is especially important in such work, given that the scale is subjective, and raters often depend on reports from parents and children, several top psychiatrists said. More broadly, they said, revelations of undisclosed payments from drug makers to leading researchers are especially damaging for psychiatry. "The price we pay for these kinds of revelations is credibility, and we just can't afford to lose any more of that in this field," said Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, executive director of the Stanley Medical Research Institute, which finances psychiatric studies. "In the area of child psychiatry in particular, we know much less than we should, and we desperately need research that is not influenced by industry money."

Met a guy yesterday at the pool whose mom was told he would never walk or talk. He is a single parent raising a special need's son with a club foot and only two fingers on one hand. He told his son to help my Colton because my son was covering his ears at the intercom. Funny that he would have grown up to not only be functional but to raise a special need's child himself. Remember guys God knows more than man, man's diganosis is not always correct and we must not lose hope ever. "The wisdom of man is foolishness to God."

Went to a public pool today, Colton loved it, although he scares me because he loves the moment when his face hits the water, he gets carried away and I have to watch him because he just swallows way too much water and does'nt care until he throws up if you don't watch him. Today another child threw up and they called the pool closed. I walked up to the mom and she said she was upset because her child had thrown up. I told her we had done the same last summer and actually got kicked out of a pool for the rest of the day. As we left the pool Colton said; "He mad, they take his ocean."

So, we have loaded up the car and are headed to the beach for a week. Ok now, we have a Prius and listen to what my DH fit into it: a big box of food for DS (GFCF etc) A large cooler jogging stroller beach cart stair gate (we will be in a 2 floor condo) Large suitcase 4 various sized bags with beach supplies etc. hang up clothes boogie board I couldn't believe it when I saw it, but he did it! (And yes the three of us can fit too, lol) I am sooooo looking forward to this week!

Sometimes I am amazed at the info I get from this site. I love it. My mother was telling me that she had heard about Foggyrock on the local news. She does'nt have a computer, but the lady does'nt miss much. She recently just got to see her first great-grandchild. Like I said amazing.I want to drop a clue about Foggyrock on a local news program called "Free-for-all-Friday". Next week I will make Northeast Ohio aware of the wonderful people that make up foggyrock.

I have picked out Babydoll's Buttercup to keep. She stole my heart when she growled at me for trying to keep her in their box. I have apic posted on my page. I wish I could keep all of them, but I know that is waaay too many dogs. As it is she will make 3 dogs inside. My Honey, Al, has a beagle mix for rabbit hunting that he keeps outside. I can't wait until the other pups have good homes, then I can concentrate on training little Buttercup.

ADVOCACY A Day of Remembrance: Vaccine Injured March on Capitol Hill By Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center. www.nvic.org Barbara Fischkin, left, with Lujene Clark, a parent activist and founder of No Mercury, See Fischkin's commentary about the rally on the Huffington Post blog. tinyurl.com/4kot2l Photo by Christine Heeren of Lighthouse Studios. They came by the thousands from all over the America. On June 4, 2008, mothers and fathers with vaccine injured autistic children marched down the middle of Independence Avenue and rallied at the foot of the nation's Capitol. Some parents walked with, held or pushed their children in strollers while others, whose children were too severely brain injured to attend, carried signs and photos. They had come to witness, in one way or another, what had happened to their children after vaccination. The day broke hot and humid with a threat of torrential rains that would have drenched the marchers. But then, the skies cleared and the sun came out in time for the determined parents and their children to gather on the grounds of the Washington Monument and line up behind Hollywood celebrities Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy leading the march and the "Green Our Vaccines" rally that would follow. Although the primary message of the march was to call on government health agencies to "remove toxins" from vaccines and "adjust the vaccine schedule" by reducing the numbers of vaccines given to infants simultaneously, NVIC supporters carried signs declaring "No forced vaccination. Not in America." As NVIC co-founder Kathi Williams and I walked past the long line of families waiting to begin the march, we and our now-grown children held up the signs featuring the American flag and statue of liberty. All the way down the line, the families of vaccine injured children clapped and cheered the message of freedom we carried to honor and empower them as we passed. And while many at the front of the line marching down Independence Avenue chanted "Too many, too soon," those of us bringing up the back of the line chanted "Hey, hey, Ho, ho - forced vaccines have got to go!" with an African American father urging us to shout louder and louder as we approached the Department of Health and Human Services. "Let them hear you," he yelled. "Tell them what you want." I looked at my 30-year old son, who became multiply learning disabled after a neurological reaction to his fourth DPT shot in 1980 when he was two and a half, as he walked beside me resolutely holding up our sign and shouting in a deep voice "Forced vaccines have got to go." When he was eight years old, I remembered marching in Atlanta in front of the Centers for Disease Control in 1986 with Kathi and the young mothers of babies who had been brain injured or died after DPT vaccination in the 1980's. We were the first generation to march in protest against toxic vaccines and one-size-fits-all government vaccine policies justified by the utilitarian premise that it is ethical to throw a minority of children under the bus in service to others. The second generation, whose children were born in the 1990's and developed autism after vaccination, held a series of rallies on Capitol Hill sponsored by Unlocking Autism beginning in 2000 when Congressman Dan Burton initiated congressional hearings on the link between autism and vaccines. In the summer of 2005, parents protesting mercury in vaccines marched and rallied on Capitol Hill. Today, the third generation knows that vaccine damage is about more than mercury. It is also about too much vaccination: 48 doses of 14 vaccines given by age six and 69 doses of 16 vaccines federal health officials now say children must get by the time they graduate from high school. At the rally podium, Jim Carey delivered a remarkable address that was also a sweet love letter to his partner, Jenny McCarthy. He said "Autism is everywhere. It is on every street and in every town" and he asked the CDC "How stupid do you think we are?" Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and physicians such as Jay Gordon, M.D. and professor of chemistry Boyd Haley, Ph.D. called for removal of toxins from vaccines. Jenny McCarthy, who is the celebrity spokesperson for Talk About Curing Autism Now (TACA), held up the government's childhood vaccine schedule and said "Parents need to know it is called a recommended schedule, not a mandatory schedule." Unfortunately, that may not be true in many states in the future. Lobbyists for drug companies making vaccines, medical organizations representing doctors who give vaccines and government health officials are pressing state legislators in every state to pass legislation that would automatically turn CDC new vaccine "recommendations" into state mandatory vaccination laws. This kind of proposed legislation was beaten back in the California legislature by the education efforts of autism activist Rick Rollens last year. But right now, the New York State legislature is about to capitulate to the Forced Vaccination Lobby and force children in New York to use every vaccine the CDC "recommends" or face punishment, including loss of the right to get an education. A rally of families protesting the proposed legislation will be held in Albany, NY at the Capitol Building at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10. For more information, go to www.mykids mychoice.com I will never forget marching with parents and their vaccine injured children in Washington, D.C. on June 4, 2008. Just as I will never forget all the marches that have gone before during the past quarter century that parents have been asking those who operate and profit from the mass vaccination system to make vaccines and vaccine policies safer. Three decades of begging is long enough. Now it is time for all Americans - both those with vaccine injured children and those with healthy children - to Stand Up and Be Counted for the human right to make informed, voluntary decisions about vaccination. Our freedom and the biological integrity of this and future generations is on the line. Without the legal right to say "no" to vaccination, the people have no economic or political leverage to protect themselves and their children from toxic vaccines and dangerous vaccine policies. The next march on Capitol Hill talking about vaccines should be all about freedom. (To view wonderful photos of the rally, go to the blog Adventures in Autism). adventuresinautism.blogspot.com/ DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW SUBSCRIBE. . . ! . . . Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report. $35 for 1 year - or free! www.sarnet.org • • • Other Media Coverage Green Our Vaccine Rally CBS: Led by actors Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey, they're marching against the medical establishment that says there's no evidence vaccines cause autism, CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reports. "We want to send the message to the CDC and our federal government that vaccinations schedules are not one size fits all for all children and that each child is different," said concerned parent Michael Williamson. Their new battle cry: Spread out the vaccine schedule. "Thirty-six vaccines in the first few years of the life are too many too soon," Carrey said. By the time a child is two years old, the CDC recommends 14 different vaccines in as many as 28 doses. That may sound like a lot - but these shots have helped to wipe out diseases like smallpox, polio and measles, saving an estimated 33,000 lives a year, according to the CDC. Even so, some are asking: Why give so many vaccines over a relatively short period of time? Dr. Paul Offit helped invent one of those vaccines. "There is no advantage to spacing out, delaying or withholding vaccines," Offit said. "The only thing that will come of that kind of behavior will be allowing for a period of time to occur when children are at risk of vaccine preventable diseases." The activists are also worried about the preservatives used to keep vaccines sterile. Safety concerns about a mercury-based preservative called Thimerosol led to its removal from most childhood vaccines almost a decade ago. But since then autism rates have gone up, not down. Still, parents are asking lots of questions. "I would say that as a pediatrician I spend about 50 percent of my day talking about vaccines," said Pediatric Dr. Bruce Brovender. He insists his patients be vaccinated, but he's willing to compromise with parents - up to a point. Brovender warns them about the risks if they don't follow the schedule recommended by the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics. "They are 100 percent warned that by delaying or spacing them out they are not going to get the protection they need," Brovender said. "It's better to follow the academy's schedule, but it's better to get something than nothing." He says the marchers have forgotten the consequences of failing to vaccinate properly. "The child who didn't get the whooping cough vaccine and is now on a respirator and now may have permanent brain and lung damage," he said. • • • Washington Post: Marching for the Children You never truly know what's real with any Hollywood couple, but when Jim Carrey travels cross-country to support Jenny McCarthy-- well, the relationship looks like a keeper. They've been together for two years, so there might be one of those ugly breakups around the corner -- but right now they seem so happy that it's hard to be snarky. The two came to Washington yesterday asking for changes in vaccines that some have linked to autism. McCarthy has been an activist since her 6-year-old son, Evan, was diagnosed, and the stars led a march and rally for 8,000 parents at the Capitol wearing "Green Our Vaccines" T-shirts (she paired hers with black jeans and black Converse sneakers, he wore khakis), reports our colleague Marissa Newhall. "Today I am not the celebrity," McCarthy told the crowd. "Today I am a mom of a child who had autism, who has a voice that is willing to shake the ground of those responsible until all of our children are safe." Organizers want to reduce what they say are harmful toxins in children's vaccines. Autism has increased dramatically along with the number of mandatory vaccines over the past 25 years; activists want the feds to study both vaccine requirements and ingredients. Carrey skipped the jokes and went straight to the heartstrings. "My daughter Jane, Jenny and Evan are the greatest things that ever happened to me, and learning how to love them has made me a man. So dads, hang in there. You need these kids as much as these kids need you." Here are some links to media coverage regarding the event: tinyurl.com/6orl9d tinyurl.com/3ko5vh abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=4987758 tinyurl.com/3ko5vh www.people.com/people/article/0,,20204466,00.html www.ageofautism.com/

The Day I Finally Cried By Meg Hill I didn't cry when I learned I was the parent of a mentally handicapped child. I just sat still and didn't say anything while my husband and I were informed that two-year-old Kristi was - as we suspected - retarded. "Go ahead and cry," the doctor advised kindly. "Helps prevent serious emotional difficulties." Serious difficulties notwithstanding, I couldn't cry then nor during the months that followed. When Kristi was old enough to attend school, we enrolled her in our neighborhood school's kindergarten at age seven. It would have been comforting to cry the day I left her in that room full of self-assured, eager, alert five-year-olds. Kristi had spent hour upon hour playing by herself, but this moment, when she was the "different" child among twenty, was probably the loneliest she had ever known. However, positive things began to happen to Kristi in her school, and to her schoolmates, too. When boasting of their own accomplishments, Kristi's classmates always took pains to praise her as well: "Kristi got all her spelling words right today." No one bothered to add that her spelling list was easier than anyone else's. During Kristi's second year in school, she faced a very traumatic experience. The big public event of the term was a competition based on a culmination of the year's music and physical education activities. Kristi was way behind in both music and motor coordination. My husband and I dreaded the day as well. On the day of the program, Kristi pretended to be sick. Desperately I wanted to keep her home. Why let Kristi fail in a gymnasium filled with parents, students and teachers? What a simple solution it would be just to let my child stay home. Surely missing one program couldn't matter. But my conscience wouldn't let me off that easily. So I practically shoved a pale, reluctant Kristi onto the school bus and proceeded to be sick myself. Just as I had forced my daughter to go to school, now I forced myself to go to the program. It seemed that it would never be time for Kristi's group to perform. When at last they did, I knew why Kristi had been worried. Her class was divided into relay teams. With her limp and slow, clumsy reactions, she would surely hold up her team. The performance went surprisingly well, though, until it was time for the gunnysack race. Now each child had to climb into a sack from a standing position, hop to a goal line, return and climb out of the sack. I watched Kristi standing near the end of her line of players, looking frantic. But as Kristi's turn to participate neared, a change took place in her team. The tallest boy in the line stepped behind Kristi and placed his hands on her waist. Two other boys stood a little ahead of her. The moment the player in front of Kristi stepped from the sack, those two boys grabbed the sack and held it open while the tall boy lifted Kristi and dropped her neatly into it. A girl in front of Kristi took her hand and supported her briefly until Kristi gained her balance. Then off she hopped, smiling and proud. Amid the cheers of teachers, schoolmates and parents, I crept off by myself to thank God for the warm, understanding people in life who make it possible for my disabled daughter to be like her fellow human beings. Then I finally cried.

TEACH ME: DON'T LABEL ME By Barbara K. Given, Ph.D. I am not "disabled." I learn differently. I am not "handicapped." I take in and use information that is somewhat unique to me. Others may see me as handicapped when they insist on teaching me in ways through which I cannot learn or when they insist that I demonstrate my abilities in ways that are comfortable for them but not for me. It is not I who is out of step, inadequate, handicapped or disabled. It is the system. I don't want my teacher to be my pal, but I do want a model and a friend. I don't want my teacher to make life easy for me, but I do want a teacher filled with a convicton that what he or she teaches is important enough for me to learn and I do want a teacher who has enthusiasm that encourages me to keep working until I learn. I don't want to be the teacher's pet, but I do want to be treated as a person worthy of respect in spite of my learning style or because of it. I don't want a teacher who demands praise, but I do want a teacher who understands my respect even if I show it in an awkward and sometimes hostile way. I don't want a brain transplant, but I do want to learn as much as I am able. I don't want a label, but I do want an appropriate education. I don't want to be called "learning disabled", but I do want to learn. Teach me. Don't label me.

Does anyone know a lawyer that we could call and get a case going for autism against the government?

I was watching yesterday's ABC interview with Jenny and Jim online, discussing the rally. At one point they were talking about Evan's recovery. A statement was made "many people" are now saying Evan was never autistic to begin with. (BTW, the comment was in the background, not heard by Jenny.) Who are these so called "people" who are saying this? Did they know Evan then? Do they know him now? Are they privy to information that the numerous specialists that confirmed his diagnosis are somehow incompetent? Of course not. It is just ridiculous. Would they make the same statement about another illness? "Oh, your child was cured from cancer? Oh well then that is impossible, he must have never had cancer in the first place" "Oh, I see the cast is off and the arm is just like new-he must have never broken it in the first place!" If I hear it one more time I will hurl. Wait I am hurling now. And where does ABC come off making the comment as narration in the background without giving Jenny a chance to respond to it? I am just disgusted so forgive my rant. It is just that I have worked with these kids for a long time and have seen recovery. I have seen children who started off unresponsive, head banging, aggressive, non verbal, putting blocks on a chair and knocking them off for hours on end when they were 2, GO TO COLLEGE THIS YEAR! But then again they were never autistic to begin with. Yeah. Right. Sigh......

I was watching yesterday's ABC interview with Jenny and Jim online, discussing the rally. At one point they were talking about Evan's recovery. A statement was made "many people" are now saying Evan was never autistic to begin with. (BTW, the comment was in the background, not heard by Jenny.) Who are these so called "people" who are saying this? Did they know Evan then? Do they know him now? Are they privy to information that the numerous specialists that confirmed his diagnosis are somehow incompetent? Of course not. It is just ridiculous. Would they make the same statement about another illness? "Oh, your child was cured from cancer? Oh well then that is impossible, he must have never had cancer in the first place" "Oh, I see the cast is off and the arm is just like new-he must have never broken it in the first place!" If I hear it one more time I will hurl. Wait I am hurling now. And where does ABC come off making the comment as narration in the background without giving Jenny a chance to respond to it? I am just disgusted so forgive my rant. It is just that I have worked with these kids for a long time and have seen recovery. I have seen children who started off unresponsive, head banging, aggressive, non verbal, putting blocks on a chair and knocking them off for hours on end when they were 2, GO TO COLLEGE THIS YEAR! But they were never autistic????? That is a slap in the face to parents and educators who dedicate their lives to making sure that these children have every chance to lead happy, fulfilled lives. That is what recovery is to me. I want my son to be happy and be able to pursue what HE wants out of life. I want him to feel physically well. Just before my son turned 2 he was tortured by constipation, couldn't call for me when he needed help, and had retreated into a world where rubbing toys cars over his chest and watching them fly over his shoulder was his favorite form of play. Now 8 months into ABA and Biomed we had the following conversation this AM: "Mommy come get me!" (from bed) "Good morning baby!" "Good morning Mommy, I wanna go downstairs and watch a show" "Does Po want to go too?" (his teletubbie was in the crib" "No, Po's still sleep. WAKE UP PO!.... Mommy I poopie" And sure enough there was a perfectly formed poop out of my boy who can now call me, have a conversation and pretend play with his tubbies. But then again, he was never autistic to begin with. Sigh.

I can't remember if I saw it here on foggyrock or somewhere else. Was there ever an article regarding NH cutting funding for autism to fund the aide of helping people to stop smoking. If anyone remembers please let me know. My memory is gone and I have been looking through old e-mails and can't find anything. HELP

How do you get your spouse or others to understand the difference between you'r child not listening in the regular child way, or a behavior due to Autism or what ever disability.Now mind you my husband has know about my son's Autism since day one. He was the one that came home and broke the news to me. But I am the one that does all of the reading, research, talking to parent and watching all of the movements of Autism. Oh I try to explain to him every new thing I discover. It's not like he isnt interested its just all of it gets left up to me, maybe its his way of still dealing oh heck I dont know. Eric has this issue with tags any kind of tags he hates when they touch his skin and will pull them out of what every he is wearing. I have told other's in this house of this and at times I will forget to pull them off myself. Now Erica and I have these NBA slippers and I let Eric wear mine not realizing the the tag on the back or thinking it would be and issue he wound up tearing them up by taking off the tags. Was I angry yes but I then had to realize it not a thing he does on purpose so I tried to explain to him that he cant do that. Now last night Erica let him use her slippers after he had a shower I go into the room sigh the same thing I told hubby he hit the roof, I left and went and told Erica she was not upset she made light of it, but I could hear hubby yelling, he was asking Eric why he did it, he said it was and accident, Hubby said one maybe but not two, he asked him why he did it Eric said I dont know. I tried to explain to him the sensory issue with tags, he stated I know all about that, so I said look far be from me to tell you what to do, but its a big differene of his being a kid and not obeying what you say, and him doing what he does do to how he is meaning Autistic. I am not making any excuses but its nothing we nor he has control of. .

Ten Things Children With Autism Wish You Knew I don't usually reproduce large portions of news stories or other blog posts when I reference them, but this one I just had to. I got this from South Florida Parenting magazine via Google News. Here are 10 things every child with autism wishes you knew. [Added emphasis is mine.] 1. I am a child with autism. I am not "autistic." My autism is one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person. Are you a person with thoughts, feelings and many talents, or are you just fat (overweight), myopic (wear glasses) or klutzy (uncoordinated, not good at sports)? 2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. This means the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday life that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to you, but I am really just trying to defend myself. A "simple" trip to the grocery store may be hell for me. My hearing may be hyperacute. Dozens of people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today's special. Muzak whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough. A coffee grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak, the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can't filter all the input, and I'm in overload! My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat counter isn't quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn't showered today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us has a poopy diaper, they're mopping up pickles on Aisle 3 with ammonia. ... I can't sort it all out, I'm too nauseous. Because I am visually oriented, this may be my first sense to become overstimulated. The fluorescent light is too bright. It makes the room pulsate and hurts my eyes. Sometimes the pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what I am seeing. The space seems to be constantly changing. There's glare from windows, moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion, too many items for me to be able to focus - and I may compensate with tunnel vision. All this affects my vestibular sense, and now I can't even tell where my body is in space. I may stumble, bump into things, or simply lay down to try and regroup. 3. Please remember to distinguish between won't (I choose not to) and can't (I'm not able to). Receptive and expressive language are both difficult for me. It isn't that I don't listen to instructions. It's that I can't understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: "*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%^*&^%$&*" Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: "Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It's time to go to lunch." This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next. Now it's much easier for me to comply. 4. I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally. It's very confusing for me when you say, "Hold your horses, cowboy!" when what you really mean is "Please stop running." Don't tell me something is a "piece of cake" when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is, "This will be easy for you to do." When you say, "It's pouring cats and dogs," I see pets coming out of a pitcher. Please just tell me, "It's raining very hard." Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres and sarcasm are lost on me. 5. Be patient with my limited vocabulary. It's hard for me to tell you what I need when I don't know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused, but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation, or other signs that something is wrong. There's a flip side to this: I may sound like a little professor or a movie star, rattling off words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language deficits, because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may come from books, television or the speech of other people. It's called echolalia. I don't necessarily understand the context or the terminology I'm using, I just know it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply. 6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of patient repetition helps me learn. A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day planner, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transitions between activities, and helps me manage my time and meet your expectations. 7. Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can't do. Like any other human, I can't learn in an environment where I'm constantly made to feel that I'm not good enough or that I need fixing. Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however constructive, becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you'll find them. There's more than one right way to do most things. 8. Help me with social interactions. It may look like I don't want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it's just that I simply don't know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or shooting baskets, I may be delighted to be included. 9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. This is termed "the antecedent." Meltdowns, blowups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented. 10. If you are a family member, please LOVE ME UNCONDITIONALLY. Banish thoughts such as, "If he would just ..." and "Why can't she ... ?" You didn't fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you, and you wouldn't like being constantly reminded of it. I didn't choose to have autism. Remember that it's happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you I'm worth it. It all comes down to three words: Patience. Patience. Patience. Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the GIFTS autism has given me. I may not be good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed I don't lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates, or pass judgment on other people? You are my foundation. Think through some of those societal rules, and if they don't make sense for me, let them go. Be my advocate, be my friend, and we'll see just how far I can go. I probably won't be the next Michael Jordan, but with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh. They had autism too.

Sorry it has been so long since I logged in but as usual life has been going at a breakneck speed. I hope to be able to visit here more often now that I am finally back home but I start study next week so I will be at the computer more!

I am not sure if I can do this correctly but here is a site that a grandfather has designed a web application for his grandson and was giving it away for free. Here is the link, I hope I do it right. http://apnews.myway.com//article/20080603/d9120c100.html

A Florida mother kept her 17-year-old adopted son in a cage in her home and starved him. She was sentenced to 20 years in jail for it, the Associated Press reported. The sentence in the case of Brenda Sullivan, 51, was given on Thursday. She pleaded guilty in January to three counts of aggravated child abuse in an agreement after which prosecutors dropped other charges such as child neglecting.......... Read more at: http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Mother_Who_Caged_Teen_Son_Gets_20_Years_in_Prison_17955.html

I'm Travelling to Walt Disney World this July and wondered if there are any hints or tips that anyone can help with? Oscar has a PDD-NOS so is not impossible to deal with although any tips would be helpful. As a small six nearly seven year old I Know there will be hieght issues, but is there anything else I should look out for?

The Great Autism Rip-Off How a Huge Industry Feeds On Parents Desperate To Cure Their Children By Barney Calman in the Daily Mail, UK. tinyurl.com/5k2k3z There is little hope given to parents of children with autism. Mainstream medicine offers no explanation for the cause of this life-long learning disability, thought to affect one in 100, and there are no effective treatments. Perhaps the most cruel characteristic of the condition, which impairs communication development and ability to relate to others, is that children often develop normally until about two years of age, when they suddenly 'regress', becoming mute, withdrawn, refusing to make eye contact and prone to tantrums. Many never take part in mainstream education and some require full-time care, even as adults. In the absence of solutions, desperate parents are increasingly turning to the world of alternative medicine in their search for a cure. In this burgeoning market, private doctors and clinics have sprung up across the UK claiming they can treat or even 'reverse' the disorder. Recent research published in the Journal of Developmental And Behavioural Paediatrics found that a third of parents of autistic children have tried unproven 'alternative' treatments. Worryingly, the study claims one in ten has used what the experts class as 'a potentially harmful approach'. The Blackpool-based mother of seven, five of whom suffer from ASD, knows all too well the powerful allure of the promised 'cure'. After the Jackson family - including Matthew, 24, Rachel, 22, Sarah, 20, Luke, 19, Anna, 18, Joe, 15, and Ben, 11 - appeared in the 2003 BBC documentary My Family And Autism - dramatised in the film Magnificent 7, in which actress Helena Bonham Carter played a character based on Jacqui - they were inundated with calls from alternative practitioners. 'You are so desperate in the early stages, you'll try anything,' says Jacqui. 'I bought enzymes and supplements from America, which cost a fortune. I even paid thousands for a special mattress, blankets and pillows with magnets sewn into them that the sales people promised would do wonders but, of course, didn't work. 'Autism is seen by some people as big business. 'I meet parents who want a cure and spend money in the hope they'll have a normal child. I try to warn them that there is no evidence any of these things work, but they'll often go ahead.' Jacqui Jackson and autistic sons Jacqui with her four sons who all suffer from autism - from left, Matthew, Luke, Ben and Joe To investigate Jacqui's claims and to discover exactly what is being offered to parents, I visited five practitioners of 'biomedical' autism therapies posing as a parent of a three-year-old boy diagnosed with ASD. In each case my story - a 'typical' case of an autistic child, developed with the help of medical experts - was the same: My 'son' Archie was born on September 15, 2004, after an uncomplicated pregnancy and birth. He had all the usual baby vaccines, including the MMR at 14 months, and developed normally until around 18 months old when he became withdrawn and stopped speaking, refusing to make eye contact. Our GP referred us to a specialist who diagnosed him with ASD. I claimed to be seeking help from more 'forward-thinking' doctors. During my investigation, I was recommended expensive tests, vitamin supplements and special diets, ointments, suppositories and injections to 'flush out toxic heavy metals', bizarre-sounding high-pressure oxygen chambers and intravenous infusions of hormones - and told in each case that they could bring about a complete recovery from autism. Yet medical experts say there is no evidence to support their claims, and in fact many of the treatments I was offered were potentially harmful, and even possibly fatal. The experience left me disturbed at the lack of regulation surrounding these practices. The cost of some treatment programmes ran into thousands. Yet some clinics claimed to have six-month waiting lists. This week, new legislation aimed at protecting consumers from 'rogue traders' came into force, prohibiting businesses from making 'false claims' that a product is able to cure illness. Although the practitioners stopped short of saying they could 'cure' autism, each described to me instances of young patients who had been transformed by their treatments and were able to lead totally normal lives and participate fully in mainstream education. The doctors I visited are all linked to the highly controversial US-based Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) group - a collection of fringe academics and doctors. + Read more: tinyurl.com/5k2k3z

News Release Contacts: For immediate release Wendy Fournier (Portsmouth, RI) 401-835-5828 6/2/08 Rita Shreffler (Nixa, MO) 401-632-6452 Vaccine-Injury Advocates Gathering in Washington for June 4 Rally Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey to hold largest ever rally on vaccine-autism link Washington, DC – The National Autism Association (NAA) will join nearly forty other advocacy organizations in the June 4 “Green Our Vaccines” rally planned by Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey to draw attention to the vaccine-autism link. Organized by Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), Generation Rescue, HEAL and Moms Against Mercury, the rally is generating enthusiasm among parents and caregivers who have long believed that their children’s autism symptoms were triggered by exposure to toxic vaccine components. “It’s time for our nation’s health agencies to put our children first and get toxins out of vaccines,” said NAA vice-president Ann Brasher, grandparent of a vaccine-injured child diagnosed with autism. “Known poisons such as mercury and aluminum should never be injected into humans, especially infants and young children. The needlessly aggressive vaccine schedule plus toxic vaccine ingredients have wreaked havoc on the health of an entire generation.” The rise in autism and related diagnoses over the past 20 years is alarming, with one in 150 children now diagnosed with autism. Additionally, one in six children has a learning or behavior disorder. A growing number of parents and medical professionals believe increased exposure to toxic vaccines and the rise in children’s health issues are not coincidental. Following the rally, thousands of parents will visit with their legislators to relay their personal stories of vaccine-injury and ask that legislation be supported on behalf of their vaccine-injured children. NAA encourages its members and chapter leaders to ask for support for several specific pieces of legislation including: * The Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2007, HR 2832 * The Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2007, HR 881 * The Vaccine Safety and Public Confidence Assurance Act of 2007, HR 1973 “This is a unique opportunity for parents to impact the direction of legislation that will make a difference in the lives of so many children that were injured simply because they followed the vaccine schedule,” commented Ms. Brasher. “We are their voice, and we’re not going away until their injuries are recognized and appropriately addressed by our government and the medical community.” For more information on autism, visit www.nationalautism.org.

Two men are walking their way across the country to raise awareness for autism. Bobby Genese and his friend Robert Williams started their journey at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. On Friday they were in Carson City. The two men are walking coast to coast in memory of their friend's son, Elias Tembenis, who died from complications related to the disorder. They are hoping to raise money and awareness to this growing epidemic. http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8402760

On Wednesday I go in to school for an IEP revision meeting. For once, we are talking about positive changes and not further restrictions based on new-found challenges (Ian is in 1st grade). We have decided to reduce his aide time from 7 to 4 hours each day, which basically gives him academic-only assistance. No more aide for recess, lunch, art, music, gym, etc. I think it was hindering his social development, but I'm still a bit worried Ian won't follow directions consistently. He has started to watch what the other kids are doing to help him figure out what HE is supposed to be doing. Our other change is putting Ian on the regular bus instead of the Special Needs bus. It is time, but I AM SCARED! What if he gets off at the wrong stop? What if kids tease him? What if he listens to all the talk on the bus and develops some undesirable language? What if he is lonely? AUGH! The need for these revisions means Ian is getting better. I question if we are jumping the gun, but there comes a time you have to let him sink or swim, so to speak. We'll never know how he'll do until we let him try it. I just don't want him to struggle, but I know that is just unavoidable. He's a good kid.

Thank you all for the love and care shown to John during this new regression. It has hit us hard..but we are seeing some positives in him. He can understand what we are saying and was able to point once today to a word ( that's how we talk, he points to words) We are playing with a few supplments and looking to see he is has a viral issue that we missed. He still is confused in gross motor request..but is carrying around a ball...so I know somewhere in there...he wants to go play. Thanks again for you blanket of prayers and putting us first when you all have your plates as full as we do. Nothing helps more than knowing you are not alone. Blessings~ Cheryl and John

While Autism Attracts Research Money, Other Diseases Struggle for Funding Some are calling autism the "disease du jour," and its fundraising coffers have the dollars to prove it. The Autism Society of America has seen its budget grow to $20 million, and a new advocacy group -- Autism Speaks -- raised more than $33 million in its first year of operation in 2006. It expects to raise that to $50 million this year. The 1,000 biggest U.S. private foundations nearly doubled their autism-related giving to $2.7 million between 1998 and 2005, the New York-based Foundation Center reports. Long ignored by the medical community, the spectrum of neurological disorders known as autism is now the cause celebre in fundraising, commanding the attention of parents, pediatricians and star-studded spokespeople. Just this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released two new reports to help pediatricians recognize and treat autism, recommending that screening take place at both 12 months and 18 months. Experts cite the strength of parent lobby groups and new government diagnostics that have put the disorder at the forefront of pediatric medicine. But other champions of childhood diseases wonder if their causes have been overshadowed by autism's success story. "The reality is every disease organizes and lobbies for its own cause," said Lisa Yue, who founded the New Jersey-based Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation, after two of her infant sons died of the little-known disease. Well-Connected Fundraisers "Why they are so successful in getting publicity is that they are very well-connected," said Yue. "Because of that, they are able to get more families involved and give more voice to the disease." Celebrities have helped raise awareness for autism in the same way that actor Michael J. Fox did for Parkinson's disease. At a fundraiser in New York City this year Toni Braxton, Matthew Broderick and Bill Cosby helped raise $1.45 million for autism research. Former NBC Universal chairman Bob Wright and his wife, Suzanne, called on celebrity friends like Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Simon after founding Autism Speaks in 2005. After his grandson was diagnosed with the disorder, Wright used his business expertise and star connections to bring added urgency to autism research. Yue's own passion -- finding a better diagnostic techniques and cure for pediatric cardiomyopathy -- has struggled to get the kind of attention autism has received. The disease, which enlarges the muscle of the heart, has been most frequently associated with the sudden death of athletes. Cardiomyopathy affects only one in 100,000 children, and the foundation has struggled to find celebrity support. Yue wrote to Ashton Kutcher, whose brother had the disease, but never got a response. It's harder when it's a rare disease," she said. "The pot is only so big and it takes away from other diseases and the potential for more cures." Autism strikes far more children -- one in 150 in the general population and one in 94 in boys, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only mental retardation and learning disabilities take a greater toll on children's health. Autism advocates, while well-intentioned, cull more research dollars. "I won't say it takes away from other disorders, but [they] somehow influence Congress and have a better opportunity to see that their interests are funded," said Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, pediatrician and epidemiologist for the CDC. Epilepsy Efforts While autism is getting all the attention these days, pediatricians say another serious neurological disorder has a lower publicity profile but occurs in similar frequencies among children -- epilepsy and seizures. The Epilepsy Foundation does not pull out statistics for older children and young adults, but report that about one-half of 1 percent of children are diagnosed under the age of 15. Autism statistics -- which include young adults with Asperger's syndrome -- show less than 1 percent of all children have the disorder. Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder in the United States after Alzheimer's disease and stroke and is equal in prevalence to cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease combined. Like autism, its diagnosis can be elusive -- unless a child has a seizure right in the doctor's office -- and the risk of sudden death is 24 times higher than in the general population. An estimated 25,000 to 50,000 will die this year of seizures and related causes. The foundation raises $80 million a year, and increased autism campaigns have not undermined its fundraising efforts, according to Eric Hargis, president and CEO. Autism advocacy "helps raise awareness of issues around health and that helps all of us," said Hargis. "Our mission is to encourage people with epilepsy to speak out and let their friends and high-profile colleagues know to do likewise." Hargis said his foundation has learned a lot from the autism groups. "When celebrities are involved, they make a huge difference." Greg Grunberg as Spokesman The foundation has recently found its own celebrity spokesman -- Greg Grunberg of the television shows "Alias" and "Heroes." His son Jake was diagnosed with pediatric epilepsy in 2003 after Grunberg and his wife, Elizabeth, noticed his peculiar staring spells. Grunberg enlisted the support of Hollywood friends Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman to donate original finger paintings to be auctioned off for epilepsy research. "If you're talking about other neurological organizations like autism, we see ourselves as colleagues and partners," said Hargis. "Yes, we are out there to get out our message, but not to battle it out for public consciousness." But other groups say medical charities are in fact battling it out of research dollars at the National Institutes of Health. "When these resources are expanding, there has been room for most of the participants in the process to feel that they are winning," according to an August article in Nature magazine. "Now that the budget of the largest research agency in the world is effectively frozen, there are likely to be more losers." "We are lacking vision and leadership that leads us on a scientific basis," said Sharon Terry, president and CEO of the Genetic Alliance, which supports genetic advocacy. "We don't have somebody sitting down and saying not just my disease, but this disease makes the most sense." What the nation needs, said Terry, is a coordinated and cohesive system of allocating research money. "It's easier in a way as a nation to grab on to celebrities and stories," said Terry, "than to understand how science solves diseases for a nation." One comment in paticualr made me sick We'd rather hear more about Britney. Please stop with these unimportant stories about causes of autism. I mean, really, who gives a damn about such an insignificant subject So sigh I had to reply it's in my nature We'd rather hear more about Britney. Please stop with these unimportant stories about causes of autism. I mean, really, who gives a damn about such an insignificant subject Aheadofcrowd Are you serious I cant beleive then again yes I can you hav what we all call FOTUK (FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN) Nobody knows where Autism came from, but all I know it came into our lives back in 1999 and stole our son and and left hubby and our three othere kids all girls wondering what happened. How it took my son's speech away, his ability to function as a normal child so it left us with Occupational and Physical and Speech Bills. It left us with IEP meetings, teachers that didnt care or were to stressout and overwhelmed to help our chldren. It left us with Schools Disticts that didnt have the proper tools to help our kids, it left us with people like you that talk down on us when you see our kids trying to function in this world and watch how people like you think we let our kids act this way because they are spoiled and we have no control.Come spend a day with moms like us when our kids go through regession periods, meltdowns, seizures, being bullied at school because they are different. Having to fight with inurance companies that wont cover what our kids needs for Autism is know as a pre excisting condition, having to put them on special diets for their digestion systems are so delicate oh my God how the list goes on.There is no cure for Autism, it is not a disease, it not a cold. I applaud all of the mommes and daddies. spokes people ect that have finally put Autism on the map so to speak. And no the othere "Disease's" have not been forgotten

You know you have a child with special needs when... You compare ER's instead of grocery stores. You compare your child's oxygen saturations. You view toys as "therapy". You don't take a new day for granted. You teach your child HOW to pull things out of the cupboard, off the bookcases, and that feeding the dog from the table is fun. The clothes your infant wore last fall still fit her this fall. Everything is an educational opportunity instead of just having plain old fun. You cheer instead of scold when they blow bubbles in their juice while sitting at the dinner table (that's speech therapy), smear ketchup all over their high chair (that's OT), or throw their toys (that's PT). You also don't mind if your child goes through the house tooting a tin whistle. You fired at least 3 pediatricians and can teach your family doctor a thing or two. You can name at least 3 genes on chromosome 21. (You really know your toast if you can spell the full names correctly) You have been told you are "in denial" by at least 3 medical or therapy professionals. This makes you laugh! You have that incredible sinking feeling that you've forgotten SOMETHING on those few days that you don't have some sort of appointment somewhere! You get irritated when friends with healthy kids complain about ONE sleepless night when they're child is ill! Your vocabulary consists of all the letters OT, PT, SP, ASD, VSD, IFSP, etc. You keep your appointment with the specialist even though a tropical storm is raging because you just want to get this one over with.....you waited 8 months to get it.....and besides, no one else will be there! Fighting and wrestling with siblings is considered PT. Speech therapy occurs in the tub with a sibling. When potty training is complete, you take out a full page public notice in the Washington Post. When the Doctors/Specialist/Hospitals etc. all know you by your name without referring to your chart. You keep a daily growth chart. You calculate monthly statistics for the number of times your child vomits, and did this for more then one year. You phone all your friends when your child sits up for the first time, at age two. With a big smile on your face you tell a stranger that your four year old just started walking last week. Her medical file is several inches thick and growing. You have a new belief.....that angels live with us on earth.

Hello everyone. A colleague of mine just TODAY released a wonderful little children's picture book that was primarily created for kids with autism to read. Having two of her four kids diagnosed on the autism spectrum, Kate Jones, illustrated this adorable book titled HOWARD THE FISH. Her partner, Julie Shore, wrote the text and it follows Howard, a goldfish, as he bubbles around happily in his own little...fishbowl. Some of the activities Howard enjoys could be easily seen in some of the kids with autism (giving them a fun character in which to identify)...like being in their own little world at times, darting here and there, enjoying certain sensory issues, swimming in circles and enjoying the sparkling water sensations. Life is happy in Howard's little fishbowl...until one day, he sees a face peering in. What will he do? I don't want to give away the story, but you can see the adorable bubbly Howard character at www.JuKabooks.com. The illustrations are so fun and vivid that you may be tempted to remove them and frame them on the wall. Julie and Kate created JuKa Books after they went to the local large chain bookstore and noticed that there were absolutely no books written specifically for kids with autism to enjoy and identify with. This book would also be thoroughly enjoyed by any child, but having this special connection to autism, makes it even more special for the kids on the spectrum. The website even has a "cool stuff" section which has a sensory & fine motor craft project, coloring sheets, discussion questions and an autism checklist. They also created a YouTube to explain their background and why they created Howard and why they created JuKa Books - Special Books for Special Needs. A portion of their proceeds also goes toward National Autism Association and Helping Hands. http://www.jukabooks.com/ (can find YouTube there too) I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Did Your Doctor Tell You There Was, “Nothing You Could Do” To Help Your Child With Autism? That Simply Isn't True. I am among a group of physicians and other health care providers who understand that for many children with autism there are true underlying medical conditions at the root of their problems. Autism is not just a brain (neurodevelopmental) disorder, but rather a multi-system disorder, involving the immune, digestive, hormone, biochemical and detoxification systems in the body. The imbalance in these systems has profound effect their brain. When you treat a child’s underlying medical problems their autism symptoms may either disappear or get better. For the past 10 years, I have treated hundreds of children in my private practice. Following my biomedical treatment program, many parents of these children have seen great success and have, “brought their children back” from autism. Others have seen their children improve in their health, behavior and quality of life – which ultimately translates into a happier and healthier family. http://www.autismactionplan.com/

This DH Lawrence poem is haunting: LAST night a thief came to me And struck at me with something dark. I cried, but no one could hear me, I lay dumb and stark. When I awoke this morning I could find no trace; Perhaps 'twas a dream of warning, For I have lost my peace. This poem was part of a video I watched several years ago when I first began searching for answers to my son's regressive Autism. It still makes me cry. I want to thank each and every person out there who has dedicated their lives to helping my child recover. Drs. Rimland, Wakefield, Usman, Brown, James, Cutler, McCandless, Buie... the list is too long. *Here's to recovering our Peace.*

This paper adapted from a conference presentation, describes various lesions found in the gastrointestinal tracts of children with autism spectrum disorders. http://thoughtfulhouse.org/akrigsman_11-2007.pdf

Thoughtful House Annual-Report-2007 http://thoughtfulhouse.org/annual-report-2007.pdf

Letter from Dr. Wakefield, Thoughtful House Library, Read more here, http://thoughtfulhouse.org/newsletters/04-2008.pdf