Natural Cellular Defense with active Liquid Zeolite is a non-toxic mineral proven to remove heavy metals, balance pH and it may even prevent and/or cure ... http://www.sharethecause.info/

The School District Must Find an Appropriate Program for Your Child or Create One. Once your child qualifies for special education, the process becomes a lot more complicated. There are many different possible educational programs that can be provided to a child with autism. You need to become knowledgeable about what placement and services are the most appropriate for your child. Although the school will make recommendations, and those recommendations may be appropriate for your child, you need to determine on your own whether the program is truly appropriate. The school's recommendations can be heavily influenced by cost, personnel or other factors that legally should not be a factor in placing your child into an appropriate program under the IDEA...... http://www.aboutautismlaw.com/full_article.html#2

Many times, parents do not intend to sign the papers at the IEP meeting, but everything looks acceptable and they sign. Then, that night, they see something in the papers that they wish that they had not agreed. If this happens to you, immediately write a letter to the school "rescinding" your agreement as to that particular item. Waiting for a day before signing an IEP will also give you an opportunity to draft a "Parent Attachment" if you need one. A Parent Attachment is a paper that sets forth your position, what you want, what you disagree with, and anything else that would be appropriate....... http://www.aboutautismlaw.com/full_article.html#4

A Few Sample Goals and Objectives from Dave Sherman's Book Autism: Asserting Your Child's Rights to a Special Education coming out Fall of 2006. Sample Goal no. 1 Receptive Language Present Level of Performance:Billy, a 4 year old, knows only around 40 words. Most of the words are nouns. Billy, only knows 5 verbs - go, come, stop, run, and walk. He knows only 2 adjectives - big and little. The remaining words that Billy understands are nouns such as Daddy, Mommy, dog, bed, etc. Annual Goal and Objective: Billy will expend his vocabulary and learn new nouns, verbs and adjectives and will learn to join words. By the end of the school year, Billy will increase his vocabulary to 300 words and will be able to understand two words in sequence such as big dog, blue chair, go car, boy jump. Billy will be tested using pictures and will respond correctly 8 out of 10 times....... http://www.aboutautismlaw.com/goals_objectives_autism.html

Can sensory things change...???....Silas used to eat pureed soup, for lunch and dinner and NEVER complained...and now he gags on it...ever since he was sick a few weeks ago...he will take one bit and gag and say i youk i youk...and wont eat it....his food preferences are fastly diminishing.....:(....he is seeming to be ONLY wanting dry and crunchy all of a sudden when he was sick his throat was VERY sore..do you think he is afraid to swallow because it hurt so bad????..... also i have noticed over the past few days he has started something new, he is CONSTANTLY chewing on the inside of his lips/cheeks and tounge..does anyone know why he might be starting this....or does any of your kids do it?... see pictures..:) http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u231/dana6_photo/?action=view¤t=Picture388-1.jpg http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u231/dana6_photo/?action=view¤t=Picture395.jpg

Today was an awards ceremony at school. A time when kids can stand out in their academics as well as life.... Our kids stood out two-fold! Nate was awarded a National Award. He was awarded The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Bronze ROTC Medal. He also won awards for outstanding academic honors in both Algebra and Calculus! Brian was awarded outstanding academic honors in Social Studies, English and Science! If you can imagine my pride as I'm sitting there laughing and crying because in the beginning I was told Brian should be institutionalized and Nate would be lucky to make it in High School. And now here they are taking the words "can't, won't, never and no hope" and trampling on them at every turn. Could I have believed them? Yes, I could have but I wouldn't accept their limitations and instead told my children they could be limitless in their abilities...and now today they proved that the human spirit perseveres far and above what others deem possible!!!

I found this to be very interestering and hope parent can get some use out of this Autism Waiver: Fact Sheet The Autism Waiver is designed for adults 21 years and older living in Pennsylvania. Priority is given to those who are not currently receiving ongoing state funded or state and federally funded long-term care services. Initial Capacity will serve 200 consumers statewide. To be eligible for the Autism Waiver, a person must: Live in Pennsylvania or plan to live in Pennsylvania by time of enrollment Have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Be 21 years or older by time of enrollment Meet Medical Assistance financial eligibility Meet Intermediate Care Facility level of care IQ is NOT considered for eligibility The following services are available in this waiver: Assistive Technology Behavioral Specialist Services Community Inclusion Community Transition Services Counseling Day Habilitation Environmental Modifications Family Counseling Family Training Job Assessment and Finding Nutritional Consultation Occupational Therapy Residential Habilitation Respite Speech/Language Therapy Supported Employment Supports Coordination (Case Management) Temporary Crisis Services Transitional Work Services The Supports Coordinator will conduct reevaluations annually and services can change based on need. All written materials will be produced in both English and Spanish; there is also a toll free number for persons with limited English proficiency to access this information in Spanish, Chinese, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Russian. Each waiver consumer will have an Individualized Service Plan (ISP) that includes: Information about who they like and admire What activities they prefer Any allergies or other health concerns A record of fire and traffic safety knowledge amongst others Goals and achievements Along with other important information that is a part of the participant’s everyday life. Consumers may choose the provider for each service in their Individual Service Plan. The Bureau of Autism Services will directly administer this waiver. Providers throughout the state are welcome to apply to be Autism Waiver providers through the Bureau of Autism Services and the Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP). (See the Provider FAQ) Providers will be required to complete Autism-specific training which consists of nine (9) Web-based training modules supplied by the Bureau of Autism Services. Technical assistance is available as needed to providers from the Bureau of Autism Services and the Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP). Governor Edward G. Rendell announced on May 22, 2008, that Pennsylvania has been approved for a first-of-its-kind federal waiver program to provide home and community based services specifically for adults with autism. The $20 million-a-year waiver program, which is expected to serve up to 200 individuals 21 years of age and older with autism, was approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Prior to its approval, no dedicated services existed for adults with autism in Pennsylvania. Application for a §1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Waiver (PDF download) Persons interested in applying for the Autism Waiver can call (toll-free) 866-539-7689 beginning July 1, 2008. Requests for applications will be accepted for six weeks, ending Aug. 11, 2008. Requests will only be accepted by phone. Other Resources

A friend of mine has an eleven-year-old son with moderately profound autism. One day, he expressed interest in the game of golf. His dad grabbed a bag of clubs and some balls, and took his son to the golf course. Amazingly, the boy was a natural! The two spent the whole morning playing 18 holes. The father's delighted quote: "you'd never have known he was autistic." Those who have seen the video "Autism:The Musical" heard Lexy, a 13-year-old girl with autism, singing magnificently. Not long ago, she cut a couple of singles for itunes in support of the Miracle Project (the organization that runs the musical program for kids with autism). Listening to her, you'd never know she was autistic. My son Tom, age 11, is diagnosed with PDD-NOS, a form of autism. Unlike other kids his age, Tom loves art museums. Not only does he walk through the galleries without complaining or fussing - he actively discusses the works of art, and gets excited when he sees a piece he knows. Walking through a museum with Tom, you'd never guess he was autistic. Your child with autism may always be autistic, but there are places and circumstances in which it either doesn't matter - or in which your child's special talents make autism irrelevant. Whether it's at the beach, in the woods, at a concert, or creating a work of art - just for one day - go somewhere where autism doesn't matter. Just for one day, quit being the parent of a child with autism. And become just a plain, ordinary, loving, proud parent. What do you think? Can this be done

I really LOVE lyrics to songs.....and this song means something to me today....allot of days....I added it to his profile...... Oh brother I can't, I can't get through I've been trying hard to reach you, cause I don't know what to do (Sometimes i don't know how to get through to Silas....and i feel like i could be doing more to help him, but i don't knwo what that something more is) Oh brother I can't believe it's true I'm so scared about the future and I wanna talk to you (Im worried about all his diagnoses and im worried about his future. ) Oh I wanna talk to you You can take a picture of something you see In the future where will I be? (I wonder where his future will take him) You can climb a ladder up to the sun Or write a song nobody has sung Or do something that's never been done (This verse gives hope for all the things he COULD do...) Are you lost or incomplete? Do you feel like a puzzle, you can't find your missing piece? Tell me how do you feel? (Sometimes i feel like i will never really knwo what is going on with him, They will just keep telling me they cant figure him out and that he is a shady kid. ) Well I feel like they're talking in a language I don't speak And they're talking it to me.. (i wonder if this is how he feels sometimes) So you take a picture of something you see In the future where will I be? You can climb a ladder up to the sun Or a write a song nobody has sung Or do something that's never been done Do something that's never been done So you don't know were you're going, and you wanna talk And you feel like you're going where you've been before You tell anyone who'll listen but you feel ignored Nothing's really making any sense at all (i sometimes feel like he tries so hard to tell us things, he has to work so hard and putting his thoughts into words....how that must feel....:( Let's talk, let's ta-a-alk Let's talk, let's ta-a-alk BUT!!!!! I love him just the way he is.....and one day i KNOW he will say mommy..... "LETS TALK"

This is a simple, but helpful advice. Advocacy helps you get services for all special education children............ http://www.autismeducation.net/downloads/parent_advocacy.pdf

Another great site I found while preparing for Mickie's IEP on Monday. As the parent of a child with a disability, you have two goals: To ensure that the school provides your child with a "free appropriate public education" that includes "specially designed instruction... to meet the [child's] unique needs..." (20 U.S.C. §1401) and to build a healthy working relationship with the school. http://www.autismeducation.net/advocating.htm

I found this while doing a search on google. Find educational consultants, psychologists, educational diagnosticians, health care providers, academic therapists, tutors, speech language therapists, occupational therapists, coaches, advocates, and attorneys for children with disabilities on the Yellow Pages for Kids for your state. You will also find special education schools, learning centers, treatment programs, parent groups, respite care, community centers, grassroots organizations, and government programs for children with disabilities. http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/

I just read Kim Stagliano's recent blog post on Age of Autism last night and wanted to share it with you. Apparently, Aspergian and best-selling author, John Elder Robison, has been participating in a research study in the circuitry of the autistic brain at Harvard University. The results are exciting and worth sharing. Click here to read Kim's Blog: http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/05/john-robison-ca.html#more To read John Elder Robison's own blog about the experience click here: http://jerobison.blogspot.com/2008/05/visit-to-tms-lab-and-some-questions.html

Good special education services are intensive and expensive. Resources are limited. If you have a child with special needs, you may wind up battling the school district for the services your child needs. To prevail, you need information, skills, and tools. Who can be an advocate? Anyone can advocate for another person. Here is how the dictionary defines the term “advocate“: ad-vo-cate – Verb, transitive. To speak, plead or argue in favor of. Synonym is support. 1. One that argues for a cause; a supporter or defender; an advocate of civil rights. 2. One that pleads in another’s behalf; an intercessor; advocates for abused children and spouses. 3. A lawyer. (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition) An advocate performs several functions: Supports, helps, assists, and aids Speaks and pleads on behalf of others Defends and argues for people or causes Different Types of Advocates Special education advocates work to improve the lives of children with disabilities and their families. You are likely to meet different types of advocates. Lay Advocates Lay advocates use specialized knowledge and expertise to help parents resolve problems with schools. When lay advocates attend meetings, write letters, and negotiate for services, they are acting on the child’s behalf. Most lay advocates are knowledgeable about legal rights and responsibilities. In some states, lay advocates represent parents in special education due process hearings. Educational Advocates Educational advocates evaluate children with disabilities and make recommendations about services, supports and special education programs. When educational advocates go to eligibility and IEP meetings, they are acting on the child’s behalf. Some educational advocates negotiate for services. Others are less knowledgeable about special education law and how to use tactics and strategies. School Personnel Teachers and special education providers often see themselves as advocates. Teachers, administrators, and school staff often provide support to children and their families. But because they are employed by school districts, school personnel are limited in their ability to advocate for children with disabilities without endangering their jobs. Parents Parents are natural advocates for their children. Who is your child’s first teacher? You are. Who is your child’s most important role model? You are. Who is responsible for your child’s welfare? You are. Who has your child’s best interests at heart? You do. You know your child better than anyone else. The school is involved with your child for a few years. You are involved with your child for life. You should play an active role in planning your child’s education. The law gives you the power to make educational decisions for your child. Do not be afraid to use your power. Use it wisely. A good education is the most important gift you can give to your child. As the parent of a child with a disability, you have two goals: To ensure that the school provides your child with a “free appropriate public education” that includes “specially designed instruction . . . to meet the [child’s] unique needs . . .” (20 U.S.C. §1401) To build a healthy working relationship with the school. What Advocates Do Advocacy is not a mysterious process. Here is a quick overview of advocacy skills. Gather Information Advocates gather facts and information. As they gather information and organize documents, they learn about the child’s disability and educational history. Advocates use facts and independent documentation to resolve disagreements and disputes with the school. Learn the Rules of the Game Advocates educate themselves about their local school district. They know how decisions are made and by whom. Advocates know about legal rights. They know that a child with a disability is entitled to an “appropriate” education, not the “best” education, nor an education that “maximizes the child’s potential.” They understand that “best” is a four-letter word that cannot be used by parents or advocates. Advocates know the procedures that parents must follow to protect their rights and the child’s rights. Plan and Prepare Advocates know that planning prevents problems. Advocates do not expect school personnel to tell them about rights and responsibilities. Advocates read special education laws, regulations, and cases to get answers to their questions. Advocates learn how to use test scores to monitor a child’s progress in special education. They prepare for meetings, create agendas, write objectives, and use meeting worksheets and follow-up letters to clarify problems and nail down agreements. Keep Written Records Because documents are often the keys to success, advocates keep written records. They know that if a statement is not written down, it was not said. They make requests in writing and write polite follow-up letters to document events, discussions, and meetings. Ask Questions, Listen to Answers Advocates are not afraid to ask questions. When they ask questions, they listen carefully to answers. Advocates know how to use “Who, What, Why, Where, When, How, and Explain Questions” (5 Ws + H + E) to discover the true reasons for positions. Identify Problems Advocates learn to define and describe problems from all angles. They use their knowledge of interests, fears, and positions to develop strategies. Advocates are problem solvers. They do not waste valuable time and energy looking for people to blame. Propose Solutions Advocates know that parents negotiate with schools for special education services. As negotiators, advocates discuss issues and make offers or proposals. They seek “win-win” solutions that will satisfy the interests of parents and schools. Your Assignment Plan for the Future What are your long-term goals for your child? What do you envision for your child in the future? If you are like most parents, you are focused on the present. You haven’t given much thought to the future. Do you expect your child to be an independent, self-sufficient member of the community? Although some children with disabilities will require assistance as adults, most will grow up to be adults who hold jobs, get married, and live independently. If you have a vision about what you want for your child in the future, you are more likely to achieve your goals. If you believe others will make long-term plans for your child and provide your child with the necessary skills to be an independent, self sufficient member of society, you are likely to be disappointed. Answer Questions What do you want for your child? What are your goals for your child's future? Do you have a master plan for your child's education? If you want your child to grow up to be an independent adult, what does your child need to learn before he or she leaves the public school system? What do you want? Develop a Master Plan If you are like many parents, you don't have a master plan. You don't know where you are, where you need to go, or how to get there. Do not expect school personnel to make long-term plans for your child -- this is your responsibility. Begin by thinking about your vision for your child's future. What are your long-term goals for your child? What will your child need to learn? What services and supports will your child need to meet these goals? Are you ready to advocate? Here is a list of supplies that will help you get started: Two 3-ring notebooks (one for your child’s file; one for information about your child’s disability and educational information) 3-hole punch Highlighters Package of sticky notes #10 Envelopes Stamps Calendar Journal Contact log Small tape recorder In this article, you learned about lay advocates and educational advocates, and about limitations on teachers and special education staff in their ability to advocate. You learned that parents are natural advocates for their children. You learned about basic advocacy skills -- gathering and organizing information, planning and preparing, documenting, problem solving, and negotiating. You have a list of supplies to help you advocate. You learned that you must plan for your child's future. A plan is like a roadmap. When you have a plan, you know where you are, where you need to go, and how to know when you arrive. The Parent’s Journey From Emotions to Advocacy On your journey from emotions to advocacy, you will learn about your child’s disability, educational and remedial techniques, educational progress, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and how to artfully advocate. You will learn how to present your concerns and problems in writing, prepare for meetings, and search for win-win solutions. You will learn how to use your emotions as a source of energy and power, and how to focus on getting an appropriate education for your child

This was delivered by the Shafer report. Doctors Seek Earlier Diagnosis for Autism Seattle -- When her toddler son seemed not to notice a door slamming nearby during his checkup, Jo James thought nothing of it. Her husband, a Microsoft manager, also has an uncanny ability to block out his surroundings. A check of Ben's hearing after a nurse's prompt found nothing amiss. It wasn't until two years and one perceptive Montessori teacher later that his parents finally learned the cause of Ben's obliviousness: autism. "He didn't mix terribly well socially," Jo James, of Sammamish, Wash., recalled ruefully. "But then, what 2-year-old boy does?" Autism typically isn't diagnosed until after age 2. Yet it may be detectable even in infancy _ before a baby is old enough to display telltale traits such as social ineptitude and compulsive preoccupations. Pioneering research at the University of Washington during the 1990s, for example, found that trained observers can spot, with remarkable accuracy, kids who were later diagnosed with autism by viewing videos of their first birthdays. Now University of Washington researchers are aiming to decipher those early clues in hopes of short-circuiting autism before it becomes full-blown. In January, they began an $11.3 million trial to identify latent signs of autism in infants for intensive behavioral therapy. It is the nation's first attempt to test a hypothesis that early intervention may actually prevent autism in high-risk infants by rewiring their brains. "We know the brain has a lot of potential to respond" to the right stimulation, said Sara Webb, a research assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and the principal investigator for the study at University of Washington Autism Center. The goal is "to teach parents to give the child that missing piece that he's not getting on his own." Skeptical Parents The study's very premise _ that autism may not be destiny _ has stirred unease and skepticism among some parents. They also fret that it may rekindle the discredited notion that autism is triggered by detached and unloving mothers. "I object to the message that if parents don't rush out like headless chickens before the child is X age, they've lost them," said Lisa Rudy, a mother and autism advocate from Falmouth, Mass. The implication is that "if only the mother spent more time bonding with the infant, that child will never develop autism," Rudy added. But University of Washington researchers say they're not laying any blame on parenting. The goal is akin to averting diabetes through vigilance in a person with a family history of the disease, said Annette Estes, associate director of the Autism Center and a study investigator. "If you are at risk for diabetes, you look for signs," Estes said. With autism, the genetic "risk factors are present at birth. What we are doing is heightening the parents' awareness." Though some parents report concerns early on, tiny babies by definition don't have autism. That's because they can't manifest such diagnostic symptoms as language deficits and repetitive rituals. Yet researchers suspect that babies exhibit subtle clues that precede overt symptoms. For instance, healthy babies react visibly to changes in a person's expression, such as switching from cooing to a sad face. A baby who doesn't seem to register the change may warrant watching, Estes said. "At 6 months, a baby has a limited repertoire of signs" of autism, she said. "The question is `What are the real early signs?'"

knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do I had to hurry and get to work For bills would soon be due So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, And jumped up off my knees My Christian duty was now done My soul could rest at ease..... All day long I had no time To spread a word of cheer No time to speak of Christ to friends, They'd laugh at me I'd fear No time, no time, too much to do, That was my constant cry, No time to give to souls in need But then came my time to die I went and came before the Lord, I stood with downcast eyes For in his hands God held a book; It was the book of life He looked into his book and said "Your name I cannot find I once was going to write it down... But never found the time" Now do you have the time to pass it on? GIVE THANKS Today before you think of saying an unkind word Think of someone who can't speak Before you complain about the taste of your food Think of someone who has nothing to eat Before you complain about your husband or wife Think of someone who's crying out to God for a companion Today before you complain about life Think of someone who went too early to heaven Before you complain about your children Think of someone who desires children but they're barren Before you argue about your dirty house; someone didn't clean or sweep Think of the people who are living in the streets Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet And when you are tired and complain about your job Think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another Remember that none of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down Put a smile on your face and thank God you're alive and still around Life is a gift... Live it... Enjoy it... Celebrate it... Fulfil it.

Neuronal glutamate transporter immunoreactivity patterns are abnormal in the hippocampi of thimerosal-treated SJL mice. Coronal sections of hippocampus, 5 wks PN. (a and c) SJL Control, EAAT3 IHC; (b and d) SJL Thim-vax, EAAT3 IHC. Regions of CA1 represented in (c and d) are marked (white box) in (a and b). Black bars represent 100 mum; white bars, 50 mum. (a) SJL Control. (b) SJL Thim-vax. Markedly increased EAAT3 staining is noted on the soma of pyramidal neurons in CA1 pcl relative to SJL Control mice. (c) SJL Control. (d) SJL Thim-vax. CA1 pyramidal neurons show intense staining on cell bodies. http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v9/n9/images/4001529f6.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v9/n9/fig_tab/4001529f6.html&h=523&w=700&sz=498&hl=en&start=50&sig2=-vzwj-VAp_GWGDcp25-ang&tbnid=c59Li6HPeQLh2M:&tbnh=105&tbnw=140&ei=Qxs6SN2ZNJvypgSO_fyMBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthimerosal%26start%3D40%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Someone on another list told me about VSL#3® - The probiotic medical food for the dietary management of patients with Ulcerative Colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), or an Ileal Pouch. VSL#3 Lactic Acid Bacteria Probiotic Currently on backorder Buy Six Boxes or more to receive FREE SHIPPING (Continental US only) Use code VSLFREE Contains 10 packets. COMPOSITION PER PACKET OF VSL#3 Lactic Acid Bacteria: - 450 billion/packet Streptococcus thermophilus Bifidobacterium breve Bifidobacterium longum Bifidobacterium infantis Lactobacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus plantarum Lactobacillus casei Lactobacillus bulgaricus Other Ingredient contained in VSL3: Corn Starch Instructions for Use of Probiotic VSL#3 VSL#3 probiotics can be mixed in yogurt, ice cream, apple sauce or any other cold food or non-carbonated drink. Stir contents and ingest immediately. VSL#3 should not be mixed or taken with hot foods or hot drinks because the high heat inactivate the lactic acid bacteria. VSL#3 is different from other lactic acid bacteria preparations in: - number of bacteria - number and type of strains - clinically proven efficacy Suggested Use of VSL#3: 1-4 packets daily Open Packet of VSL3 and stir contents into yogurt, apple sauce or any other cold food or non-carbonated drink. Packets should be refrigerated (39-46 degress F 4-8 degress C). If unopened and stored under refrigeration, the probiotic formula is guaranteed through "best if used by" date. However, VSL#3 probiotic may be stored at room temperature for up to a WEEK without adversely affecting potency of the lactic acid bacteria. VSL#3 is a high potency friendly bacteria probiotic designed to produce optimal quantities and types of protective bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Each dose of VSL#3 contains 450 billion protective probiotic beneficial bacteria. The live lactic acid bacteria in VSL3 Probiotic have been cultivated, freeze-dried and mixed in high concentration. VSL#3 is the probiotic that has been proven in clinical studies to be effective in serious gastrointestinal disorders, particularly the management and prevention of Pouchitis, which is an inflammation of the small bowel reservoir or pouch, that is the most frequent colon removal and pouch creation surgery for ulcerative colitis. 8 strains of friendly bacteria have been purposefully selected, carefully cultivated and mixed proportionally to obtain the proven experimental and clinical efficacy of VSL#3. VSL#3 used successfully for Ulcerative Colitis According to research presented by Richard Fedorak, MD at Digestive Disease Week 2003 in Orlando FL, VSL#3 Probiotic therapy can be effective for treating patients with ulcerative colitis. "Many ulcerative colitis patients do not respond to conventional treatments and side effects of these medications can be troublesome," Dr. Fedorak said. "These results are meaningful because they demonstrate that adding a probiotic with multiple strains and a high concentration of bacteria to the treatment regimen may have the potential to stop this disease in its tracks and avoid any treatment-related side effects." In the multicenter, open-label study, 30 patients from Canada, United States, and Italy with a recent flare-up of mild to moderate ulcerative colitis that did not respond to conventional treatment were given four packets daily of the probiotic preparation of friendly bacteria VSL#3 (equivalent to 3,600 billion good bacteria) for 6 weeks. Eligible patients also remained on steady doses of standard therapies including mesalamine, oral corticosteroids, and azathioprine. The primary end point of remission was determined using the Ulcerative Colitis Clinical Score (UCCS), and was observed in 63% of patients. An additional 23% had an improvement in symptoms, for a combined remission/response rate of 86%. Four patients did not respond to the treatment, with one patient demonstrating worsened disease activity. No negative biochemical or clinical effects were observed by adding the therapy. Dr. Fedorak said results from the study confirm earlier findings that showed VSL#3 is effective in the management of gastrointestinal disorders such as pouchitis, a major complication following a common surgical procedure in patients with ulcerative colitis.

St. Lucie teacher has students vote on whether 5-year-old can stay in class By Colleen Wixon (Contact) Originally published 01:50 p.m., May 23, 2008 Updated 04:30 p.m., May 23, 2008 5-year-old Alex Barton's teacher made him stand in front of his kindergarten class and had his fellow students say what they didn't like about him and then vote whether he should remain in the class. 5-year-old Alex Barton's teacher made him stand in front of his kindergarten class and had his fellow students say what they didn't like about him and then vote whether he should remain in the class. PORT ST. LUCIE — Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class. After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher said they were going to take a vote, Barton said. By a 14 to 2 margin, the class voted him out of the class. Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Aspberger's, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February for an official diagnosis under the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marsha Cully. Alex has had disciplinary issues because of his disabilities, Barton said. The school and district has met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan, she said. His teacher, Wendy Portillo, has attended these meetings, she said. Barton said after the vote, Alex's teacher asked him how he felt. "He said, 'I feel sad,'" she said. Alex left the classroom and spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office, she said. Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school on Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office. "He was shaken up," she said. Barton said the nurse told her to talk with the child's teacher, who told her what happened. Alex hasn't been back to school since then, and Barton said he won't be returning. He starts screaming when she brings him with her to drop off his sibling at school. Thursday night, his mother heard him saying "I'm not special." Barton said Alex is reliving the incident. They said he was "disgusting" and "annoying," Barton said. "He was incredibly upset," Barton said. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this." The child's mother filed a complaint with the school resource officer, who investigated the matter, said Port St. Lucie spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said. Port St. Lucie Police is no longer investigating, but is documenting the complaint, she said. Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident did occur. St. Lucie School's spokeswoman Janice Karst said the district is investigating the incident, but could not make any further comment. Vern Melvin, Department of Children and Families circuit administrator, confirmed the agency is investigating an allegation of abuse at Morningside, but said he could not elaborate. http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/may/23/st-lucie-teacher-has-class-vote-whether-5-year-old/?feedback=1 Log on and leave feedback!!!

Article by Dr. Wakefield in the "Austin American-Statesman" Wakefield: Advances in medical science demand ongoing scrutiny Dr. Andrew J. Wakefield, LOCAL CONTRIBUTOR Tuesday, May 27, 2008 Do vaccines cause autism? According to the former head of the National Institutes of Health, the question remains unanswered. George Bernard Shaw once said that science never solves a problem without creating ten more. For every advance in medical science, in particular for vaccines given to healthy children, there must be ongoing scrutiny to look for those inevitable problems. This is a duty of modern science. However, in a recent interview on CBS News, Dr. Bernadine Healy, the former head of the National Institutes of Health and member of the Institute of Medicine, acknowledged that public health officials have failed to fulfill that duty when it comes to the problem of autism. Regarding the possibility that vaccines might contribute to autism, Dr. Healy acknowledged that many of her colleagues "don't want to pursue a hypothesis because that hypothesis could be damaging to the public health community at large by scaring people." Dr. Healy said that the government has been too quick to dismiss the concerns of these families without studying affected children. Many others share this concern. Along with the many universities and research institutions that have published research investigating the safety of vaccines, she now joins all three presidential hopefuls, as well as many hundreds of thousands of parents worldwide, in insisting on an honest examination of this theory. Faced with an epidemic of developmental disorders in children and increasing evidence of a link with childhood vaccines, Dr. Healy reiterated the position taken by parents and doctors for many years: that there may be a subset of children who, for genetic or other reasons, are susceptible to developing autism following vaccination. Like many others, Dr. Healy had initially dismissed the vaccine-autism link based on a 'superficial' understanding of the evidence gleaned from newspapers. However, as she looked deeper into the science, she realized that no study exists that demonstrates that our current recommended vaccine schedule is safe. She supports the kinds of studies that doctors and scientists at Thoughtful House Center for Children have advocated from the outset – meticulous investigations of affected children, and detailed testing of the childhood vaccine schedule in an appropriate animal model. She also endorsed strategies such as modifying the vaccine schedule in the vulnerable children to reduce the risk of complications, should this subset of children be identified. Amazingly, animal safety testing has been applied to individual vaccines, but it has never been used to assess the real-world risks—that is, the cumulative effect of what is now as many as 38 vaccines in the recommended schedule before the age of 5 years. Far too often doctors and researchers have been unfairly criticized for asking the very questions Dr. Healy is articulating. We and others in the autism community hope that Dr. Healy's revelation will go far deeper than the expression of an individual's opinion in a matter of public debate. It could be the tipping point for many in the public health community who have remained silent. We do not yet have the scientific answers, but as Dr. Healy confirms, we should not live in fear of asking the right questions. The stakes are too high. If, after adequate studies, no link is found, then public confidence will be restored and the debate will be put to rest. If a link is established, then we can focus on identifying the subset of children that are vulnerable and be able to save them. It is the responsibility of the public health community and physicians to develop a safe vaccination schedule that protects everyone, without exception. Andrew J. Wakefield is executive director of Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin.

So this weekend we decided to forget about house cleaning and chores and all the other things that pile up during the week of full time work, mommy and J's aba sessions, and biomedical treatments. We decided to have FUN! On Saturday we went for a bike ride and to the park. On Sunday we took a train ride on our local commuter train down to another city and went out for dinner. DS looooooves trains so he was in a PDD train induced enthralled state! Yesterday we went to a Memorial Day party and we went swimming. At first DS was scared, but eventually went in. Then after we had changed out of our bathing suits he decided to go back in fully clothed. And I let him because no mom of a two year old goes anywhere without a second change of clothes. Well usually anyway... there was the time at the Chinese restaurant when the poop went can I tell you everywhere and I had NO clothes.... but that is a story for another day!

I posted the recipe in the Forum section, under Special Diets. Several people said it is better than any commercial product. Agave can be substituted in place of the maple syrup but I don't know the amount. I also posted the ginger cookie recipe.

Does anyone know what state would be best to live in for Autism support? We are considering a move to Maryland when all of our other children have graduated because the Autism Society of America is there. Has anyone heard anything about that state's support services?

Well after the last couple of weeks of just going and going...like the energizer bunny. We decided it was time to get away. So we loaded up the car with picnic supplies and headed off to the mountains. We ended up driving to Bear Lake. Where the kids got to stop along the way and see this cave that had an underground water geyser...which they thought was really cool. They also got to see a big herd of sheep and some deer. This is something that my family has loved to do ever since the kids were little and something we can do with our autistic son...as long as we aviod those places he loves to shop at we are ok. lol I have to say, this break was a bit long over due, because of the long winter and such. It really did help...and I have to say...that just getting away and leaving all the stress and troubles behind for even just 24 hours...really does make a difference. I find I am more refreshed and able to pick up those battles and start with a whole new perspective. I just have one question....How does a house get so messy when Nobody is Home?

FOTUK When I say this people look at me strange and say what does this mean. FOTUK its means Fear Of The Uknown people who dont know about special needs such as Autism, Aspergers, Downs Syndrome etc. Instead of trying to be informed by reading, asking questions so they can be updated with all of the new and improved imformation they much rather judge us as parents, or live in the stones ages when parents use to lock their kids away hoping and praying things will get better. FOTUK cause incidents like the one where the teacher had the kids vote a classmate out due to his Aspergers, FOTUK have people saying our kids are bad due to bad parenting skills when our kids are having meltdowns and we have to explain to them no non informed person its not bad parenting its called Autism etc. FOTUK applies to teachers, School Districts who dont want to teach our children for they dont have the patience, nor the correct knowlegde but enjoy the funding perks they receive from our kids disabilities. FOTUK applies to relatives who say no your child does not have a disability you just spoil them, or dont want them at family functions for they are not good enough to play with their kids, or think that Autism, Aspergers, ADD/ADHD/PDD ect is like a cold you can catch it if your child touches or sneezes on their. How can we stop FOTUK we continue to spread the word, we continue to fight, we continue to standup for our kids and kids like them. WE LET THEM KNOW FOTUK CAN BE CURED IF YOU JUST ASK US TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND

Look what we are doing to these children. This is worse than the Polio Epidemic. These children are trapped in their own bodies. Say no to vaccines. We must stop poisoning our children!!!! Autism the silent Holocaust~ 0mercury How an Autistic Child thinks...... Nobody can see my disability. I look just like every other kid-attractive, walking, making sound's. They can't see how my neurons are scrambled in my brain. They can't see the misconnections between the left and right brain. Nobody can see I have autism. Nobody can see that my body is sick. No one can see that my stomach is in knots from my digestive system not working. No one can that my body and mind are starving because my cells don't make the right enzymes to digest food. No one see that I suffer from low blood sugar because I can't properly metabolize nourishment. No one can see that my body is attacking its own nerve cells from auto-immune dysfunction. No one can see that mercury lead and arsenic cannot be excreted from my body, so it keeps building up in my brain. No one understands that my body cannot tolerate normal enjoyments for children, like bright, vivid colors and loud noises. I desperately want to be a kid and enjoy these things, but my body just won't let me. But everyone can see how inappropriate my behavior can be when I am out in public. Everyone can see how immature I can be compared to other kids my age. Everyone sees the 2-year old tantrums when things have been too overwhelming for me. Everyone sees my frustration from trying to cope. Everyone sees my screaming and fighting. Everyone just assumes I'm being bad, not that my body hurts, my eyes are in pain from colors, my ears ring with loud noises not heard by others. Everyone sees my tantrums when I don't get my way. No one sees that I can't explain my fear when I think I'm not being understood. Everyone may see my screams when my mom takes something away from me. No one can see that having something of comfort can keep my fears under control for me, and taking it away makes my nerves explodes in anxiety. No one understands how hard I have to work to keep my behaviors from reacting to the chemical imbalances in my body that makes me feel horrible. No one can see that, no matter how hard I try, sometimes I cannot control it. No one can see the shame I feel after I've had a meltdown from my body's problems. What they don't see I am a person. I have feelings and want to be loved and accepted like everyone else. What they don't see is that, when they look at me like I need a good spanking; I understand that I'm not capable of controlling my body. What they don't see is that I scream because I don't know how to say "HELP ME" What they don't see is that I hear every ugly word they say, but for the life of me, I can't make my mouth say what I'm feeling. But they don't see that as a disability. They say I am unmanageable. They say I am a problem. But I am not a problem. I HAVE AUTISM. My mom has taken me to more doctors and specialist than you can ever imagine. She's read more books and done more research on my disease than parents would ever want. She has tried special diet, supplements, drugs and various metabolic therapies. She has PRAYED for GUIDANCE and asked for discernment on how to help my body. And behaviors, OH YES, has she tried everything to help my behavior. Stop telling her all I need is a spanking. If spanking would stop all this, my mom would gladly exchange my disability for a spanking. She knows better than all of you what I need to help me, and what we both need is your understanding, not ignorance. I just want to be accepted and understood. No blamed and ashamed, I want to be appreciated for my gifts. I do have some if you look more closely. I want to be cared for as a person. I want you to care, even when I act like I don't. I want to be respected, just like you do. I want you to respect my mom and dad for all the hard work they have done to help me try to lead a normal a life as possible. I want you to respect my family and all the struggles we have to endure because of our love for each other. I want to be LOVED like any other child. And need you to role model respectful behavior for me so I can be respectful too. I want you to love me.

Before my son and Asthma, Autism/PDD/ Absence Seizures enter my life. I was the type of person who assumed I knew everything and was and can still be very strongwilled at times and some times its good sometimes it bad. I have always tried to hide my emotions from him for he is not quite able to understand everything that takes place in our world and I know its not good to hide it from but somethings our kids dont need to be subjected to. Last weekend was suppose to be one of joy and ccomplishment our oldest graduated from College with a degree in Psychology she is dating this young man who has brought nothing but hurt, and anger to our family. We try to be cordial towards him and its hard but for our daughters sake. Well he ruined the graduation with his jealousy and it turned into something out of a scene in Tombstone in the midst of it stood my son and the look in his eyes while he was stimming brought horror and tears to my eyes. After calming him down and talking to him reassuring him that all was well and we were ok, he said mom Charles is a bad man, he was mean you and dad and he is not nice. I said yes and he is taking my sister away I said honey not to worry everything will be ok, he hugged me and said mom dont worry Bree, Erica and I will be here to take care of you and dad, all you have to do is pray like you do with us when we have problems at school. All I could do was look at him and smile and say yes baby praying is always good and God always works things out in due time. So when we think that our kids due to what ever special need they may have are not listening think again they hear ever word and can bring you comfort with those words when you least expect it

Hi Everyone, I am new to this sight and have not had much time to search around but like what I see. I have a question that I would love to get feed back on. I do an autism awareness booth at our state fair. This August will mark the third year. I have a shower sized booth that has different types of sensory input that is designed to mimic the sensory overload our kids experience. I have had good feedback on the design we have right now but I think it can be approved. If any body else has seen something like this and can forward on ideas to me or contacts to get info. I would appreciate it. Thanks to everyone in advance Melissa

We have been trying to figure things out with Christian for a while now, my oldest son....and one thing we do know...he just doesn't fit in the box....and as always, just when you think you got it all figured out....Guess again! Well last year I had worried that he might have a tumor on his pituitary gland because he was dxed with hypopituitarism...and after speaking with the doctor I had asked him point blank what he thought was causing it....because after doing the research and their were only three things that could be the cause...I said it's not Cushings...he said, No, its not Cushings, I said its not Addison's...he said Right again...its not Addison's. Then I said, that only leaves the Tumor...and he said Right....and we may need to do an MRI later on...but right now he wanted to get his blood and thyroid levels corrected...So we started him on this medication....and he was making progress with this medication. And the doctor seemed to be happy with the results and said...we have fixed the problem and we didn't have anything to worry about. So I put the whole Idea that my son may have a tumor...to the side and we were going along just fine. Until I took him back in last weekend to the Eye Doctor....and they Eye Doctor said, with his lazy eye...his Diagnosis was abnormal and he wanted to do some more testing....to make sure that he doesn't have anything pressing on his Optic Nerve...to cause his severe loss of vision in his left eye. Basically he is seeing only the Very Top E out of that eye on and eye chart and that is it. Also the doctor could only correct his vision in that eye...to like 20/60....another reason he wants to do more test. So we went back to the endocrinologist Yesterday and told him the findings and what the eye doctor suspected....and he said, he didn't think that the mri would show anything...but he was going to order one, based on the eye doctors opinion. As a mom, I'm not sure how to feel about this....Part of me wants them to find something so we can fix it...then the other part of me is like...I dont want them to find a tumor in my Sons Head!!! But honestly this just makes so much sense to all of his symptoms...from the unexplained Migraine Headaches he would get when he was three years old. I can remember on his Third Birthday, him laying in the middle of the floor just Screaming...My Head Hurts...and taking him into the doctor....the doctor sent him to the neurologist...who instead of doing an MRI....did an eeg and said...he was Fine. And of course all this happened before, I knew anything about autism...or to ask for an MRI at the time. The other strange thing is with his vision.....We had his vision checked at 5 years...was told he had the lazy eye....but not to worry about it, it would correct itself. Then when he was in 4th grade, again had his vision looked at...had a lazy eye...told again not to worry...but to use reading glasses when reading and doing anything up close...so no loss of Vision.....Then 2 years later...he has major loss of vision...seen another eye doctor...givin a prescription for glasses and sent on his way....now with this eye doctor...his vision is about the same as it was a year ago...but he wants to check to see if something is pressing on the optic nerve...because his amount of loss of vision with his dx isn't Normal. Why didnt the other eye doctor pick up on this or say something??? Anyway, I know this is alot of Rambling....but to be honest...I haven't really allowed myself to think about it till late last night and this morning.....or I have thought about it...but allowed myself to have any emotional reaction to this...and I know, its not going to change things one way or the other...and I cant worry about something I cant control....and I keep telling myself...dont go borrow trouble. But that's easier said then done sometimes. Anyway, Thanks for letting me .....Let is all Out.

I attended the GFCF seminar at AutismOne. They prepared lots of great tasting food. They made an ice cream that was wonderful. It was Chocolate Vice Cream. The recipe (and many others) are in the book Vice Cream. It was easy to make and tasted like regular ice cream. It was GFCF but can be made SCD as well. I have the Chocolate Vice Cream recipes if anyone is interested. They said it is great for hiding supplements.

How can we help this mom, so other parents kids wont suffer the same fate. PORT ST. LUCIE — Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class. After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher said they were going to take a vote, Barton said. By a 14 to 2 margin, the class voted him out of the class. Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Aspberger's, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February for an official diagnosis under the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marsha Cully. Alex has had disciplinary issues because of his disabilities, Barton said. The school and district has met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan, she said. His teacher, Wendy Portillo, has attended these meetings, she said. Barton said after the vote, Alex's teacher asked him how he felt. "He said, 'I feel sad,'" she said. Alex left the classroom and spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office, she said. Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school on Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office. "He was shaken up," she said. Barton said the nurse told her to talk with the child's teacher, who told her what happened. Alex hasn't been back to school since then, and Barton said he won't be returning. He starts screaming when she brings him with her to drop off his sibling at school. Thursday night, his mother heard him saying "I'm not special." Barton said Alex is reliving the incident. They said he was "disgusting" and "annoying," Barton said. "He was incredibly upset," Barton said. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this." The child's mother filed a complaint with the school resource officer, who investigated the matter, said Port St. Lucie spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said. Port St. Lucie Police is no longer investigating, but is documenting the complaint, she said. Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident did occur. St. Lucie School's spokeswoman Janice Karst said the district is investigating the incident, but could not make any further comment. Vern Melvin, Department of Children and Families circuit administrator, confirmed the agency is investigating an allegation of abuse at Morningside, but said he could not elaborate.

I am sure I am not the only one to have one of these, a compli-sult, it is meant to be a compliment by the person who says it, but there is no way that any rational individual hearing it could possibley not hear the insult that is laced within the words. The compli-sult is a tricky thing because the one to whom it is given is meant to respond gratefully. Thank you so much for your kind words of stupidity....no, that's not right. Imagine this. I am at the drug store and meet a friend I havent seen in a long time. We are making small talk, and we talk about our children. She mentions my daughter and her autism....somehow she makes the following statement with a smile and the best intentions..."Only someone as kind and wonderful as you deserves to raise a child with autism" That my friends is a compli-sult. I compliment, but it is really an insult. She is a great mom too, and she would be just as good a mom to an autistic child, she just doesnt think so - she doesnt value a child with autism the same as she values a normal child. It takes special people like me to raise autistic children for some reason. Not just anyone can do it...which I think is a bold faced lie. People need to suck it up. My child isnt some monster that needs to be backed away from or needs special forces to control. People need to get in there and get to know her. Look past the occasional screaming and flapping and you will find a little girly girl prncess who climbs trees, tells knock knock jokes, and can out run her brothers. She is a lot of fun, so give her a chance...and a compliMENT now - How you respond to a compli-sult can show how much class you have compared to the ignorance of the compli-sultor...and that I think is the really tricky part....because mostly you are dealing with people who mean well and are trying to compliment you...they just seem to not be able to do it. After that yesterday though, I felt so weird....how do people view us as parents, as monsters or heroes...I feel like I live in a tornado

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Usually every year at this time of year I get depressed. The boys birthday seems to be the trigger. The what might of beens used to pop up alot! But this year it's quite the opposite, I'm rather excited for the boys futures plus I think I've finally over the past 2 years accepted the boys autism and have stopped trying to cure them! We still strive to be our best but we are not striving to be the so called "normal" anymore!

Its going to be a bumpy Summer. This is the first year, in 4 years that richie will have an entire summer break. He usually only gets 5 weeks off...and trust me after that third week....He is so ready to go back to school...and so is mom. Bonus for this summer....I finally got off the waiting list and we are now getting respite care...but what I'm finding out...is its hard to find a good respite worker...and sometimes they can be more work than you autistic child. I just hired a new girl last week.....so hopefully she will be better then the last one we had....not that the last one was completely bad..but just wasnt suited for richie and they didnt click. The other new thing is Summer School....Which I'm not sure about it either. I have heard its alot like Organized Chaos....and I still have questions I need to get answered....On my big too do list. I can also see, since its only 3/4 days a week...richie not wanting to go to school at all. Typical 11 year old behavior....It will also be interesting to see how he interacts with a different teacher. Anyway....Only Time will Tell...and I figure this would be a good place to keep a summer Journal of How things go. Ready....Set....Learn!

We arrived last night. The weather seems warm but not as hot as it was at home. If anyone is flying in the Westin Shuttle picks you up at Door 3 in the hotel shuttle area. Today we are going to the GFCF cooking class. There are 1800 people registered so far.

Our journey in autism

I get so tired, but can't sleep. Melatonin helps, but it can't stop my over active imagination. I go over the little irritations of the day and they seem to get more irritating. Does anyone have any suggestions. I think the first thing I need to do is be off of the computer by 11pm. I have dial-up and it usually takes forever to get online. That would give me about 10 mins. tocheck out foggyrock. HA, HA.Well I am going to try to get some rest. Good nite all.

Hi- I'm working on putting together an electronic press kit to share with the media and also other autism organizations to give them an understanding of Foggyrock and it's benefits. Something that I would love to include in the press kit is a list of links from members of this community...giving their personal testimonial about foggyrock on video. In other words, I'm looking for members who are willing to videotape themselves talking about what Foggyrock means to them, how they found it, how they participate, who they have met, what resources they have found etc...You would then download it to Youtube and give it a title that has both of the words Foggyrock and autism in it for easy reference. Then, I would be able to post that youtube link in my electronic press kit and media and the organizations that I send it to will have access to the feedback of real members. Steve and I plan on putting our story of starting Foggyrock on Youtube as well--as soon as we figure out how to connect our new camera to the computer!!! I can't wait to hear from you! Thank you- Shannon

Below is an article I read today. It came to me from one of my "groups" and its very informative. I just thought I would post this incase anyone else hadn't ready it. The article comes from www.ageofautism.com http://www.ageofautism.com/ 05/16/2008 SICK MONKEYS: RESEARCH LINKS VACCINE LOAD, AUTISM SIGNS BY DAN OLMSTED The first research project to examine effects of the total vaccine load received by children in the 1990s has found autism-like signs and symptoms in infant monkeys vaccinated the same way. The study's principal investigator, Laura Hewitson from the University of Pittsburgh, reports developmental delays, behavior problems and brain changes in macaque monkeys that mimic "certain neurological abnormalities of autism." The findings are being reported Friday and Saturday at a major international autism conference in London. Although couched in scientific language, Hewitson's findings are explosive. They suggest, for the first time, that our closest animal cousins develop characteristics of autism when subjected to the same immunizations – such as the MMR shot -- and vaccine formulations – such as the mercury preservative thimerosal -- that American children received when autism diagnoses exploded in the 1990s. The first publicly reported results of this research project come in both oral and poster presentations on Friday and Saturday at the International Meeting For Autism Research in London. Poster presentations must go through a form of peer review before they are presented at the conference; the papers have not yet appeared in a scientific journal. In addition to Hewitson's oral presentation today, on Saturday in one of two related poster presentations, the researchers also are reporting in their abstract that "vaccinated animals exhibited progressively severe chronic active inflammation [in gastrointestinal tissue] whereas unexposed animals did not. We have found many significant differences in the GI tissue gene expression profiles between vaccinated and unvaccinated animals." Numerous scientific studies, as well as many parents, report severe GI ailments in children with regressive autism. The results are sure to be controversial, in part because they lend credence to studies first published in 1998 by British pediatric gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield, one of Hewitson's co-authors on these findings. He described an unusual inflammatory bowel condition in children who had regressed into autism after they received the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination. Wakefield is currently fighting charges of medical misconduct in Britain over allegations of conflict-of-interest and improper procedures related to that paper. He denies the charges. In the program for the conference, the 7th Annual International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), there are three separate presentations listed that report results from the overall research program. The first, an oral presentation entitled "Pediatric Vaccines Influence Primate Behavior, and Amygdala Growth and Opioid Ligand Binding" (the "amygdala abstract") was led by Dr. Hewitson and lists 12 co-authors, including five of her colleagues from the University of Pittsburgh and Dr. Wakefield. Other authors are chemists, pathologists and psychologists from the universities of Kentucky, California-Irvine, and Washington. Hewitson's introductory presentation will be followed by two poster presentations on Saturday; one of the two, "Pediatric Vaccines Influence Primate Behavior, and Brain Stem Volume and Opioid Ligand Binding", was led by Wakefield and includes six additional co-authors. It focuses on the developmental effect of vaccine exposures on brain growth during infancy. The second, "Microarray Analysis of GI Tissue in a Macaque Model of the Effects of Infant Vaccination," was led by Steven Walker of Wake Forest University and performed gene array analysis on the intestinal tissues of the vaccinated and unvaccinated monkeys. The studies address – albeit in animals, not children -- one of the major criticisms by parents and scientists concerned about a possible link between the greatly stepped-up immunization schedule in the 1990s, including higher exposure to the mercury preservative, and autism. While the Food and Drug Administration approves individual vaccines as safe and effective, and an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the childhood immunization schedule adopted by the states, the overall health outcomes from the total vaccine load, versus no vaccinations at all, have never been compared, the authors said. A bill requiring the government to conduct a study of autism rates in unvaccinated American children is pending in the U.S. House of Representatives, co-sponsored by Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Tom Osborne (R.-Neb.). Just this week, former National Institutes of Health Director Bernadine Healy called for more research into a possible vaccine link to autism and said the question had not been settled, despite repeated assertions to that effect by the CDC, the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics. In the abstract for today's oral presentation, the authors noted that macaques, the type of monkey used in the study, "are commonly used in pre-clinical vaccine safety testing, but the combined childhood vaccine regimen, rather than individual vaccines, has not been studied. Childhood vaccines are a possible causal factor in autism, and abnormal behaviors and anomalous amygdala growth are potentially inter-related features of this condition." The study found evidence of both behavioral and biological changes after the 13 macaque monkey infants were administered proportional doses, adjusted for age, of the vaccines recommended between 1994 and 1999. Three monkeys were not given any vaccines. "Primate development, cognition and social behavior were assessed for both vaccinated and unvaccinated infants using standardized tests developed at the Washington National Primate Research Center." MRI and PET scans looked for brain changes after administration of the MMR. "Compared with unexposed animals, significant neurodevelopmental deficits were evident for exposed animals in survival reflexes, tests of color discrimination and reversal, and learning sets," the authors reported. "Differences in behaviors were observed between exposed and unexposed animals and within the exposed group before and after MMR vaccination. Compared with unexposed animals, exposed animals showed attenuation of amygdala growth and differences in the amygdala binding of [11C]diprenorphine. Interaction models identified significant associations between specific aberrant social and non-social behaviors, isotope binding, and vaccine exposure." One of the Saturday abstracts makes the further point that the research "revealed significant differences between exposed and unexposed animals" in the kinds of developmental behaviors a mother might be able to observe, "with delayed acquisition of root, suck, clasp hand, and clasp foot reflexes." They conclude by noting that "This animal model examines the neurological consequences of the childhood vaccine regimen, Functional and … brainstem anomalies were evident in vaccinated animals that may be relevant to some aspects of autism. The findings raise important safety issues while providing a potential animal model for examining aspects of causation and disease pathogenesis in acquired neurodevelopmental disorders." -- Dan Olmsted is Editor of Age of Autism.

Most of these children have a problem with balance and therefore can't ride a bike without training wheels. Our girl stopped riding because kids made fun of a 10 year old with training wheels. Please check out the site www.losethetrainingwheels.org. Our girl participated in Kansas City in March. For a token fee your child CAN learn to ride. What a great diversion for them.

Sometimes (it used to be often so I am lucky), Corvus cannot finish his work at school. He gets too worried, too anxious or too distracted. In 1st grade, they kept the work at school and did not tell me about it.. As it piled up, his anxiety took over and nothing got done. The day before Christmas break, he secretly snuck home his 'incomplete' folder and told me he did not know what to do with it. He was in tears - poor boy. I helped him organize it and finish all the things that were almost complete, then the things that were half complete, etc. By the end of Christmas break, he had finished more than half of the folder and I had words (calm, collected, well planned words) with his teacher. We kept the folder at home and finished it on the weekends. For the rest of the year and all of this year, incomplete work comes home on the day it was incomplete. We finish it up and get it back the next day. Sometimes, though, I just want to scream at him as he argues with me about when he should do it, where he should do it, whether he should do it, what pencil he should use, whether he should scribble out mistakes, whether he should fix errors, etc. The place (the table), time (right now), box of pencils (pick on eand stick with it), rules (erase and fix errors), etc., have never changed - but he still finds the need to argue. I look forward to the days when real homework begins - NOT. Deb

levi on the news Here is the vidoe of part one video http://www.wcsh6.com/video/news/player.aspx?aid=36849&sid=87127&bw and in print form http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=87127 here is video 2 http://www.wcsh6.com/video/news/player.aspx?aid=36882&bw= and in print http://www.wcsh6.com/news/news_links/article.aspx?storyid=87138&GID=XKnQEswRJfMwnaY+sm3jfp2pQOcHqEYTDrAHcX8N5vU%3D

Autism to Alzheimer's A fever of the mind no more Autism to Alzheimer'sBy James Ottar Grundvig Is there a link between the explosion of the autism epidemic and the sharp increase in the number of elderly contracting Alzheimer's disease? For the past few years, I have asked myself that question whenever I took my 8-year-old son, Fridrik, who was diagnosed in 2003 with Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD), an increasingly common form of autism, to his physician, Dr. Henry Sobo, in Stamford, Conn. That's because Dr. Sobo, an internist who tailors individual programs for patients by using homeopathic therapy, had built his reputation on treating neurological disorders, from children with ADHD to adults with Parkinson's disease. Although autism was new to him, it was déjà vu. Do All Roads Point to Toxicity of the Brain? Since doing research into the cause of Fridrik's neurological disorder, I have come to an understanding about both diseases. Alzheimer's, which appears in adults older than 65 years, is the incremental degradation of the brain. Autism is the acute poisoning of the brain in a growing subpopulation of children. Besides unique genetic flaws in each, the common thread between an adult with Alzheimer's and a baby at the onset of the regressive form of autism is myelin, the insulation of the brain's wiring. Myelin, or the membrane blanket that protects the brain circuitry, doesn't completely form and wrap the brain in an infant until 18 months old. For the adult, the unwrapping of the protective sheath takes place at mid-age, or about 50. Thus, the brain is vulnerable to toxins during its development and after its primary use, due to the absence of myelin. Little of this biological fact seems to filter back to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Maybe this will change based on a new study on autism and a new treatment for Alzheimer's, both of which are currently undergoing more testing, both of which point to the same underlying root cause, with one maybe helping the treatment of the other, and with autism perhaps explaining the therapy for Alzheimer's. Fever Reduces Symptoms of Autism Last December, Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, announced with great fanfare that fever in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) reduced or even eliminated the symptoms of autistic behavior not only during a fever, but also up to a week after it subsided. Dr. Andrew Zimmermann, whose team ran the study for the child neurological institute, which was founded in 1937 to study and treat kids with cerebral palsy, must have wondered: What caused this? When I first heard the news, it confirmed to me what I always suspected about autism: Heavy metals toxicity is the reason behind the fever-induced, temporary relief of autistic symptoms in children of the autism spectrum. To me, having worked in the construction industry more than 25 years and having studied the behavior of material properties in college, the fever angle made sense. The first point was due to its simplicity-one event. One global change to the brain explaining the why, how, and what of a very complex neurological disorder, for which modern medicine has failed to find the cause since the first case was diagnosed during World War II. Imagine heavy metals on the micro scale embedding tiny specs and flakes in certain regions of the pre-myelin-protected brain, and the child being unable to excrete those particles that most children can. The particles lodge themselves in, around, and between the nodes and nerve endings that make up the neural network, and interrupt the brain's electrical signals. As more metals accumulate, they block more signals and break down the brain cells' ability to process key functions-like a virus-infected computer. For ASD kids like my son that means impairing their ability to speak, rendering fine-motor skills of their fingers useless, flattening arched feet, and amplifying the auditory reception of their ears to the point of pain. How Could a Fever Help a Child Suffering From Autism? With heavy metals planted at the exact nodes in the brain where the damage occurred, the fever would heat up the metal particles, and they in turn would bridge the interrupted break points in the neural network. In other words, metals, being highly conductive of both heat and electricity, would complete what has not been working in ASD (autism spectrum disorder) kids since the first year of their lives. Okay. But then what would cause the temporary connections of the neural network to continue to work for a week after the fever had dissipated? Again, the answer is heavy metals. Metals consist of a different material makeup than brain tissue and blood. They would retain the heat produced by a fever longer, thus keeping the electrical pulses working well after the fever was gone. But once the heat of the metals matched the body temperature of the brain, the temporary, bridged connections would no longer work, and the full-blown symptoms of autism would return. The week that I heard the news, I contacted Elise Babbitt-Welker, the communications manager at Kennedy Krieger Institute. I told her what I believed was the answer to the riddle. She said that the Institute had received many inquiries to its study and that she would pass on my "heavy metals angle" to Dr. Zimmermann's team of scientists. In an e-mail, Ms. Babbitt-Welker wrote: "This phenomenon has been widely reported on by parents, clinicians and researchers alike, but this most recent research was the first to study the association using a controlled scientific methodology. That said, [with it] being a study with only 30 children, he and his fellow researchers know that more research is needed to confirm the findings." The Alzheimer's Hat With Dr. Zimmermann applying for grants to further research the findings, we can only wonder how one would replicate a fever in a child without spiking the core body temperature. Then, in a stroke of timing, on Jan. 28-seven weeks after the fever study had made news-an answer to that question arrived. On ABC News, a segment on Alzheimer's disease caught my eye. Dr. Gordon Dougal, along with a team of researchers at the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom, showed the "Alzheimer's Hat," which looked like a cross between a football and motorcycle helmet. In a preliminary testing phase, the Hat, which would be worn 10 minutes per day by an Alzheimer's patient like Dr. Dougal's father, pulses the brain with infrared beams-the claim being that the Hat relieved memory-loss and speech-impaired symptoms in his father. The doctor also tested the Hat's infrared technology on 30 lab rats, "20 of which were deemed to be experiencing middle-aged mental decline," for which he stated the "rays improved the memory functions of these rats to that of young rats." Many entrenched American doctors and scientists scoffed at and belittled treating the brain with infrared; they should withhold judgment until the findings from both the Kennedy Krieger fever study has run its course, while Dr. Dougal confirms the Alzheimer's Hat in a wider study. Since the University of Sunderland has an autism department, perhaps the autism-fever study and the Alzheimer's infrared treatment could start to share information. With the bulk of the autism epidemic related to some form of heavy metals toxicity, I believe it's about time that the heat angle as a form of treatment in ASD kids receives the funds to find out whether the jump-start in the damaged neural network of the brain can be produced by heat-whether it's the body's own temperature or artificial as in infrared. http://www.autismtoday.com/articles/Autism%20to%20Alzheimer's.asp

I have talked to kaiser now about 15 times trying to find out what doctor I need to see. If they aren't going to cover the evaluation just say so but everyone I talk to doesn't know, Will is too young to go to their department, talk with someone else....etc. I am so exhausted of saying the same things over and over. Can't anyone help us? It shouldn't be this hard!

Please see my offer under Forums, Businesses. We will wholesale these great brushes at 75% off retail to families (or persons) on the ASD scale or those with physical/mental disabilities. We really want to help!

Hi all, I just received information on a new summer reading program which focuses on autism material. There are various programs for various age groups from lower elementary up through high school. The program is offered through Autism Asperger Publishing Company and is summarized at this link... http://www.asperger.net/bookstore_summer_reading_2008.htm The program starts at the beginning of June and runs through August. Many of the books on their summer list are on sale. They even have a teacher special where he/she can get a free set of books by referring a certain number of students to be part of the program. The goal of the program is to help keep kids engaged over the summer and to help them begin to understand and appreciate their differences and the differences of those around them, as well as be able to apply practical knowledge from the selected books in their homes and classrooms. The program is designed for early elementary, elementary, middle school and high school students, and runs June-August. By participating, students will have the opportunity to read a selection of books that cover a range of topics related to autism spectrum disorders. THERE ARE EVEN PRIZES for completion of the program. These are listed on the above site. It sounds like a fun program and a great way to keep kids busy this summer...this program could also be a great way to start a sibling support group, autism awareness for typical peers and/or just a great family activity. Joanna K-V

Hi All ~ I won't bore you with the information, as I know you can all read for yourself. Please visit this web site http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?inart708 And let your voice be heard! We need many signatures to let them know that we DO NOT approve of the changes to Article 7 - - just think, parents not having a say in their child's I.E.P.?? What are they thinking? Anyway, please take a moment to visit the web site listed above and read, become informed and then decide whether you should sign or not. Thanks! Kim

An amusement park that actually caters to "special diets"! Yes, here in S.W. Indiana we have a small amusement park called Holiday World (www.holidayworld.com) and they now offer pre-packaged items for those that need GF, CF, peanut free, soy free type of food items. They offer entire meals or just cookies and snacks. I thought with the summer quickly approaching that many of you may be interested in this information.

I have this image in my head of the Cat in the Hat balancing on a ball with a cake, umbrella, tea cups, and somewhere in the mix that annoying little fish. I feel like that sometimes. The thing is, the cat was doing an okay job of balancing it, then it all came crashing down and to make it worse, it was not the cat that was the most effected by the mess, but the kids. See, I thought I had everything balanced, work, school, family, doctor appointments, homework, dinner, the dog, paying the bills, house work…well not so much the house work, but still, I thought I was doing okay. Everything came crashing down when my daughter, probably the toughest most confident kid I know, told me in a flood of tears and anger that I loved Aaron more and that I never spent any time with her. I just ignore her. Damn it. The teapot is broken, the umbrella is bent, the cake is inedible, and the fish is most likely emotionally scarred and will need years of therapy. How is it that even when you are doing more than most people, if you let one thing slide you feel like a failure? I’m so worried about being the mom who is organized and whose children are always dressed nice and their homework is always done and turned in on time. I try to be the person who goes the extra mile at work by taking on more projects, joining the committee, volunteering to run the group. I need to bring the best snack to the Boy Scout meeting or do the extra projects to get the extra badges. I try to seem so put together and I’m just not. That is just NOT me! I’m flighty, forgetful, completely unorganized, a procrastinator, I lose everything and I’m always late. I’m all those things, but I love my children and I don’t want this stupid balancing act to hurt them. I can’t put down the doctors, work, school, or the bills, but I can get rid of those other things that I have given such value to. Who cares what people at work, school, or in Boy Scouts think of me? They can say I’m flaky so long as they say I’m a flaky mom with happy, secure, loved children. Now if only the Cat will come back with that crazy machine to clean my house.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 4. He has displayed behaviors socially and educationally that have me concerned. It has been 1 med after another. They all seem to work for a 3-8 month period. He hates to write and brush his teeth. He loves to argue about his morning routine. Socially the other children get frustrated with him he needs to controle all play! He wont play on his own around others he perfers tell all the other children everything they are doing wronge. And he will ask them to stop doing that behavior. Even picking a nose or walking too close to him. I need help. I guess being my own child I am too close to home. I have an eval. coming up. Has anyone experianced this?

Moms of special needs kids talk once a week, often with special guests.

I have a plane ticket and hotel reservations in place for Autism One but I find myself dreading it. I'm trying to figure out the why?. I'm tired of everything being about Autism, I've heard 99% of the speakers before, I'm finding the underside of conferences rather ugly (partying, politics,more politics, more partying). The in-fighting between organizations annoys me and has very obvious at Autism One. Yet, I'm afraid not to go... what if I miss that one vital piece of information that helps my child? That is the answer, I'm going to make sure I'm doing all I can for my child.

It is not in dispute that vaccines have saved millions of lives. The MMR/autism parents are not anti-vaccination in principle. These parents all took children to be vaccinated. We all recognise the need to protect children from diseases. But saving lives from diseases doesn’t justify ruining significant numbers of lives from unrecognised and unmonitored vaccine damage. It is also felt by many parents that the mantra "the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks" has become increasingly skewed by (a) occasionally overstating the dangers of diseases, citing experience of diseases from poor and underdeveloped countries, or UK experiences from half a century ago, or pointing to recent deaths (e.g. Ireland) where other factors played a major part, or (b) grossly underplaying or dismissing outright any risks from vaccination. This latter has been aided by the extremely poor monitoring of adverse outcomes, and by the authorities strenuously refusing to accept that an adverse outcome was the result of a vaccine. All affected parents are in the privileged position of having watched their child degenerate. It is a powerful first-hand experience. Comparing notes results in finding that other parents have undergone extremely similar experiences. Unfortunately, such experiences are not part of a scientifically-controlled study, so are routinely dismissed by the Department of Health as anecdotal. Usually there appears to be a very gradual degeneration over many weeks and months, not an acute event, more akin to (eg) the onset of cancer than the rare acute reactions to vaccines seen in the past. But all the attention of the past upon possible adverse reactions to vaccines has focussed upon acute near-immediate events. The onset of gut/bowel problems and hyperactivity have accompanied the onset of autism. Some link between them is therefore likely, even without detailed research. An anecdote is an anecdote. A consistent pattern of anecdotes is much more powerful. What we have is a consistent detailed pattern of reports from parents. The importance of this pattern has been ignored by the Department of Health. http://www.whale.to/a/thrower.html#7:%20The%20Parents%20Have%20Seen%20What%20They%E2%80%99ve%20Seen.......

This is a summary of the new syndrome of autistic enterocolitis: In a 200-strong cohort of children examined through ileocolonoscopy at the Royal Free Hospital, London, an almost 100% incidence of ileal-lymphoid nodular hyperplasia has been found. This condition manifests itself as swollen lumps throughout the intestinal tissue of autistic children. The condition is very rare in non-autistic children. The condition is believed to have developed in each case in the period following MMR immunisation Because of its swollen and hyperplasic condition, undigested toxins , having not been stopped by either the intestine or the liver (which can also be damaged) may then be able to attack the central nervous system. The evidence for the complete pathway of damage is uncertain at present, due to lack of research. An alternative pathway of damage may be that the virus(es) in the vaccine, or other constituents of the vaccine, may be inflicting the actual damage, or interfering with the brain’s further development by damaging myelinisation. Comprehensive studies to determine this have also yet to be undertaken. It is also possible that thiomersal, a mercury-based preservative that has been routinely used in a number of vaccines, may have played a role. Again, adequate research has not yet been done. Damage may in the event be via a combination of these pathways. http://www.whale.to/a/thrower.html#2:%20The%20New%20Syndrome

What Is Acquired Autism/Autistic Enterocolitis? Autism is not an illness in itself, so much as a manifestation of a dysfunction in certain parts of the central nervous system, particularly affecting language, cognitive and intellectual development and the ability to relate to others. The "classic" form of autism was first described by Dr. Leo Kanner. These children were different from normally-developing children from birth. However, a very different form of autism has now begun to predominate. In this, children develop normally, passing all their developmental milestones, and then later acquire an autistic-like condition. They lose their previously-demonstrated speech, learned behaviour and social skills. In effect, they dissolve into a state of mental impairment, of varying severity. Often the damage is severe or very severe, and usually the damage is permanent. This late onset of autism typically follows the receipt of MMR vaccination. It does not necessarily occur immediately afterwards - onset of autism is not in any case an "acute" reaction - and there are now grounds for believing that onset following vaccination may be very gradual indeed, spread over at least many weeks, more probably several or many months, or even in some cases several years. Crucially, the onset of this acquired form of autism is accompanied by other visible manifestations of problems. These include bright red ears and dark rings under the eyes after certain foods, gluten and casein intolerances, hyperactivity, night sweating and loss of temperature control, and chronically poor sleep patterns. The arrival of these problems and the degeneration of the child into autism as a "package" strongly suggests that they are interconnected. The timing of onset following vaccination is described by the UK Department of Health as a coincidence. Their argument is that it is "noticed" around this time, because this is a time when child development is most rapid, and any failure most noticeable. However, very significantly, much older children have also degenerated into autism after MMR. If degeneration in affected children always follows immunisation with MMR or measles-containing vaccine, regardless of the age of the child, then it implies that the link is not coincidental. Also, no cases are known, at least to campaigning parents, of any children who have become autistic just before MMR. Also, it is not simply a failure to develop. The children have developed normally, then inexplicably acquired their autistic state. This protracted event has been directly observed by parents and relatives, and in many cases recorded on photographs and video footage. No credible alternative explanation for why a previously-healthy child should become severely autistic has been put forward. The unheralded acquisition of a state of severe disability, in a substantial number of hitherto-healthy children, has to have a significant causal trigger. Undoubtedly there are other factors involved, pointing to a predisposition of certain children to be vulnerable to damage, of varying severity. Research should be trying to pinpoint those factors, but is not. It is being held up by the refusal of the medical establishment in the UK to recognise the problem, or even to recognise the increase in autism. Also coinciding with the late onset of autism in many of the children (or other damage - autism is not the only manifestation of there being a problem), has come gastrointestinal problems such as alternating bouts of diarrhoea and constipation, chronic abdominal pains and bloating. Examination of children has identified a novel form of inflammatory bowel disease, ileal-lymphoid nodular hyperplasia. This has emerged after ileocolonoscopy of affected children and analysis of samples. This research has not only come from the Royal Free Hospital, London, but also from other centres in the US. The simultaneous onset of these problems after a normal early development suggests that it is highly likely that these other elements are linked into the biological explanatory sequence of autism, notably through the pathway of gut damage and either the penetration of the blood-brain barrier or the triggering of some other process, such as serious myelin damage (in basic terms, the myelin sheath is the "insulation" around the neurons or "wires" of the brain). http://www.whale.to/a/thrower.html#1:%20What%20Is%20Acquired%20Autism/Autistic%20Enterocolitis?

Great Video. The Arrowsmith Program is founded on neuroscientific research and over 25 years of experience demonstrating that it is possible for students to strengthen the weak cognitive capacities underlying their learning dysfunctions. http://www.arrowsmithschool.org/video-broadband.htm

Here is a list of questions that parents may want to use when talking to other parents about practitioners or interviewing a clinician using a Defeat Autism Now! approach It is important to realize that not all clinicians listed on the ARI Web page have the same background, training or areas of expertise. To help parents select a practitioner who best fits their needs and the needs of their child, several experienced parents formulated the following list of questions. While interviewing a clinician you may not need or want to use all of these questions. But we hope they help you in your pursuit to find the best practitioner for you and your child. 1. What led you to become a clinician using a Defeat Autism Now! approach? 2. Are your patients required to use special diets such as GF/CF, SCD, low-oxalate, etc.? Why? 3. When was your last Defeat Autism Now! Conference? Have you also attended the physician’s training? How do you stay current with emerging Defeat Autism Now! treatments? 4. Approximately how many individuals with autism have you treated? What age range? 5. How do you handle blood draws and other unique lab tests? My child is combative; do you have advice for violent patients? 6. In the event we have a biomedical-related emergency, how will I contact you? 7. Do you share an e-mail address, cell phone, etc. with your patients? 8. Are you willing to offer phone consultation for distant patients? What are the costs? 9. Can you collaborate with other specialists we will be dealing with (Gastrointestinal, etc)? Are you willing to collaborate on treatment and testing with my child’s pediatrician if he/she is receptive? 10. Will you provide a clear plan for supplements and where to purchase them? 11. I am interested in working with a doctor who chelates when it is warranted. Do you test autistic patients for heavy metals and provide chelation treatments when necessary? 12. Do you take insurance? If not, can you provide organized, coded insurance forms? 13. Can you recommend ways to connect with other parents pursuing Defeat Autism Now! treatments? 14. Do you speak any other languages? 15. Can you provide a list of all services your office provides on-site? Examples: HBOT, infrared sauna, Secretin IVs, IVIG, Anti-viral therapies, nutritional counseling, blood draws, etc. 16. Do you support active Defeat Autism Now! parents by networking, collaborating, speaking at conferences, etc. 17. What are the primary medical specialties in which you were originally trained (i.e. pediatrics, family medicine)? What is now the primary focus of your practice? If you are not an MD or DO, in what field(s) are you licensed? 18. How long do you spend face-to-face in an initial appointment? 19. Do you sell proprietary nutritional supplements or have a sales agreement with supplement suppliers? Do you sell supplements at cost? 20. Do you bill for laboratory tests done by commercial laboratories? How do you break down the fees? 21. Do you have a waiting list? How long is it? © 2007-2008 Autism Research Institute http://www.autism.com/dan/ques2ask.htm

Nutrient Effects on the Nervous System Vitamin A (Retinol)Deficiecy Vision problems such as night blindness (nyctalopia). Night blindness is the inability of the eyes to adjust when a person goes from a lighted area to a dark area. changes in the skin and mucous membranes; decreased sense of taste........read more at: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/nutr2.html

Yeast Symptoms Giggly, inappropriate laughing Foggy, spacey Change in bowel movements (foul/yeasty smelling stools), gas, and bloated belly Yeasty rash/diaper rash, white coating on tongue, red ring around the anus, ringworm, cradle cap Bed wetting or accidents Sleep disturbance or Night waking Hyperactivity, hand flapping, toe walking Sugar craving Yeast signs and tests Stool mycology and sensitivities Urine OAT (organic acid test) elevated arabinose elevated tartaric acid Treatment Start a potent Probiotic Digestive Enzymes Clean up the diet Casein/Gluten free Limit sugar Consider SCD and/or Low oxalate Support the gut and reduce inflammation Vitamins/supplements, herbs, medications Antifungals Drugs • Nystatin, Ampho B • Fluconazole • Itraconazole • Ketoconazole Herbals • Berberine • Grapefruit Seed Extract • Oil of Oregano, Pau d'Arco • Garlic, Samento Homeopathy Look out for 'die off' Loose stools, diarrhea Behavior, irritability Head aches, head bangingn Fatigue Sleep disturbance Rashes Bacteria Loose stools, diarrhea Behavior, irritability Head aches, head banging Fatigue Sleep disturbance Rashes Strep symptoms Recurrent Strep infections or bacterial infections OCD, rituals Verbal stimming, repetitive, echolalia Hyperactive, ADD/ADHD Irritability, mood changes, tantrums Motor tics or involuntary movements Strep signs and tests Stool culture OAT, high hippuric acid indicates bacterial overgrowth Testing to rule out PANDAS Antistreptolysin titer (ASO titer), this rises 3-6 weeks after a strep infection AntiDNase B Ab titer, this rises 6-8 weeks after a strep infection PANDAS Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections Autoimmune theory When the child is exposed to strep, the immune system builds antibodies against strep. These antibodies can cross react with areas in the brain, such as the basal ganglia, rather than the strep. New clues: July 2006 NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) Research suggests that an antibody against strep bacteria sometimes mistakenly acts on brain enzymes, disrupting communication between neurons and causing OCD and related tics disorders in children. Other effects of Strep TNF (Pro inflammatory) Strep antibodies induces activity of NMDA Treatment options for Strep Probiotics Alkalization Xylitol Antibacterial Herbs • Golden seal • Oregon grape root • Neem Homeopathy Antibacterial medications Immune modulators • Oral immunoglobins • Transfer factors • Colostrum • Glycan Treatment for PANDAS Treatmentn for OCD and Tics disorders IVIG (IV immunogluobins) Plasma exchange or plasmapheresis Studies are inconclusive on whether these more aggressive treatment are beneficial Clostridia This is a pathogenic anaerobic bacteria. Clostridia can be found associated with an elevated HPHPA/DHPPA on the urine OAT Clostridia produce toxins and enzymes that create severe gut inflammation and produce watery diarrhea Clostridia issues Symptoms • Aggressive • Temper • Agitation • Irritable • Very foul stools • Mucus in stools • Severe diarrhea following antibiotic use • Probiotics, High Potency single strain • Sacchyromyces Boulardii • Antibiotics Vancomycin Metronidazole (Flagyl) • Immune modulators • Homeopathics • HBOT Viral symptoms Visual and Cognitive processing difficulties Poor eye contact Immune dysregulation: Never sick or frequently sick Poor muscle tone and fatigue Seizures Stereotypical Behavior Rashes, cold sores, warts Fatigue History of regression after MMR vaccine or other live virus Viral signs Elevated viral titers Elevated lymphocytes Low WBC Low natural killer cells Upregulation of TNF Alpha Testing for viruses Quantitative AB titers: CMV, EBV, HHV6 Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Polio, Varicella Zoster, HepB-surface antibody, Tetanus Titers are a guide Autism is a regulatory problem both internal and external Our practice and what we see Treatment options for viruses Infra Red Sauna Herbs Natural Remedies Homeopathic Remedies Antiviral medications Essential Oils HBOT Viral issues Treatment Options • Antiviral Agents Olive Leaf Extract, Elderberry Caprylic Acid High Dose Vitamin A • Antiviral Drugs Acyclovir Valacyclovir n Famvir Imunovir • Immune Support Low Dosen Naltrexone Red. Glutathione Zinc Immune Modulators Side effects of treatment Yeast flare up Viral "die off" Low grade fever Rash Poor sleep Hypermobility Parasites Discomfort and bloating of stomach Itchy buttocks, night waking, fecal smearing Diarrhea and constipation Teeth grinding Mal absorption of nutrients, pica, insatiable appetite Allergies Behavior changes and/or aggression, worse at full moon • Picking • Biting • Restlessness Types of parasites Protozoa: Amoebas, Giardia Nematodes: Round worms, Pinworms, Hookworms Cestodes: Tapeworms Trematodes: Flukes Testing for parasites Comprehensive Stool and Parasitology Very Difficult to find on stool test Scotch tape test sometimes done in the early morning Review behaviors around various times of the month Moon cycles Treatments for parasites Probiotics Herbs Wormwood Black walnut Pumpkin seeds Clove Coconut oil Homeopathy Antiparasitic medications Metronidazole Paromomycin They (yeast, bacteria, viral or parasites)don't go down without a fight!! Potential reactions when eliminating these pathogens Symptoms • Irritability, aggression, behavioral issues • Increased stimming, hyperactivity, sleeplessness • Skin rash, diaper rash, fever Possible Causes • Side effect of supplement or allergy to drug • Yeast or Bacterial Flare-up (Balancing act) • Detox Reaction = Too rapid of an effect leading to vitamin or mineral deficiency, oxidative stress, liver or kidney stress • Die off = Rapid death of gut bugs, leading to excess release of toxins and subsequent liver or kidney stress Treatment approach • Rate severity, if severe stop supplement, notify physician • Treat with Activated charcoal/Bentonite clay and/or Alka Seltzer Gold, homeopathic remedy, if helpful probably die off • Rule out dysbiosis, treat accordingly • Check ammonia level • Add Liver Support Milk thistle, artichoke extract, dandelion root Give at bedtime

Gastrointestinal abnormalities, immune dysfunctions, detoxification irregularities, and nutritional deficiencies or imbalances may cause some of the same symptoms. Often a problem in one of the four biomedical areas impacts one or more of the other areas. However, for purposes of simplification and clarity, each of these will be discussed separately. http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/Medical/Biomedical.html

This really caught my eye! This little boy reminds me of Mikcie, even though he is doing better. His little body looks like a severe case of Inflamatory Bowl Disease........... By Dr. Wakefield. Here's a little boy I've been seeing in England. Here he is on the left at the age of one, perfectly happy and healthy, and on the right at the age of six. He looks like a child from a famine zone in East Africa. He has no muscle mass at all, he has a hugely distended abdomen--this child has an underlying gastrointestinal disease until proven otherwise. And yet pediatric gastroenterologists to whom this child was referred would not see him on the basis that his condition was too controversial. There is nothing controversial about this child. The person who is under investigation in this family is not the child, but the mother, for starving her child. He has two brothers and a sister (behind him in this picture), and they belie that contention because they are perfectly well-nourished. This is the awkward position in which medicine has placed itself—practitioners fail to treat children because of the prevailing dogma, choosing to blame the parents for the disease instead....... read more here: http://www.thoughtfulhouse.org/0405-conf-awakefield.htm

For a long time, everything went as planned. In 1998 my second son Aaron was born. You can see in his toddler pictures that he was very well connected, very happy, and he had great eye contact. He was a normally developing kid. We had no reason to suspect that there was anything wrong with him. In fact, my older son had more of the characteristics we associate with autism. He was very colicky and very sensitive to sound and light when he was a baby. So, Aaron was a real pleasure. In a picture of Aaron after his third birthday, you can see that he was a different child. Even though we knew he was autistic before we brought him in for an official diagnosis, we weren't remotely prepared for what the psychiatrist told us. He said, "Your son meets ten out of the twelve criteria for full-blown autism. His prognosis is very poor. He's likely to be institutionalized. You can put him in our school and we'll try to teach him some skills, but it's unlikely that he's ever going to achieve any kind of functional level." Furthermore, he said, "Don't waste your time looking at alternative treatments like diet and vitamins and things like that because they're a waste of money."......... Since I was a very traditional allopathic physician, I didn't know that there was any other way of thinking about autism. I thought the only possible course was acceptance. I knew that the day would never come when we would put him in an institution, but I didn't realize that there was a lot more information about autism than what we were being told. Laurie was not willing to accept the prognosis and started researching on the internet. I'm sure this is a story that many of you are familiar with--she found the Autism Research Institute (ARI) website and she started Aaron on a gluten and casein-free diet and added B6 and other vitamins.......... Read more here: http://www.thoughtfulhouse.org/0405-conf-bjepson.htm

Written by Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D. There is a great deal of evidence that a form of yeast, candida (rhymes with "Canada") albicans, may cause autism and may exacerbate many behavior and health problems in autistic individuals, especially those with late-onset autism. Scenario. Candida albicans belongs to the yeast family and is a single-cell fungus. This form of yeast is located in various parts of the body including the digestive tract. Generally speaking, benign microbes limit the amount of yeast in the intestinal tract, and thus, keep the yeast under control. However, exposure to antibiotics, especially repeated exposure, can destroy these microbes. This can result in an overgrowth of candida albicans. When the yeast multiplies, it releases toxins in the body; and these toxins are known to impair the central nervous system and the immune system. Some of the behavior problems which have been linked to an overgrowth of candida albicans include: confusion, hyperactivity, short attention span, lethargy, irritability, and aggression. Health problems can include: headaches, stomachaches, constipation, gas pains, fatigue, and depression. These problems are often worse during damp and/or muggy days and in moldy places. Additionally, exposure to perfumes and insecticides can worsen the condition. http://www.autism.com/triggers/candida_org.htm

Autoimmunity may play a key role in the pathogenesis of autism, an early-onset disorder of the developing central nervous system. Viruses such as Measles virus might induce auto immunity as evidenced by a strong correlation of brain auto-antibodies and Measles antibodies. http://www.taap.info/Singh04.pdf

It has been shown that in the presence of active measles virus, a 2-day mega-dosing of 400,000 iu of Vitamin A will affect the measles virus, maybe not to completely exterminate it but to create an extremely mild short-lived case in those who have already contracted the disease. 200,000 iu for 2 days was not effective. http://www.danasview.net/vitamina.htm

SPONTANEOUS MUCOSAL LYMPHOCYTE CYTOKINE PROFILES IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: MUCOSAL IMMUNE ACTIVATION AND REDUCED COUNTER REGULATORY INTERLEUKIN-10 http://www.taap.info/cytokine%20paper.pdf

Autism Key is a site run by parents and for parents of children with autism & autism spectrum disorders. Through first hand experience, we've learned that the most difficult part of receiving an autism diagnosis is the lack of support and readily available information. http://www.autismkey.com/

more pics of michelle's dance.

This is a very interesting article........ V.K. Singh has studied autism as an autoimmune disorder for over fifteen years. He believes that up to eighty percent (and possibly all) cases of autism are caused by an abnormal immune reaction, commonly known as autoimmunity. The autoimmune process in autism results from a complex interaction between the immune system and the nervous system. He hypothesizes that an auto-immune reaction to basic brain structures, especially the myelin sheath, plays a critical role in causing the neurological impairments of patients with autism. He has suggested that an immune insult to developing myelin (after a natural infection or vaccination) causes "nicks" or small changes in the myelin sheath. These changes ultimately lead to life-long disturbances of higher mental functions such as learning, memory, communication, social interaction, etc. Read more at: http://www.healing-arts.org/children/vaccines/vaccines-auto-immunity.htm

I found this online, while doing my usual research on autism...... New research may explain why more boys are affected by autism than girls. There is no doubt that autism affects boys more than it does girls with most authorities putting that ratio at 4:1. Scientists have been unsure about the reasons for this uneven distribution for a long time. Now, research conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the US, has uncovered a possible explanation. The research also sheds light on underlying mechanisms of autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disorders........ Read more at: http://www.ei-resource.org/news/autism-news/autism-linked-to-fatty-nerve-cell-coating/

Yesterday, a CNN article was brought to my attention regarding newly designed steps health professionals will be urged to take in the event of a national crisis such as a pandemic. The title was Docs List Who Would be Allowed to Die in a Catastrophe. Apparently, the CDC, Homeland Security and DHHS has put together a profile listing the members of society who would be denied treatment if medical staff and resources are limited. This list includes, among others, those individuals with severe mental impairment..... I don't know about you, but I don't feel comfortable waiting around to find out if that list might include my 13 year old son with autism. Wanting to discuss this disturbing topic, I reached out to my new friend, Lisa Jo Rudy, of About.com fame. From our e-mail conversation came her recent blog. Take a few minutes to read her blog and let her know what you think on this matter. Unfortunately, no one is going to advocate better for our kids than us, so we do need to be paying attention... http://autism.about.com/ (you may have to scroll down) CNN Article: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/05/05/pandemic.rationing.ap/index.html

...and for me that starts to get dangerous. Although we've had a diagnosis for two years I am still very much a novice at all of this. I depended too much in the beginning on doctors who didn't know anything about ASD and have learned the hard way that it's up to me to educate myself to make decisions for my child. The problem is there is so much out there I don’t know where to begin. Some of these books look like text books and I don’t know how much applies to my son. I know Asperger is on the spectrum, but how much are they alike? Does the same information apply? I'm learning how to deal with Aaron’s sensory issues, though I have to admit the over stimulation part is much easier for me to comprehend then the need to self stimulate. At least I’m learning how to help him in those areas. I know to avoid crowded noisy places when planning activities or to at the least have a plan for what to do when it’s all too much. That plan usually involves handing over the iPod. What a life saver! Discipline has become a struggle. We'd gotten to the point that any type of discipline, even telling Aaron he had done something wrong, would lead directly to a melt down complete with negative self talk, self harming talk and behavior, screaming, running away, etc... Once we started Aaron on antidepressants I've seen a lot of that subside, but it's still there. At least now we start at a base line that's not depressed and anxious. I still can't imply that he has lied because that is grounds for an immediate melt down. Lying is the greatest of all evils! I've started looking at other things lately. Aaron is constantly "sick." He’s always like being sick, or at least that has been my opinion. After literally years of complaints of stomach aches I took him to the doctor. They did a blood test and then assured me that it was his imagination or the anxiety. I’d believe it. He says needs glasses and can't hear well. He says he has headaches and regularly feels “hot” and is sure he has a fever. I don't know if I can believe Aaron or not when he claims to have these ailments. He has lots of ear infections which could be the cause of his occasional "hearing loss." The "stomach aches" still persist, though. He has frequent strep infections and has developed some skin problems that the doctor doesn't seem to want to do anything about despite the fact that Aaron’s had dry itchy red patches on his legs for more than a year now. I don't think the nosebleeds are a medical problem. I guess his nose is just sensitive. To get to the point, another mom told me to get him tested for food allergies. She said to look at the individual issues as a whole. She said when I combine those things with the attention issues that medication has never helped that food could be the problem. She told me to go to a particular allergy clinic that refers to Autism and Aspergers in its advertising. That makes me feel that it’s a gimmick and is trying to play on peoples fears, but then I tend to be skeptical. I’ve decided I should go ahead and do it, just to be on the safe side. So here is what I’m wondering: Does it matter where I get allergy testing done? If he has allergies, can I afford a special diet? Is this whole allergy thing a crazy hippy idea that I’ll be throwing my time, energy, and money away on or is it scientifically supported? Should I get my NT kids tested, too? I guess I’m off to the internet to attempt to discern credible sources from bogus, BS. Wish me luck.

Corvus found out today that copper wire conducts electricity. When he got home, he asked where there was copper wire and his Dad told him in metal coathangers. He now has one fashioned around his head so that he can "have an electrical field" and he has taped a magnet to his arm so he can "have a magnetic one too". Asked why he said "to make people healthier and prevent people from getting AIDS." Well - I am sure he must see a connection of some sort? It is very cute though. :-) Where does he come up with this stuff???

My favorite GFCF Recipes

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL!! Mothers of Children with Disabilities Worthy of Praise By Lori Borgman Expectant mothers waiting for a newborn's arrival say they don't care what sex the baby is. They just want it to have 10 fingers and 10 toes. Mothers lie. Every mother wants so much more. She wants a perfectly healthy baby with a round head, rosebud lips, button nose, beautiful eyes and satin skin. She wants a baby so gorgeous that people will pity the Gerber baby for being flat-out ugly. She wants a baby that will roll over, sit up and take those first steps right on schedule (according to the baby development chart on page 57, column two). Every mother wants a baby that can see, hear, run, jump and fire neurons by the billions. She wants a kid that can smack the ball out of the park and do toe points that are the envy of the entire ballet class. Call it greed if you want, but a mother wants what a mother wants. Some mothers get babies with something more. Maybe you're one who got a baby with a condition you couldn't pronounce, a spine that didn't fuse, a missing chromosome or a palate that didn't close. The doctor's words took your breath away. It was just like the time at recess in the fourth grade when you didn't see the kick ball coming and it knocked the wind right out of you. Some of you left the hospital with a healthy bundle, then, months, even years later, took him in for a routine visit, or scheduled her for a well check, and crashed headfirst into a brick wall as you bore the brunt of devastating news. It didn't seem possible. That didn't run in your family. Could this really be happening in your lifetime? I watch the Olympics for the sheer thrill of seeing finel y sculpted bodies. It's not a lust thing, it's a wondrous thing. They appear as specimens without flaw -- muscles, strength and coordination all working in perfect harmony. Then an athlete walks over to a tote bag, rustles through the contents and pulls out an inhaler. There's no such thing as a perfect body. Everybody will bear something at some time or another. Maybe the affliction will be apparent to curious eyes, or maybe it will be unseen, quietly treated with trips to the doctor, therapy or surgery. Mothers of children with disabilities live the limitations with them. Frankly, I don't know how you do it. Sometimes you mothers scare me. How you lift that kid in and out of the wheelchair 20 times a day. How you monitor tests, track medications, and serve as the gatekeeper to a hundred specialists yammering in your ear. I wonder how you endure the clichés and the platitudes, the well- intentioned souls explaining how God is at work when you've occasionally questioned if God is on strike. I even wonder how you endure schmaltzy columns like this one -- saluting you, painting you as hero and saint, when you know you're ordinary. You snap, you bark, you bite. You didn't volunteer for this, you didn't jump up and down in the motherhood line yelling, ''Choose me, God. Choose me! I've got what it takes.'' You're a woman who doesn't have time to step back and put things in perspective, so let me do it for you. From where I sit, you're way ahead of the pack. You've developed the strength of a draft horse while holding onto the delicacy of a daffodil. You have a heart that melts like chocolate in a glove box in July, counter-balanced against the stubbornness of an Ozark mule. You are the mother, advocate and protector of a child with a disability. You're a neighbor, a friend, a woman I pass a t church and my sister- in-law. You're a wonder.

My son, Corvus, does not have a diagnosis on the spectrum. Still, he has always been an interesting child and I want an opportunity to talk about him. A blog seemed the right place. Corvus did not sleep through the night until 5 1/2 years (and still has 'bad' nights). He choked and gagged on things that were not blended (and still does, though not as bad). He loved to be upside down all the time - yes, he was a breach baby - and watched TV through his legs with his head on the sofa. His sensory system was just off. He got and quickly lost words from the time he was one. A little before his second birthday, he started retaining words - but they all missed the first sound and were repeated twice. (-oggy -oggy for doggy and -acker -acker for cracker, etc.) While cute, it concerned me. (Maybe I knew too much?) At 3 he became fascinated with presidents. Eventually, this fixation with presidents gave way to super heros gave way to strategic computer games gave way to natural disasters - and that is where we are now. Today Corvus is a smart and articulate boy of 7 1/2. The concerns continue, though. He sometimes talks and makes no sense. He hates fine motor tasks and will sometimes lock himself in the bathroom to cry about a writing task. I have to check every morning to see if his pants are on backwards because "they feel better that way". He is either "friends with everyone" or "has no friends", depending on the day. He eats a small variety of foods - and rarely, ever eats at school. All this pales, however, to his anxiety. He has had some rough spots and losses in his life, which might account for some of it. He is afraid of loud noises, death, his Dad's illness, the wind, choking, being left alone, the dark, etc, etc. He has nightmares, panic attacks and worries all the time. After his Dad had a heart attack - which brought everything to a head - Corvus stopped eating and sleeping. He was emotional and worried all the time. It was time to return to a therapist. My concerns ranged from OCD to Asperger. WE have been to several sessions and the result? Anxiety Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified. I asked the psychologist what that means. He said it means that he is a complicated child who is difficult to diagnose. This will allow him to see him for a time and work on a better diagnosis. Am I crazy? I feel a little let down. Not that I WANT Corvus to have a diagnosis that is more severe - but this feel so uninformative. I feel like we know nothing more. I also realize that as his grades are fine, this diagnosis does nothing for his ability to receive assistance at school. SIGH. OK, I have talked about my son and feel a little better for doing so. Thanks for listening. Deb

JT and I had a wonderful time. He didn't want to come home. Now, let's see if I can figure out how to post pictures in a blog: (if not, just go check out the pictures on my page) http://foggyrock.com/ThumbNail/phpThumb.php?src=../UserAlbumPhoto/1955.JPG&w=450&h=400

Dear Parent Advocate: On May 3rd, 2008, I released a videotaped request that I sent to all three 2008 Presidential Candidates asking them if they would issue two Executive Orders should they be elected to office to begin to improve the safety of vaccines that are currently on the market. My name is Becky Estepp and I am both the mother of a child with autism and the wife of an actively deployed US Marine. You can view the video on YouTube on the links below. I have asked all three of the campaigns to rsvp by Mother's Day to let me know if they will provide a videotaped response by Memorial Day this year. My husband won't be home for Mother's Day but will by Memorial Day and I can't tell you how much this would mean to him to have responses to these questions when he sets foot back on American soil! My husband and I strongly believe that children should be both protected from diseases that could hurt them AND receive products that are as safe as possible that don't contain harmful ingredients and have been thoroughly tested before they are marketed. They are very simple, no-nonsense, fiscally responsible requests. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP ME GET THESE ANSWERS? 1. FORWARD THIS EMAIL with these 3 links your ENTIRE address book. FOR MOTHER'S DAY: START LISTENING TO MOMS.STOP BLAMING THEM. http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/05/for-mothers-day.html VACCINE SAFETY REQUESTS FOR THE NEXT COMMANDER IN CHIEF YouTube: 2 minute edited version of video sent to each of the Presidential Candidates http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGC_U_4nJHc&feature=related YouTube: Full 6 minute video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNqMLsrCUoo 2. ASK YOUR FRIENDS TO HELP by emailing these links to each campaign, once per day. Please ALWAYS contact the campaigns POLITELY. These are requests. I want to maintain a constructive relationship with the campaigns. To help them out, please keep the subject line uniform. Subject: "Vaccine Safety Requests for Our Next Commander in Chief" CAMPAIGN GENERAL EMAIL BOXES: info@votehillary.org, info@mccain08hq.com, info@barackobama.com Please cc: me at milmom2008@gmail.com so I can see how this is working and be able to send you an update and thank you! 3. PLEASE FORWARD AND POST ON EVERY BLOG AND YAHOO GROUP TO SPREAD THE WORD! Sincerely, Rebecca Estepp

I'm wonderin if 1 in 150 kids has autism, has anyone ever done a study to see how many kids had autism out of only kids who didn't have vaccines. I'm also wondering how I am going to pay for all these tests that seem to be so important for my son and how sad it is that insurance is of no help. I'm wonderin why I no longer feel like talking to my friends without autistic kids. I'm wondering if my little boy is ever going to be able to verbally tell me he loves me (he does do it nonverbally now!) I'm wondering what types of things I thought about before we found out Will had issues.

I just have one pic of her, but should have some more soon.

Hi everyone! I am so excited about froggyrock. I can't wait to get to know everyone and learn more about this mountain we call autism. Jack and I have been climbing for two years now. He is a patient of Dr. Stephanie Cave in Baton Rouge, La. He has been recieving bio-med treatment including supplements, gfcf diet, oral chelation, and most recently 25 hours of HBOT. He has also recieved speech and OT since the age of 23 months. Jack does not talk. He has a hard time learning. In spite of this, he is a very happy and loving little boy who loves Thomas the train and playing outside. We cant wait to learn about you guys and your journeys. Lori and Jack

I'm headed out to Eastern Oregon to spend a couple of days with my dad. We're going to take my middle son up to the ranch and fix some roads and mow the field behind the cabin. This is my first trip with my son by myself. I loved doing stuff like this with my dad when I was a kid.

This week Seoc has accomplished so much which I have been sharing with you all. Last night he put his own shoes on. They were on the right feet not completely on but close enough and he did the velcro which he hates because of the noise they make. He also sat on the potty for a good amount of time attempting to make a BM it didn't happen but we did get PP. I am thinking it is the B12 that has spurred this wonderful increase in developmental skills but we have recently started mineral supps and a new multi vitamin.

WOW. Seems hard to believe that my boys are now young men. I have 4 children, but only 2 are Autistic. The other 2 are NT. My NT are mine by birth, my Autistic sons are mine through love - they are my husband's birth children. My sons are now 14 and 15 (in July he will turn 16). I've always heard that puberty is tougher on autistic kids. Harder doesn't even get close to describing what it is like. I'm probably being a bit of a downer, but this year has been so hard on all of us - my oldest son, his teachers, his aides, his siblings and his parents. Over the past 5 months he has regressed to throwing temper tantrums, whining, crying and shouting when he doesn't get his way. This morning was a prime example - he didn't want to go to school. It was a battle that left me emotionally drained. He has a great aid at school and she was able to get him calmed down and focus on his "work" within 30 minutes. The event is probably forgotten in his mind, but I find myself dreading this evening, wondering what kind of battles await us. Sorry, I guess this has just been a hard day and I'm looking for the magic wand to fix it. I'm not usually a downer. Wish me luck. . .