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I sent to all three 2008 Presidential Candidates asking Posted By: 4muskateers
Posted On: 05/05/2008
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
Tags:  Only united can we defeat autism.
       

Things I'm wondering today... Posted By: minnakay
Posted On: 05/05/2008
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.
     

Michelle's Dance Posted By: kathy630
Posted On: 05/03/2008
I just have one pic of her, but should have some more soon.
Tags:  Prom Time
     

New Member Posted By: jackspuzzle
Posted On: 05/03/2008
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
     

Trip with my son Posted By: Doomsday
Posted On: 05/02/2008
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.
     

Big week Posted By: frogfoot1969
Posted On: 05/02/2008
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.
Tags:  shoes,  self help
     

The dreaded teenage years. Posted By: Kim Howell
Posted On: 05/01/2008
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. . .
Tags:  Autism is the "Its all about me disorder. Once you learn that and can negotiate (A.K.A. bribe them) then it becomes easy to deal with.
     

First day of Gymboree Posted By: minnakay
Posted On: 04/30/2008
Took Will to Gymboree today, trying to get him around other kids so maybe to help him with his talking. It was great! He didn't do everything the other kids did but he didn't hit anyone!! He even hugged two kids. He loved it, the climbing, the colors, the slides! It is expensive but grandma is going to pay for it and it is great exercise! He did pay attention to the carpet for a while but I'm proud of him all the same!!
     

Today Posted By: minnakay
Posted On: 04/29/2008
Today I am confused. Hopeful by the eye contact that I am getting from my son and the interaction he is having with other children. I am discouraged by him losing his words. He only has said mom, down, dada, and gaum (for grandmom), but doesn't seem to want to use them. I just want to hear what my sweet little one is thinking!
     

Autism Parent Support Network Posted By: roedel
Posted On: 04/29/2008
As a parent of an ASD child I am never without resources to find help for my son. There are thousands upon thousands of websites, blogs, news programs, articles, and check out clerks out there who will offer me advice on how to help my autistic child.

Everyday I discover new therapies for him…

I uncover new diets….

I hear about a new behavior intervention model…

I see a story about how surfing can help people living with autism…

There are so many fantastic new things to try, and believe you me I am extremly grateful for them. If it were not for a vitamin website I accidently found a few years ago I never would have come to understand how supplements would be of such great benefit in my kiddos life.

With all of those resources available there has been one group in the autism community that has been largely underserved….THE PARENTS.

News Flash: Parents of Autistic Children are under a unique and powerful neverending stream of stress. They have so many battles to fight, tears to dry, and therapies to try to pay for that often times this stress piles up in their hearts like unattended laundry. I know all of this first hand all to well…

There is a new website that is geared for supporting these parents. It is designed by people who understand how difficult their life can be…and I am proud to be a part of it!

Please forward this site to anyone you think might need it.

WWW.ASDPARENTSUPPORTNETWORK.COM
     

What is Independence? Posted By: AIsForAutism
Posted On: 04/28/2008
I posted this in my journal on my CafeMom page...I thought some of you might find it interesting...

What Is Independence?

I have found myself thinking about this a lot lately. My job for the past eight years has sometimes been called "Independence Facilitator" as well as Instructional Aide. I used to think that this title was unattainable with some students knowing that they would never be on their own living in their own house. Now that I am in the Adult Transition class, I see the tail end of what our district offers to students with various challenges prior to their graduating from our district. We work on life skills, functional skills and the kids hold a wide variety of jobs on and off campus. We offer our students pride in their jobs and their abilities. So, some have asked me, will any of them ever really be independent? Well, I ask myself that question a lot and the answer is another question...WHAT IS INDEPENDENCE?

I used to consider myself an independent adult, but here is just a brief list that proves that in reality I am not necessariy an independent adult:

1. I NEVER cook dinner meals 7 days a week. I am dependent on various restaurants in the area to make my family's dinner life complete (trust me, they are happy about this choice)

2. I am one of the only ones on my block who mows her own lawn, but I can't edge it so I "depend" on my husband to do this.

3. I can flush a toilet by myself, but if it doesn't flush properly, I am dependent on my husband to figure out why and if he can't we are dependent on our plumber friend to solve the problem.

4. At work, I am able to wash all the dirty laundry at the school, but I am dependent on a student to carry it since I have had back surgery recently. By the way, they also do the wash...and fold better than I do!

5. I can make sure I take proper care of my daughter, but if I can't figure out a health issue, I am dependent on medications or doctors to help me in this area.

6. I am able to wash the bed sheets, but I am dependent on my husband to put them on the bed in "military style" the way he likes it.

7. I am independent to push the sprinkler button to water our lawn, but am dependent on my husband to fix any broken sprinklers.

8. I am able to balance the check book and all financial matters in our house, but I am dependent on the bank doing their part to put the money where I want it.

9. I can see there is a spider on the wall, but I am dependent on my husband relocating it to the backyard...okay, or smooshing it

10. I can take the trash cans out to the curb every Wednesday night, but I am dependent on the disposal company to get it to the dump or wherever trash/recyclables go.

I could go on and on, but in reality none of us is truly independent. In all actuality, life would be kind of boring if we could do everything. We all live in a community and rely or DEPEND on those in our house, school, family, job, grooming, chores...and all the little and big things in life.

So, if you find yourself reading this journal, you might say, "What the heck is this lady's post about?" My point is that for those in this world who are challenged by autism or other issues in life, we all can be independent to some degree, but we ALL need to rely on others for things that challenge us or things that just aren't our cup of tea. Being independent is different for all of us. For some, it will be living with their parents and going to a day program to attend a much needed job. For some, it will be being the sole resident in their own house. For others, it can be living in a group home with others who will assist and champion for them. For some, just being living examples of positive attitudes in the shadow of major challenges is truly inspiring. So my challenge is to put on new lenses of love and see the potential that we all have to be whatever "independent" means for each of us...not just a narrow view of independence that the world sometimes portrays.

I'd love to read any of your thoughts or comments on my viewpoint.
Tags:  independence,  autism,  inspirations
     

Birthday party... we made it!! Posted By: amr3573
Posted On: 04/27/2008
Well, we did the party yesterday, and it went awesome!! I think I was more nervous because it was at a Chuck E Cheese-like place that's next to our grocery store. I've avoided going there b/c as we all know you go once and everytime you do groceries there will be a melt down. So it's the "Birthday Party Place"! Now if we want to go at another time... well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
But there were tokens & games, then pizza & brownies (cupcake style). He drank fruit punch (normally it's either milk or water!) Only one fit, when it was time to eat! He didn't try to open the gifts or claim the candles as his own! All & all it was a great time. Although, I did decline the invite to go to their house after, I figured we had a good time, let's not push it. We'll save that for another day.
Tags:  birthday party
     

Facing Autism in New Brunswick Posted By: AutismRealityNB
Posted On: 04/27/2008
Autism news, opinion and discussion of autism related health, education and residential care issues.

http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/
Tags:  autism,  autistic disorder,  health,  education,  ABA,  Applied Behavior Analysis
     

Byonetics is a CD listening program, Posted By: 4muskateers
Posted On: 04/27/2008
Byonetics

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Autism on the Seas. Posted By: 4muskateers
Posted On: 04/26/2008
Upcoming Cruises

Go to: autismontheseas.com

for more information.

June 2008, departing Port Canaveral, FL to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, 7 nights

August 2008, departing Bayonne, NJ to Bermuda, 5 nights

November 2008, departing Ft Lauderdale, FL to the Caribbean, 5 nights
*New!! January 2009, departing Tampa, FL to Key West/Cozumel, 4 nights

*New!! April 2009, departing Galveston, TX to Eastern Mexico, 7 nights

*New!! August 2009, departing Los Angeles, CA to Western Mexico, 7 nights
       

Everyone is Zoo Animals Posted By: Doomsday
Posted On: 04/25/2008
(this was originally from my other blog, but I don't think anyone has ever read it)

Wednesday, January 2, 2008


For as long as I can remember, I've had a problem with crowds.

Individually, people are fine (mostly) and I enjoy having a couple of friends over. But when I get to large groups of people where I need to interact, I usually have a problem.

I've known ever since I was a little kid that I had to be careful at parties. At first, I thought that it was a problem with food. Too much sugar can and does cause problems. For the most part, I don't snack outside of meals, and I try to limit consumption of sugar. Realizing this alleviated some of my problem, but didn't solve it. I still have to be careful around crowds, or else I'll get overwhelmed and either get a bad headache or really fatigued, or both.

I first consciously realized this when I was able to go to the mall by myself when I was a teenager. I would come down with a splitting headache within minutes of going in to the mall. A friend of mine noticed that I was looking at everything, like I didn't have a filter telling me what was important and what wasn't. I'm still amazed by the fact my friend noticed this, as no one else I've known has ever given me such helpful advice. He told me to make a plan on where I want to go, then stick to it. This helped dramatically and I was able to go shopping without making myself sick.

A couple of days ago I was at New Years party with my family. We went to our neighbors' house, and they had invited several of their other friends. I had met several of the friends separately, but didn't know any of them well other than our neighbors.

When in this kind of social situation, I used to talk about work, but I've been making an effort to not talk about work with my friends and family. I've realized (and been told) that most people can't really follow what I do, and I would rather learn now to talk with people about more "normal" stuff.

I was having a hard time participating, more so than I've had in a while, and spent most of the night chasing after the kids and playing Guitar Hero with the teenagers. So once again I retreated from the social situation that I didn't have a solution for and when to a domain that I was more comfortable with.

My big realization came from a question I asked myself, "Why do I do OK at work and in public, but when it comes to a private situation with people I know and like, I lock up and can't really participate?"

I thought about it for a bit, and then it occurred to me that people at work I'm OK with because we can always talk about work, or technical stuff that I'm comfortable with. It really doesn't take much work on my part to talk endlessly about the latest programming technique, or what I read about solar power, or any other interest that I know about.

So, that leaves the last group of people in my problem, public strangers. And then I realized, I'm alright with them because they're on the outside of my personal box. Like dangerous animals at the zoo, they are safely on their side of the moat, separated from me by figurative windows. I don't have to worry about them, because I've learned to treat most people like window dressing. (Ironically, dept. store manequins have always given me the willys)

I don't feel like this is much of a solution, but at least it's a better understanding of the problem. I'm unsettled both by my continuing problem with interacting with people, but also on my unconscious solution when dealing with people in general. Maybe most people do this too, but I feel like this is different somehow. I'll have to revisit this idea when I've had more time to think about it.
     

the wonders of cel phones Posted By: amr3573
Posted On: 04/24/2008
My hubby recently went away for a week, when he does this we usually send him video & pic messages by the miraclous cel phone! Well, this week at supper I couldn't take it anymore and recorded the sound of the open mouth chewing, attached it to a pic and titled it the Sounds of Supper. Needless to say, everyone who was around my husband when he got it were very quiet then uproared with laughter as they realized what they were listening to... now to capture the gas they both think is a riot!!!
Tags:  messaging
     

A growing boy Posted By: threeseedlings
Posted On: 04/24/2008
Yesterday while I was getting something out of the kitchen cupboard, Nick came up to me and asked me for a snack. It was close to dinner time, so I said no. "Oh, mama", he said with an upbeat urgency, "I'm a growing boy, I need a snack!" WOW- great words buddy!
     

The eternal optimist Posted By: threeseedlings
Posted On: 04/24/2008
I often describe Nick as the eternal optimist. Even when he knows that the answer will be no, he'll often ask anyway. "Can I have a cookie bar for breakfast?" to which I'll reply, "Do we eat cookies for breakfast?" "Noooo...." he'll say. Then he'll add cheerfully, "Maybe tomorrow". This is a mantra that we hear often.
     

Autism surrounded by misunderstanding-experts Posted By: 4muskateers
Posted On: 04/23/2008
Autism surrounded by misunderstanding-experts



Sunday, February 19, 2006
Autistics score big in St. Louis
Autism surrounded by misunderstanding-experts

It would seem that the title of this article is indicating that autism is surrounded by misunderstanding, according to experts. But sometimes it looks like autism is surrounded by experts ( as well as by misunderstanding) as in, "We got you surrounded, autism. Come out with your hands up!" Besides that, it seems that up until now the "experts" have done much to contribute to the misunderstanding of autism. Maybe the title should be read like this, "Autism is surrounded by misunderstanding 'experts'." This weekend in St. Louis, though, these experts got it right.


By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - People with autism are more intelligent and able to function better than previously believed, but mistrust of doctors, biased tests and the Internet have bred myths about the condition, experts said on Sunday.

At a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, researchers presented reports showing that even autistics who do not speak can have above-average intelligence. They also offered additional studies disputing claims that vaccines can cause autism.

"The current figures are that 75 percent of autistic people are mentally retarded, with the mute the most ... impaired," said Dr. Laurent Mottron, an autism researcher at Montreal's Hopital Riviere des Prairies.

But Mottron believes the wrong intelligence tests are used to assess autistic children. Many are tested using the Wechsler scale, a common IQ test that includes questions about words and concepts learned in school.

The Raven's Progressive Matrices test measures abstract reasoning and consistently gives autistic children higher scores, Mottron said.

The average boost in score is 30 points, Mottron said, enough to put someone previously considered mentally retarded into the normal range and the average to gifted status.

Mottron was so impressed by the abilities of one autistic student, Michelle Dawson, that he made her a co-author of some of his papers.

Autism is a term used to describe a broad range of symptoms, from an inability to use language normally, to exhibiting deeply disturbed and repetitive behaviors. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it affects anywhere between one in 500 and one in 166 children.

Morton Gernsbacher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison questioned a common idea among autism researchers that autistic people lack a "theory of mind," which, among other things, gives an ability to empathize with others.

Again, she said, the wrong tests are used to assess this ability.

NO AUTISM EPIDEMIC?

Dr. Judith Grether, a California epidemiologist, said she questions the idea that there is a new autism epidemic.

She said it is impossible to find out how many cases of autism there were in the past, because many people with autism were often diagnosed as retarded, or never diagnosed. Without that information, it is impossible to say if the number of cases has grown, she said.

"We have to do the studies to find the answers," she said.

Grether said researchers in California have begun taking prenatal blood samples from pregnant women and will look for clues when and if some of their children are diagnosed with autism. They are examining hormones, heavy metals, immune system proteins and other factors.

The studies found no link with vaccines, said Dr. Irving Gottesman, a psychiatrist at the University of Minnesota, but said the CDC has initiated four new studies "to tie up the loose ends."

New studies are focusing on genetic susceptibilities.

Gottesman said the studies may help ease the fears of parents that a vaccine-autism link has been covered up.

But he said scientists are battling a plethora of Internet Web sites devoted to the idea that mercury causes autism like [...] safeminds.org.

Gernsbacher, the mother of a child with autism, said some parents may join these lobbying groups over the advice of doctors because they get "pat answers" to initial concerns about their children. Many may have been told that boys develop later than girls, for instance.

"The mistrust (of government-funded studies and of their pediatricians) may have arisen from those kind of experiences," she said.

© Reuters 2006.


This is not a real figure from the Raven's Progressive Matrices referred to by Mottron in the article, but is vaguely similar. The RPM are always solvable in the horizontal as well as vertical direction, this one seems to be a set of 3 sort of related problems that are solvable only in horizontal rows. The RPM gives 8 choices to choose from. Thank you, Michelle for telling us that in one of the comment sections of the Diva Blog.

Referring to Michelle Dawson as "one autistic student" is kind of misleading. As far as Autism Diva knows Mottron brought Michelle Dawson on board his research group as a colleague and researcher, but Dawson wasn't strictly a "student" as in university or college student. Perhaps Michelle Dawson will correct that if Autism Diva has it wrong. Michelle Dawson was the second name on the paper presented by Mottron at that meeting in St. Louis.
       



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