AGE OF AUTISM

Olmsted on Autism: The China Syndrome

By Dan Olmsted, WASHINGTON, Aug. 30

In my first column for Rescue Post, I wrote about the irony that America sends mercury-laced childhood vaccines to China, and China sends lead-toxic toys to the USA -- an "instant karma" lesson that heavy metals are unsafe for children anywhere on the planet.

This week I was reminded that China is zapping us with mercury, too -- and it could be a key factor in the relentless rise in autism rates here. On Sunday, The New York Times began a series on pollution in China and how it is devastating that country even as it fuels an unprecedented "economic miracle." The fuel, literally, is coal, and mercury is a toxic byproduct when it's burned.

How much coal? Oh, brother.

IOM and a Three Letter Word

By Kelli Ann Davis

"But" 

At first glance, not really an impressive word and definitely not one I thought much about…at least, not in my spare time - and as a mother of a child with autism, I can tell you “spare” as in money, time, hands, is not a reality in my neck of the woods - not, that is, until I realized just how much of a wallop this tiny, 3 letter word had when placed strategically within the confines of a news story.

And that "eureka" moment - the one where my spare time became consumed by that pesky, 3 letter word - occurred about two years ago…shortly after the Institute of Medicine (IOM) – IOM, another 3 letter word that used up my spare time - released its official "findings" in regards to the possible link between autism and vaccines.

Champagne Wishes and IEP Dreams

By Kim Stagliano

It's back to school time! I don't know about you, but I have the bottle of bubbly chillin' in the fridge and when the school bus chugs away, so will I. 

2007, Professor, "There Is No Cure For Autism"

"There's no cure for autism, and many parents are willing to believe anything if they come to think it could help their child."  James Mulick, Professor, Ohio State University

This is what you're up against when you get an autism diagnosis. People in charge of major national programs who believe and TEACH that if you have a child with autism, throw in the towel, toss your hopes in the trash, call the local group home and book your kid's reservation now. This guy also wrote a book about it.

This is also why Rescue Post exists.  Read more below.

KNBC LA Shows Autism & Recovered Child on Air

KNBC Los Angeles aired this piece on the vaccine/autism connection.  Local TV seems to have more chutzpah than its national counterpart.  This segment is a nice change from the company line so often spoken, "There is no autism epidemic and if there was there's nothing you can do about it since it's all genetic and there's no hope or cure for autism anyway."

Here, watch some TV.

Dr. Jayne Donegan Cleared of Misconduct in UK

Dr. Donegan was called as an expert witness in a vaccine injury case in the UK. This announcement was on her website this morning:

Dr Jayne Donegan MBBS DRCOG DCH DFFP MRCGP MFHom

August 24 2007 - Statement from Dr Jayne L M Donegan, who was today cleared of serious professional misconduct by the General Medical Council.

Hello, Detox. How’s it going?

By Cathy Jameson

I check my favorite Yahoo Message Group--ChelatingKids2 (CK2)--daily which really means almost hourly.  I leave the web window opened all day and refresh the page frequently.  As soon as I can break away from my chores and kids, I link to the outside world. By the end of one day, I may have checked the board up to seven times to read as many as 80 messages. The Old Timers have subscribed to the group eons ago and are years ahead of Ronan’s recovery.  Parents like me are on the board doing biomedical intervention for 2-3 years, but we still feel like Newbies absorbing every single message. Then there are the New Newbies who have joined only weeks ago.  It’s sad to read their messages because their stories remind me so much of my own.  I want to cry every time I see and “Hi, I’m new here; I need help.”  The New Newbies are immediately welcomed and find themselves quite at home researching with the rest of us. 

Thank You JAMA, HPV Vaccine Warning

The FDA and Merck are conducting clinical trials on your daughters with the new HPV vaccine. Your pediatrician is lying if he/she tells you it's safe and fully tested for your 11 eleven year old daughter.   If he hasn't done his homework, that shouldn't become your child's health problem.

Why did the FDA approve this vaccine for an age group on which it was not tested? Why is Merck pushing it for pre-teen girls? Have they learned nothing from the myriad drug recalls of late?

The AMA Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) warns Legislators about mandatory HPV vaccine:

JAMA excerpt: "However, the rush to make HPV vaccination mandatory in school-aged girls presents ethical concerns and is likely to be counterproductive."

Suzanne Wright Promised Autism Speaks will Study Mercury and Autism

By Kim Stagliano

This has been a difficult post for me to write. I have a two and a half minute video clip of Suzanne Wright making a serious promise at the end of this post.

I have no intention of embarrassing or disparaging Suzanne Wright, founder of Autism Speaks.  But she promised me, and hundreds of others, that Autism Speaks is going to study vaccines, mercury, Thimerosal and autism over a year ago. 

You'll need the latest version of Quicktime to run the clip. Download it free from www.apple.com/quicktime/player

Pediatric Specialist Doubts Mercury Link, One Doc Responds

When the Autism Omnibus trial ended, a pediatric specialist wrote an editorial for the Contra Costa Times in which he claimed, "The autism omnibus trial has ended not with a bang but a whimper. The trial, brought by 5,000 families seeking financial compensation because they believe that vaccines cause autism, showed the world what most of us in the medical community already know: There is no such link, nor has there ever been."

You can read his full editorial here.  If you can not open the link, you can try to paste this address into your browser:

http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_6487989?source=most_emailed

A doctor who was willing to stick her neck out (and we thank her) named Lynne Mielke responded with the following commentary.