David Kirby on HuffPo: IACC Recommends Millions to Study Autism Causes
(Someone please send some aspirin to Dr. Offit, Alison Singer and Dr. Andy Shih, won't you?)
By David Kirby
The Inter-Agency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has voted to recommend earmarking millions of dollars in research funds from the Combating Autism Act of 2006 to study the possible role of vaccines in the causation of autism.
The panel also proposed spending an additional $75 million to study a wide variety of other environmental factors in autism, possibly including parental age, infections, heavy metals, neurotoxins, occupational exposures and "other biological agents."
The decision, made last month, received little or no attention in the media. The vaccine research provisions are now included in the official IACC Draft Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Research.
Click over to HuffPo to read the full piece HERE.
David Kirby is author of Evidence of Harm and contributor to Age of Autism.
I would like to add my Hooray, and a nod to Cherrie's comment on ASA. When my daughter was diagnosed as a toddler in the early 90s ASA was the only org that offered any beneficial info and support. They have paved the way for the org's that followed, like generation rescue, who provide support and info on bio treatments that few pediatricians will.
Those of us with teenagers and young adults are now on the verge of considering our children's transition options - which are not always pretty, affordable or close to the town we live in. Perhaps our next mission of creating acceptable community-based living will be of help, and we read HufPo and AOA with great enthusiasm as well!
Posted by: Tracy | January 06, 2009 at 03:15 PM
I am thrilleed to see this happen as we worked very hard to get the CAA passed despite the wrath of our friends who believed it would never be used to investigate any environmental causes or biomedical treatments.
As to the glacial pace of change at ASA, I have to say in defense of this organization ( who by the way have been working from the inside to make this happen, as well) that as a democratically elected board and membership driven organization, they don't have the luxury of smaller or individually driven organizations formed for this single purpose. Remember, we are a new generation of autism families and those families who broke the barriers that got us ABA and insurance coverage for OT and speech have been working with ASA on other issues for years, but this is just not their thing. Slowly the ASA is shifting leadership, but this will be done by elections over two-year terms- just ask Steven Edelson of ARI ( ASA Board member) Jeff Sell, Esq (ASA Staff, and former counsel in Vaccine Court), Martha Herbert ( ASA Panel of Professional Advisors and keynote speaker); so when people use these victories to take shots at the organization founded by my hero Bernie Rimland, I have to speak up. There are clearly better targets and we have more to gain by supporting and respecting each other than by sniping.
Posted by: Cherri | January 06, 2009 at 06:06 AM
Great news. Kudos to all those involved including Lyn.
Now... supervising these studies CLOSELY to make them unlocked and untied from big pharma would be a super big bonus!
Posted by: Lisa | January 06, 2009 at 12:45 AM
Wow!!!
Posted by: Twyla | January 06, 2009 at 12:45 AM
For those who think the issue is settled and all the science is in---
IT ISN'T!
Anne Dachel
Media editor
Posted by: Anne Dachel | January 06, 2009 at 12:45 AM
I've got something other than aspirin for those two - but it goes in the other end.
Posted by: Steve | January 05, 2009 at 09:20 PM
Don't forget Mark Blaxill and Shelly Hendrix who hung in there and told us not to abandon CAA when it didn't exactly look good.
And for the Imus and Wright families for using their star power to push it in Washington.
So good to see some of that money going into researching more than fruit flies!
Posted by: karenatlanta | January 05, 2009 at 09:19 PM
The nicest news I've heard all day.
Posted by: karenatlanta | January 05, 2009 at 09:19 PM
Bravo to Lyn Redwood for her persistence in making this funding a reality. She's been at the front lines of this struggle for years. These crucial research directives could have come faster if boulders weren't being thrown in the way, as has perversely been done by Autism Speaks. I hope that ASA will take note and quicken its glacial pace of incremental change.
Posted by: nhokkanen | January 05, 2009 at 09:05 PM
I think they may need more than an aspirin LOL!!!
Green Acres maybe??? :D
Another Brick [Comes Out] Of The Wall
David You ROCK!!! This is so damn encouraging and just the perfect fire to start 2009!
Posted by: Angela Warner | January 05, 2009 at 09:05 PM