AGE OF AUTISM

MN Somalis Are Now Aware Of Autism. But Still No WHY From Authorities.

By Kim Stagliano

From WQOW (cow?) in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A new report confirms that Somali children in Minneapolis are in autism programs at a higher rate than non-Somali children.

But a long-awaited report from the Minnesota Health Department doesn't speculate on why.

The study finds the percentage of Somali children in the Minneapolis district's autism programs is two to seven times higher than for non-Somali children. It was for children ages 3 to 4 for three years starting in 2005.

Some Somali parents have speculated that the higher autism rates were related to vaccines, lead exposure or vitamin D deficiency.

The New York Times reports the story too.

We can assume that the epidemiologists, in an intense and costly effort to solve the mystery, will scour Minnesota Public Television, probe the age of parents and determine that the Somali parents' stress levels are higher than the average Minnesotan without a child with autism in the next decade. Meanwhile, mind the killer pistachios, everyone.

Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism.

Dokedo Gluten Free Casein Free Play Putty is Great for Easter Baskets!

What is dokedo™ naturally scented play putty?

Dokedo™ naturally scented play putty is gluten free, casein free and naturally scented. It stretches, rolls, drips, bounces, breaks, twists, molds, textures, crackles, bubbles, bends, snaps and smells great! Dokedo™ is fun and relaxing for kids and adults.  Created by a Mom, and proceeds go to autism.
 
  Click HERE to order yours today!

Fossil Fool’s Day & Moving Beyond Coal in Colorado

Managing Editor's note: This is from our sponsor SafeMinds. Click HERE to see their flyer on coal plants.

Where: Heron Pond/North Side Park off 53rd Avenue and Franklin St (there’s a sign to turn off) in Denver
When: Wednesday April 1st, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Why: Because spending your lunch break to create a renewable future Beyond Coal will more than fill your appetite. 
Event Contact:  Rebecca Sobel at rsobel@wildearthguardians.org

What are you doing this April 1st for Fossil Fool's Day?  SafeMinds is joining forces with WildEarth Guardians, Clean Energy Action, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, local neighborhood associations and community members for a press event and rally in front of Cherokee Power Plant in bringing attention to the dangers of coal in our community and asking Governor Ritter and Xcel Energy to lead the way toward a fully renewable economy.   Armed with banners, pinwheels, and other props illustrating the call to action to move beyond fossil fuels, attendees will be sending a clear message to our leadership that “Coal Can’t Fool Us” and calling for a “Cleaner Colorado.”

Reminder: Comments Due 3/31 on National Vaccine Plan

Public comments are due on the draft National Vaccine Plan (NVP) by 5:00 pm EDT Tuesday, March 31.  The NVP is being developed by the National Vaccine Program Office of HHS and will guide U.S. vaccination activities for the next 10 years. The draft Plan fails on many points. To paraphrase Jenny McCarthy's slogan from the Green the Vaccines rally last June “Too many, too soon”, the Plan calls for “More, Sooner.” And rather than a “Safety First” approach, the Plan reflects the same “Safety Last” perspective of the existing global vaccine enterprise, giving far more weight to vaccine development and promotion than to safety considerations.

The call for public comment is by far the most important opportunity for public participation in setting vaccine policy in over a decade.  Electronic comments should be submitted to NVPComments@hhs.gov.  The Federal Register notice contains a snail mail address.  The notice (HERE) seeking comments was published in the Federal Register on January 14. 

This opportunity for public input is part of a major federal effort to re-examine vaccine policy caused in part by declining public confidence in vaccines, increasing mistrust and skepticism of CDC research and oversight, increased use of exemptions and “alternative” schedules, concerns raised by pediatricians reflecting significantly increased parental uncertainty about both the safety and benefits of vaccines, and recent public actions such as Jenny McCarthy’s/Jim Carey’s Green the Vaccines rally at the Capitol last June, calls by prominent scientists such as Bernadine Healy for improved safety science especially with respect to autism, and the Government’s concession in February, 2008, in the Poling case that vaccines can cause autism.

A sample draft letter to submit for comment is provided below, which you can cut and paste into your own comment and modify or personalize as desired.  We cannot overstate the importance of broad participation.  These comments should guide development and implementation of the Plan and make a record for Congressional and media oversight of what the public wants and expects for future vaccination activities.

Sample draft comment letter:

New (And Improved?) IOM Panel to Convene on Vaccines

Editor’s note: The IOM is at it again. Julie Obradovic raises some important questions below about the role and accountability of one IOM staffer who has worked on previous vaccine safety reviews, reviews that have shown a greater concern for politics than the truth. (Dr. Stratton:...The point of no return, the line we will not cross in public policy is pull the vaccine, change the schedule. We could say it is time to revisit this, but we would never recommend that level. Even recommending research is recommendations for policy. We wouldn't say compensate, we wouldn't say pull the vaccine, we wouldn't say stop the program (p.74).)
Although it has branded itself as a kind of “science court” for controversial issues, the IOM’s performance as a trustworthy tribunal has been poor: when the rules of jurisprudence are unlikely to lead to the outcome the sponsors and the staffers have been looking for, the IOM changed the rules instead of taking the heat. In October 2006, a few members of the autism community met with IOM President Harvey Fineberg to share a blistering critique. A short version of the materials we presented is (HERE) and a longer version (HERE). Mark Blaxill

By Julie Obradovic
 
A New IOM Panel
 
On March 20, 2009 the Institute of Medicine officially notified the public of the provisional appointment of a new IOM Committee related to vaccines. The committee was contracted by HRSA to review epidemiological, clinical and biological evidence regarding adverse health events associated with specific vaccines covered by VICP (Vaccine Injury Compensation Program). Vaccines to be reviewed include Varicella Zoster, Influenza, Hepatitis B, and HPV; additional vaccines could be added to the review if more funding is secured.
 
The committee will author a consensus report with conclusions on the evidence bearing on causality and the evidence regarding the biological mechanisms that underlie specific theories for how a specific vaccine is related to a specific adverse event. The provisional appointments to the IOM's new Committee to Review Adverse Events to Vaccination have been posted on the Current Project System on the National Academies Website. There is a 20 day period for formal public comment beginning the day of this notice.
 
The project will be directed by Dr. Kathleen Stratton.
 
Who is Dr. Stratton?
 
If Dr. Stratton's name looks familiar it is because this is not the first time she has served on an IOM committee regarding vaccines.  In fact, Dr. Stratton has served on several IOM panels, most famously perhaps as project director for the panel that reviewed the role of Vaccines in Autism (2004). In this instance the panel she directed came to the conclusion the evidence favored rejection of a causal relationship; even more, her committee went so far as to suggest further study of the relationship wasn't warranted.

Hope for Autism Training Conference & 2009 Int'l Vaccine Risk Symposium

Managing Editor's Note: David Kirby and Dr. Mayer Eisenstein ("Holistic MD Has 30,000 Patients – Zero With ASD, All Unvaccinated”) are featured presenters at this conference in Charleston, SC.  Visit www.hopeforautism.us to learn more!

Hope for Autism Training Conference &
2009 International Vaccine Risk Symposium
Developed for Patients, Families and Practitioners

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 15 - 17, 2009
Registration / Exhibits Begin at 7:00 am

The Charleston Marriott Hotel
170 Lockwood Boulevard
Charleston, South Carolina 29403 US
 
This exciting, two day conference offers something for everyone. 

Mom with Autism Talks About Sky Walker Matricide Case

Managing Editor's Note: I received an email from Sondra Williams, author of "Reflections of Self," (HERE) last weekend. Sondra is an adult with autism. And a Mom. She writes eloquently about the Sky Walker matricide case (HERE) in Ohio. Thank you, Sondra, for sharing your thoughts with our readers.  Kim

By Sondra Williams

My name is of Sondra an adult with autism spectrum disorder. I to have of more of an HFA presentation as adult but not as a child.  I to be of live in Ohio and my question is of is it possible after the trials things that one can pursue a legal action against the state because of their lack of systems that failed him and created this ugly outcomes for him.  And use of the settlement money if any be awarded to open a new facility that is of a residential facility for those with autism who are of aggressive and escalate to such levels for the safe of their own being and others.  And once that is of in place have him moved to that facility.  And even name it after hims mother.  The state failed of this family and he is of one of our most vulnerable and is of punished for their lack of direct care to him when he has needed it yeara ago but could not obtain it?  They failed him and point the blame to him. Sick world we live in. 

Barb Loe Fisher and Deirdre Imus in CT April 1: Vaccines You Do Call the Shots

Managing Editor's  Note:  I'll be at this event and hope to meet lots of Age of Autism readers.  Barbara Loe Fisher, Deirdre Imus, Dr. Nancy O'Hara and Brian Henninger, ND will be presenting. Kim

Every day, NVIC is contacted by parents looking for information about vaccination and searching for compassionate, enlightened doctors who will work with them and treat the informed vaccine choices they make with understanding and respect. What educated parents want most is to be able to have a calm, rational discussion about wellness and vaccination with doctors who acknowledge biodiversity, the need to move away from one-size-fits-all vaccine policies, and the importance of embracing the informed consent ethic.

These issues and more will be explored at a panel discussion entitled "Vaccines: You Do Call the Shots - Taking Charge of Your Family's Health Care" next Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at 11 a.m. at the Continental Manor, 112 Main St. in Norwalk, CT.

The Big Fart

By Kent Heckenlively, Esq.

Linda and I decided we needed to get out and see our friends.  Maybe some of you have gone through similar instances where you felt as if your child’s autism has walled you off from the people you enjoyed so much in the past.

There was the cost of a baby-sitter which we couldn’t really afford, but visions of Jack Nicholson in “The Shining” (All work and no play make Jack a dull boy!) rampages went through my mind.

HuffPo: "Why I Can Never Die. Autism and Aging"

If you have a moment, HERE is my latest post at HuffPo titled, Why I Can Never Die: Autism and Aging that is relevant in light of the recent Salon post on the woman who refers to the "monster" inside her son and the Sky Walker matricide case in Ohio.

I'd appreciate if you'd comment at HuffPo. Thanks. KIM