http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science_news/pilot_trailblazer_rfas.php

Read a chemistry text book.

Better yet, read this.

http://xrl.in/578n

Pardon my crude analogy, but there's that old saying in politics that its better to have the malcontents and apostates inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in. Katie is asking us to stay inside the tent. That unity thing would be more workable if it weren't for the fact that the tent is on fire and all the AS leadership wants to do is tell us to cross our legs while they fund studies of smoke. If they want people to stay in the tent, then they'd better stop undercutting our message at every turn and start pointing their "fire hoses" in the right places. Nobody wants to stay in a tent where they're getting pissed on.

Dear Friends, While many of you think that we should not alienate Autism Speaks... How much longer are we to go on with that approach? While you're waiting sweetly for them to change their approach, let me tell you, their doctrine is being quietly spread by their missionaries.
I recently saw this first hand at a well funded, well attended workshop in which Geri Dawson( and many otherAmericans )got to fly in from the US and be a main speaker. Now this workshop was apparently paid for by some "Indo-American " group- which may just be your tax dollars at work. On the first page of their glossy pamphlet was the introductory letter by an Indian educationist, Mrs. Chona, Interestingly Mrs. Chona, who probably does not know a great deal about autism and even less about the science of autism, states twice that autism is "highly genetic". Now, I ask you, Who told her to write that?
This quite impressive workshop, held at one of our best Delhi venues, had young doctors and special educators from all around India. Most of the attendees were very young and no doubt came away with the impression that the speakers at the workshop knew absolutely everything there is to know about autism. In reality, all they got was the EARLY DIAGNOSIS /EARLY INTERVENTION catechism. I'd be willing to bet that the word "environment" was never uttered.
I also took note of how quickly I was thrown out when I tried to distribute my own literature. But that was OK because most of the attendees had to rush past me to get to the toilet;I soon gave out my literature and ran short , but to be honest, most of the attendees were so young ;Its doubtful that I had much impact.
So I ask you now : If Autism Speaks is doing this around the world, are you not dealing with a wolf in sheep's clothing?
A wolf who either does not know or does not want to know that Indian mothers are injected with high mercury tetanus toxoids several times during pregnancy and little babies can be given up to 62mcg ethylmercury at a time during a "well baby visit" and may get up to 9 mercury doses by age three and a half months?
And this year, even our Indian media seems to have tired of autism. World Autism Day didnt seem to get much coverage , despite the rise in autism post year 2000.

@Elucidatus - LOL

I have a thing for people who claim to be something I think they're not. Especially when good people fall for it. So far I just see AOA and Taca(Lisa) supporting her here, but I know these people are much smarter than I am about these things so I'll let that alone. There must be a reason for it I don't understand, and probably never will.

What truly bothers me is the parents supporting her.(Katie) What infuriates me even more are the parents who STILL support Autism Speaks as if they are the ONLY organization out there.

I've been doing a lot of research into autism organizations lately and every time I come back to one. The National Autism Association. I have yet to understand WHY this organization doesn't get more support. Yes, Autism Speaks is "bigger". So what? They will ALWAYS be the biggest if folks continue to support them.

To be clear about Autism Speaks. They spend the bulk of their funds on research that nobody in my circle agrees with. That cuts them down to size real quick. Then you take out their millions in expenses and salaries.

Autism Speaks is basically a 4 million dollar a year organization when it comes to the one thing they do right, awareness. The rest is the sweat of parents and volunteers.

A few walks, a useless 100 day kit, and a few colored bulbs do not an autism organization make.

Enough patting people on the back for "effort". This isn't kindergarten anymore. There are real things that need to be, and CAN BE DONE. If you're not doing them, or are not willing to lead others to do them, then kindly sit your blue ass down (Autism Speaks) and let an organization willing to drive take the lead.

I say that should be the NAA. Their website isn't as pretty as Autism Speaks. They don't spend thousands on software from Blackbaud to run their events. They don't have the power to change the lights on buildings. They don't have a walk in every major city.

What they do have is an admirably history, the right mission, great money management, and a whole lot more "heart". "Heart" is something Autism Speaks NEVER had, probably because THAT is not something that money can buy.

Yet, people would rather try to get a leopard to change its spots instead. Newsflash people. You can't get an organization that is basically RUN BY DOCTORS to spend money on something that the medical community as a whole disagrees with. Mainstream doctors at this level are nothing more than shills and pimps for the pharmaceutical companies. Geri Dawson and the rest of the Autism Creeps prove that to me with almost every communication that oozes from their high priced Park Avenue halls. The Wrights? The Wrights are a bad joke. Soulless people who would trade all of society for their own personal wealth. They are not going to do ANYTHING that might jeopardize their quality of life, period.

DON'T be a victim of your own optimism. Step back, and look at this objectively. Things are the way they are at Autism Speaks, and even though you might get some token gestures, they are not about to truly change.

I'm with Donna K. 100%.

I only add, push too hard and we're in big trouble - what if Mr. & Mrs. Wright decide to enjoy their well deserved retirement? They didn't sign on for this scorn. I wouldn't blame them - but would be devastated if they left.

Obviously, there is a war at hand (or the Allison Singer, London, Offit evilness wouldn't exist - Autism Science Foundation).

We desperately need the Wrights - do not push them into a corner. Please.

Nancy, what are we going to tell Mark Roithmayr that we haven't been telling him for the past 3 years? That we really mean it this time?http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/02/bernie-vs-bryna.html

He's probably still mad we made a fuss about his $57,000 private jet back in 2006.

Medical science knows how to recover children from autism, for heaven's sake. $57,000 could possibly recover a 3-year-old human being from autism... or several human beings. But Autism Speaks isn't very curious about that. They have to be dragged to a DAN conference and would rather spend our money on more genetic studies and the occasional private jet.

When Roithmayr gets a rash of angry e-mails from parents, he probably just jokes to his secretary that the natives are restless again.

Hi Katie:

I think that your parents are terrific, but sort of in the east coast privileged way of terrific people in the special education community.

I live in a very wealthy east coast town, so I am familiar with this "be assertive but maintain good relations" phenomenon that is so common here.

My town has many kids with autism, with wealthy parents who refuse to sue the school district, are getting subpar services (to be charitable), and think the solution is to form committees, take local district officials to nice, polite lunches where they softly advocate for better services, and put up cute bulletin boards in the school every April that talk about autism awareness with lots of yellow smiley faces. Keep it happy!!

Most of these parents have kids that are not doing well...at all. The parents end up in the office of the local shrink, who tries to nudge them out of their depression with suggestions to accept their reality and focus on themselves more--maybe train for a marathon or take some girlfriends to ski-racing camp in Aspen.

All these parents wonder how on earth I was able to obtain such high quality services for my child and how on earth he has managed to make such fantastic progress. They ask me, and I tell them, but they still won't do it.

What I did was to figure out exactly what my child needed and then I did anything and everything I had to do in order to get it-myself. This included suing the school district, formerly threatening 2 additional suits, quitting my very fancy job, finding pretty much every single therapist myself both for early intervention and my district and training and totally micromanaging my son's programming for the past 8 years, doing a lot of the therapy myself, spending our entire nest egg, begging family members for money, losing almost all my friends, having my husband pass on promotions that would have required moving, etc.,etc., you know the drill.

Whenever I ran into a brick wall, which seemed like a weekly occurrence, I either FORCED someone to break down that wall, or more often, I CRASHED IT DOWN MYSELF. I played nice until the walls went up, then I got out the pick ax. ALWAYS. I did not try to endlessly negotiate with people who were never, ever going to do the right thing.

Something is just wrong about this whole AS thing. Your parents founded it, but created some sort of organizational structure that gave away way too much control. Bill Gates has a foundation, Michael Miliken has a foundation, as do many others--and they move every chess piece themselves. It can be done. You can create a foundation you effectively control.

It is time for your parents to admit that strategic mistakes were made at the outset and that polite advocacy efforts, a change in the political climate of the scientific world, and/or time will not work to effectuate change and make AS into the organization they envisioned. It is time for them to take matters into their own hands like so many of us have.

Because my school school district was so incompetent, I wrote every IEP myself, every word of it, beginning to end. Instead of fighting over the language they wrote, I ripped up their drafts and set the agenda myself with MY WORDS. When my local physicians were worthless, I pulled every string I had with the physicians in my own family to get my son the care he needed, including flying him all over the country--I did not bang my head against the wall trying to convince the local doctors to change their opinions.

Your parents need to not only form a foundation, but do the work (with you, with us). They need to find the researchers they like and fund the research they deem to have value. Don't CONVINCE SOMEONE ELSE, do it THEMSELVES. They can write the marching orders for Roithmayr and Dawson, and if they won't step in line, your parents can take their money, connections and influence elsewhere.

They need to seize control, somehow, some way. It is time.

To Nonny Mouse:
Fragile X Syndrome is NOT caused by vaccine damage. It is the most common known cause for mental disability (mental retardation). It is also the most common known single gene cause of autism. The "x" refers to the "x" chromosome of which males have only one. Girls have 2 "x" chromosomes and therefore their symptoms are not as severe as the males.
And yes, there are plenty of institutions that reserach this area. The Kennedy Family has sunk a fortune into various agencies,two of which are Waisman Center at the Univ of Wisconsin, Madison and Vanderbelt University. There is also the MIND Institute at UCDavis and I think this institution has been castegated here on this blog.

And yes there are drug companies working on cures for this condition. Check out websites for Seaside Therapuetics and aFraxis Drug Company in San Diego. These companies have made it their sole purpose to find a cure for this condition, which research has implications for other conditions, including autism.

I have 2 grandchildren with Fragile X, one of which also suffers from autism. I was happy to benefit from genetic testing for a myriad of conditions, my son not being satisfied with the autism diagnosis or some spectrum diagnosis. The results of these tests have implications for families and affect generations. Some families finally getting a diagnosis of Fragile X can stop the madness and have others tested for carriers and stop it dead to go no further.

I simply don't believe someone quoted here that most diagnosed with autism are tested for Fragile X because that is the only thing doctors know to test for. When tested for Fragile X it goes together with a full spectrum of other tests to rule out other genetic conditions.

I am not saying that I feel that vaccines do or don't cause anything, but unless you widen your horizons and look at all angles, and you have persons such as Nooony Mouse and K. Fuller speaking of things of which they know nothing, your cause will continue to be looked at with a jaundiced eye.

Look at the Vitamin D Theory of Autism!

If you are pregnant or have a toddler at the "age" it does no harm to supplement to healthy levels (year round- 50 ng/ml 25 OH D).

Are you someone who took the doctor's advice and covered your child with sunblocks- head to toe? The better educated one is the mroe they followed the directions...

Does anyone besides me and the AMA see the connection?

They made a boo-boo.

It does a world of harm to shield your self and your children from god intended (an evolutionarily demanded) sun.

Sun blocks and sun screens are not nearly as safe as anyone imagined. In fact there are several chemicals that ened to be researched and avoided. Add them to the "list".

Look at vitamin D defieicny for autism. After all...it causes EVRYTHING else!

Katie,
Although you've been critical of AS before, calling for the resignation of the Autism Speaks Scientific Advisory Committee is a bold move, and one you should back up with further action if AS does not show clear signs of moving in the right direction.

AS' revenues have skyrocketed. And all those millions of dollars stem from your family starting an organization in your child's honor. If that organization is not living up to your family's vision, and most important, YOUR vision, then sever ties. Put your name behind a consortium of great autism organizations that fundraise to prevent autism and treat autism, not just drive dollars in the name of autism.

There is too much at stake to allow AS to continue on its current path. Think of all the cases of autism that could have been prevented if AS had just alerted families not to vaccinate while a child is sick. But even that small act, they're not capable of. How could they possibly put a dent in the autism epidemic?

Forgive me, but I don't understand what's so terrific about the work AS does. They're diverting money away from stopping what caused your own son's autism. What could be less terrific than that?

As "A mom" said, "This holocaust against our children is nothing to be diplomatic about anymore."

You're young and smart and one of the best fighters in the autism community. You don't have to settle for pleading with reluctant bureaucrats at AS. You would make headlines by starting a new organization and you'd have thousands of parents behind you.

This would not be an act of disloyalty to your parents (who do not support AS' current science initiatives), but an act of supreme loyalty to your son.

Please think about it.

Of course Kennedy Kreiger gets a much of Autism Speaks' funding. Kennedy Kreiger merged with Marcus Institute. Marcus Institute was founded by Autism Speaks underwriter Bernie Marcus.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-78679305.html

What AL and DAN FAN said. Everything else is just whistling Dixie.

Bob and Suzanne, you need to put up or shut up. Stop asking your daughter to make apologies for your organization. Yes, I said 'yours', because you founded it and it is still seen by most people as yours and as receiving your support. If you've no control over where this ship is headed, you need to jump ship. Should have years ago, imo, but better late than never. That would send a message like just about nothing else. Course it would be better if you left the organization and that actually got some media coverage, but wth. It would still send quite a message.

As for everyone else who truly wants to make a difference – contact Toys R Us, TJ Maxx and Lindt, as well as everyone you know, and tell them the truth about AS. As for me, I take it a step further. I have tee shirts and bumper stickers that tell the truth about AS – but then, I've experienced their unscrupulousness first hand.

Nothing I've seen from the organization in the intervening few years leads to me to believe it's making any attempt to change.

Thank you so much, DAN FAN.

I will snail mail and email the sponsors that I am aware of.

To: "A mom"

You asked for a sample letter to Kids R Us and other sponsors. How's this? (Help needed with the list at the bottom.)

Gerald L. Storch
Chairman and CEO
Toys "R" Us, Inc.

Dear Mr. Storch
I am [connection to autism]and I am writing to thank you for your very generous support for the cause of autism -- $1.6 million during Autism Awareness Month alone plus millions more in past contributions.

Sadly, I am also writing to call your attention to concerns that a great many of us in the autism comunity have about the way your generous donations are being spent.

Your customers expect good value for their hard-earned dollars on goods they purchase from you as well as charities that you endorse. But good value is not what they are receiving for their contributions to Autism Speaks.

The founding family of Autism Speaks no longer stands behind the organization's major research initiatives. Katie Wright, mother of the severely-affected child for whom the organization was founded, has publicly called for the resignation of the organization's entire Scientific Advisory Committee.

In her words:
"The grants AS’ Scientific Advisory Committee have chosen to fund are alienating the community of families. Parents see the redundancy and waste in so many over financed genetic and behavioral projects at the expense of meaningful treatment, biomedical interventions and environmental causation research. Over and over and over again, when board members had the opportunity to fund an innovative researcher, someone outside the box, someone studying critical environmental factors, someone proposing biomedical treatments, they have chosen the same names and the same tired projects. This tiny review board is jeopardizing Autism Speaks’ relationship with the community of families, who have a right to expect better."

Autism Speaks draws money out of communities such as the ones where your stores are located, but these communities see insufficient return on their investments. Massive overhead, poor research funding decisions, ongoing disputes with local autism organizations about legislaton and no dollars earmarked for direct treatment of individuals with autism or respite care for parents and guardians, make Autism Speaks the wrong choice for your customers' donations.

In 2008, Autism Speaks spent roughly 27% of its revenue on compensation. For any nonprofit, that is high. For a nonprofit serving families who are burning through their retirement savings to pay the high costs of their childrens' disabilities, some families bankrupted by the costs, the high rate of compensation at Autism Speaks is unacceptable.

As for advocacy, Autism Speaks seldom speaks. The organization has not made a much needed public statement about the sole person representing autism who was recently nominated to the National Council on Disabilities. This individual opposes finding a cure for or even preventing autism. There are many other examples of Autism Speaks' silence on crucial issues.

We sincerely hope Autism Speaks will make some major changes. One in 110 children currently affected by autism are not receiving good value for the $66 million Autism Speaks received in revenues in 2008. Until changes take place at Autism Speaks, we call your attention to other autism organizations. These very well-run nonprofits operate on lean budgets, fund meaningful research and provide services that are beneficial to those affected by autism and their families.

Autism Society of America
Autism Research Institute
National Autism Association

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of those affected by autism.

Sincerely,

I recently read that the life expectancy for people with autism is 43.5 years.

And I also read (and heard Jamie Oliver repeat) that all kids now have a lower life expectancy than their parents - for the first time ever.

Our daughter tested negative for Rett's, Angelman's, Prader Willie, Fragile x and everything else her geneticist checked for.

Mercury toxicity? 10 times more than the median mercury toxic autistic patient in his practice.

Gluten and casein allergies, celiac disease? Negative also. But she is gluten and casein intolerant, as we found out after beginning the GFCF diet last year and reintroducing gluten and casein since them. Gluten -> seizures. Casein -> constipation.

I think that depleting their revenue will get their attention in a way that nothing else will.

And then just watch where "they" become employed next.

Ms. Mouse, I have thre GIRLS diagnosed. No Retts. No Fragile X. Tens of thousands in the most advanced genetics testing in existence on earth. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Does that mean there should be no genetics studies? No. But perhaps in 6 years of existence and the vast majority of the funding/donation money, AS could have accomplished something I can use for my children by now? I think so.

This morning on one of the talk shows they talked about Brain Aneurysms. Approximately 2,000,000 people in the United States have unruptured brain aneurysms. Women are more likely to get brain aneurysms than men, with a ratio of 3:2. Some of the major dangers of having an aneurysm is having a stroke or dying. Ruptures are usually very serious. Forty percent of people with ruptures will die within a year. 4 out of 7 people who recover from a ruptured brain aneurysm will have disabilities. Brain aneurysms are most prevalent in people ages 35 - 60, but can occur in children as well. The annual rate of rupture is approximately 8 per 100,000 people or about 25,000 people.

8 per 100,000 people. Roughly 1 per 10,000 people. Imagine if 20 years from now the number of those developing an aneurysm would be 1 in 110.

Would people be stuffing money in every geneticist's pocket to find THE gene causing this epidemic? Or would they be looking at environmental causes?

Yeah but aneurysms kill maybe 10,000 people a year. And Autism doesn't? Any statistics on the life span of someone with autism? Are adults with autism living to 75 years of age? Oh that's right no one knows where they are. Sure 10,000 die but roughly 9,000 out of the 25,000 with ruptured aneurysms have no problems. none. 4 out of 7 have no disabilities. Can we say that about autism? 4 out of every 7 kids diagnosed with autism are fine? Of course not.

Risk Factors that doctors and researchers believe contribute to the formation of brain aneurysms:
• Smoking
• Hypertension
• Congenital resulting from inborn abnormality in artery wall
• Drug use, particularly cocaine
• Infection
• Tumors
• Traumatic head injury
• Family history of brain aneurysms
• Other inherited disorders: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Polycystic Kidney Disease, and Marfan's Syndrome
• Presence of an arteriovenous malformation

Risk Factors that doctors and researchers believe contribute to the formation of Autism:

• Vinyl siding and flooring
• Old woman eggs
• Old man sperm
• Rainy weather
• Poor parenting
• Cold mother
• Genes
• Not vaccines

I guess the question is, do you believe it is possible to change the course of the S.S. Autism Speaks from within? And if the answer is no, or not for a very long time, then why not start funding researchers ourselves with direct contributions? Tell us about the researchers who got rejected for grants. Pick the best designed, most targeted studies. Tell us how much it would cost. The less time spent kvetching about AS, the more time we can spend undermining their authority!

I don't think we should harm the fundraising machine that has been established at AS--what we should do, as Katie is advocating, is change the dynamic/composition of its various committees. A huge part of the problem is most parents blindly support AS (and they blindly listen to their pediatricians and psyche docs, too). Educating everyone is impossible, cleaning house is not. The benefit is the lemmings won't even know the difference and will continue to support. Katie, what is the best way to effect change? Who do we send letters/e-mails to? When/how are theses folks appointed/elected? Always appreciate your posts!!!

Yes they do need to resign. But they won't just because we think they should. In fact, nothing at Autism Speaks will change as long as the money keeps rolling in.

Autism Speaks, but Money Speaks louder.

Toys R Us has raised $5.6 million for Autism Speaks. Here's the kind of financial pressure that might bring about change: A letter/e-mail writing campaign to corporate partners such as Kids R Us asking them to stop raising money for AS, and explaining why. If Kids R Us etc. continues soliciting donations for AS, then a second round of e-mails is in order, informing Kids R Us that we (and our extended family and friends) are no longer shopping there.

The entire autism community needs to join forces to financially pressure these corporate partners to cut ties with AS, and then MAYBE we'll see some action in science funding.

The only language Autism Speaks understands is Ka-ching. Everything else is PR and lip service to support its overhead, payroll and other financial obligations.

As much as I hate to say it, Suzanne Wright has become part of the lip service campaign to appease parents into thinking things will change. She needs to stop publicly representing AS if she has zero power in the policy department.

Here's how to reach Kids R Us:
http://www5.toysrus.com/guest/contUs.cfm

Bottom line - this debate will not be won by words, it can only be won by proving them wrong and that means doing the genetic tests, ruling out conditions such as Fragile X, Rett Sydrome, etc, and pariticipating in the studies such as the Simons Simplex Collection, AGRE and CHARGE.

Katie,

I can't deny that you are SAYING all the right stuff, but call me a terminal cynic. I'll believe it when daddy is the one saying it, and something is done about it. As it stands now, talk is cheap, but inaction is costing our kids big.

Do me a favor, print this out and deliver it to daddy.........

Hi Bob,

To put it bluntly, let's go, sh*t or get off the pot. Do ya hear me Bobby? Are you reading this? We're not trying to pass something through congress here. This shouldn't be that hard. I mean after all you were once a big wig media executive, right? You were the Chairman of the Board for NBC/Universal for crying out loud.

Do you mean to tell me that you can't handle a 5 year old non-profit? Is that why NBC always lagged behind ABC most of my life?

Either you never truly measured up to your resume, or you're just not walking the walk. Which is it?

I personally guarantee that Kim Stagliano will approve a post from you, Bob. Why don't you tell us about it? Why don't you tell us what is taking so long? Why don't you explain to all of these parents why you had enough influence to get Autism Speaks founded and off the ground, one of the hardest things to do, but you don't SEEM to have any control over it?

Then explain to them why, if you truly don't have any control over Autism Speaks, you haven't tried to help ARI or the NAA get some face time on NBC? Connections aren't what they used to be?

I'll sum it up for everyone reading this. Pharma ad dollars fund broadcast television in a big way. Old Bobby can't do anything for us because he knows that it would be career/social/political suicide for him, thanks to pharma influence. Isn't that right Bobby?

You can fool some of the people, all of the time, but not me, ever.

Consider this an open invitation. Either write something for us here, or give a call to Ed Arranga at Autism One. He's another one that I personally guarantee. He would definitely let you explain to a live audience at the Autism One conference next month, I have no doubt. If you can't make that, then there's always A1 Radio. Give a call to Curt Linderman. Oh he'd be more than happy to discuss this with you on his show, I'd bet on it. See that? We're just a phone call away Bobby. Try actually doing the right thing for once, rather than spending millions creating nothing but an image of it.

-AL

P.S. I don't care if you approve this comment, but somebody needs to say this to your dad. Enough is enough. He's starting to remind me of those three stooges in orange vests we all see standing on the side of the road staring a pothole like it's going to fill itself. Time to get moving!

So disappointing!!! I'd hoped that since some members of AS had attended a recent DAN conference, they would actually fund some meaningful, biomedical research for a change. Guess that was just wishful thinking. So sad, as Autism Speaks could be such a help to the autism community, given the money they have available. Right now, i just think they are pathetic.

While my child has FX without Autism, I find it ridiculous that no one in the Autism community is willing to look at genetics as a cause. Why is it so hard to say that it is genetic? Why aren't more of you testing for FX? I just saw a episode of "The Drs" and there was a family with 2 children with Autism, a boy and a girl. There is clearly a good reason for testing this family. There are more FX kids out there that are not being tested and the families will not know about it until the next generation is born with it as well.

I am not saying that there are not other causes for Autism, but even the FX foundation clearly states it is one of the KNOWN causes of Autism.

Don't dismiss our research then decide to benefit from it when it proves to help your child. They are funding this research because it is clearly showing progress and will ultimately help Autistic children as well as those with other syndromes and illness. If you want to hear about our research, go to our websites or even our conferences.

Be fully informed before you fight those that are trying to help.

Every year, for 10 years now, there has been a funding race in my area for AS. I stopped raising money for that race several years ago.

We all need to stop sending money to these guys until they get the message.

This should be our rally call:

THROW THE BUMS OUT!!!!
(or as Katie more articulately put it: the SAC needs to resign)

Anyway you slice it, they need to go. Now.

Genetics = prenatal testing.

Dear Katie

You are dead on , I have no problem stating that for the most part , that the medical research agenda over the last 10 years has been under the control of pharmaceutical interest.

It is also clear that those interest , are not in the best interest of our children in any form or fashion .

Until parents make an effort to break this research agenda , and start influencing the direction of new research , we will continue to see , what has been occuring over the last 10 year .

For the most the research funds that should been directed at improving the the physical and mental of our children , has been usurp towards research that have limitted use or would be considered dead end .

It is time to mobolise and start changing the agenda .

Pierre