By Katie Wright

Wednesday April 6 was World Autism Day at the United Nations. It was sponsored, incredibly, by the nation of Bangladesh. The United States was slow to commit to participating but in the end, thanks to the efforts Bob and Suzanne Wright, the US co-sponsored the conference.

Honestly, I was skeptical about the value of this event. Would it be a tedious discussion on whether or not the rise in ASD was real (yawn) or a celebration of autism as merely a difference, not a disability (crazy–making). I was pleasantly surprised this was not the case.

The daughter of Bangladesh’s prime minster, Dr. Wazed Hossain, a psychologist, spoke eloquently about the immediate educational and medical needs of ASD children throughout the world.  She emphasized the urgency in helping families now. Professor Hossain called upon the world’s presidents and prime ministers to get meaningfully involved in this issue. Dr. Geri Dawson of Autism Speaks was a very effective voice for our community. Dawson showed a gigantic graph illustrating the meteoric rise of ASD over the past 20 years and spoke about the reality of environmental agents as a major causative factor.

I sat there astonished that out of all the countries in the entire world Bangladesh was leading these efforts. Just incredible. Autism is probably the fastest growing and most expensive developmental disability in the world and only Bangladesh and the United States were willing to sponsor this event?

Thanks to the kindness of our colleagues at Holistic Health International, home of the Dr. Amy Yasko protocol, we have a new contest to share!  Holistic Health International is offering 10 additional AutismOne/Generation Rescue 2011 Dinner Gala & Awards Show tickets to new subscribers of Autism Science Digest who place a subscription order through April 30, 2011.  We will draw 10 names to receive a Gala ticket ($70 value) compliments of Dr. Amy.  This contest is retroactive to the first subscriber of Autism Science Digest.  Please read the wonderful article by Drs. Amy Yasko and Nancy Mullan in the April debut issue, "Methionine and Methylation: Chicken or the Egg."  Dr. Amy's seminar will be presented 1:45-6:00 on Saturday, May 28.  Please visit the HHI booth at the conference and Dr. Amy's website at www.holisticheal.com.  To subscribe, please visit Autism Science Digest.  One name will be drawn from among all Gala ticket winners for a $150 hotel credit toward the winner's hotel stay at the AutismOne/Generation Rescue 2011 Conference.  (Prizes are not transferrable for cash.)

 Subscribe and then dig in to the great articles and a delcious dinner! Good luck.

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

Congrats to our winners Sandy Lopriore, Sandra Neace and EW.  I've sent you an email, please respond with your address. Thanks.

EO wants to help you pamper yourself this autism action month. They offered us three gift baskets of their natural skin care products.  Can you smell the lavender already?

Their tagline? "Love Life. Live Clean." Visit the EO website  HERE to see their complete line of personal care, cleaning and pet care products.

THE CONTEST IS CLOSED.

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Full Committee meeting is taking placed NOW Monday, April 11, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET in Washington, DC. 

The meeting will be open to the public and pre-registration is recommended. Seating will be limited to the room capacity and seats will be on a first come, first served basis, with expedited check-in for those who are pre-registered.  The meeting will be remotely accessible by videocast  (http://videocast.nih.gov/) and conference call.  Members of the public who participate using the conference call phone number will be able to listen to the meeting, but will not be heard.

The agenda is posted at: http://iacc.hhs.gov/events/2011/full-committee-mtg-agenda-April11.shtml. 
 
Conference Call Access
USA/Canada Phone Number: 888-577-8995
Access code: 1991506
- Show quoted text -

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

Check out this great promotional offer from our friends at OurKidsASD.

• $15 off your next order with promo code ourkids15
• Promo code can only be used once
• Promotion expires in one month (May 8th)

Vitamins, foods, supplements, books, OurKidsASD is a one stop shop for ALL the favorite brands you know and trust. Order today at OurKidsASD.

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

By Cathy Jameson

Autism Awareness month will be half over this week. In those first two weeks of awareness, one of the biggest news stories about autism included tragedy: a three year old non-verbal child went missing in Canada. After a few days of searching for Adam to no avail, the young boy was presumed dead. Officials called off the search when it was apparent to them that a search and rescue would more likely be a search and recovery. Unfortunately, the search and recovery of the young child’s body was called off, too. (HERE)  Distraught parents were left to find their missing son on their own.  In the blink of an eye autism awareness turned into abandonment. 

Another child of the autism epidemic is missing--a little boy lost. Possibly lost forever.  Adam’s family is devastated while a community watches in shock.  A blanket of fear covers me with this story because my son has also wandered away from me. When Ronan has ducked out of sight I’ve felt those first few minutes of terrorizing agony. I wonder aloud, “He isn’t here anymore, is he?” Deciding which direction to go as I bolt out the door—is it to the left up the street or through my neighbor’s backyard to the fresh water lake—flood my thoughts.

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Full Committee meeting that will take place on Monday, April 11, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET in Washington, DC.  The meeting will feature special presentations and activities to celebrate HHS Autism Awareness Month.  According to IACC public member Lyn Redwood, Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic Engagement to the Senior Advisor, Executive Office of the President, Michael Strautmanis J.D. and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Anand Parekh, M.D. will both be addressing the committee  After their presentations there will be a brief time for questions and comments from the committee.  As a public member, Lyn has asked that families and individuals whose lives has been impacted by autism to please share with AOA  the most pressing question and concerns that you would like to ask the administration.  Lyn will do her best share these with Mr. Strautmanis and Dr. Parekh.  Please respond with your question in the comments section, including your name, city and state in the comment, as soon as possible to this request since only comments received today will be able to be included. Please try to be brief and keep all comments polite, as we may have visitors. Thank you.

The agenda is posted at: http://iacc.hhs.gov/events/2011/full-committee-mtg-agenda-April11.shtml.
 
Meeting location:
The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
The Polaris Room
Washington, DC 20004
 
The meeting will be open to the public and pre-registration is recommended. Seating will be limited to the room capacity and seats will be on a first come, first served basis, with expedited check-in for those who are pre-registered.  The meeting will be remotely accessible by videocast  (http://videocast.nih.gov/) and conference call.  Members of the public who participate using the conference call phone number will be able to listen to the meeting, but will not be heard.

Conference Call Access
USA/Canada Phone Number: 888-577-8995
Access code: 1991506
- Show quoted text -

 
Photo credit: Autumn Driscoll, CT Post newspaper

Managing Editor's Note: I posted my oral statement to the judge at the end of this post. That's me holding the 84 page petition (with a Bella on top), 1099 signatures and comments from around the world after the court decision. Thank you to everyone who signed. Guzman did receive penalties. She has two years probation, she lost her license to drive any vehicle for two years, must pay a $500 fine to an autism org (I've already recommended a local org to the State's attorney) perform 200 hours of community service and more - I'll need to read the transcript for final results. That said, at the end of the two years, if she meets the terms of her probation, she will have her record expunged and be able to apply for any job she wants. The article below is from The CT Post newspaper. Kim

By Daniel Tepfer
BRIDGEPORT -- Despite the angry objections by nearly a dozen Trumbull parents a state Superior Court judge granted a special probation program for a former Trumbull school bus driver accused of texting while driving a busload of special need children.

Evelyn Guzman, of Henry Avenue in Stratford, will not be allowed to drive for two years and was ordered by Judge Earl Richards to apologize to the parents in the courtroom Friday morning.

But Guzman later backtracked outside the courtroom, blaming the parents for her situation.

Guzman was charged in March with risk of injury to a minor and second-degree reckless endangerment by Trumbull police following a 10-month investigation.

Police said she sent and received a total of 1,068 text messages from April 6, 2010 to May 15, 2010.

The investigation began after an assault complaint was made against Guzman's daughter, 24-year-old Jennifer Davila, who was working as a bus monitor on Guzman's bus.

Davila was arrested in August for allegedly assaulting a 9-year-old autistic girl multiple times while the girl was riding on the bus. Davila's case is still pending, and she's scheduled to appear in court April 1. She was arrested in August for allegedly assaulting a 9-year-old autistic girl multiple times while she was on the bus....

Read the full story at CT Post.

My statement to the court:

Good morning, Your Honor. And thank you for this opportunity. My name is Kim Stagliano. My husband Mark and I have three daughters with autism. Our youngest Isabella rode Evelyn Guzman’s elementary school special education bus.  Last week, Ms. Guzman’s daughter Jennifer Davila pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine to second-degree reckless endangerment after having been arrested for assaulting Bella numerous times on the school bus. It was the video tape review for that case that lead Detective Kevin Hammel to discover Ms. Guzman’s continuous texting and lack of attention to the road. For our Bella, that bus was a rolling torture chamber.

In honor of Autism Awareness Month - April 2011

The Autism Trust USA

Warrior Parents of Dallas

& the National Autism Association of North Texas

Warmly Welcome:

Dr. Andrew Wakefield

&

Rupert Isaacson & Kristin Neff

For a FREE Presentation and Book Signing on

April 28th, 2011 at 7pm

Angelika Film Center

7205 Bishop Road, Suite E6, Plano, TX, 75024

 
Dear First Lady:

I wrote this post for HuffPo when your husband became our President. I hope it tells you what it feels like for those of us living with autism every day.  Blue lights and awareness are great for K-Mart sales. We need much more to support every American with autism, and with every "version" of autism.

Congrats to our winners Sandy Lopriore, Sandra Neace and EW.

EO wants to help you pamper yourself this autism action month. They offered us three gift baskets of their natural skin care products.  Can you smell the lavender already?

Their tagline? "Love Life. Live Clean."  Leave a comment to enter to win. Make sure to include your email address on the comment form email line so we can contact you. Thanks and good luck!

Visit the EO website  HERE to see their complete line of personal care, cleaning and pet care products.

THE CONTEST IS CLOSED.

By Kent Heckenlively, Esq.

Although I’ve been a science teacher for the past five years I find that when I’m confronted with new information I want to explain to people I fall back on the strategies I used during the fifteen years I was a lawyer. I hope you'll consider this article in that light, as essentially an opening statement.

I think it’s important to note I don’t refer to this as a closing argument. I consider this to be the beginning of a discussion, not the end.

In a typical opening statement a lawyer reviews the evidence, the theories which will be presented, but doesn’t go into exceptional detail to prove every single point. That’s what the trial is for. And so, while each one of the points I want to make could be abundantly expanded upon, my intention is to present a brief overview of the major issues regarding the potential importance of the XMRV retrovirus to autism.

As a reader I think you'll be impressed by the number of observations which can be explained as a consequence of XMRV infection.  Similarly, disturbing questions are raised about the role of vaccines in the spread of this retrovirus.  When our understanding of how XMRV disregulates the immune system is as complete as our understanding of how various toxins can cause similar disruptions we may be able to better help those children for whom recovery remains a distant mirage.

XMRV background - XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) was discovered in 2006 by scientists working at UCSF and the Cleveland Clinic in the tumors of men with aggressive prostate cancer.  It's important to understand the difference between a typical virus and a retrovirus like XMRV.  A typical virus enters a cell, hijacks the cellular machinery to make viral particles, then causes the cell to burst, spreading viral particles throughout the body.  A retrovirus enters a cell and inserts itself into the DNA of the host, often remaining dormant for years.  I've mentioned it before, but my daughter with autism/seizures, my wife with psoriasis, and my mother-in-law with celiac sprue have all tested positive for XMRV.  I have tested negative.

In 2009 XMRV was linked with chronic fatigue syndrome/ME. An abstract presented at a meeting in 2010 from a small group of children with autism found that 82% of the children tested positive for the XMRV retrovirus.

The scientists working on this research believe XMRV is stimulated by three things, and this is where it starts to become relevant to the autism community.

 
Managing Editor's Note: The headline does NOT contain a typo... Ginger Taylor wrote this post for her blog Adventures in Autism (excerpt below). Should parents have the right to know what is in their children's vaccinations, or should the government, AAP and pharma keep everyone in the dark?  Please click HERE to read the full post. I can't buy a scone at Starbucks in New York without having the calorie count glaring at me from a tag in the case - why would the government want to educate consuners in one area but not another?

"I'm  from the government and I'm here to help."

Ronald Reagan's "nine most terrifying words in the English language."

The state of Maine is considering, get this shocker, passing a law to prevent forced vaccination.

End of the world... I know.

So yesterday I hopped up to the state house when I heard that they were having debate on this bill. Turned out they were also considering a bill to, horror of all horrors... compel doctors to tell patients what is in a vaccine before administering it to them. I can almost hear the bodies dropping dead left and right as the pleague sweeps the nation because people know what is in a vaccine.

(BTW... if you are a Mainer, call your reps and senators and support these bills. Call the HHS committee and offer testimony.)

Of course the AMA, AAP, Insert alphabet soup Suits/hired guns lined up to tell us why these are horrible ideas, how vaccines are safe and magical and have saved the earth from falling into the sun and all sorts of the usual song and dance to prevent simply people from knowing what is in a vaccine and being able to say no.

The oddest thing to me is that they repeatedly, openly stated that they didn't want to tell people what is in a vaccine and give them a choice, because if they did, then more people would turn down vaccines. THEN they claimed to be for informed consent! I wanted to ask if they actually knew what informed consent was. Please click HERE to read the full post.

"The United States of Autism” weaves the tale of a broad spectrum of American life in all its faiths, disparities, colors, and cultures – and the story of one man’s 11,000 mile in 40 day journey across the American landscape to find answers for his family and son. What he learns along the way changes not only his life forever, but the lives of those he meets. It’s a story about the best days that still lie ahead for our nation, the families, and the People who give America its heart.

Led by with Director Richard Everts, the film’s crew of The Tommy Foundation traveled an amazing 10,970 miles filming interviews with 20 families in just 40 days.  All interviews were conducted and recorded in the families’ first languages, including English, Spanish, Korean, Arabic and Chinese – all sharing one dream, a better future.  Two families AofA readers are sure to know are the Wessels and the Rohdes. Click HERE to make a donation through Kickstarter and to learn more about this film.

 
By Adriana Gamondes

Read Part 1 HERE.

We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

What I mostly learned from advocacy for domestic violence survivors which applied to my children’s injuries was a partial answer to the haunting question: why us? I thought my husband and I had been good people and we’d even tried to help others. I didn’t drink or take drugs during pregnancy; I followed doctors’ orders, ate mostly organic, used only nontoxic household products, even “thought good thoughts”. Our children are everything to us. They weren’t born prematurely. They developed normally for a year. Then, moreover, why was virtually no one outside our family or outside the “movement” willing to effectively help our kids once they did become ill? They’re innocent; why them? Why anyone? 

Explanations of industrial greed, regulatory capture, government corruption, gene/environment interplay and toxic mechanisms aside, the general answer is A) because sometimes bad things happen to good people and, though there is often a reason for this, it’s mostly not a good reason and never a justification; and B) often few will help in the right way, in the way that is being asked for because many inactive or negative bystanders don’t believe that “A” is true. Not really, not in their heart of hearts. Instead they believe, mostly unconsciously, that bad things happen to bad people.

And that brings up the question: why Kitty Genovese? Why did her family and her girlfriend have to suffer loss?  In moving interviews, Kitty’s brother Vincent described decades of flashbacks and her partner, Mary Ann Zielonko, said, “I still have a lot of anger towards people because they could have saved her life…That’s the lesson to be learned from this: to really love each other— we have to— on this planet.”( HERE ). Kitty Genovese was, by all accounts, a vibrant and loving person.

The prevailing negative attitudes about rape victims and victims of domestic violence were similar at the time of Kitty Genovese’s murder, though if openly used as rationales for inaction, ignoring a stranger rape in progress would have been deemed more shameful, whereas refusing to “butt in on” a “lover’s quarrel” could be seen as a somewhat less shameful—even acceptable-- position. Never mind that parsing up varying degrees of “innocence” between categories of victims is a giveaway that dangerous discrimination is afoot, the fact that Genovese’s attacker was unknown to her might have mattered just enough to bystanders to have driven—if just barely— one more call to police. As I already mentioned, I tend to think that bystanders were being frank when they described the judgment call they made in place of calls to the police--- that many assumed the screams were from a domestic violence assault, a crime which is hundreds of times more common than stranger rape. Aside from the fact that police, again, are statistically most likely to be killed while interrupting a domestic violence incident and it’s a crime which is particularly unsafe for bystanders to intervene in, there are specific social assumptions about “inherent” traits that battered women supposedly possess which make them viewed as more or less dispensable if not “bad”.  

I believe the first part of the attack occurred because Kitty Genovese was a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time and evil exists. I believe the second, deadly part of the assault occurred because killer Winton Mosely—when he returned and saw that no help for his prey was at hand—  had been trained since birth to understand the dynamics of the situation and knew precisely how much screaming and pleas bystanders would “stand by for” before being moved to action. Kitty Genovese literally died of “second injuries”—those induced by a typically inadequate or punitive social response to certain types of crimes.

 It may not be happenstance that, just three years ago, Mosely explained to a parole board that his murderous compulsions resulted from growing up with domestic violence ( HERE). Sometimes an excuse and a reason are the same thing (i.e., “thimerosal is cheap”). From seeing his mother repeatedly battered and stalked by his father from infancy until the day Mosely went to jail for murder, Mosely would have known that, no matter how victims screamed, help was rarely or never forthcoming: he understood the nature of bystanders. Mosely did not get leniency by this admission and should not have. Another individual with the same background could have made the reverse choice. But the information might still provide insight into the dynamics of the event; that it was, in the final analysis, a “relationship crime”, defined by a psychological interaction between killer and bystanders which was far more complex than the interaction between killer and victim. Predicting what the victim would do was easy in comparison: when stabbed, she would fall and she would die.

We report this story as part of our "nightmares" category. As much as we all celebrate our children and their every success, the reality is that autism is a handicap, a life threatening handicap for many of our loved ones.  Maybe most of them. My girls would not know to leave the house in a fire. And I can picture two of them running back in for their lovies.  We extend our condolences to this family. Our family. The autism family.  KS

From Associated Press 

Man: Autistic son died after waking family to fire

The Associated Press BISBEE, Ariz. --

The father of a 12-year-old autistic boy says his son died in a fire at the family's mobile home in southern Arizona after the child appeared confused and ran back into the house.

The man, who has not been identified, says the boy woke him early Saturday to say there was smoke in the home in Bisbee, near the U.S. southern border. The man says his family got out of the home but that the boy ran back inside.

Cochise County authorities say the boy's body was found in his bedroom, partially under the bed.

Sheriff's officials say the home was fully engulfed by the time crews arrived. They say a man and a woman were outside at the time and told firefighters the boy was still inside.

Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/04/02/2958332/man-autistic-son-died-after-waking.html#ixzz1ImySynQh

By Kim Stagliano

Evelyn Guzman of Bridgeport, CT was arrested and charged with Risk of Injury to A child and Reckless Endangerment for  sending and receiving over 1000 texts while driving the special ed bus in Trumbull, CT. Age of Autism's Kim Stagliano's youngest daughter was on that bus. Guzman is seeking Accelerated Rehab - a program for first time offenders that gives two years' probation and then CLEARS THE RECORD. This story made the national news including MSNBC, HuffPo and  CBS News. (Her daughter was a bus monito and she pleaded guilty last week to charges of abusing my child on the same bus last Spring. It was during that investigation that the police saw the distracted driving on the bus videotapes.)

I created a  PETITION so that I can hand deliver your message to the judge this Friday morning. Guzman should not walk away without a record.  We have over 1000 signatures already, and I thank every one of you. Tell the judge "NO!" Thank you.

Please sign the PETITION, which I will share with the judge on 4/8.  You can reach me at KimStagliano@gmail. Please share with friends and family. Thank you. Bella's Mom.

Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism. Her book from Skyhorse Publishing, All I Can Handle I'm No Mother Teresa; A Life Raising Three Daughters with Autism is available now Visit her website at Kim Stagliano.

By Cathy Jameson

We’ve rounded the corner of another month-long Autism Awareness campaign.  I wrote about how we as a nation need more than just promote autism awareness in this piece a year ago (HERE).  Awareness is good. It’s fine actually. Awareness means having knowledge of, being conscious of, or being informed about a cause. More people outside of the autism community are probably aware that autism exists thanks to some of the many dollars spent on previous Autism Awareness campaigns. But, promoting just awareness doesn’t guarantee that those already living with autism will get the assistance they require. Autism Action just might, though.

Sometimes leaping into action is needed to solve a dilemma before it becomes a crisis. I have leapt into action for several reasons because of my son. I do this while putting on one of the many hats I wear as Ronan’s parent. Even though I’ve never had professional training in the following roles, I’ve had to act as a medical researcher, nurse, doctor, insurance and billing specialist, legal advisor, special education instructor and disability advocate for Ronan. I’ve discovered that I am able to step up for Ronan. Being confident to do that gives me a chance to fix problems before they affect him negatively or disrupt other aspects of our family’s lives. I discover that I have to do something, and so I am forced to act. Thankfully, I have not only grown used to being very pro-active, but I have grown stronger while doing so.

Not everyone sees me as stronger though. Some people cringe as I walk through their doors.  When that happens, I’d like to tell that Someone:  I am not a problem parent. I am an advocate turned activist because of my child.  I don’t know everything there is to know about autism, vaccine injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, specific therapies, special education or disability rights. But, since I don’t know everything I will try to understand as much as I can to help my child. In order to understand his complex needs I must ask questions.  If my endless questioning becomes annoying to the Someone who holds the answers, my pursuit to get those answers will be even greater.  Because I have experienced those who have withheld information, denied rights and have been evasive or downright lazy, I will spring into action mode.  This isn’t a warning but a fact of my life because of my son’s life.

I have come to appreciate the saying, “Actions speak louder than words” because of how rewarding it is to work on behalf of my child.  Those in the autism daily grind might be tired from all the work they must do, but over time they accept the fact that it does take extra work and extra time to parent their child.  This might include ensuring their child is safe and cared for, that they are appropriately educated, that they are properly treated medically or that they are simply acknowledged by those around them.  Sounds easy, right? Most days it is.

On days that aren’t so easy an everyday autism warrior parent instantly turn into a superhero. They leap into action while seeking truth and justice while negative parts of autism try to get in the way.  When I experience those types of days, and before I can find my own superhero cape, I feel like I’m on a constant high alert. Devastating things have happened to us because of Ronan’s condition, behaviors, sicknesses and more. I watch and wait for something to go wrong. That doesn’t always happen; but if I’m not prepared at the ready for Ronan, precious time and resources could be wasted and even be forgotten. 

...and…ACTION!

A Thin Place A novel by Jack Peterson

Purchase this fascinating novel, that tells a story you are all  familiar with, and  a portion of the proceeds will benefit SafeMinds.  Click here to purchase.

While witnessing unprecedented increases in autism among young children, an internationally revered medical doctor finds his retirement troublesome. Dr. Jeremiah Trent is convinced that a mercury-based vaccine preservative, similar to one he helped create while a young university chemist, could be the catalyst behind a rampantly spreading malady that had no recorded history before 1945. 

Trent moves forward quickly, forming an unlikely alliance with irascible former U.S. Congressman Samuel L. Crockett who has an autistic grandson. Together, they unearth hidden agendas in the nation's capital that they are convinced are being orchestrated by outsiders seeking profits before safety. When Trent uncovers an incriminating internal drug company memo that supports his theory, his unsolved murder forces Crockett to turn to his daughter Elena, an attorney and the mother of his autistic grandson, to help him find the missing memo and finish what Trent started.

As Elena develops a national grassroots autism awareness campaign, fueled in part by the heartwarming story of a young autistic savant with da Vinci-like skills, she witnesses a groundswell of support across the nation as her father continues his battles with the federal bureaucracy. With hidden barriers and roadblocks at every turn, father and daughter use the persistent setbacks as added fuel to continue their quest, battling inch by inch across a perpetual sea of heartbreak toward the bridge of justice. The world's children are waiting on the other side. 

Attention Texas Warriors! Get ready for the best date night all year. . . or girls night out.! Jenny McCarthy has agreed to be our special guest for the Dallas Rocks Against Autism benefit on April 9th.  Dallas Rocks Against Autism is a fundraising event to be held at 2616 Commerce Place, Dallas, Texas, on April 9, 2011 from 8 p.m. until midnight. Tickets are $25 each and are tax deductible. Beneficiaries of the net proceeds of this event are The Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy (EBCALA.org), BRAINS FOR AUTISM (Brainsforautism.com) a foundation which funds autism research at UT Southwestern Hospital, and The Warrior Parents of Dallas Benevolent Fund (to enable local low income families to receive autism treatments/services). The evening will feature awesome classic rock entertainment from 2 bands - OSAGE and THE COMPULSIVE JAM BAND. Catering will be provided by Chef Douglas Brown, voted best caterer by D Magazine for 2010. There will be raffle items and a live auction, plus the comedy of David Jessup. Cash bar. You will not want to miss this exciting evening of food, drink, dancing and fellowship for great organizations to help individuals affected by autism related disorders.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Please contact Mary at [email protected] with any questions.

By Anne Dachel

At noon on Tuesday, March 22, I went online for “an hour-long chat about vaccines, vaccine safety, the anti-vaccine movement and vaccine injury, with the Tribune's health reporter Trine Tsouderos and panelist Dr. Paul Offit.”

Here’s how Offit was described:

“Dr. Offit, a pediatrician, is the co-inventor of the RotaTeq rotavirus vaccine, chief of the division of infectious diseases at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of the new book, ‘Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All.’ Offit is an expert on vaccines and the anti-vaccine movement. He has written widely about the science behind them in both books, the popular press and medical journals, debunking common myths about these ubiquitous medical interventions.”

 (The online chat was done with typed comments from participants that appeared on the screen and several minutes later there’d be a typed response from Offit or Tsouderos.  You can read what was said here: http://www.latimes.com/health/ct-health-chat-vaccines,0,7963322.htmlstory)
 
I’ve noticed that whenever Offit gets the floor to talk about vaccine safety, there’s never a problem with vaccines and there’s never a real concern over autism.  The only thing wrong is that a vocal minority of parents are questioning the mandated schedule and creating fear and distrust.  And this was the tone of that day’s chat. 
 
There were 22 questions posted and answered.  And although the discussion was supposed to be about “vaccines, vaccine safety, the anti-vaccine movement and vaccine injury,” it really wasn’t.  
 
In answer to one question, Offit said, “Vaccines are well-tested before they're given to children in concomitant-use studies. Vaccines cannot be added to the schedule unless it has been clearly shown that the new vaccine does not interfere with the safety or immunogenicity of existing vaccines and that the existing vaccines don't interfere with the safety or immunogenicity profile of the new vaccine. Also, the immunological challenge from vaccines is pretty trivial when compared with the challenges babies typically encounters in the environment.”

Featured Advocacy Reception in the Presidential Suite Thursday evening at the AutismOne/Generation Rescue 2011 Conference!

From our dear colleagues who brought you the magnificently well-reasoned book The Age of Autism: Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-Made Epidemic, authors Mark Blaxill and Dan Olmsted will be on hand for a reception highlighting autism advocacy in action:  "Press the Flesh – Learn Big Truths."

Among other crucial goals, the advocacy track at the conference strives to capture, focus, and foster positive change based on the emerging science that vaccine components have played a role in the autism epidemic. Almost 50 percent of Americans now believe there is a connection, but those in positions of authority deny any possible link and refuse to undertake any investigation that could prove embarrassing to the status quo.

This regrettable position prevents the medical community from treating autism as a biomedical, environmentally-induced condition, underfunds research efforts, marginalizes vaccine safety, and jeopardizes the vaccine program.     

Please join us as we meet in the Presidential Suite beginning at 7 pm for great conversation and refreshments.

And follow-up with us for these notable presentations:

• Friday, May 27, 1:30 pm:  Kim Stagliano, Dan Olmsted, Mark Blaxill and contributors to the Age of Autism daily Web newspaper.
• Saturday, May 28, 4 pm: Mark Blaxill and Dan Olmsted's inspirational advocacy presentation in the Grand Ballroom.

We're looking forward to meeting you there!

Today! Noon EDT, 9:00am Pacific.

Autism One: A Conversation of Hope airs live on Tuesdays at 9 AM Pacific / 11 AM Central / 12 Noon Eastern on the VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness Channel. To access the show, log on at www.voiceamericahealth.com. All shows will be available in Autism One's Content Library on the VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness Channel for on-demand and podcast download.

Nutrition expert and mother of a child with autism, Kristin Selby Gonzalez, interviews inspirational warrior-women on April 5th, 9 AM PT on the VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness Channel to empower parents & caregivers

Phoenix, AZ (PR-Inside) April 4, 2011 -- Autism will be in the news in the weeks to come as America recognizes “Autism Awareness Month.” Throughout the month of April, people will remember the toll which this disorder takes on the lives of children and adults throughout the world. They will also remember the work which doctors, scientists, parents and specialists around the globe are doing to combat the disorder and the millions of dollars which are being raised to provide further research, treatment and therapies.

A Deer in the Headlights’ two years on: why was Brian Deer allowed to go on reporting on a story which he himself had created?

With Brian Deer up for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ tomorrow night at the British Press Awards, which are being held at the Savoy Hotel in London, Age of Autism re-visits the Spectator article of celebrated British journalist, Melanie Phillips. Phillips’s article documents amongst other things how Deer and the General Medical Council came to an agreement that he would not be named as complainant against Andrew Wakefield and the other Royal Free doctors so he could go on reporting the story unencumbered. Two years on the questions just go on multiplying: how for instance did it come about that the chair of GMC panels, Harvey Marcovitch, went out of his way to endorse Deer’s renewed allegations in British Medical Journal with key parts of the hearing still under judicial review (HERE )? How is it that the British state in all its manifold guises has turned a prolonged blind eye to how Deer obtained and used confidential medical and legal documents in presenting his allegations both publicly and secretly, and why the British Medical Journal and its editor-in-chief, Fiona Godlee, refuse even to allow the matter to be mentioned in it columns (HERE)?  How can the BMJ go on touting allegations which are not only flawed in detail, but in basic logic (HERE)? As the British Establishment’s Lord High Executioner arrives at the Savoy for his professional apotheosis, we ask whether the media have been following the real story in the Wakefield affair.

A deer in the headlights

Melanie Phillips (Spectator 16 February 2009)

Eleven days ago, Brian Deer renewed his onslaught against Andrew Wakefield in the Sunday Times. I wrote about it here and made the point that, since Deer’s allegations sparked the General Medical Council case against Wakefield which would not have occurred without his involvement, he was effectively a principal player in the story he was reporting — a clear conflict of interest and breach of journalistic standards.

After I noted this, an American TV show last week accused Deer of journalistic misconduct in reporting a story in which he was a major player without acknowledging this fact. Deer has been trying to deny this ever since.

First he threatened to sue the TV station, denying that he had laid the initial complaint which formed the bulk of the GMC inquiry and claiming instead that the GMC had approached him for information about Wakefield following his stories:

‘I did not lay the initial complaint against Wakefield. This allegation is a fabrication, albeit rather a small one in the MMR issue. The GMC asked me for my journalistic evidence arising from published stories. It was my public duty to supply my findings to this statutory regulator.’

Well, various people did think that Brian Deer’s complaint was the trigger for the GMC inquiry. One of those people, it appears, was Brian Deer…(continue reading HERE)

Managing Editor's Note: I'd like to thank Joanne Chen of Parade Magazine for her thoughful interviews and careful consideration of our family in the Parade Magazine online piece  HERE. Also, our good friend Dan Burns and his son were featured  HERE.  Please go comment. There are many commenters saying "Autistics are not defective!" who clearly can not see that many of our children are severely impaired and while that doesn't have to imply "defective" it certainly means requiring a lifetime of care. Please go add your personal story at Autism's Lost Generation in Parade Magazine.

By Anne Dachel

The Sunday Parade Magazine had the story, Autism Lost Generation--Who will care for Dana? on Mar 3.  (HERE) It focused on the critical need for services for young adults with autism in the U.S.  This need will get worse.  The autism tsumani is coming and sounding the alarm is long overdue. 

Parade says, "These issues are not going away, because the number of autistic adults will only continue to increase: Today, one in 110 children (and one in 70 boys) born in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism, and the numbers have been rising 10% to 17% a year."

By Adriana Gamondes

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil but because of the people who don’t do anything about it. ~Albert Einstein

“’I’ll be judge, I’ll be jury,’ said cunning old Fury: ‘I’ll try the whole cause and condemn you to death.’ ~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Exactly a year ago in March I heard on National Public Radio that the Center for Disease Control had given a million dollar grant to the University of New Hampshire to start a program called “Bringing in the Bystanders”. The program was intended to combat sexual assault on campus by eliciting the intervention of witnesses to potentially high risk situations.  If the CDC threw a campaign like that for autism and a host of other childhood disorders which have hit epidemic proportions in the past two decades, the agency would have to bring itself in. 

That “good people do nothing” is a documented component of many categories of traumatic experience, whether the trauma is wartime atrocity, political captivity, torture, etc. According to many trauma experts, the very depth of psychic injury in trauma often hinges on the existence of inactive or negative bystanders. In his 1986 memoir, Survival in Auschwitz, Holocaust survivor Primo Levi described a common, recurring nightmare he experienced along with fellow death camp survivors. In the dream, the survivor had somehow escaped the camp and had gotten home to his or her family. They would find themselves surrounded by loved ones and would begin to tell of their ordeal, only to endure crushing grief as the others turned away as if deaf or indifferent to the horror. Survivors of other atrocities describe very similar dreams.

The Wall Street Journal Speakeasy Blog ran an article today, "Film Seeks to Spur 'Rational Discussion' On Vaccine Safety" (HERE).  Visit The Greater Good Movie HERE.

A new documentary about childhood immunizations, "The Greater Good," could intensify debate around the potential dangers of vaccines. The film, which premiered Saturday at the Dallas International Film Festival, aims to create "a rational discussion" about vaccine safety, according to producer and co-director Chris Pilaro, who worked previously as a producer on such Sundance documentaries as "Blue Vinyl" and "Everything's Cool."

The film includes interviews with strong current vaccine advocates, such as Dr. Paul Offit (Director of the Vaccine Education Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia), Dr. Norman W. Baylor (Director of the FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research and Review), and Dr. Melinda Wharton (Deputy Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases).

But their voices are far outnumbered by those calling for further oversight of vaccinations, such as Dr. Bob Sears (author of “The Vaccine Book”), and Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, as well as families who claim to be victims of vaccine injuries. The film focuses on three such emotional stories: of a teenage girl whose life deteriorated after taking the HPV vaccine; a boy who developed autism subsequent to being vaccinated; and a family whose infant died shortly after being vaccinated.... Read the full post at WSJ HERE.

 
NIXA, Mo., April 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Autism Association (NAA) joins with organizations worldwide in recognizing April as Autism Awareness month.  With one in 110 children now diagnosed with autism, and autism mortality rates doubling that of the general population,(1) NAA is once again calling upon legislators and government health agencies to declare autism a national health emergency. Parents of children diagnosed with autism are asking for more research funding, better services, and wider access to safety equipment including tracking devices.

"If you don't have a family member affected by autism, chances are you have a friend or neighbor who does," said NAA board chair Lori McIlwain. Citing a 2007 Harvard study(2) putting the lifetime care cost at $3.2 million per individual with autism needing round the clock care, Ms. McIlwain observed, "If we don't find better treatments and services, it will fall upon taxpayers to address the needs of an overwhelming number of children whose parents will one day be unable to care for them."

NAA points out the following critical areas that need to be addressed on behalf of children and families affected by autism:

Prevention:

•Genetics alone cannot explain the rise in autism. Proper study into environmental exposures should be a top priority among our government, researchers and Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC).

•Recent studies(3), (4), (5) indicate an association between the hepatitis B vaccine and brain damage.

•A new study(6) confirms the relationship between vaccines and autism, stating that "autism is the result of genetic defects and/or inflammation of the brain." The study also points out the implications of the increasing number of vaccines given in a short period of time.

•Parents have consistently stated that regression in their child occurred following immunizations. Further research on the increased use of vaccines is warranted and should be conducted with significant stakeholder input. Obvious research that has been ignored, such as health outcomes in vaccinated versus non-vaccinated populations must be undertaken.  

•Certain subgroups may be more susceptible to environmental regression, including those with a family history of autoimmune disorders, premature infants, and children that are ill at the time of vaccination. Researching ways to decrease adverse vaccine reactions while increasing the safety of vaccines benefits the overall health of the general public.

Treatment:

•Children with autism have underlying medical conditions that often go missed, dismissed or misunderstood. These conditions deserve the full attention of our government health agencies and medical community.

•Physicians should listen to each caregiver's account of any medical issues their child with autism may have and not presume all symptoms to be behavioral.

•Treatment, services and therapies should be available to all individuals with autism. Insurance coverage for co-morbid medical conditions should be mandated nationwide.

•Studies on children that significantly progressed or completely lost a classic autism diagnosis should be conducted to uncover biological underpinnings.  

•Clinical studies on promising treatments are necessary.

Support: 

•Wandering-related deaths are on the rise among children diagnosed with autism.  So far this year, four children with autism have died from wandering away from safe environments. A wandering prevention protocol should be in the hands of every pediatrician to share with families.

•School systems are overwhelmed by increased autism rates. Our community is in critical need of additional and properly trained special education personnel.

•Federal legislation, The Preventing Harmful Restraint & Seclusion in Schools Act, was introduced last year to address rising abuse and unsafe practices within school systems nationwide, but was stalled in Congress, never making it to a vote before the session ended.  Legislation to protect our children should be a priority in the current Congress.  Cameras in special education classrooms are warranted, as well as stiffer penalties for those who abuse schoolchildren.

Jennifer Davila plead guilty in the case involving injury to my daughter Bella on 4/1. (I went into slight detail about the story at the end of my book.) Davila's mother was arrested for texting over 1000 times, as seen on the video surveillance tapes during the Davila investigation. She is going to seek a court rehab program for first time offenders - and I am asking for your help to prevent that. None of us should fear that a bus driver might kill our children or anyone else on the road.

I created a  PETITION so that I can hand deliver your message to the judge next week. Guzman should not walk away without a record.  Thank you.

I'm Kim Stagliano. Last May my daughter then 9 year old Bella was assaulted on her school bus by the bus monitor. Bella has autism and does not speak. The monitor plead guilty to her charges today, 4/1. Her MOTHER Evelyn Guzman (in photo) was the bus driver - and during review of video tape from the bus, was caught TEXTING while driving the special ed bus - over 1000 texts in 4 weeks.  See story here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20044594-504083.html 

Guzman is appealing to Bridgeport Court for a "rehab" program that will prevent her from having a record. I do not want her to walk away FREE.

We need to tell the judge NO - our children deserve safety. YOU deserve safety as you drive or simply get your mail from your mail box.

Please sign the PETITION, which I will share with the judge on 4/8.  You can reach me at KimStagliano@gmail. Please share with friends and family. Thank you. Bella's Mom.

Hot off the presses and debuting just in time for Autism Action Month!

Autism Science Digest

New subscriptions* placed through the end of April 2011 are eligible to win two AutismOne/Generation Rescue 2011 Conference dinner gala tickets!  ($140 value; one winner will be drawn; *retroactive to include subscriptions already placed.)

Autism Science Digest is the place for doctors, researchers, and expert moms and dads to share information about treatment, research and recovery. Autism Science Digest is the first Autism Approved^TM publication of the global autism community. Dedicated to respecting the intelligence of parents and the courage of forward-thinking scientists, Autism Science Digest continues the philosophy of founding organization, AutismOne. According to Editor Claire Viadro, MPH, PhD, and Scientific Editor Lauren Underwood, PhD, "We are excited about bringing readers information about biomedical research and treatment in autism that will impact children's and families' lives in a positive way."

In the first issue, available during Autism Awareness Month 2011, look for articles from Theoharis Theoharides, MD, PhD; Nancy Mullan, MD, and Amy Yasko, PhD; Manuel Casanova, MD; and more. Article titles include:

• The Medical Side of the GF/CF Diet for Autism: What is being treated and why it isn’t just “autism”
• Stem Cells: Real Possibilities in Autism?
• Neurotensin and extracellular mitochondrial DNA: Potential biomarkers and novel treatment targets

The special introductory yearly (3-issue) subscription rate of $19.95 extends until after the AutismOne/Generation Rescue 2011 Conference (through 6/30).

All attendees receive a free copy of the debut issue at the conference!

Please click HERE to subscribe and learn more.

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

Managing Editor's Note: Seth Mnookin's book is riddled with errors that even basic editing should have caught. His rudimentary understanding of this complex topic is startling. That the media has latched onto him as a darling of the Vaccine Injury Denialist community is not. Read Dan Olmsted's "Seth Mnookin and the Error Virus HERE. And Jake Crosby's expose Bob's Your Uncle! And now this following the CBS report Vaccines and Autism A New Scientific Link:

By John Stone

‘Panic Virus’ author, Seth Mnookin, showed up his profound ignorance of the history of the vaccine autism debate by publishing on his blog a criticism of study author Helen Ratajczak for her use of the ChildHealthSafety website (HERE) as the immediate source for the scientific and legal concessions that the US government has already made over vaccine encephalopathies  and autism (HERE).

Ratajczak wrote:

“The United States Government and Dr. Geberding, Director of Vaccines at Merck & Co., Inc. say that autistic conditions can result from encephalopathy following vaccination (Child HealthSafety, 2010).”

CHS (HERE ) is the correct citation because it has assembled all the sources. Mnookin is of course shooting two excellent messengers, Ratajczak  and CHS, but is more seriously showing up his own ignorance because he does not seem to realise that the sources are bona fide and he ought to have known them about them, if he knew anything about his subject at all. Either that or he was just trying to bluff. Neither explanation would be very satisfactory for a senior journalist and Harvard graduate.

The CHS blog has challenged Mnookin to justify his dismissal of this thoroughly well-documented information (HERE ), and Mnookin has also now posted CHS’s challenge on his own blog. Everyone should write to Mnookin at his blog demanding an explanation.

John Stone is UK Editor for Age of Autism.

By John Stone

“This is the child’s main health record and should be kept safe.” (UK Department of Health Statement about the Red Book)

Journalist Brian Deer, who has conducted a seven year campaign against Andrew Wakefield displayed his ignorance of basic medical protocol in a recent BBC Radio4 documentary (HERE). Deer alleged that Wakefield was “an incompetent doctor” because he relied on “baby books” rather than “GP records” in assembling the patient histories in the controversial ‘Lancet Paper’ (HERE), and dismissed the parent held developmental records as of being of no significance. Deer was wrong on all accounts.

1.      Wakefield had nothing to do with compiling the patient histories which were taken by consultant Prof John Walker-Smith on referral to his paediatric-gastroenterology clinic.

2.      While referrals are generally made with accompanying communications between GP and consultant it is not normal practice for GPs to forward all the patient’s notes.

3.      The developmental records, Personal Child Health Record or Red Books, are routinely brought by the parents of young children to medical appointments of every kind and contain much essential information.

The dispute arises because Deer’s allegations of fraud against Wakefield are based substantially on alleged discrepancies between GP records and the patient histories as recorded in the Lancet, but while no one at the Royal Free would ever have seen the GP records at the time (HERE), Deer himself has never seen the developmental records which he now contemptuously dismisses as “baby books”, but which may very well help to confirm Wakefield’s case. British Medical Journal which published Deer’s latest raft of allegations in January have outside normal academic journal practice restricted comment in their columns and never required Deer to respond to any single criticism (HERE).

Deer’s astonishing claim was not in any way challenged by the programme’s presenter, Dr Adam Rutherford, who was also heard brow-beating Wakefield during the programme. Rutherford, who is an editor of the prestigious scientific journal Nature but not a medical doctor, further failed to identify another interviewee on the programme, Prof Mark Pepys, as being especially favoured by MMR manufacturers (and former defendants) GlaxoSmithKline. Pepys, who was recently hailed by GSK as an “academic superstar” heads a business partnership between University College London and GSK which was not mentioned on the programme, or disclosed by UCL when they announced an internal enquiry into the alleged fraud, which Pepys - an historical antagonist of Wakefield - is now apparently heading (HERE). Dr Rutherford has also failed to answer two emails enquiring what he knew of these matters.