CBS Philly

“Autism is a rapidly increasing disability,” says Annemarie Clarke, the Behavioral Health Corporate Officer at SPIN. She says her group joined forces with Northeast Treatment Centers to create the SPIN-NET Philadelphia Autism Center of Excellence, which provides treatment space for children on the autism spectrum between the ages of two and 21. She says the outpatient center, which has interactive playrooms for children and spaces for counselors.

“Right now one in 88 children being born will be diagnosed as having autism, so it’s something that’s happening at a scope that qualifies it as a medical emergency. So there’s a very pressing need.”

Incredibly, Annemarie Clarke describes autism as a ‘medical emergency’ because of the stunning rate, yet she doesn’t tell us why it’s happening.  I guess we’re not supposed to ask that question. 

I posted comments.

U.S. News 

The child Mozarts of the world may have some traits in common with children with autism, a new study suggests, in findings researchers say could eventually offer clues into the developmental disorder…

."I think child prodigies may have a genetic modifier that allows them to display the talent without the deficits," she explained….

The findings are "very interesting," said Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, in New Hyde Park….

That doesn't mean the questions are not worthwhile, he added. "You never know where the next research breakthrough will come from," Adesman noted. "That said, I think the bulk of the research should be on kids with more typical presentations (of autism)."

‘The next research breakthrough’? What was the last breakthrough? What does anyone know for sure about autism? Doctors and researchers are no closer to understanding autism than they were 20 years ago. In 1995, the autism rate was one in every 500 children and today it’s one in every 88, and officials can’t tell us why. There’s nothing a mainstream doctor can tell a new mother to ensure that her child who born healthy and is developing normally won’t also end up on the autism spectrum.  I posted comments.

Mothering

“Today my mom asked if I was getting a flu shot, I said no, she said I really should. I told her that I've never gotten one in my life before, why would I get one now? And with a very alarming tone in her voice she explained how "oh, well a study came out directly linking autism in children to the mother having a flu, not a cold but the flu, and this Dr. on the radio said that TTC or pregnant women shouldn't walk to to get the shot they should RUN. They say they shot isn't harmful at all to the fetus and that it's safe so Rebecca, you really should get it." She also told me how this was a very conservative Dr. …

“So anyway. Are you getting a flu shot? Should I really be that scared? I've never had a flu shot before and the idea of it is so yukky to me. TIA for feedback! :)”

Mothering describes itself as “The Home for Natural Family Living.” There’s nothing natural about injecting 25 mcg of mercury into a pregnant woman. It actually sounds like a criminal act.

The study didn’t come out “directly linking autism in children to the mother having a flu” like her mother said.  Even the CDC experts didn’t make that claim. CBS news said this about this study: “They note the overall risk remains low, and since the researchers used many statistical calculations, they said the findings may be due to chance and require additional research.”

No matter, the public got the impression the results were conclusive and that was the intention from all the headlines.  I posted comments.

KGET

Parents of an autistic teenager are suing the Kern High School District. They claim their daughter was raped at school, and the administration tried to cover it up. Those parents claim their daughter suffered permanent emotional damage after what happened to her. But, the lawyer for the school district says he has experts that can say that's not the case.

"She'd light up a room. She'd walk into a room, and you'd know she was there," said Orlando Ybarra of his autistic daughter before, he says, she was raped. He and his wife claim after the alleged attack, that light went out.

They claim it happened at Independence High School three years ago.

"My daughter was screaming. She was screaming and when they responded, they found the boy behind my daughter sexually assaulting her," said Orlando Ybarra.

Their daughter was 16 at the time, but had the mental ability of a 4-year-old and was unable to communicate. They say she was not to be left unsupervised at school. But, on October 15, 2009, around 11:00 a.m., teachers heard screams coming from the coed bathroom and found her and a 15-year-old autistic boy together.

I would sue this place just on the principle that that they have no business letting disabled teenagers use the same bathroom. This is insane.

This girl had the mental capacity of a four year old and I can tell you that I substitute in four year old kindergarten at the local school and the kids do not use coed bathrooms and they’re always supervised in the bathroom.