Columbus (OH) Dispatch 

"There are sensational cases such as that of Andrew Wakefield, whose research in Britain linking autism to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination bred anti-vaccination sentiments worldwide before it was discredited."

 "When researchers lie"---How about "When the media and mainstream medicine cover up the truth"?

I posted seven comments.

Hunterdon County (NJ) Democrat 

"The community is encouraged to show its support with Autism Speaks on Tuesday, April 2 for Light It Up Blue, a unique global event that kicks off Autism Awareness month. Historic and iconic landmarks, museums, theaters, and bridges are among the hundreds of thousands of commercial and residential buildings that help promote awareness by changing their outdoor lighting to blue, and to decorate trees and outdoor structures with blue ribbons. For more information about April 2, visit lightitupblue.

"The Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon is the most recognized symbol of the autism community. Per the Autism Society, the puzzle pattern represents the mystery and complexity of the autism spectrum, while the multiple colors reflect the diversity of the population. The brightness of the ribbon is a symbol of hope through continued research, various interventions available, and increased awareness. "

I'm all set for the hundreds of stories about autism awareness scheduled for April.  They're starting early.  I'm going to post the same thing on all of them.  April is used to downplay the impact the autism and to condition the public to accept the loss of a generation of children to a disorder most people never heard about 25 years ago.  The strongest language used here is "mystery and "complexity."  Autism is doomed to remain the perpetual mystery.

Poughkeepsie (NY) Journal 

"Severe language delays early in the life of a child with autism can be overcome, especially if a child exhibits nonverbal intelligence.

"A new study that looked at speech delays in children with autism spectrum disorders found that 70 percent of children who were not stringing words together into even the simplest of phrases by age 4 went on to do so by age 8, and, in some cases, even achieved fluent speech."

So why are there speech problems in the first place? 

NBC Bay Area

"San Mateo County's district attorney dropped all charges against a Redwood City teacher accused of abusing young autistic students.

"The D.A. says there was a lack of evidence.

"In February 2012, several aides claimed Bogdis slapped, kicked and withheld food from two five year old boys in her class at Roosevelt Elementary School in Redwood City."

Teacher: "I think some of the strategies used with this population are misunderstood by the general public."

NBC Bay Area: "Seven teacher aides came forward saying Bogdis abused children in her classroom. One family accused her causing unexplained bruises on their autistic son and withholding water. "

"A civil suit is on the horizon. We're also told that four teachers aides are now fighting to get their jobs back."

So why aren't there camera's in special ed rooms so that we can see that nonverbal students are truly safe at school?

WVVA-TV 

"For the Weis family, everyday can be a struggle. 24-year-old Matt Weis suffers from Autism and is unable to communicate verbally.

"'It has been pretty difficult. You have to do a lot of guessing and trying to figure things up,' says Donna Weis, Matt's mom.

"But today, things got a little easier thanks to the Denver Foundation, who donated an i-Pad to Matt to help him have a voice."

Amazing that finally, this man is getting help.  And why is a story about A MAN WITH AUTISM always about someone in their 20s?

Forbes 

"Some practices used as "therapy" for autism in the United States amount to torture, a U.N. representative says. The U.N.'s Juan Mendez is the organization's special rapporteur on torture, and in his report examining torture worldwide, he's called out the only facility in the United States that uses "skin shocks" to 'treat' people with severe mental illness or developmental disabilities, including autism. That facility is the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC), formerly the Behavioral Research Institute. While it once was located in California and then moved to Rhode Island, the facility is now sited in Massachusetts. Mendez expresses concern in his report (p. 84) that if Massachusetts becomes too hot to hold the JRC, the center might simply relocate again, and he urges action at the federal level to end the use of such aversives nationwide.

"But wait, you might say. What does shocking people have to do with autism or mental illness treatment in the United States? If you look at the science, not one thing. But the JRC is the reality. This center has been the focus of considerable controversy, especially since the release of this graphic and disturbing video of a teenager being "treated" at the center with what the JRC, in its posted response [PDF] to accusations, calls 'skin shock treatments.'"

Incredibly, the UN is now telling the US that they're allowing the use of torture against their own citizens. Regularly, stories in the news tell about children with autism being abused, bullied, neglected, restrained, and put in seclusion in our schools. Why is the suffering of children with autism somehow acceptable?

I posted a comment about this horrific story about torture in a US hospital. 

NJ.com: N.J. law mandating autism treatment coverage needs work, parents and lawmakers say 

"Parents of children with autism told an Assembly committee today that state regulations governing insurance coverage for their children's treatment are so confusing they had to hire an attorney and medical billing expert to help untangle them.

"'I'm a medical doctor and the issues with coding were so involved I had to hire someone to help me,' Meredith Blitz-Goldstein, an oral surgeon, told the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee."

My, my, how willing NJ is to turn its back on a generation of sick children. It seems the plan is to pass insurance coverage then make it impossible to access.  Little difference here with the stories from GA and UT where they're refusing to provide insurance coverage.

Examiner 

"A special needs child with Autism, allegedly threw a violent fit at her school Tuesday and had to be retrained by authorities. Allegedly, the girl became so combative that she was taken to a local police station, where she was held for two hours. The child's parents are outraged over the show of force.

"According to a Mar. 7 report from UPI over the incident, Alton Police Department officials were called about a disruptive child at Love Joy Elementary. Allegedly, a student took a swing at teachers and tore up two classrooms before police were called."

The comment section isn't working on this. This school is called Love Joy Elementary. What irony.

Stories like this expose the truth about autism. It's changing education in America. Ask any teacher who's been teaching for over 20 years. Our schools are filled with children who can't talk, can't learn, and can't behave.

We have more and more students in special ed, students with classroom aides, and students with IEPs. The use of restraint and seclusion in our schools is now commonplace. And no one is asking why.

KUTV 

"Utah families dealing with autism will face another year of costs associated with treating the disorder. Senate Bill 55 would have required insurance coverage for children with autism - but the bill has been altered after the sponsor realized it wouldn't have enough support to pass.

"Utah is one of only 18 states left that does not require autism coverage. Yet, Utah has the highest rate of autism in the entire county. One in 47 children in Utah has autism, compared to the national average of one in 88 children."

"A passing vote now would double the size of an autism treatment pilot program from 250 kids to 500 kids. The amendment still does not come close to treating the 18,000 kids with autism that live in Utah - but it's a start.

Click on the photo: VIDEO: News anchor: "An alarming number of Utah children have autism and Utah families dealing with autism will face another year of outrage costs associated with treating it."

And of course the news video shows a happy boy interacting with his mother.

How easily legislators turn their backs on the suffering of a generation of children.