Pittsburgh Post Gazette

It has the potential to prevent thousands of cancer cases every year, but nine years after the rollout of the HPV vaccine, the response is still lagging. Many parents are delaying or refusing the vaccine for their kids, and some family doctors are uneasy — or ineffective — at recommending it.

Here's who's in the story.........

Dr. Jonathan Pletcher, he's for the vaccine

Dr. Sharon Cowden, she's for the vaccine

Pittsburgh nurse Ann Hall, she's for the vaccine

Washington County mother Toni Hartley, she's for the vaccine

Dr. Todd Wolynn (Merck advisory board), he's for the vaccine

Dr. Jennifer Preiss. he's for the vaccine

Pittsburgh mother Yvette Yescas, she's for the vaccine

Dr. Rachel Gallagher, she's for the vaccine

U.S. Assistant Surgeon General, Dr. Anne Schuchat, she's for the vaccine

Kaufmann Center executive director, Trisha Gadson, she's for the vaccine

Parent Michelle Gilliland, she's for the vaccine

Jewish Healthcare Foundation president Karen Wolk Feinstein, she's for the vaccine

Att: Heather McCracken at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.  YOUR STORY IS ABOUT KIDS NOT BEING IMMUNIZED.  You state that parents are delaying/refusing the HPV vaccine.  You say doctors are "uneasy --of ineffective at recommending it," but everyone you include in your story is FOR THE VACCINE. 

(A mother who delayed the vaccine because she was worried immunity might wear off if it is given too early doesn't count.)  You don't include a single non-vaccinating parent and their reasons for not getting the shot.  That's poor journalism.  That's presenting only one viewpoint from 12 different people. Where was even one parent or doctor concerned over possible side effects?  It's disingenuous to pretend that there aren't risks involved here.  The public can easily see that this is nothing but a HPV vaccine ad masquerading as a news story. 

Irondequoit (NY) Post

. . . Autum eventually was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that affects language and behavioral development. Autum’s younger brother, Austin, 15, also showed signs of autism early on and was diagnosed with a form of ASD.

. . .ASD is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 68 children — 1 in 42 boys and and 1 in 189 girls — are identified as having autism. The number of children diagnosed with ASD continues to rise each year. Studies to get at the causes are many, with experts pointing to heredity and environmental factors among many other possibilities.

At Happiness House the focus is on diagnosis, treatment, education and support.

It's a good thing no one really cares about this mystery of autism.  We're told about Autum, a little girl who didn't speak until she was 5, yet she's described as having Asperger's Syndrome.   Actually, a feature of Asperger's is that a child has normal language development.  (No matter, who can say anything for sure about autism....that gigantic puzzle piece.)

Notice for the millionth time in the news: "ASD is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States. . . The number of children diagnosed with ASD continues to rise each year.. . . and environmental factors." 

WHY WHY WHY???  We don't know and we don't really care. Doctors aren't worried.  Health officials are scratching their collective heads over autism, and legislators couldn't care less.

 And don't forget, numbers may not be increasing at all.  We will never know for sure.

Chicago Sun Times

How long could you afford to stick with it? Weeks? Months?

That’s the question hundreds of therapists for special-needs infants and toddlers are asking themselves right now with the state of Illinois more than two months in arrears in paying them and no relief in sight.

At the moment, their patience and professionalism is the only thing keeping thousands of developmentally disabled youngsters from falling victim to the state budget standoff between Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Illinois Legislature.

. . .For reasons his administration has never fully explained, Rauner had proposed major cutbacks to the Early Intervention program even before the current budget impasse. His proposal would have eliminated the services to a high percentage of families that currently receive them, by raising the level of disability before a child would qualify for help.

Rauner, who went to court to make sure state employees would continue to be paid, hasn’t shown any such concern about the Early Intervention providers.

Some of those providers have started serving 30-day notices of termination on the families with whom they work.

The governor reiterated his view this week that the state can’t afford its social service programs without concessions to business to boost the economy. A lot of families want him to know the state can’t afford to do without these programs.

The governor of IL wants cutbacks in services for disabled children.  "The state can't afford its social service programs...."   If Governor Rauner  thinks things are bad now, he should consider that all these special needs kids filling IL schools will be adults in the near future---a future that will have to include housing, services and funding for adults--all at the taxpayers' expense.

And when that day comes, the cost of the therapists for children will seem like nickels and dimes.

 

The Dachel Media Update is sponsored by Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy and OurKidsASD.  Lee Silsby is one of the most respected compounding pharmacies in the country and is committed to serving the needs of the Autism community. OurkidsASD is an online retailer for nutritional supplements for patients with special needs. OurkidsASD carries thousands of products from more than 60 brands and offers free ground shipping on all orders.

Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism and author of  The Big Autism Cover-Up: How and Why the Media Is Lying to the American Public, which is on sale now from Skyhorse Publishing.