Adult Stem Cells Reprogrammed In Their Natural Environment - In recent years, stem cell researchers have become very adept at manipulating the fate of adult stem cells cultured in the lab. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies achieved the same feat with adult neural stem cells still in place in the brain. They successfully coaxed mouse brain stem cells bound to join the neuronal network to differentiate into support cells instead.The discovery, which is published ahead of print on Nature Neuroscience's website, not only attests to the versatility of neural stem cells but also opens up new directions for the treatment of neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, stroke and epilepsy that not only affect neuronal cells but also disrupt the functioning of glial support cells.

Did you ever have unfounded fears your child had autism? - Every generation of new parents has something specific to worry about, whether is was polio for parents in the Forties, or "stranger danger" for parents in the Eighties. For today's parents, the latest word to inspire dread is "autism." For an article my Star-Ledger co-worker Kathleen O'Brien is doing on parental worries, she'd love to talk with parents who were concerned about signs of autism, only to discover their fears were unfounded. Please call or e-mail by the close of this weekend (July 6) if you have something to share on this topic. Her e-mail is kobrien@starledger.com. Her phone is 973-392-1721.

Do Vaccines Cause Autism, Asthma, and Diabetes? - Do Vaccines Cause Autism, Asthma, and Diabetes? New Book Helps Parents Weigh the Evidence   Almost 70% of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children do so because they believe vaccines may cause harm. Indeed vaccines have been blamed for causing asthma, autism, diabetes, and many other conditions--most of which have causes that are incompletely understood. Some parents believe that vaccines can “overwhelm the immune system. To respond to these concerns about vaccine safety, the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii) writing team of Martin G. Myers, MD, and Diego Pineda have written a book titled, Do Vaccines Cause That?! A Guide for Evaluating Vaccine Safety Concerns.

Emotion in the Autistic Brain - Music has a universal ability to tap into our deepest emotions but for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), understanding emotions is a very difficult task. Individuals with ASD particularly have trouble recognizing social emotions like facial expressions - a frown, a smirk, or a smile. This inability can rob a child from being able to communicate and socialize, and often leads to social isolation. In a study led by Istvan Molnar-Szakacs, PhD, a researcher at the UCLA Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity and funded by the GRAMMY Foundation Grant Program, music will be used as a tool to explore the ability of children with ASD to identify emotions in musical excerpts and facial expressions. "Music has long been known to touch autistic children," said Dr. Molnar-Szakacs. "Studies from the early days of autism research have already shown us that music provokes engagement and interest in kids with ASD. More recently, such things as musical memory and pitch abilities in children with ASD have been found to be as good as or better than in typically developing children."

Experts Set to Discuss Autism, Vaccines - Recently, the parents of nine-year-old Hannah Poling won a government settlement out of a federal fund that compensates those injured by vaccines.  In this case, US officials acknowledged that the immunizations worsened an underlying disorder that led to Hannah’s autism-like symptoms.  The Polings said five simultaneous vaccinations administered in July 2000 led to Hannah’s autistic behavior.  Hannah was about 18 months at the time.  Government officials won’t say why they conceded this case, but did say those with pre-existing injuries can obtain compensation under the program if they establish that their underlying condition was “significantly aggravated” by a vaccine.

Gov't Examines Link between Autism and Vaccines - Government health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health, met in Indianapolis Sunday to discuss whether cellular diseases known as mitochondrial disorders should be considered in research on autism. At the heart of the issue for many specialists and concerned parents is whether vaccines -- suspected by some people as being a cause of autism -- might trigger mitochondrial disorders, which lead to autism. One of the people at the meeting in Indianapolis was Jon Poling, father of 9-year old Hannah Poling, who was diagnosed with autism after receiving a series of vaccines.

'I got tired of not being a part of it,' re-enlisted man says - Kenneth Cruz returned to the life of a full-time civilian in the late 1990s after eight years as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. He was a civilian when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, and he was a civilian when the U.S. military launched its war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. ...His 10-year-old has autism, he said. When she has asked about him in the past while he was away on training exercises, his wife would tell her, "Dad's working," he said. They are hoping that explanation will satisfy her during the year he's away. Cruz said he and his wife talked a lot about his deployment as they prepared for him to ship out. The conversations were mostly about practical matters. "We haven't talked about the negative aspects," he said. "We've talked about contingencies."

Making it on their own: Men with autism learn to succeed - The first phase of a local program designed to help young people with autism spectrum disorders transition from high school to adulthood is considered a success — by those running it, those taking part and those funding it. Two of the young men participating in the program run by St. Anthony’s Point and St. Michael’s Harbour, Inc., Hermitage, have secured permanent jobs after working several months at internships in the area. This was just one of the goals of the program, program director Christina Long said.

Medical Breakthrough -- Oxygen for Autism - There's no cure for autism and treatments are experimental at best. But one new treatment is bringing hope to families desperate for any improvement they can get. Carman Inclan's son Michael seems like any other four-year-old. But Michael isn't like other four-year-olds. "The greatest struggle is not knowing if he will be able to say when he's older that he's happy." Michael has autism. "It's devastation -- fear." Everything he's able to do now is a miracle to his mom because he wasn't always this high functioning. Michael has made huge strides thanks, in part, to what he calls his submarine -- where he receives hyperbaric oxygen therapy or H-bot. 

Mental state decoding v. mental state reasoning as a mediator ... - Theory of mind deficits in schizophrenia have been parsed into mental state reasoning and mental state decoding components. We report that mental state decoding as measured by the ‘Eyes task’ better predicted social function than mental state reasoning as measured by the ‘Hinting task’ in 73 out-patients with chronic schizophrenia. Mental state decoding task performance also partly mediated the influence of basic neuropsychological performance on social function. We discuss these findings in terms of the accumulating evidence that mental state decoding has particular relevance for understanding deficits in social function in schizophrenia. 

Mine-safety bill gets OK from union, mine owners - Legislation to improve safety in the state's approximately 200 bituminous coal mines was poised to become law after a marathon negotiation yielded a compromise bill endorsed Monday by both the coal companies and mine workers union. The state Senate unanimously approved the bill and it was headed to the House, where leaders of the Democratic majority have pledged to pass it this week. It is the first major rewrite of the state's mining law in nearly 50 years. The 250-page bill was in the making since 2002, when nine miners were rescued from the flooded Quecreek Mine in western Pennsylvania. Even the number, Senate Bill 949, is an echo of the "nine-for-nine" cry that former Gov. Mark Schweiker made famous during the rescue.

New Intervention for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Prototype Completed by SIMmersion LLC - Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently struggle to fit into a world that does not understand them, and aid is often more difficult find for adults than for children. SIMmersion LLC is hoping to help adults with ASD; the company recently completed a prototype of its simulation software catered to practicing and strengthening communication skills.  Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) struggle daily to fit in to a world that does not understand them. Some have the advantage of vocational and transition support programs, but limited availability and cost hinder many of these adults from getting help. As a result, their social impairments lead to difficulty at work and social isolation. Computer software programs have been proven to help children with certain aspects of socialization, but there are currently no existing computer programs designed for adults to practice and strengthen basic conversation and communication skills. SIMmersion LLC seeks to remediate this deficiency by announcing the completion of a prototype simulation designed to train and reinforce positive social skills for adults with ASD.

Researchers Link Early Stem Cell Mutation To Autism - In a breakthrough scientific study published June 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research have shown that neural stem cell development may be linked to Autism.  The study demonstrated that mice lacking the myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) protein in neural stem cells had smaller brains, fewer nerve cells and showed behaviors similar to those seen in humans with a form of autism known as Rett Syndrome. This work represents the first direct link between a developmental disorder of neural stem cells and the subsequent onset of autism. The research team was led by Stuart A. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., a clinical neurologist and Professor and Director of the Del E. Webb Neuroscience, Aging and Stem Cell Research Center at Burnham.

Some parents, authorities disagree on safety of childhood vaccines - Vaccines are becoming more common all the time. They are preventing more diseases and saving more lives. But some people worry that they are doing more harm than good for a number of children. Some parents and organizations such as the National Autism Association think the current vaccine schedule and some chemicals in vaccines could be too much for newborns and might contribute to neurological disorders such as autism. Nearly all doctors say, however, that these vaccines are essential to protecting children from diseases and do not pose a threat to their health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children receive vaccines against 14 diseases in 25 inoculations (22 injections and three by mouth) before the age of 2. A newborn's immune system is capable of handling this many doses, said Dr. Paul A. Offit, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, at a briefing Wednesday for the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus. "The feeling that that's more than they can handle is understandable," Offit said. "But vaccines are a minimal contributor to immune system challenges."

Vaccines - A Two-Edged Sword - Recently, I accompanied my sister to a pediatrician’s office — for the first (of many) vaccination appointment for her twin 8-week old girls. Fortunately for my sister, the nightmare ended after a few pokes of the needle and a few throaty bawls of protest. Sadly, not every parent’s ordeal ends the same way. Each day, parents around the world take their children on this routine with faith that this will protect their children against deadly and potentially life threatening infections. But what if this very tool that is intended to protect becomes a lethal source of disability?

4-year-old nearing drowns in fountain - At 8:50 a.m. Sunday, Clayton EMS was dispatched to a possible drowning near Charleston Drive in the Riverwood Athletic subdivision. Clayton Police responded to where a 4-year-old boy was found to have apparently drowned in a fountain. An investigation of the incident indicates that the 4-year-old was with his parents Sunday morning as they worked to clean inside the nearby Child Development Center.

6-year-old might need a new heart if treatment doesn't work - A trip to the emergency room with a stomach virus turned into a month-long stay after 6-year-old Nathan Powell was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. Friday, he was in surgery for a pacemaker-like device called an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator to help his heart. If the combination of medicine and medical device doesn't work, his doctor said the next step for Nathan might be a new heart. Nathan's heart troubles were identified when a stomach virus landed him in the hospital June 1, and a doctor realized his heart was beating faster than it should. The results of an EKG were abnormal, and an echocardiogram showed Nathan's heart was enlarged and beating erratically. "It just happened so fast. At first I couldn't process it," said Nathan's mother, Maggie Powell. "He was just fine 5 seconds ago; he was eating five things of pudding. He doesn't look sick - he's not pale, there are no dark circles under his eyes. He looks normal."

American Academy of Pediatrics Forms Immunization Alliance - Immunize your children or not? Parents worried whether they are making the correct decision when choosing to immunize their children will soon have new and easily accessible information: the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the largest medical group representing doctors who treat children, has formed the Immunization Alliance. The Immunization Alliance will work inform parents and communities of the great importance of vaccines. The Alliance—consisting of leaders with several allied organizations—was formed based on the recommendation of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and AAP, in response to the increased number of parents refusing to vaccinate their children. The group recentlly met and has identified several factors that have lead to recent attacks against vaccines, including parents spreading speculation rather than scientifically proven fact, uninformed populations that do not realize the risks of the diseases vaccines are developed to prevent, uneven internet media, and a decrease in trust placed in the government and the health care systems. The group discussed strategies that addressed these situations in the past and agreed to promote the value of vaccines. The group will meet again in July to discuss the message to be presented through news media and doctor's offices.

Autism amendment may spark fight - A bid by a Baton Rouge father to help his autistic son pass a key state test could also affect thousands of other exceptional students, state educators said. Aidan Reynolds, a lawyer and the father of the child at the center of the controversy, says he would get relief for his 12-year-old son, Liam — or head to court. “And it will not be pretty,” Reynolds warned. However, any such change would have to win approval from the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, whose president sharply criticized the change. A new policy means the  door could be opened for thousands of students statewide with autism, dyslexia and brain injuries who fail the high-stakes test to be promoted anyway, said Scott Norton, assistant superintendent for student and school performance. In addition, other top state education officials late Friday afternoon took the unusual step of denouncing the new policy in a three-page prepared statement.

Boy, 4, found unconscious in outdoor fountain - A young boy is in the hospital after being found unconscious in an outdoor fountain. Clayton Police and EMS was dispatched about 8:50 am today to a location near Charleston Drive in the Riverwood Athletic subdivision. According to police, Derek Casanova-Gonzalez, 4, was with his parents this morning as they worked to clean inside the nearby child development center. A media release from police said the child, who has autism, is believed to have wandered away and left the building. The parents noticed the child missing and first searched the interior of the large facility, then began searching outside where the child was found unresponsive in the fountain pool, the police said.

Cement Plants Make Deadly Air - I lived in the Allentown/Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvanie for four years (1993-1996) and witnessed countless problems with the cement plant along Rt. 33. The air was so bad it took the paint off cars (ours and everyone elses)and childhood cancer and asthma were serious health problems. Folks there call it Lehigh Valley Syndrome. The plant itself towered over the area spewing sulfur dioxide, lead, and mercury dust across the beautiful mountain valleys where it remained to hurt the air, water, wildlife, and people.

Disabled and Driven - The man looked at his middle-aged employee incredulously. She could not immediately complete a project and would need more time, she told her boss, because she is learning disabled. "No you're not," he responded. The years she spent perfecting ways to do her job -- working twice as hard as co-workers to make sure her work surpassed his expectations -- made her disability invisible. And apparently, unacceptable. The woman no longer works at that office; she's now in a new position that she believes will perfectly utilize her life experience. But she asked the Telegraph Herald to keep her name a secret until she has more time to prove herself.

Dangerous denial - According to an Ipsos Mori poll, carried out for the Observer this month, most Britons believe climate change is at least partially down to natural causes, and not solely to human activity. A majority also believe scientists are divided on the causes and more than a fifth say the whole thing has been exaggerated. Now where would they have got those ideas from? One Channel 4 programme, claiming global warming is "a swindle", has no doubt played a role, as have internet blogs arguing all the world's scientists are party to a Marxist conspiracy bent on destroying western civilisation. But the press, though declining, still counts. It contributes to the framework within which public debate proceeds. It lends respectability to the opinions it highlights.

'Hog-tie' mother pregnant again - A WOMAN convicted over the hog-tying death of her toddler is pregnant again - sparking outrage and fears for the unborn child's safety. Rebecca Haliday, 27, promises to be a better mother this time, but authorities have been urged to act now. Haliday admits the father of the unborn child is a drug user who left her when he found out she was pregnant. The unemployed woman, who lives in a unit in a block of flats in Footscray, defended her decision to get pregnant. "Time has moved on and this is my one chance to prove I am not what I used to be," she said. "When I found out I was pregnant again I was frightened. I worried a lot about how people were going to react, but I'm slowly getting over that. It's like, 'OK, fine, I've had a bad experience'." For a month before she died in 2001, 18-month-old Beanca's arms and legs were hog-tied by her mother and her boyfriend to teach her that "bedtime was bedtime."

'INCREDIBLE' GRADUATION - He was born with cerebral palsy and autism and later confined to a wheelchair. When he was 2 weeks old, he had a brain infection that doctors thought was life-threatening. They didn't even think he would survive the trip to Syracuse for treatment. Saturday morning, at age 21, Michael W. "Mikey" Ashcraft graduated from South Jefferson Central School. "We've had a lot of milestones with Mikey," said his mother, Christine A. Joseph. "I never anticipated one this good. It's just incredible that he was able to accomplish this. It's a special time for the entire family." Michael's brother, Navy Fireman Machinists Mate Striker Andrew J.G. Ashcraft, 22, pushed his brother across the stage to receive his diploma. Andrew is a command assistant master at arms and is in the middle of transferring from the Naval Branch Health Clinic in Groton, Conn., to Virginia to serve on the amphibious assault ship USS Baton. He was able to get an extension on his transfer so he could be home for the graduation.

Killer Vaccines – Profiteering or extermination? - According to reports "legal" drugs kill more people in the USA than "illegal" ones, that is to say, some of the drugs that are designed to help you are actually having an opposite effect.  There are many articles on the internet explaining the dangers of certain vaccines and what the drug companies are putting in them (like Mercury for example, which is toxic!), but it is unlikely that you will read about this in the mainstream media. There is very strong proof that Mercury can cause Autism in some people and this is being forced on your children by the government. Please take the time to watch this video: Mercury, Autism, and the Global Vaccine Agenda before you allow your children to receive any further injections, they will thank you later!

Letter: Autistic student: shame - I would like to state that I am not a resident of Florida and, frankly, I am glad I am not. How a school district can get away with treating a student so disrespectfully as Alex Barton is appalling. One child in 150 has been diagnosed with autism; more than half of those children are boys. Alex is just one of many students currently and in the future who will be going to Morningside Elementary School. Your School Board members should be ashamed of themselves. How would they feel if their child were treated the way this teacher treated Alex?

Artists explore the concept of allowing gallerygoers a hands-on ... / Artists explore the concept of allowing gallerygoers a hands-on experience - You don't speed in a school zone, shout in a library or touch in an art gallery. These rules have developed for very good reasons. Nonetheless, the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery is rethinking the last rule in consideration of visually impaired gallerygoers who cannot see artworks on exhibit. Touched, which continues through Sept. 14, presents the work of a number of artists who examine notions of sensory response. Although gallerygoers are prohibited from touching some of the works -- specifically those by Denise Pelletier and Laura Donefer and Susan Edgerley -- the exhibitions in their totality challenge assumptions about accepted art gallery behaviour with respect to touching artworks. In contrast, works by Michael Jacob Ambedian, Aganetha Dyck, Stephen Hawes, Mark Jaroszewicz and Tina Poplawski are meant to be touched.

Days of Our Lives Covers Real Life Struggle with Autism Storyline - "Days of Our Lives" head writer Dena Higgledy has decided to give Abe (James Reynolds) and Lexie Carver (Renee Jones) a true-to-life battle to fight. It is a battle Higley knows all too well. Like young Theo Carver, her son Connor was diagnosed as autistic at age 3. It is a real-life struggle that affects one in every 150 children, according to Autism Speaks, America's leading autism advocacy organization. Lexie Carver played by Renee Jones Lexie is aware that all is not perfect with her son. Abe, on the other hand, refuses to believe the diagnosis. Soap fan Joan Tibaldi, whose grandson is autistic, knows the feeling. "My son wanted to accept every diagnosis but the truth. It did not help that several diagnoses (were) given," she relates. "One day he was said to be autistic; another, he was not. In the end, autism was the correct diagnosis. Charlie is an amazing child. All of us have learned so much from him. Some days are beautiful. Some days not so much, but you could say that on any given day about any of my five grandchildren."

Education advocates: "tired of being at the bottom of the list" - Education advocates staged their own protest Friday in light of possible education budget cuts because they say they are tired of being at the "bottom of the list." People from the State Board of Education, students from UNR and UNLV, the Washoe County Education Collaborative and Washoe County School District Superintendent, Paul Dugan, all said that not only are they tired of being at the bottom of the list when it comes to test scores but also per pupil spending and cannot suffer anymore cuts. They are referring to the proposal lawmakers are wrestling with: whether to cut an additional 4 percent from every agency's budget.

Experts to Discuss One Puzzling Autism Case, as a Second Case Has ... - Federal health officials on Sunday will call together some of the world’s leading experts on an obscure disease to discuss the controversial case of a 9-year-old girl from Athens, Ga., who became autistic after receiving numerous vaccinations.  But the government has so far kept quiet a second case that some say is more disturbing and more relevant to the meeting.  On Jan. 11, a 6-year-old girl from Colorado received FluMist, a flu vaccine, and about a week later “became weak with multiple episodes of falling to ground” and “difficulty walking,” according to a case report filed with federal health officials and obtained by The New York Times.

Genes tied to autism may disrupt sleep cycle - Baylor College of Medicine researchers may have tied fragile X genes to irregular sleep patterns often experienced by people with the disorder, according to a study published in The American Journal of Human Genetics.

FAITHFUL FIVE - ..."Autism and the God Connection" by William Stillman. Do people with autism share a special bond with God? An intriguing question, and I can't wait to explore it more in this book, which critics have called "groundbreaking." Written by a man with Asperger's, this book theorizes that people with autism not only understand more than we give them credit for, but also have a deep spirituality.

Lawmakers slighting the autism cause - This is an important presidential election year, but it's an equally important congressional year, when many of our representatives are up for re-election. With articles about the autism epidemic in the news every day, and reports from schools that one in four children has a developmental disability, we need to know which representatives care enough about the health of our children to protect them from possible harm. I have given my South Carolina congressman all grades of "F" during their terms in office. I have met either with them personally or with their senior legislative aides on health issues in the past.

Officials reconstruct autistic man's circuitous route - After days of attempting to retrace Keith Kennedy's steps, Burnett County officials finally have a theory about how the 25-year-old autistic man ended up next to a creek in dense Wisconsin woods. The analysis comes as Kennedy's condition was upgraded from critical to serious Friday at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. The Shoreview man was discovered severely dehydrated Sunday night after wandering off from a nearby camp for developmentally disabled adults 7 miles south of Grantsbur, Wis.

NEMO'S: Autistic son's made great progress - THIS is just a quick note to say how pleased I am with my son Luke's progress at Nemo's Swimming School. He has mild autism and learning difficulties, and without the help and understanding of your fantastic tutors, he would not be as good a swimmer as he is today. He loves the small group he swims with, and has some great friends. I don't think I would be able to find another school like it, and Luke would be devastated if he had to change, or was not able to go swimming at all. Because of his learning difficulties, he would not be able to understand why he couldn't go to Nemo's anymore.

New court treats defendants with mental problems - A year ago, Grant Connell faced a slew of charges after he shot at and terrorized his wife. They separated and he faced jail time. A psychiatrist later diagnosed bipolar disorder, an illness characterized by manic highs and lows, Connell said. On Thursday, Connell, 45, received supervised probation after he successfully completed Guilford County's Mental Health Court. He and five others received certificates and represent the new court's first graduates. "Some people don't deserve to go to jail," said Connell's wife, Sheri. And that's where the new court can provide an alternative. But it's not easy. Defendants receive intense supervision, must submit to random drug tests and must enter treatment programs if referred there. They must stay for a minimum of six months in the program, which Greensboro launched in October and High Point in April. Each site can serve about 25 to 30 defendants, said Tracy Bryant, the program administrator. Greensboro has 27 participants and High Point, two, she said.

Pamplico family raising autistic teen grateful for community support - Raising an autistic child never has been easy for Karen Isgett and her family, but they can at least say they have had the support of their community. A recent national story, however, has shown her that not all families with autistic children have been as lucky. Karen was disturbed after hearing about a 5-year-old autistic boy in Florida whose teacher reportedly allowed his fellow students to vote him out of the class last month. “That would have destroyed me as a parent if that happened to me,” she said. “That’s the kind of stuff these parents are going to have to deal with unless they’re lucky enough to surround themselves or find people like I have in this little town.” Karen’s 17-year-old son, Jordan, suffers from a moderate level of autism. Jordan, who is non-verbal, always has been embraced by everyone in Pamplico, Karen said. “He can’t walk in town without somebody (saying) ‘Hey Jordan,’” she said. “Everybody knows him.” Karen said Jordan has always been well-liked by his peers. It was his first year at Pamplico High School, however, when they really began affecting his life.

Report looks at autism coverage - An independent study concluded requiring Pennsylvania health insurers to cover autism won't be as expensive as predicted by insurers and businesses groups who oppose it. The study commissioned by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council concluded covering autism would raise premiums by 1 percent. The authors termed the increase as "modest," given that insurers predict premiums will rise 8.7 percent this year even without the new benefit. The study was commissioned following last year's state House passage of a bill requiring health insurers to provide the coverage. It would apply only to dependent children under age 21.

Son killed to 'help' victim, mom says - The mother of the suspect charged in the death of a homeless man last week on Merrimac Trail said Friday her son believed he'd performed a mercy killing. Ryan David Caudle, 22, was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder. Ronald L. Martin, 49, whom friends described as a big-hearted man who'd battled cancer and alcoholism, was found stabbed to death behind the James-York Plaza early on June 17. "'He wanted to die, but he couldn't do it,'" Shannon Caudle said her son, Ryan, told her this week, just hours before he was arrested. "'I did it. I helped him,' he said. 'It's OK, Mom. People will understand.'" The day before Martin was killed, she said, Caudle had taken her son to Busch Gardens, where he acted irritably and out-of-sorts. She suspected he was high. Caudle said her son abused alcohol and over-the-counter cough medicine and survived two suicide attempts and stints in rehab and a mental hospital. "We thought he'd kill himself," his mother said. "We never dreamed he'd kill somebody else."

Then there was light - DALE was an autistic boy trapped in his own world. He could not understand emotions or social conventions, he could hardly relate to anyone, much less comprehend the concept of love. All until Henry the dog enters his world and readers will be warmed when he finally says: “Please don’t leave me – you’re my dog.’’ He collapses against the dog’s fur and his next words are even more touching: “I love you, Henry. I love my dog.” The book is written by Dale's mother, Nuala Gardner, about her life with her son and daughter, Amy. She recalls agonising moments when Dale threw violent tantrums when he was disturbed in the middle of play or when exposed to unfamiliar places. She struggled to hold him down as he banged his head on the floor, and refused to eat or bathe. Readers are shown a glimpse of what living with autism is like, from the nightmare of simple everyday situations such as speaking, socialising and putting on clothes to a parent’s frustration with medical and educational systems that do not want to recognise such children’s needs. 

Why You Are Hearing More about Autism - It has been a high profile year for autism. A severely autistic Minnesota boy was banned from church. An autistic kindergartner in Florida was voted out of class. A mother and her autistic son were thrown off an American Airlines flight at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. And another mother and autistic toddler were kicked off an airplane in Huston reportedly because the boy was repeating ‘bye, bye plane’ during the safety speech. “There is so much Americans need to learn about living in this world with Autistic children,” says Barbara Coppo, mother of an autistic boy and author of “The Boy In The Window.” Perhaps we are hearing more about autism in the news because there are more autistic children in America than ever before. The CDC’s most recent study estimates one out of every 150 children over the age of 8 is autistic or suffers from a related disorder. Today, 560 thousand Americans under the age of 21 have autism. That number is hundreds of thousands higher than just 30 years ago.

Absence of autism-linked genes disrupts sleep patterns in mice - The absence of two related genes linked to autism -- fragile X mental retardation 1 gene and fragile X-related gene 2 -- causes irregular, nonrhythmic sleep-wake patterns in mice and may result in further mental impairment, a U.S. study found. The findings suggest that the two genes play a role in controlling circadian rhythems.

Academy teaches social skills to children diagnosed with autism - Having a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be one of the most difficult challenges a parent can face. Many families have had to pick up their whole lives to move to an area with a school that specializes in teaching children with the disorder. These specialty schools can and have brought some parents to the brink of bankruptcy with tuition fees and costs of treatment. But right here in Putnam County, Putnam County Schools offers a three-week program called Social Skills Academy to work one-on-one with not only local children with autism but also their siblings and their parents, all at no charge.

ADHD with Autism Explored - A new grant has been awarded to conduct a national study of the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with autism spectrum disorders. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC received $3 million from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct the study. “ADHD symptoms are common in children with autism, but children with autism often do not respond well to stimulant medications, the conventional treatment for ADHD,” said Benjamin Handen, Ph.D., principal investigator of the study and associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Autism and the Vaccine Injury Program - In vaccine news, under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is prohibited from publicly disclosing or discussing information related to individual claims filed under the Act without the express written consent of the person who submitted the information. HRSA has reviewed the scientific information concerning the allegation that vaccines cause autism and has found no credible evidence to support the claim. Accordingly, in every claim submitted under the Act, HRSA has maintained and continues to maintain the position that vaccines do not cause autism, and has never concluded in any case that autism was caused by vaccination.

Autistic Son And Mother Turned Out Of Airplane - In an eyebrow raising incident the details of which hold contradicting views on the reasons why it happened, a two year old Autistic boy and his mother were removed from the American Eagle flight which returned back to the terminal before finally taking off, minus the duo.  Both sides hold to their version of what went wrong and who is to be blamed.  However, both sides agree that, the main reason behind the whole incident was the small 2 year old autistic child, Jarrett Farrell, who became restless and grew out of control with each passing moment as a result of which, altercations between the crew and the child’s mother took place, eventually ending in the mother son duo to be turned out of the plane.

Blogger fights off subpoena - Kathleen Seidel, the outspoken and enterprising autism blogger at Neurodiversity.com, was horrified when she received a subpoena in April asking for her financial and research records. The Peterborough mother and former librarian had been asked to open her books by a frequent vaccine court litigant who had been the target of several critical blog posts. So, with the help of lawyers from Public Citizen, Seidel fought the subpoena, saying she had nothing to offer in the case, which related to the alleged injuries of a child she had never met. The subpoena, she and her lawyers argued, was overbroad and designed to intimidate her, not gather valid information for the suit, and she asked the judge to sanction the lawyer, Clifford Shoemaker. Federal Magistrate James Muirhead in New Hampshire granted her request this week, saying that Shoemaker's argument - that he intended to unearth evidence that Seidel was the "leader of a conspiracy to obstruct justice" - was without merit.

Bracelets help track the lost / Program aims to outfit vulnerable people with tracking bracelets to help locate them if they wander off - Grace Magruder's son had run away again. "I think he followed the deer path," she said, pointing to a narrow line of dirt through a patch of heavy brush near the family's home here. Four-year-old Zachary is mentally handicapped and prone to wandering. That time he was found a quarter-mile away. "If I leave for two seconds, it's almost like he watches, and then he's gone," Magruder said. But she could find peace of mind in a radiowave-emitting bracelet the Wabasha County family will soon receive from neighboring Olmsted County. Olmsted is one of about five Minnesota counties using the technology that could track people if they get lost.

Colleges add programs - The trustees of the Maine Community College System yesterday approved five new associate degree programs, according to a press release. The new programs include a degree of applied science in traditional and contemporary crafts at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor; a degree in applied science in criminal justice at York County Community College in Wells; an advanced certificate program in autism at Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield; a certificate program in building construction at Washington County Community College in Calais; and a certificate program in heavy equipment operations at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland.

Coverage of autism clears Senate hurdle - A bill to mandate private insurance coverage of autism treatments passed a crucial test Thursday, but state senators attached two amendments unrelated to battling the neurological disorder. House Bill 1150 now includes regulatory authority by the state over the proposed merger of Highmark and Independence Blue Cross, the two largest health care companies in Pennsylvania. The other amendment mandates insurance coverage of colorectal cancer screenings. Senators on the Banking & Insurance Committee passed House Bill 1150 unanimously. The bill now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee vote came after a recent study commissioned by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containtment Council, which reported an increase of $1 per month in premiums for every insurance customer if the autism mandate became law.

DMR name change long overdue - For comedian Bill Maher, the word “retarded” is just a garden-variety, impersonal insult. The President is a “retarded child emperor” and people getting fired up about religion is “retarded.” In 2001, he infamously went so far as to liken “retarded children” to dogs. But for tens of thousands of people in Massachusetts and their families with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the word retarded can be the most personal of attacks; yet it remains in the name of the state agency that provides services for them. This year, the Massachusetts Senate has included language in its budget that would change that. The proposal, which has been met with wide acceptance, would change the name of the Department of Mental Retardation to the Department of Developmental Services. It needs to be agreed upon by the House and then signed by the governor to become law.

Education advocates: "tired of being at the bottom of the list" - Education advocates staged their own protest Friday in light of possible education budget cuts because they say they are tired of being at the "bottom of the list." People from the State Board of Education, students from UNR and UNLV, the Washoe County Education Collaborative and Washoe County School District Superintendent, Paul Dugan, all said that not only are they tired of being at the bottom of the list when it comes to test scores but also per pupil spending and cannot suffer anymore cuts. They are referring to the proposal lawmakers are wrestling with: whether to cut an additional 4 percent from every agency's budget.

Experts to Discuss One Puzzling Autism Case, as a Second Case Has ... - Federal health officials on Sunday will call together some of the world’s leading experts on an obscure disease to discuss the controversial case of a 9-year-old girl from Athens, Ga., who became autistic after receiving numerous vaccinations.  But the government has so far kept quiet a second case that some say is more disturbing and more relevant to the meeting. On Jan. 11, a 6-year-old girl from Colorado received FluMist, a flu vaccine, and about a week later “became weak with multiple episodes of falling to ground” and “difficulty walking,” according to a case report filed with federal health officials and obtained by The New York Times

'Give us a voice' - angry parents - PARENTS staged an angry demonstration to protest against a shake up of Sheffield's special needs education service which they claim is being implemented without consultations. The protest was held outside the Salvation Army building on Psalter Lane, Nether Edge, where a briefing between service chiefs and headteachers was due to take place.

Growing Up With Autism: Working With School-Age Children and ... - Ms. Park is senior lecturer emerita in English at Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts. She is the author of The Siege: A Family's Journey Into the World of an Autistic Child and of Exiting Nirvana. Books like this one, consisting of many chapters, most of them with more than one author, inevitably vary in their usefulness according to the interests and experience of individual readers. Those readers should be aware, however, that Growing Up With Autism has an unusual focus, but a welcome one: it concentrates on a population that is, in the tactful language of one chapter, "less able." The majority of children growing up with autism may have a degree of retardation; some may never talk at all. Yet published research has focused on the high-functioning or Asperger's children, while the more severe impairments go unaddressed. There are many children, adolescents, and even adults to who must be taught joint attention, functional communication skills, and everything that seems obvious but is far from obvious. This book is full of suggestions about how this can be done.

Help your autistic child - It seemed like the school of Amir Khan in the Hindi movie Taare Zameen Par where a child with dyslexia got appropriate care for learning when I visited the learning and education centre of the Society for the Welfare of Autistic Children (SWAC) last week at Lalmatia in the city. The effort is hundred times more here, because near one hundred autistic children are getting support with due dedication and affection.

How to Fly with an Autistic Child? Your Suggestions Requested - Hey, look at this picture! The father and daughter appear to be sitting in the front (bulkhead) seats of the airplane, and the little girl is snugly tucked in with a blanket; she's holding several comfort objects; and there's even a drink of juice available. No wonder she's not having a screaming tantrum. Last time I flew, there were no regulations against a passenger having any of these items available pre-takeoff - and they've certainly made all the difference for us when we've flown with our autistic and typical kiddos. We have been pretty lucky, though: our kids' biggest issues with flying include painful ears on descent and a troubling tendency to dash past the security personnel... but so far, no one's mistaken them for terrorists...

Jail for mother who left toddler 'home alone' to go partying - A mother who left her two-year-old son home alone so she could spend a weekend partying was jailed today for at least nine months. Kelly Tollerton, 23, was convicted by a jury of child neglect charges earlier this month after a jury was told she abandoned the infant for three days at her Lincoln home. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison but told she should expect to serve at least nine months. Sentencing her today at Lincoln Crown Court (pictured), Recorder William Harbage QC said: "It defies belief that any mother can treat her child in that way. In my opinion, you are not a fit mother." Tollerton left the child penned into the kitchen of their flat, with one nappy and just dirty laundry to sleep on, while she spent the weekend with her boyfriend, the court was told. The little boy was found "cold, hungry and distressed" in a dirty vest and pants after he turned on a tap and flooded the kitchen, alerting neighbours.

Keith Kennedy's condition upgraded - Keith Kennedy has improved to serious condition. He is hospitalized at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview in the intensive care unit unit. He had been in critical condition since his arrival Sunday. Kennedy was found last Sunday night after a week of searching near the Trade Lake Camp south of Grantsburg. He had been missing for one week from the camp for people with disabilities. Kennedy, 25 has autism and he walked away from the camp on June 15. A week long search was fruitless until Sunday night when he was finally found. In addition to be treated for malnutrition, he has a donated kidney and he was without medicine for one week. 

Lack of Two Related Genes Disrupts Sleep Cycle - The lack of two related genes tied to autism may also disrupt the body's natural sleep cycle and cause further mental impairment, a new report says. Mice lacking the fragile X mental retardation 1 gene (FMR1) and a similar gene called fragile X-related gene 2 (FXR2) have a very irregular, non-rhythmic sleep-wake pattern rather than the rodent's normal cycle of roughly under 12 hours awake and 12 hours asleep, according to a consortium of researchers led by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "This has never been seen in a mouse before," lead researcher Dr. David Nelson, a professor of molecular and human genetics, said in a prepared statement.

'Life ruined by sex lies' - A care worker's career was destroyed by "fanciful" sex abuse allegations by a boy who "could not stop lying", top judges have been told. In a unique test case, John Pinnington is challenging the refusal of Thames Valley Police to erase the allegations from his "enhanced criminal record certificate", which is disclosed to prospective employers. Mr Pinnington, who switched from a successful career as a technical illustrator to work with vulnerable young adults, was dismissed from the children's charity for which he worked when his employers found out about the accusations, London's High Court was told. advertisement He is seeking a judicial review of the force's decision to retain the information - relating to three males - on his record, despite his solicitors' repeated requests to expunge it.

Low birth weight, prematurity may raise autism risk - Low birth weight and preterm delivery increase the likelihood that a child will be autistic, with girls being at particular risk, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. "Pediatricians are probably sensitive to the fact that low birth weight children or children born too soon have special developmental needs," researcher Dr. Diana Schendel of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, told Reuters Health. "This study simply supports that they should not overlook the behavioral aspects of development." She noted that while boys far outnumber girls in the general population of children with autism, physicians "may need to be aware that they will see more equal numbers of boys and girls" with autism among low birth weight and preterm children, based on the current findings.

Officials reconstruct autistic man's circuitous route / Authorities think they know how he ended up near a creek after a week of wandering.  - After days of attempting to retrace Keith Kennedy's steps, Burnett County officials finally have a theory about how the 25-year-old autistic man ended up next to a creek in dense Wisconsin woods. The analysis comes as Kennedy's condition was upgraded from critical to serious Friday at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. The Shoreview man was discovered severely dehydrated Sunday night after wandering off from a nearby camp for developmentally disabled adults 7 miles south of Grantsburg, Wis.

Mum’s story gets to Number 1 slot - MOTHER Jan Greenman, whose story of living with an autistic son Luke has become a best seller, has tugged heart strings with other struggling families. Mrs Greenman, who lives in The Parklands, Hullavington, wrote Life at the Edge in a bid to help other families cope with an autistic child. Last Sunday the book reached the Number One slot in its category on Amazon.com and was displayed at the Los Angeles Book Fayre earlier this month. It has also been featured in the national newspapers and through it, Luke, 16, has met his hero, racing driver Nigel Mansell who endorsed the book.

Pesticides on ‘princess’ halt retrieval work - Officials suspended on Friday recovery operations at a sunken ferry containing hundreds of corpses after learning it was carrying large amounts of highly toxic pesticide. A hundred photographs of the retrieved bodies from MV Princess of the Stars will be released today at the North Harbor office of Sulpicio Lines Inc. in Manila. Sulpicio Lines owns the ferry and at least 20 other passenger and cargo vessels. Howard Areza, a lawyer from the Public Attorney’s Office, announced also on Friday that the photos will be posted outside the office today in order for the unidentified victims of the ferry’s capsizing to be identified by families and friends, who had been unable to go to Cebu province. The bodies of these unidentified victims have been brought to the province, where Sulpicio Lines is based.

Punished for Autism? / Several incidents in the last month have moms thinking.  - An airplane was about to take off from Raleigh, N.C., when they turned around to remove an upset, autistic toddler and his mother. According to an American Airlines statement, Janice and Jarret Farrell were kicked off primarily because Janice wouldn't put her bag in an overhead compartment--but they also said that Jarrett was crying and screaming so loudly that "the child's well-being was in question." Was it really necessary to remove them from the plane--after all, what mom hasn't had the nightmare of a scared kid in flight? Or is it that we are in a new era of discrimination against autistic children?

New Developments in Autism Spectrum Disorders by Eric Hollander, MD; George D. Lundberg, MD  From The Medscape Journal of Medicine Webcast Video Interviews

New school for autistic kids wraps up first year - "Get up and dance!" Marie Kitamura sings to her students. Neal launches into an 8-year-old's version of the Electric Slide. Kauvel and Jeremy spin their hands in the air a la "Saturday Night Fever." Morgan jumps in place. Josh simply sways. They're dancing to the same song, and their vastly different interpretations are welcome because at this new Seattle school, aimed at helping struggling students, it's all about customized learning. On Friday, the Academy for Precision Learning's five students and four teachers wrapped up their first year. Launched by a group of parents in less than 10 months, the program, which spans six grade levels, is already benefiting from word of mouth. Enrollment will double this fall when the program moves into new classrooms in University Heights.

Questions about new combination vaccines for kids - New combination vaccines for infants and toddlers approved Thursday by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will soon appear in doctors’ offices in Chicago and across the country. And parents are sure to have a lot of questions. Moms and dads will want to know if giving babies a single shot containing protection against four or five infections could be dangerous.   Might it overwhelm an infant's immune system and are adverse side effects more likely? Don’t worry, says Dr. Tina Tan, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

School's Out: Who Made The Grade? - School's out, and it is time for me to issue my grades for what I see as the worst in school behavior. For the past nine months I have seen countless stories about bad teachers, out-of-touch educrats and hare-brained laws and proposals being pushed by clueless lawmakers. While they represent different categories, these two stories share a common theme: They are all harmful in their own way to the educational well-being of our children. Here are the worst of the worst: Fla. Teacher Lets Students Remove Peer From Class By Vote Wendy Portillo, a kindergarten teacher at the Morningside Elementary School in Port St. Lucie, Fla., made national headlines last month when she held a vote with her class concerning the removal of Alex Barton, a student who is being tested for Asperger's Syndrome, a form of high-degree autism that impairs social skills. Ms. Portillo defended her actions.

Scott County summer camp helps autistic children - For the past eight years, autistic children in Mississippi have been finding their summer fun at Camp Kaleidoscope, a summer camp program sponsored by Together Enhancing Autism Awareness in Mississippi (TEAAM), and held at Timber Creek Camp in Scott County. At Camp Kaleidoscope, autistic children between the ages of seven and seventeen enjoy summer activities like swimming and horseback riding with both autistic and typical peers. "The main thing is to have fun," camp director Dr. Mark Yeager said, "but there are some educational parts of it for the kids that are older." Another primary goal of the camp, Yeager said, is for campers to make friends, which is why both autistic children and their typical peers attend. "Their role," Yeager said of the typical campers,"is to be there and do the same thing the other kids are doing, and just to make friends." The camp, which is held each year at the end of June, is funded by TEAAM and a grant from the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. Thanks to this funding, parents have to pay only $35 for their children to attend one of the 4-day session

The Fragile X Factor - They called him "the singing baby." As a newborn, Maxwell Wheeler would lie in his crib, whistling shrilly as he breathed in and out. For Cari and Andrew Wheeler of Madera Ranchos, Calif., it was one of the first signs that all was not right with their second child--an infant who didn't like to be touched, refused to nurse and struggled to keep down formula. At 10 months, when Max was still spitting up more than sitting up, the Wheelers consulted an occupational therapist, who noticed an extra fold above his eyelids, prominent ears and other features she called "dysmorphic."

The Second International Conference on Signs of Autism in Infants ... - Identifying the signs of autism before the age of one is a priority at the forefront of the scientific, health, and education communities. Steady progress is being made in all disciplines that address the autistic spectrum. This unique conference provides an opportunity for experts across key disciplines to discuss and reach a consensus on strategies for early identification and intervention. This event -- the Second International Conference on Signs of Autism in Infants: Changing Outcomes through Early Identification and Intervention -- is scheduled for October 11 and 12, 2008 in Southern California.

World Coming to New Jersey To Learn About Moebius Syndrome - World Coming to New Jersey To Learn About Moebius Syndrome International Medical Conference Expects Nearly 400 Visitors from 12 Countries Basking Ridge Woman Leads Conference Parsippany, NJ (June 27, 2008) – Nearly 400 visitors from a dozen countries are headed to New Jersey this summer for an international conference on Moebius Syndrome and related conditions. The conference, sponsored by the Moebius Syndrome Foundation, will be held July 11 -13, 2008 at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel in Parsippany, N.J.