A horse of a healing color - The national ambassador for the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) took the opportunity Thursday afternoon to doze for a few minutes after his last demonstration of therapeutic riding at 2007 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days. But when he heard straw rustling, his eyes shot open and he moved toward the fence as a young hand reached in to stroke his downy soft nose. Nevada Joe is a trained therapeutic riding horse, one of 7,000 in the association, for disabled riders. But occasionally, like this week, he goes on tour with his owners, Ernie and Diane Purcelli of Darby, Mont., to promote the advantages of this physician-recognized approach to improving health and life

A simple touch: The Metamorphic Technique - An intriguing yet low-profile alternative technique can bring significant benefits to the whole family... Every evening Cathal Duffy goes through the same routine: his 10-year-old autistic son sticks his feet out from under the bedclothes and Cathal gives them a gentle rub. He has performed this nightly ritual for the past five years and during that time has seen his son develop and grow in a way that he could barely have dared hope for.  Cathal is convinced that the 'massage' has something to do with his son's remarkable development. "He just seems to blossom and blossom. We thought he would never talk, we thought he would never have a sense of humour, but he just spends the whole day laughing and joking and chatting."

Attempted murder traumatizes teen - A man convicted of the attempted murder of his 12-year-old stepdaughter instilled such fear in the girl and his two natural children that all are damaged, their mother said in a victim impact statement. The stabbing victim, who is now 15, has been missing since May when she ran away from a youth home, Crown prosecutor Robin Ritter told Justice Paul Hrabinsky Friday at a sentencing hearing for the 37-year-old offender. "(My daughter) has been traumatized so badly that she is choosing to use drugs and alcohol to cope and numb out," the woman said in her statement to the court.

Autism campus opens in Ayrshire - A campus for young adults with autism has opened in East Ayrshire.
Daldorch House School, in Catrine, offers continuing education and supported living for 16 to 21-year-olds from across Scotland.  Shona Pinkerton, school principal, said: "Autism is a serious condition; the right support at the right time can make an enormous difference."  The National Autistic Society Scotland said the facility was the first of its type in the country.  Daldroch House is one of six schools managed by The National Autistic Society across the UK.  The new campus will provide 27 residential and eight day places for young people with autism who require intensive and specialised support.  Adam Ingram, the minister for children and early years, said: "This innovative new campus will provide invaluable support to young people with autism.

Autism treatment gives hope to parents - When you speak to Raun Kaufman he comes across as a slick-talking American: immediately personable and trustworthy. His obvious sharp intellect masks a past that, in true Stateside style, was transformed into a television movie - a fact of which he is cringingly embarrassed. Kaufman was a toddler trapped in a world of his own. He had no interaction with others, no language skills and an IQ of less than 30. He had autism. His early life led to the eventual creation of the controversial Autism Treatment Center of America, set up by his parents, Barry and Samahria, in 1983. He explains: "When I was two I was diagnosed as quite severely autistic. I'd spend my day doing repetitive activities like rocking back and forth, and spinning a plate over and over again for eight hours straight. "My parents were told by doctors: We're really

Being deaf and blind can't stop this man living his life - Ahead of a unique fund-raising event, the Vision 5k UK, which aims to raise funds for deafblind charity Sense, features writer Hannah Gray finds out about one young man who manages to overcome huge obstacles to lead a packed and varied life.  BEING deafblind has not stood in the way of Richard Brumby leading the kind of active lifestyle which would put most fully-sighted people to shame.  Richard (22) has studied art at a college for people with visual impairments, he has abseiled, been horse riding and even tried the new extreme sport Airkix, a sky diving simulator Two years ago he went sailing on the Solent in a specially adapted boat Soon he will start an art course at Peterborough Regional College, and at the end of September, with the help of a guide, he will take part in a special 5km walk, the Vision 5k UK, which will raise money for the charity Sense, which runs the shared home in Paston, Peterborough, where Richard lives.  Richard will be providing some stiff competition for the other participants, as he already walks for an hour each night.  Manager of the house where Richard lives Michelle O'Reilly, said: "I think he'll be brilliant. I have every confidence in him.

Bill of rights: Retro Bill counsels kids about what's right - His name is Retro Bill and he sports a Sha-Na-Na hairdo and clothes that appear borrowed from a community theater version of "Grease." His appearance grabs attention and is a jumping off point for his messages about drugs, drinking, violence and building self-esteem. "Don't ever give anyone permission to bring you down," Retro Bill told an auditorium full of Rogers High School students Friday morning.  Retro Bill is actually Bill Russ, a Hollywood-based actor-writer-producer, who performs for youngsters about 300 days a year. Russ said he's "older than I look" and uses his cartoonish façade as a way to discuss appearances and to deal with negativity. He's heard Elvis jokes and uses Elvis Presley as an example of the good and bad in life. He mentioned how Presley rose from poverty to stardom and then crashed in a barbiturate overdose. "Elvis's dreams came true and then he took pills and put them into his body," Russ told the students. "People might call me Elvis. But I'm not sitting dead on a toilet seat."

Bright future for autistic aid centre - A year ago families with autistic children were becoming increasingly desperate about the grim outlook for a Norfolk centre that had become their sole haven and lifeline. Autistic Way's Smart Kids OK centre in Gapton Hall Road, Yarmouth, had helped more than 200 families through respite care and support since it opened in 2002 but funding problems had left it unable to even pay its rent. However, following the award of a £300,000 lottery grant earlier this year, the centre has celebrated a remarkable turnaround - with 29 new families arriving at its door over the summer holidays alone.

Caring for Autistic Adults - All this week we've been talking about autism. Autism rates have spiked in the U.S. in recent years accounting for a new diagnosis every 20 minutes. One in 150 children are growing up with numerous challenges that are expensive and hard to treat. But these children are growing up. Is our society ready to help take care of them? 18-year-old Blair Sherman loves Starbucks, he loves school and he loves his part-time job at Pet Supplies Plus.  Pet Supplies Plus' Jill Lily says that Sherman and her customers benefit from his employement. "It teaches them socialization skills and job training skills. It also exposes our customers," insists Lily.  Sherman is on the leading edge of the autism epidemic.

Chicken's goose cooked on Survivor: China - It's a good thing some of fall's reality TV offerings finally hit primetime this week.  For awhile , I was turning into everyone I used to hate. The Canadian Idol megafan. The Big Brother obsessive. The person who can actually watch America's Got Talent from beginning to end. Yuck!  But now that remaining summer shows Big Brother 8 and Last Comic Standing have wrapped, I can go back to my regularly scheduled programming -- and wash those ugly Head of Household competitions out of my hair.  Speaking of Big Brother, Dick Donato (who many say lives up to his first name) beat out his formerly estranged daughter Daniele to win the $500,000 prize. Daniele took home the $50,000 second prize, so both are laughing all the way to the bank. Much more fun was watching the former housemates debate over who was the more evil Donato -- verbal abuser Dick or backstabber Daniele -- as well as the unveiling of Eric as America's Player.

Expert secrets to raising "great kids" -/ In an exclusive interview, see how music affects tykes -- and parents! - Anyone who has bonded closer with a baby while singing a lullaby or witnessed the pure joy of a movin' and groovin' toddler will be intrigued by a growing body of scientific evidence indicating that music plays an integral role in child development. A 2001 University of Valencia study traced the connection back even further, noting that "children who were played music in the womb showed more rapid development" in traits such as speech, gross and fine motor skills, and the ability to imitate faces. Another study found that kids as young as 3 could interpret emotional messages of songs. We wanted to learn more about this fascinating link, so we sat down with two people who are well-versed on the topic of kids: singer-songwriter Laurie Berkner and child development expert Stanley Greenspan.

For disabled, the wait just got shorter - About 350 disabled adults will soon receive job coaches, therapists, supervised housing and other government-subsidized services that New Hampshire has long lacked the money to provide.  Hundreds of adults, including many fresh out of high school, have typically waited years for the help they need to live healthy, safe and productive lives. Yesterday, Gov. John Lynch signed a bill that aims to eliminate such long waits by funneling an additional $24.1 million in state and federal money into services for people with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, cognitive impairments and other developmental disabilities.  In addition to more money, the law also bolsters training and pay for those who work directly with disabled clients, and creates a committee to monitor the quality of care. The waiting list won't completely disappear for at least three years, but the new law is a big step for those who have warned state leaders about flagging services for disabled adults.  "The law has always required that people get services within the limits of modern knowledge," said Dick Cohen, executive director of the Disabilities Rights Center. "But expectations have been lowered primary because of funding. Because of this (law), people have a right to expect very high-quality services. There are no excuses now."

Meet Your New Spokeswoman in the Fight to Cure Autism: Jenny McCarthy - Jenny McCarthy has joined the chorus of mothers wondering if there is a link between autism and common childhood vaccines (“Raising Joshua,” November 15). In an appearance on Oprah this week, the actress, known more for her boobs than her parenting skills, talked about how her son Evan changed after getting vaccinated. "Right before his MMR shot, I said to the doctor, 'I have a very bad feeling about this shot. This is the autism shot, isn't it?'” she says. “And he said, 'No, that is ridiculous. It is a mother's desperate attempt to blame something,' and he swore at me, and then the nurse gave [Evan] the shot. And I remember going, 'Oh, God, I hope he's right.' And soon thereafter—boom—the soul's gone from his eyes."

Oxygen Therapy Benefits Children With Autism - A new treatment is giving hope to parents of children diagnosed with autism. We meet with a family whose child's development is improving thanks to the benefits of oxygen therapy. Some are talking for the first time, and interacting with their families. There is new hope for autistic children treated with oxygen therapy in pressurized chambers.  The 7-year-old child crawls into her play cave, nicknamed her blue tunnel. A therapist stays with her.  A new study proves spending time in capsules at the Hyperbaric Medical Center helps autistic children.

Pervert case adjourned - SENTENCE on a Southport man who has admitted taking indecent photographs of children on the beach has been adjourned. Paul Holden, of Queens Road, was due for sentence today on the 21st of September at Liverpool Crown Court but this was put off to enable him to be assessed by experts in Aspergers Syndrome, a form of autism. 42-year-old Holden has pleaded guilty to eight offences of makin indecent photographs of children and 18 of possessing such images, all prior to November 29, 2005. Holden was further remanded on bail to await sentence on a date to be fixed.

Prosecutors: Teacher hurt autistic kids - Prosecutors offered a portrait Friday of a special-education teacher who they alleged progressively lost control during the first month of school, slamming one boy with autism into a brick wall and forcing another to jump on a trampoline for more than 30 minutes while wearing a weighted vest. Patrick E. McCarthy, 30, of Palatine was charged with aggravated battery and unlawful restraint in a case that unfolded this week when McCarthy's assistants reported the alleged assaults to officials at Robert Frost Junior High School in Schaumburg. "The teacher's assistants . . . saw that he became increasingly agitated and had no patience with the children," said Lynn Palac, an assistant state's attorney.

Should Women Breastfeed Each Other's Babies? - Babble ran a story a few months ago by the author Jennifer Baumgardner about how her friend suggested they nurse each other's babies.  When my son was a few months old and my dear, dear friend Anastasia was at the end of her pregnancy, she turned to me one day and said, "I have a request."  "Anything," I said. After all, she had come over two or three times a week since my baby was born to help me as I finished a book. She'd done everything from returning phone calls to burping the baby to vacuuming. When she tipped over in the course of trying to rock my son, Skuli, she bonked her head rather than drop him, prompting me to wonder if it was fair to relegate administrative tasks and baby-care to a woman who was nine months pregnant.  "I want us to nurse each other's babies," Anastasia said. "Okay," I said, immediately. "They'll be milk-siblings," she said excitedly. "Yeah," I said. "Wow." What I didn't do was yell, "OMIGOD! THAT IS SO BIZARRE THAT YOU WANT TO DO THAT!" But that was my first internal reaction. Second internal reaction: how am I going to get out of this when I already said okay?

TWISTED SISTER Fan Stories Sought By Documentary Filmmaker - Sep ... - Documentary filmmaker Andy Horn is producing a film about the TWISTED SISTER club days from 1973 to 1981, and he is looking for interview subjects for possible inclusion in the film. If you have a story to tell, e-mail Andy at ahorn101@googlemail.com. On September 25, Razor & Tie Entertainment will release "A Twisted Christmas Live", a DVD of TWISTED SISTER's holiday 2006 show at New Jersey's legendary Starland Ballroom. The DVD will feature performances of tunes from "A Twisted Christmas" (which eatures rock n' roll versions of beloved Christmas classics), as well as TWISTED SISTER's greatest hits. Check out the cover artwork at this location.

Woman gets election suprise in mail - When Kathryn Proulx opened her mail yesterday she felt very special -- for some reason Elections Ontario believes she is important enough to vote four times.  At first she thought it was just duplicates when she opened the four separate yellow envelopes, but on closer inspection, Proulx saw that each card with her name clearly printed on them had individual bar codes and numbers. "I found it very odd," said Proulx, who lives in the small community of Lafontaine, just west of Penetanguishene.

Art exhibit in Nyack to benefit Autism Speaks - Because autistic children can't always speak for themselves, artist Jeff Spindel wants his artwork to help them communicate. Tomorrow an art exhibit starts that will benefit the national organization Autism Speaks. Works by Spindel will be on display through Nov. 4 at Manna Bodega and Boutique in Nyack. Spindel is a counselor in the Venture After-School Enrichment Program at the Rockland Board of Cooperative Educational Services campus in West Nyack. "I am very passionate about helping the people I work with," he said Monday by e-mail. A Nyack resident, Spindel has worked for more than eight years with special-needs people, but felt that wasn't enough. "I decided to organize my event to raise awareness and donations," he said. Gina Cambre, who owns Manna Bodega and Boutique, has an autistic son. She wants parents and doctors to become more educated about autism because "early intervention is important." "I'm so happy to do this," she said yesterday. "With one in 120 children having autism, we need to be talking about this. Autism is very isolating" for the caregiver. "Our lives revolve around art - the right colors and proper food," she said, referring to coping with her son's autism.

Autism-related bills now law - Six autism related bills sponsored by state Sen. Ellen Karcher (D-Monmouth and Mercer) were signed into law by Gov. Jon Corzine last week.  "A diagnosis of autism or developmental disability presents real challenges for parents and caregivers," Karcher said. "While the medical community seeks to find answers to the causes of autism and developmental disability, states have an obligation to promote programs which help those living with the disability. These new lifesaving laws will help families deal with the hardships of caring for individuals with autism."  Corzine signed the following bills:

Caught on Film: Lefties Were Rare in 19th-Century England - The number of people born left-handed plummeted temporarily around the turn of last century, according to recently released documentary footage of factory workers in northern England between 1900 and 1906. Researchers recorded the number of people waving to the camera with their right or left hand—a proxy for handedness—and compared the results for different age groups.  They report in Current Biology that the rate of left-handedness plunged from an estimated 20 percent of children born around 1840 to a mere 3 percent of those born 50 years later. The finding dovetails with a landmark 1992 survey that documented a rise in the fraction of southpaws from about 3 percent of the U.S. population born in 1900 to a steady 11 percent of respondents born in the 1950s or later.

Center Makes Autistic Children's Dreams Come True -  Joey White is seven years old and in the second grade. Today, he's getting ready for a sensory learning therapy session in the dark. Joey is autistic, and this program should help improve his coordination, tension, and his extra sensitivity to light, and noises: two things that make going to the dA new course has been launched for adult Londoners with autism or Asperger syndrome who want to find a way into work, but are not ready to take the leap. Prospects Employment Consultancy, an expert in employment and autistic spectrum disorders, will offer a course called 'Access to employment for people with autism and Asperger syndrome', which will allow people to explore employment and further education options. The course is funded through a Department of Health grant, which means it is free to participants and travel costs incurred are reimbursed. Running for ten weeks, the course will involve a series of workshops taking place two half-days a week. The world of work and potential issues that could affect participants will be explored.entist torture for him. "The light kind of hurts my eyes," he said.  Kyle White, Joey's father, added "It's actually so painful for him to go. It kills me to see him sit in the seat. I feel bad for him my heart hurts seeing him go through it." Joey's therapist, Kristina Altieri, says it's a common problem with autistic children. "They may be oversensitive to light, noise from drills, stuff in a dentist's office, sometimes have a meltdown." South Florida businessman Olaf Hampel, who played tackle for the Denver Broncos, decided to tackle autism after meeting a family with an autistic daughter on a business flight.

Coping with sensory processing disorder - Imagine tasting, touching or smelling something and not understanding what your reactions mean. It's a fact of life for 5 percent of children. An airport's hustle and bustle can be daunting enough, but it's overwhelming for 5-year-old Nathan Tompkins, who suffers from sensory processing disorder. His 6-year-old brother, Matthew, also has the disorder. Their mother, Sondra Tompkins, said kids with SPD misinterpret sensory information such as touch, movement and noise. "Both my kids actually have problems with loud sounds, going anywhere where they would -- like walking into a public restroom and a hand dryer or a toilet flushing, anything like that they would cover their ears and they would literally just freak out and start crying," Tompkins said.

Could Environmental Factors Be to Blame for the Autism Epidemic? - Autism rates have skyrocketed in recent years up some 1,000 percent over the last decade or so. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in 150 children are diagnosed on the autism spectrum today. Why the increase?  In the second part of our week long series on autism, we try to answer that question  Doctors diagnosed Charlottesville's Blair Sherman with autism in the mid 1990's. They told his mother he was a rare one in 5,000 children born with the genetic disorder. "I figured I would never meet another child with autism. I figured I had the only one," remembered Angela Sherman, Blair's mother.

Could Vaccines Be to Blame for the Autism Epidemic? - Autism rates have skyrocketed in recent years up some 1,000 percent over the last decade or so. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in 150 children are diagnosed on the autism spectrum today. Why the increase?  In the second part of our week long series on autism, we try to answer that question. Doctors diagnosed Charlottesville's Blair Sherman with autism in the mid 1990's. They told his mother he was a rare one in 5,000 children born with the genetic disorder.  "I figured I would never meet another child with autism. I figured I had the only one," remembered Angela Sherman, Blair's mother.

Did Merck Bring AIDS to America? No. - In an archival video recently posted on YouTube, former Merck vaccine developer Maurice Hilleman recalls the company's unwitting importation of AIDS-carrying African green monkeys during the early 1980's. "Oh, it was you who introduced the AIDS virus to this country?" jokes the interviewer, medical historian Edward Shorter. It's hard to tell exactly what's said next, since the person who posted the video -- intelligent design supporter and Da Vinci Code interpreter Leonard Horowitz -- tweaked the tape DJ-style, repeating the catch phrases over and over again.

Drunken driver will serve no time - The mother of a child driven by an intoxicated school transportation driver said she is not disappointed with the driver’s suspended sentence, but is troubled that the driver did not apologize.  Cynthia A. Lea, 39, of 62 Taft Road, Sterling, was charged with child endangerment after driving a child with autism home from school while intoxicated. She received a 90-day suspended sentence and has been placed on probation until May 2009.  Ms. Lea was scheduled to go to trial today on the last two of four charges resulting from the Nov. 10, 2006, incident that terrorized the mother of the elementary school student.
The child’s mother, Cynthia M. McCullough of Princeton, said yesterday that the district attorney’s office had prepared her for the fact that Ms. Lea would not serve time in jail because it was her first offense. What was most lacking, said Mrs. McCullough, was an apology for what Ms. Lea put her through.

Federal judge orders state to accommodate disabled woman - Delaware officials violated the constitutional rights of a severely disabled woman by denying Medicaid coverage that would allow her to move from North Carolina to be near her parents, a federal judge has ruled. Marianne Duffy, 33, of Hubert, N.C., suffers from developmental disabilities including blindness, seizures, autism and mental retardation. She has lived in an intermediate care facility for mental retardation in North Carolina for several years.  In 2001, Duffy’s parents moved from North Carolina to Delaware and began the process of relocating their daughter. The Duffys applied through Delaware’s Medicaid program for residential placement and services that she otherwise would be unable to afford. State officials determined, however, that Duffy was not eligible for Medicaid coverage in Delaware until she moved here, and that her residential placement needs were not urgent. Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Sleet granted Duffy summary judgment, ruling that the state had unconstitutionally restricted her right to interstate travel. Citing previous court rulings, including a 1969 Supreme Court decision striking down a one-year residency requirement for welfare benefits, Sleet said states can impose residency requirements for nonessential benefits such as lower college tuition, but that they can not violate the constitutional right to travel by imposing residency requirements for the receipt of public benefits.

For years, fate of autistic boy fell through cracks at Ed Dept. - Shaquan Vaughn is 7 years old, but he has never been to school.  He's not being home-schooled. He's not seeing a tutor. He's not receiving treatment for autism, which left him mute. By law, he should have been in school since last year, but an overwhelmed bureaucracy, parents who felt powerless and a computer system that took years to update his address have denied Shaquan essential services. While his condition worsens, he sits at home, watching cartoons and waiting for a school to take him. "He's lost so much. He was deprived of speech. He was deprived of knowing math and reading," said his dad, Marcus Vaughn. "Nobody offered us any help. ... They just left us in the dark with no light at the end of the tunnel."

From ancient Rome to Haifa, via Sodom - The Haifa Film Festival takes pride in its tradition of showcasing older movies and honoring the works that laid the foundations for contemporary filmmaking. The 23rd International Haifa Film Festival, which opens next Thursday under the creative direction of Penina Blair and will last eight days, features what is considered a major landmark in the history of cinema. "Cabiria," the 1914 Italian film directed by Giovanni Pastrone, brought trailblazing innovations in photography, lighting, stage sets and more to audiences around the world.  This 181-minute cinematic opus, tells the story of a young woman named Cabiria, who is separated from her family during the war between Rome and Carthage, and unwittingly embarks on a journey through ancient Rome. Martin Scorsese initiated the reparation of the physical film by the National Film Museum in Torino, and he is scheduled to introduce it and explain its importance at the Haifa screening. Italian pianist Stefano Maccagno is traveling with the reproduction of this silent film as it tours the various festivals, and will provide the musical accompaniment in Haifa.

Hell of autistic boy's mum - A MOTHER who abandoned her severely autistic teenage son to state government officials has revealed her anguish at leaving her beloved child. The woman, who cannot be identified, says she was driven to desperation by the lack of government services as her family disintegrated around her.  The 15-year-old boy had been sexually assaulting his mother, teenage sister (who has Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism) and baby brother.  Unable to get help, the woman left the boy behind at a meeting with government officials two weeks ago.  In a moving account of her lone struggle to cope with her son's demands while looking after her other children, she said governments were letting down the families of autistic children.

Jenny McCarthy Tells Oprah that Autism Can Be Reversed - When you think of Jenny McCarthy, you probably visualize a buxom blonde holding hands with funny man Jim Carrey. She's the former Playboy Playmate of the Year who jumped into the hearts of men with her good looks and later caught the attention of women with her funny personality. However, recently, she appeared on Oprah showing a more serious side; she spoke about her fight against autism. Autism is a developmental disorder in children often characterized by impaired communication, excessive rigidity and emotional detachment. Through her book "Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism," McCarthy reveals her struggles to reverse the effects of it on her son, Evan John Asher. She gives a hindsight and current view of how she deals with her son's autism. Like many mothers, McCarthy interpreted all of Evan's behavior in the most positive light. The flapping of his hands. How he played (or didn't play) differently than other kids. His pre-occupation with spinning objects. These were all things she thought were just unique to his personality. However, one day, the light clicked on.

Lawsuit challenges equality of Columbus public schools - Ohio's embattled public schools were confronted with a new lawsuit Monday challenging whether students within each district being treated equally. Ironically dubbed Brown v. Board of Education like the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision that outlawed racial segregation in public schools the action strikes at the heart of the state's school funding dispute. The Ohio Supreme Court has repeatedly declared the state's school funding system unconstitutional, saying a heavy reliance on the local tax base created inequality between districts because a poor district can't raise as much money as a wealthy one. Monday's lawsuit argues that two buildings within one school district can also be unequal. "We made a tremendous mistake thinking we could just fix a system on a district-to-district basis," said Republican mayoral challenger Bill Todd, who filed the lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. "The question for the 21st century is how do we get the resources to the individual student to compete in a global economy." Todd filed his lawsuit against the state and the Columbus City Schools Board of Education on behalf of Columbus resident Willis Brown and four other taxpayers.

Let the debates begin - Oxford’s candidates took some first steps Tuesday in marking their territory in the first local all-candidates’ debate of the provincial election. Independent Jim Bender, NDP Mike Comeau, incumbent Progressive Conservative Ernie Hardeman, Liberal Brian Jackson, Green Tom Mayberry and Family Coalition Leonard VanderHoeven did so at the Woodstock Legion in a debate sponsored by the Oxford Coalition for Social Justice The most aggressive candidate was Jackson, who took the first possible opportunity to hammer at the Conservative record of the 1995-2003 governments and the ensuing legacy.
"We saw the devastation of (that) and we don’t want it back," Jackson said. "We had eight years of devastation and four years of good government. It takes time. Jackson kept on the attack when he could throughout the two-hour debate, attended by approximately 40 people. Its impact was difficult to gauge as on most questions where he raised the temperature of his discourse, he spoke after Hardeman, preventing the two from directly addressing each other’s points.

Los Gatos native Ursula O'Farrell honors the female form with her ... - Seven years ago, accompanied by 300 cancer survivors, Ursula O'Farrell climbed Japan's Mt. Fuji. Surrounded by so many women who had dared to face down extraordinary hardships, O'Farrell was inspired - and humbled by their courage. As she stood on the summit, she resolved to make some dramatic changes in her life When she returned home, she picked up the paintbrushes she had not touched for nearly two decades. In the ensuing years, O'Farrell has been feverishly producing the abstract figurative paintings that Durnell Gallery proprietress Linda Durnell calls "just perfect."

New Understanding Of Basic Units Of Memory - A molecular "recycling plant" permits nerve cells in the brain to carry out two seemingly contradictory functions -- changeable enough to record new experiences, yet permanent enough to maintain these memories over time. The discovery of this molecular recycling plant, detailed in a study appearing early online Sept. 19 in the journal Neuron, provides new insights into how the basic units of learning and memory function. Individual memories are "burned onto" hundreds of receptors that are constantly in motion around nerve synapses -- gaps between individual nerve cells crucial for signals to travel throughout the brain. According to the study's leader, Duke University Medical Center neurobiologist Michael Ehlers, M.D., Ph.D., these receptors are constantly moving around the synapse and often times they disappear or escape. Ehlers discovered that a specific set of molecules catch these elusive receptors, take them to the recycling plant where they are reprocessed and returned to the synapse intact.

Paralyzed Nashville woman takes risk of stem cell therapy in China - Elizabeth Alley of Nashville is one of hundreds of Americans who leave the country each year to undergo a treatment that's still under investigation here: stem cell injections. A car accident six years ago left the 26-year-old woman paralyzed from the chest down. And she sees stem cell therapy as her best, and perhaps only, hope to regain some movement."They don't give false hope, but my doctor here says I have a good chance for recovery," Alley wrote in an e-mail from Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital in Xiaoshan City, China, where she is undergoing treatment. "Stem cells are not a cure. I have to be realistic." Stem cell injections are available in several countries, including India, Mexico, Russia, Thailand and the Dominican Republic. China has become a hot spot for Americans seeking the treatment for a variety of ailments, ranging from autism to Parkinson's disease.

Personalising learning for those with Asperger's Syndrome - Eileen Field, Head Teacher at Accipio School, looks at how to accommodate the needs of pupils with Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s syndrome is a life-long condition on the autistic spectrum from which approximately one in 200 people suffer, predominantly males.  Those with the condition lack the ability to pick up non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and although they generally have good language skills, they find it hard to understand hidden meanings in conversation such as idioms, jokes or sarcasm.  Children with Asperger’s Syndrome take language at face value so if told to “pull their socks up” they literally bend down to do so.  Consequently, they often appear pedantic, self-focused and lacking in empathy when in fact they are struggling to make sense of social situations without the tools that most people use automatically.  They find it difficult to develop and maintain social relationships and find it hard to understand other people’s point of view. Those with the condition have difficulty communicating and relating to others, despite their frequent desire to be sociable and to interact Unlike autistic pupils, people with Asperger’s Syndrome are usually of average or above average intelligence and do not have many of the learning difficulties associated with autism; indeed, learners with Asperger’s Syndrome can be very talented in their area of interest. Although some children with Asperger’s Syndrome go to specialist schools, many attend mainstream schools.

Soul survivor - His film career may have stalled lately, but Dan Aykroyd still has his eyes on the stars. He's an avid UFO-spotter, believes in alien abductions and thinks extraterrestrials are visiting the Lake District. Emine Saner has a close encounter with the Blues Brother  - Unless it is a very convincing joke, Dan Aykroyd most definitely believes in the existence of UFOs. We get on to the subject and his eyes start doing something strange. They bulge from his head, as if to punctuate his thoughts. And they are strange thoughts. "There's this one website I go on a lot," he says, "that just ends all debate about whether they're real or not, and that's Mufon.com." Aykroyd is the "Hollywood consultant" for Mufon (it stands for Mutual UFO Network), which seems to involve keeping abreast of developments in the UFO-sighting world and promoting the organisation. "Basically, [Mufon are] scientists from all kinds of disciplines that have formed this group to analyse what is real and what is a hoax. Now you could say every one of them is a fake - that footage of 200 whirling white dots in the sky, or the Phoenix Lights [a series of lights seen over Phoenix, Arizona, in 1997] - which 17,000 people saw - the Tinley Park sightings in Illinois, where whole suburbs saw these triangles and wedges go over at three miles an hour. Is it a mass hallucination? If so, why is it appearing on digital cameras and film? They're coming and going like taxis."

State committee calls for autism program - Government agencies are facing a new public health crisis — a dramatic increase in autistic children — and must swiftly explore how best to provide better care and protection for them over their lifetimes, a blue-ribbon state commission concluded Tuesday. The California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism said its overall findings included a lack of screening for the disorder, poor public awareness generally, barriers to seeking care for the afflicted, and overlapping efforts between the public and private sectors that need to be better coordinated.  "Throughout the state," the report states, "there is an intense need to plan for and address the impending housing, transportation, employment and educational needs of the tsunami of young people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) who will soon transition into a community setting."  The panel's report recommended the state adopt legislation next year to launch various pilot programs to immediately address such problems.

Strike ends at Leechburg Area - The Leechburg Area School District’s support staff reached a tentative agreement with the school district Tuesday, paving the way for a return to work today for secretaries and teacher’s aides.
“Our special needs students and their parents have been very patient with us,” Superintendent Jim Budzilek said. “Now we can get back to the job of educating our special needs students.”  Under the five-year deal, the unionized support staff will receive an average 55-cent-per-hour increase each year, according to school officials. Because the last contract expired in July 2006, the new deal will be retroactive to the 2006-07 school year.

Stimulating senses for autism - The statistics are alarming -- one out of every 150 children will be diagnosed with some form of autism, which affects a child's ability to communicate. Many children with autism become overwhelmed or overstimulated very quickly. Some schools are equipping themselves to meet the sensory needs of their special students. Six-year-old Jerome Shanaway is a happy kid with a sweet face. His mom Gale says that more than makes up for the times when his emotions take over.  "He just kinda takes off like the Tasmanian devil. He takes off and whirls through the house. You can see, sometimes when he loses control on his face, he's not sure what's going on," said Gale Shanaway, Jerome's mother .

Te: Imaginary friends - ABOUT two or three years ago, I chanced upon an article in a parenting magazine which said that encouraging your own kids to have “imaginary friends” is healthy. One, it develops creativity. Second, the writer of that article observed that an imaginary friend is like a kid’s alter ego. It functions as the kid’s spokesperson when he or she isn’t confident to express a sentiment or even some kind of a principle. “Ernie says I don’t have to go to the dentist anymore ‘coz I already promised that I won’t eat candies. Ernie says candies are bad for my teeth” something like that. I believe that having some kind of an imaginary friend actually helps a person develop psycho-emotional strength. It makes a person believe in something unseen yet powerful enough to protect him or her from harm. It is that inner voice which encourages one to keep going and believe that deep down inside, he or she can actually rise above any ordeal. Others call it faith.

The Child-Like Spirit - Our ghost hunting team had been contacted by a couple who claimed to be suffering from what seemed to a poltergeist in their own home. The couple had moved into the home, in the Midlands, and showed signs of a haunting as soon as they moved in. Some of the activity had included items going missing, noises in the night, doors slamming shut by themselves and, the one thing that interested the team greatly, what looked to be ectoplasm had appeared on the skirting boards in some of the rooms. The team firstly had to research the history of the property. As it a residential house not much could be found out about it. However, we did manage to speak to the previous property owners, who claimed that none of this had happened whilst they had been living there. The fact that they moved out a year after purchasing the property tells us that they knew a lot more.

The Government and Autism: The Autism Omnibus Hearings - With one in 150 children diagnosed with autism, why isn't more being done by the government to find out what's causing the increase?  In the third part of our week-long series on autism we find out the government is on board but not everyone is convinced.  Coy Barefoot says his son was a bright and interactive baby, but then something went terribly wrong. At 24 months, doctors diagnosed his son with autism. Barefoot believes mercury or other metals, perhaps from our environment or vaccines, may have played a role.  "Where is it coming from? It's a question that I wish our government was asking more strongly," shared Barefoot.

UNC Study Looks at Autistic Kids' Younger Siblings - About 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism. The cause is a mystery, but researchers believe genetics play an important role.  To dig deeper, UNC is leading a national study looking at younger siblings of autistic children. They hope to find clues that may lead to earlier diagnosis and better treatment. In the summer of 2006, Jacob Crawford and his younger brother Luke were smiling. Weeks later, Jacob's smile was gone. “So it was like a flipped switch one day, and he was gone,” said Jennifer Crawford, his mother. “He wouldn't answer any questions and for a long time we thought it was a behavior issue, you know, being two and a half.”

Visual Strategies Prove Successful For Children with Autism - Caity Bryant was diagnosed in 1998 with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). At age three, Caity was non-verbal, showed no interest in other children, and had temper tantrums about everything. Things started to change when her mother, Marianne Bryant, heard Linda Hodgdon speak at a local conference about the positive effects of using visual strategies. Until then, Marianne feared Caity would never talk if she saw pictures. Linda helped her recognize that visual supports could be used to help Caity understand communication better and improve her behavior.

Why Autism Symptom Lists Can Be Misleading - In clicking around the web, I've come across all sorts of lists of autism symptoms. Some describe insensitivity to heat and cold; others mention "extreme difficulty" in learning to speak. Yet others mention lack of creativity  It's true that many people with autism have these symptoms. On the other hand, many do not! Some people with autism are extremely articulate; others are unable to use words. Some are hypersensitive to heat, cold and other sensations while others barely register pain. And, of course, some autistic people are among the most creative in the world.

A circle around his heart /  Once he could toddle around, he made his way from one drum circle to the next. Soon a drummer would move aside to let him in. He was in first grade when they gave him a drumstick.  And always, at the end of a song, Joe would hoot as an exclamation point, "Ha-CHA!" That was not traditional. That was Joe.  Joe attended hundreds of powwows, spread out across the West, Midwest and Canada, but he never got enough. Drumming, camping out for days, eating fry bread, drinking orange pop, owl dancing with the ladies, singing and drumming some more -- it was Joe's idea of a perfect existence.  "When's the next powwow?" he'd ask, just after he got home.

An Autism Mother Rages: Why I Put My Book Proposal on Media Predict - It's dangerous, I know, as P. T. Barnum warned us, to place your hopes on the good taste of the American people. But that's exactly what I did this summer. I put the proposal for my latest book up on Media Predict and as of a few minutes ago the "investors" who signed on were giving it a 96 per cent chance of getting a contract. It had the third highest rating out of 50 book proposals posted at that moment and, of course, I was thrilled, even as I realized it could be fleeting. Still, at times like this it takes get strength not to wish that your high school teachers could see you now. Ah, but back to Media Predict.

Attorney Subpoens J&J, AstraZeneca and Lilly for Hidden ... - Washington, DC:Alaska attorney Jim Gottstein has issued subpoenas for the discovery of any suppressed data on the atypical antipsychotic drugs Zyprexa, Risperdal, and Seroquel which he says is necessary before a Forced Drugging Petition can possibly be considered for approval for a client he is representing. Mr Gottstein contends that the information sought from Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson will show that the side effects of the drugs were well-established by the drug makers' own clinical trials and therefore, his client should not be forced to take such medications against his will.  According to Mr Gottstein, various off-label combinations of Risperdal, Seroquel, Zyprexa and the anti-seizure drug Depakote have been administered to his client in the past, over his objections, which have not been FDA approved as safe or effective for use in any patient.  The subpoena issued to Sidney Taurel, Chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly calls for the production of the same documents requested by Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Cal), as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on March 1, 2007.

Children with Asperger's use acting to work on social skills - A girl and two boys sit on a bench in a second-floor classroom above Willmar's Barn Theatre. The teens look shy and a bit reluctant when they're asked to sit in a circle and join hands.  Most adolescents would be at least uncomfortable holding hands with peers they've known for only a few days. But for these kids, it can be downright terrifying sometimes. They've all been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism.  Kids with Asperger's don't have problems with language like those with more serious forms of autism. For them the challenges are more social in nature. They have a hard time understanding body language and facial expressions. They tend to avoid physical contact. And they prefer to avoid eye contact.

Compassion Fatigue -  Chattanooga-area charities need your help, and they make it known throughout the year.  Gone are the days when charities simply knocked on the door, telephoned, and mailed in their pleas to you. Today, they try to attract your attention through various walkathons, benefits, dinners, and concerts. “It’s been an increasingly competitive marketplace,” said Sandra Miniutti, vice president of marketing at Charity Navigator, a nonprofit organization that monitors the efficiency of charities throughout the nation. “Charities are struggling to differentiate themselves. Having a splashy event can generate considerable PR for a charity, and hopefully ultimately bring in some money.”

driver strands autistic boy -  A Queens school bus driver is under investigation after he failed to pick up a 15-year-old autistic boy for his entire first week of classes, stressing out the disabled teen and his family, the city Education Department said. Four days in a row, Joshua Garcia cried and nervously bit his hands â%88%92 a symptom of autism when the bus failed to pick him up at his Richmond Hill home and take him to the High School for Construction Trades in Ozone Park, said his mom, Yolanda Rodriguez. "He's used to schedules, daily routines," Rodriguez said. "They should learn that they can't be leaving kids on the street like that."

Face can help diagnose rare genetic disorders - A way to help diagnose rare genetic disorders by the appearance of a child's face has been developed to the point where it can train junior doctors. Oscar Wilde said that a man's face is his autobiography. Now it seems that it can also help to reveal the precise genes that, when damaged, cause severe developmental disorders so that diagnosis can be made earlier, Prof Peter Hammond of the UCL Institute of Child Health will tell the nation's biggest annual general science meeting this week. The visuals derived from his software show that affected children have narrower temples; and a more upturned nose and fuller lips  The public easily recognise individuals with Down syndrome, but there are over 700 of the 5,000 documented genetic conditions that involve unusual and often subtle changes to the face. Affected children may have eyes set further apart, ears set lower on the head, a shorter nose, fuller lips, a larger tongue or a mouth narrower than in children of typical development, he said.

Foetal testosterone linked to autistic traits - Researchers who having been tracking a group of children since birth have found that the level of testosterone they were exposed to in the womb is linked to whether they show autistic traits throughout childhood. The children are now 8 years old. Questionnaires filled out by their parents show that those who had experienced higher levels of testosterone in the womb generally have better pattern recognition and numerical skills, such as remembering car number plates, but are less keen on socialising. None have been diagnosed with autism, but these are traits which, when taken to an extreme, are often present in autistic children.

Heard the old wives' tale about... - We've heard them all, the old wives' tales such as touch a toad and you'll get warts; an apple a day keeps the doctor away; pull a face and you'll stay that way if the wind changes direction...  It isn't just a generational issue. The modern belief that consuming pop-rocks followed by a carbonated drink causes death by stomach explosion was so prevalent that the Discovery Channel's Mythbusters disproved it on air.  To help you decide which health myths to believe, we've asked some professionals to give their opinions. This is what they said: The MMR vaccine causes autism

Help me get my son educated - A mum who has been forced to give up her job because of her son's behavioural problems today pleaded for help in finding a way to educate him. Aidan Stowe, 11, was excluded from primary school three years ago, and his mother Jan Lewis quit her job as a homeless case worker at Norwich City Council to try to look after him. She is angry that, not only has his condition not been pinpointed, but the lack of formal education in his formative years will cost him dear. Norfolk County Council said it had tried to help Aiden, but the placement it found for him did not work out and is recommending another assessment to see what is best for him.

Hormone link to autistic traits - A definite link between male hormone levels in the womb and autistic behaviour has been found for the first time by a new study. Babies exposed to higher levels of testosterone during foetal development are more likely to display autistic traits from an early age, a study has shown. Researchers made the discovery after monitoring the progress of 235 children whose mothers underwent amniotic fluid tests when pregnant. A connection between testosterone in the womb and autism had been theorised before. It has been suggested that autistic ways of thinking that tend to "systemise" rather than "empathise" are essentially male traits.

How to help loved ones with mental disabilities - It can happen to anyone, from any walk of life, when you least expect it. A child can be diagnosed with autism. An aging parent can be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. A middle-aged spouse can be diagnosed with any number of incapacitating mental disorders. While such illnesses take an obvious emotional toll, they can hurt families financially as well. The rigors of lining up the right kind of care can be draining, and planning for the future can become much more complicated than it otherwise might have been. If someone you love is affected by a mental illness, consider these tips for getting a handle on the situation.

Journalists pose naked in a field for charity calendar - Two reporters and a photographer from the Stroud News & Journal have dared to bare all, posing naked for a calendar to help raise funds for a six-year-old autistic girl.  Reporters Lizanne Weafer and Abigail Firkin, and photographer Sarah Standing, were among 100 women who volunteered for the stunt - lying naked in a field to spell out the word 'autism'.  Braving the cold and rain in an Uplands field, they stripped off as a photographer flew overhead in a helicopter to get the perfect shot for the front of the calendar.

Lawsuit Against the California School for the Deaf Settled - The Youth & Education Law Project (YELP) at the Mills Legal Clinic of Stanford Law School and Bingham McCutchen LLP obtained a court order from a U.S. District Court judge approving a settlement involving a deaf child with autism who had been excluded from services and programs at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, California (CSDF).  As part of the settlement, CSDF has agreed to establish a special needs day class for deaf and hard-of-hearing children with moderate to severe developmental disabilities, including autism and developmental delay. The California Department of Education and CSDF will be responsible for funding, establishing, and staffing the class by January 2008. The plaintiff, J.C., who in addition to being deaf is autistic and cognitively impaired, will be placed in the class for no less than three years. The agreement also provides for the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, to maintain limited jurisdiction for a period of three years for enforcement purposes.  With campuses in Fremont and Riverside, the CSD is the only publicly funded school in the state of California where deaf children can receive comprehensive educational programming among their deaf peers.

Maine family chosen for Extreme Makeover TV show - The network TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is in eastern Maine this week to replace an aging farmhouse where two local teachers and their three young children live. Hundreds of volunteers are expected to take down the old home and build a new one for Brittany Ray and Ron Smith. The couple's 100-year-old house was once part of a family farm but has now reached the point where it is beyond repair. It has a failing septic system, no insulation, a cracked foundation, an outdated furnace, a leaky roof and ancient electrical wiring On Sunday, the show's host, Ty Pennington, showed up outside the home with a bullhorn announcing that the house was about to be replaced.

MU not worried about problems at Princeton - Although a legal battle between Princeton University and the family of a Princeton graduate has universities examining their donation policies, MU officials are confident in the control the university has over donations.  The Associated Press reported that William Robertson is suing Princeton, claiming that $35 million in stocks his parents gave to Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs is being used improperly.  He claims the money was meant specifically to train students for work in the U.S. government, and the university isn’t doing this.

Mutated gene provides animal autism model - U.S. scientists have found mice containing a mutated human gene implicated in autism exhibit poor social skills, but increased intelligence. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers said their study also showed how the mutation affects nerve function. In the study, researchers introduced a mutated human form of the neuroligin-3 molecule into mice. They then tested the animals' social interactions by exposing them to an unfamiliar mouse in a cage. The genetically engineered mice spent less time near the strange mouse than their normal littermates, preferring to spend time with inanimate objects. The engineered mice were also significantly better at learning a water maze in which they had to find and learn the location of an underwater platform. They were also better at relearning a new position of the platform after it was moved.

Neurofeedback can treat ADHD symptoms - This week's expert: Fred Ulam is in private practice in Springfield. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. Q. What are biofeedback and neurofeedback? A. Biofeedback is a set of procedures that trains people to control various aspects of their bodily functions. A function is monitored and displayed to the individual, which allows them to become aware of that function so that they can regulate or modify it.

Not Autistic or Hyperactive. Just Seeing Double at Times - As an infant, Raea Gragg was withdraw and could not make eye contact. By preschool she needed to smell and squeeze every object she saw.  “She touched faces and would bring everything to mouth,” said her mother, Kara Gragg, of Lafayette, Calif. “She would go up to people, sniff them and touch their cheeks.”  Specialists conducted a battery of tests. The possible diagnoses mounted: autism spectrum disorder, neurofibromatosis, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorder.

Pediatricians May Miss Developmental Delays, But Parents Can Help - A simple questionnaire developed at the University of Oregon and requiring no more than 15 minutes of a parent's time before or after a doctor's appointment is credited with a 224-percent increase in referrals of one-year-old and 2-year-old children with mild developmental delays in a yearlong study. Researchers found that on doctors' observations alone 53 of 78 referrals for special services or additional monitoring would not have been made without the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) filled out by parents at home or in the office. Thirty-eight children underwent further evaluation and qualified for federally funded early intervention services, and 44 others became eligible for additional monitoring. "Seeing the results as a percentage was pretty shocking," said lead author Hollie Hix-Small, who this year earned a doctorate from the Early Intervention Program in the UO College of Education. She now is a UO research associate and an independent early childhood consultant.

Protecting Your Kids from Lyme Disease: Four steps that parents ... -  With approximately 20,000 new cases reported each year to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease is the most common insect-borne disease in the United States. And while it's most often seen in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north- central sections of the country, Lyme disease has been found all over the U.S. - and the world.  Lyme strikes most often in two groups of people: children ages five to 14 and adults between 45 and 54, says Deb Siciliano, co-president and co-founder of Time for Lyme, Inc., a research, education and advocacy group that recently endowed the first Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center at Columbia University Medical in New York City dedicated to the study of chronic Lyme disease.

Rochester woman pleads not guilty to stealing from autism group - A Rochester woman pleaded not guilty Monday to stealing more than $40,000 from the RT Autism Awareness Foundation, a local nonprofit organization. Shianne Janae Verness, 28, was formerly treasurer of the foundation and is charged with six counts of felony theft. In June, organization co-founder Brad Trahan noticed the foundation was nearly $5,000 over budget on a project. An investigation revealed more than $40,000 had been transferred from the foundation’s checking account into Verness’ personal accounts. Verness is due back in court Sept. 28.

Scientists link autism with higher testosterone levels - Powerful evidence has emerged that may soon lead scientists to discover the causes of autism which, in one form or another, now affects about one in every 100 children in Britain. Scientists have found that raised levels of the sex hormone testosterone in the womb of pregnant women is a significant risk factor in whether a child develops autistic characteristics. The researchers emphasised yesterday that although they cannot prove testosterone exposure in the womb causes autism, they strongly believe it may be the smoking gun that eventually leads to the source of the brain disorder. Professor Simon Baron Cohen of Cambridge University said 235 healthy children whose mothers had amniocentesis – a womb test during pregnancy – were closely monitored for eight years and tested for autistic-like behaviour at regular intervals during their development. The scientists found that high levels of testosterone in the amniotic fluid of the womb were significantly correlated with autistic-like behaviour, such as whether the child tends to be more unsociable or less empathetic than normal.

SELF-HELP LAW : Special needs trusts: Part 2 - The question is: how can you make sure that your loved one with special needs receives the full benefit of an inheritance without losing eligibility for Medicaid and SSI? The answer is a special needs trust. If you leave money in a properly drafted trust, the beneficiary never has a legal claim to it, meaning it won't be counted as the beneficiary's resource. Therefore the beneficiary will not have interference with benefits. The funds in a special needs trust can be used for your loved one's benefit for any good or service except food or shelter. Special rules may apply that could provide some of these necessities. Let's take an example. Luke is 49 years old, and is an only child, and has had autism since childhood. He is only able to minimally function and has taken medication his whole life. He cannot work and depends on SSI for his income and Medicaid for treatment. Luke's sole surviving parent, Rose, wants to leave Luke her property, which consists of a house and liquid assets worth $250,000.

Should we cure autism? - A cure for autism is a very long way off - scientists barely understand the condition - but even if there was the possibility of a cure should we use it? The distinguished autism researcher Prof Simon Baron-Cohen brought that up today at the British Association Festival of Science. He believes the condition should be recognised as an atypical form of development, like left handedness, but not cured.  That goes against many well-funded and high-profile groups who want to encourage research that will ultimately lead to ways of preventing or treating autism. Their names - Cure Autism Now and Defeat Autism Now - speak for themselves.  To some with autism and Asperger's syndrome though, this is a statement that they do not deserve to exist. One support group called Aspies for Freedom, for example says: We know that autism is not a disease, and we oppose any attempts to "cure" someone of an autism spectrum condition, or any attempts to make them 'normal' against their will. To others, "curing" an autistic person would mean replacing that person with someone else.

Side effects: When drugs have their own dose of worry - We've all seen the commercials. A laundry list of drug-related side effects conjures up horrific scenarios that teeter on the side of comical. "Side effects may include late-night bingeing in the kitchen, driving while sleep walking and a rash the size of Russia." For one Far North Dallas culinary expert, taking a prescription sleep medication for insomnia was, well, a wake-up call "John" says he'd get up in the morning and find leftovers in his fridge that weren't there the night before. And the cook top was still on.

Students are shining examples - STUDENTS of Sunshine Special Development School are exhibiting their works in an exhibition titled Sunshining Two, on view until 14 September at the Hunt Club Community Arts Centre. Students have developed their paintings in focused studio sessions with minimal teacher involvement. These sessions are part of the school’s general art program, geared toward developing the students’ sense of identity through self-expression. The artists in this exhibition have shown real progress and propensity for this identity driven curriculum. As part of the school’s arts access program, students take fortnightly trips to a range of public and commercial galleries around Melbourne. In many cases seeing the works of established artists has had a direct influence on the way the students work and the pieces they have produced. Many of the students in this program have Autism Spectrum Disorder and the experience of co-operating with others has been at times difficult and challenging, but ultimately rewarding.

A circle around his heart / At every stage of his 18 years, powwows were front and center  - Perched in a stroller, Joe Teeman took in the sights, sounds and smells of his first powwow in amazement.  Once he could toddle around, he made his way from one drum circle to the next. Soon a drummer would move aside to let him in. He was in first grade when they gave him a drumstick.  And always, at the end of a song, Joe would hoot as an exclamation point, "Ha-CHA!"

A thinning safety net - Seven-year-old Alec Haverly has been trying to zip his jacket for 10 minutes. Therapist Brianna Jordan is keeping him focused so he isn't frustrated with the dexterity and coordination required by this everyday task. Alec is autistic, and zipping up his jacket is not the only thing he accomplished that day, but it was an important moment. Watching her son zip his jacket reminded Robin Haverly of other milestones they have reached, such as his learning to drink from an open cup and managing the 25-step process necessary to get him to brush his teeth. “Engaging him is 95 percent of the battle,” she said. Alec, Robin Haverly, her husband, Jonathan, and daughter, Sawyer, 5, live in a wooded Easton neighborhood. They receive the services for Alec through the Horace Mann Educational Association, a Franklin-based agency that provides a variety of services to 1,200 children and adults with developmental disabilities in central and southeastern Massachusetts. “I don't think we'd be where we are now without them,” Robin Haverly said. “It was amazing to us.”

Action plea after baby death tragedy - A PENDLE couple are calling for more scans for pregnant women after they lost a baby last year. Diane and Michael Harrison (both 24) lost daughter Ruby last September when she was stillborn at 28 weeks.  As she stopped growing at 21 weeks, no problems were detected during the routine 20-week scan. Nursery nurse Diane said: "Currently, scans are offered to pregnant women at 12 weeks and 20 weeks. This means that for the whole second half of the pregnancy there are no scans unless a problem is picked up another way. "At my 20-week scan, everything appeared fine. I believe that if a third scan was offered a lot of these deaths could be prevented." Diane, who is now 26 weeks pregnant and expecting a baby girl later this year, is having scans every two weeks to ensure any problems can be dealt with immediately. She said: "If a problem is detected now, there's more of a chance something can be done."

Abuse of sanity: The truth about how a council allowed a paedophile gay couple to adopt -  So politically correct has adoption become, a council allowed these gay paedophiles to foster young boys — even, as one mother reveals here, turning a blind eye when presented with evidence of their horrifying abuse  While the events unfolding in her living room were tense and awkward, the young mother did not believe that her unease augured anything more inauspicious or alarming.  With the benefit of hindsight, of course, she has now had ample time to reflect on how that gnawing anxiety was justified.

Autistic child's grandmother to be honored at picnic - The picnic is in commemoration of the late Patricia Pandolfi, a supporter of the foundation and a grandmother of a child with autism. She died in 2002.  Barbara D'Amora of Annadale, a G.R.A.C.E. Foundation board member, is chairwoman of the event.

Dogging Autism  - Five-year-old Julia Gay presses a banana-shaped cookie cutter into the clay. "You made it! Excellent!" says her mother, Jennifer Gay, as she picks up the clay and Julia briefly makes eye contact. "What should I do?"The Gay family is looking for volunteers to help offer the Son-Rise program to their autistic daughter, Julia, in their York home. No experience working with autistic children is required. Call them at (207) 363-7296 or send an e-mail to pgdc@maine.rr.com for more information. To learn more about the program, visit www.son-rise.org "Take it out," Julia says. Simple one-on-one exchanges like these are treasured by Jennifer and husband, Peter Gay, as they begin using the home-based, one-on-one, child-centered Son-Rise Program to help their autistic daughter develop social skills. According to the Centers for Disease Control's Autism Information Center, autism spectrum disorders are defined by significant impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of unusual behaviors and interests. Many people with ASDs also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to different sensations. "The premise of (the Son-Rise) program is the parent is the child's best advocate, their best resource," Jennifer Gay said. "The cornerstone is love and acceptance."

'Dr. Vote' - a man on a mission - Odds are, the next president of the United States already has come face-to-face with Iowa's secret agent man - code name "Dr. Vote." John Olsen is a man of many disguises. Sometimes he's in a suit and tie. Or it could be a red, white and blue sweater. Often, he wears the T-shirts and campaign buttons of his favorite candidate (of that day anyway).  And with his ever-present back pack over his shoulder, he slips into campaign rallies with two sneaky missions.  Job one: raise his hand and coax the candidates into talking about the health care "crisis" that affects his own family - autism.  Job two: sneak outside the event, open up his knapsack, slip on a new costume - a red and white smock - and go to work selling campaign buttons to the candidate's fans.

‘Frightening Stats’ On Autism -  "Since 2004, 315 individuals have so far been diagnosed with autism in Brunei Darussalam, 50 were diagnosed last year, and 50 more up to June. This means that we have 1:150 autistic births, which is similar to USA.  "These are frightening statistics", said Malai Hj Abdullah bin Malai Hj Othman, President of Smarter Brunei, during the 5th Brunei National Conference on Autism 2007.  "Our present centres could not cope with these numbers and what happens to all the rest who are not registered with Smarter? What future do they have and what will become of our children in the future?"

Op-ed: You can't 'catch' autism from a play date - My son is a sweet 10-year-old who plays baseball, loves to go bowling, and is a happy child.  He is also autistic.  Autism affects a child's social abilities, making it difficult - and sometimes impossible - to form friendships. The primary socialization that Jeffrey receives is from his 8-year-old brother. Other play dates are hard to come by. This is something that every parent of a child on the autism spectrum must deal with every day.

Mountains of new data are challenging old views - When scientists unveiled a draft of the human genome in early 2001, many cautioned that sequencing the genome was only the beginning. The long list of the four chemical components that make up all the strands of human DNA would not be a finished book of life, but a road map of an undiscovered country that would take decades to explore. Only 6 years later, the landscape of the genome is already proving to be dramatically different than most scientists had expected.  The established view of the genome began to take shape in 1958, just 5 years after Francis Crick and James D. Watson worked out the structure of DNA. In that year, Crick expounded what he called the "central dogma" of molecular biology: DNA's genetic information flows strictly one way, from a gene through a series of steps that ends in the creation of a protein. That principle developed into a modern orthodoxy, according to which a genome is a collection of discrete genes located at specific spots along a strand of DNA. This old view got the basics right: that genes encode proteins and that proteins do the myriad work necessary to keep an organism alive.

Music that heals - It was half-way through the school year when eight-year-old Andrew Smith began to hum a song. For many eight-year-olds, this isn’t momentous, but for the Smith family, it was nothing short of miraculous.  Smith, a special needs student in Chaska, has limited communication skills. Humming songs was not part of his repertoire until he began music therapy at the Chaska School of Music.  Both his teacher Julia Johnson and his family were thrilled for Smith to find another avenue with which to express himself. Now, each week, Smith looks forward to his music therapy session. There he strums a guitar, counts with paper ducks and rolls a ball across the floor, among other activities.  “Progress is slow,” said mom Elizabeth Smith. “But that’s the same with anything he does.  “He loves it,” she continued. “He squealed when he noticed where we were today.

Neiman Marcus keeps coddling customers to sell luxury - When Neiman Marcus opened in 1907, it was one of the few outposts in a luxury landscape as empty as the Texas prairie town where it was founded. Contrast that with today's retail landscape, where shopping malls and city streets lined with high-end shops abound and everyday people - not just the very wealthy - vie for the glitziest name brands, if not the best quality that money can buy. But where some retail institutions have gone by the wayside, Neiman Marcus continues to thrive - in spite of, or perhaps even because of - the changing world around it. On Monday, the venerable retailer, which has supplied thousands of well-heeled patrons the nation over with sumptuous designer clothing, jewelry, crystal, china and silver from around the world, created the ultimate "Christmas Book" holiday gift catalog, and the first "his and hers Beechcraft airplanes," will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The event has been deemed so important in the fashion world that Women's Wear Daily has devoted an entire issue to the milestone, and fashion designers have created exclusive items for the store's 370-page catalog, "the book," starting with a $44,000 beige-dyed chinchilla jacket with hand-braided leather from Chado Ralph Rucci to an $18,000 embroidered pale gray silk gown with hand-dyed and painted ostrich feathers by Olivier Theyskens for Nina Ricci, and ending, on the last page, with a pair of emerald, diamond and platinum earrings from the store's precious jewels salon for $1.9 million.

NHS to study effectiveness of controversial ‘cure all’ therapy - SCOTLAND'S HEALTH watchdog has launched an investigation into the use of "bends" therapy for a growing number of medical conditions. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was initially developed to treat cases of divers suffering from decompression sickness, but has since been used for other conditions such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. However medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness. Now a new study by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) will assess how successful and cost-efficient the therapy is for a range of illnesses and publish a set of guidelines to be used by doctors in the UK and internationanal.

Numbers game - Of all the thingsWilliam Bernhardt thought to call his most recent novel, the words “Strip Search” never entered his mind.  “That was my publisher’s idea,” the Tulsa novelist said. “I guess the reasoning was, the story takes place in Las Vegas, and Vegas is famous for its Strip. And the characters are searching for a killer, so . . .” Bernhardt laughed, then said, “Actually, it’s probably a better title than the ones I came up with. It certainly sounds more lurid, which might be a good thing. One of my earlier books was called ‘Naked Justice,’ and when it was first released, sales sort of spiked for the first few weeks because of that title.” However, Bernhardt hasn’t had to rely on lurid titles to sell books. Since his first novel, “Primary Justice,” was published as a paperback original in 1991, Bernhardt’s sales and reputation have steadily increased. His last few novels, in particular his series about crusading lawyer Ben Kincaid, have earned a place on the New York Times Best-Seller list. “Strip Search” (Ballantine, $25.95) is his 25th published book and the second in a proposed trilogy of novels about an unusual team of investigators: a psychologist and criminal profiler struggling with an addiction to alcohol as well as other personal demons, and the autistic son of the Las Vegas chief of police..

Parents seek help for autistic child - Five-year-old Julia Gay presses a banana-shaped cookie cutter into the clay. "You made it! Excellent!" says her mother, Jennifer Gay, as she picks up the clay and Julia briefly makes eye contact. "What should I do?"he Gay family is looking for volunteers to help offer the Son-Rise program to their autistic daughter, Julia, in their York home. No experience working with autistic children is required. Call them at (207) 363-7296 or send an e-mail to pgdc@maine.rr.com  for more information. To learn more about the program, visit  www.son-rise.org.
"Take it out," Julia says Simple one-on-one exchanges like these are treasured by Jennifer and husband, Peter Gay, as they begin using the home-based, one-on-one, child-centered Son-Rise Program to help their autistic daughter develop social skills. According to the Centers for Disease Control's Autism Information Center, autism spectrum disorders are defined by significant impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of unusual behaviors and interests. Many people with ASDs also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to different sensations. "The premise of (the Son-Rise) program is the parent is the child's best advocate, their best resource," Jennifer Gay said. "The cornerstone is love and acceptance."

The Neurodiverse vs. The Cure - Who is neurodiverse? If you listen to the clinicians involved in brain scanning, the question is, “Who isn’t?” The definition of neurodiversity may come down to the line between, “how diverse?” and, “how much stigma?” Those of us who are diverse enough to lose jobs, be excluded from social groups, and have schools and workplaces resisting our needs for accommodation may get a boost from the idea of neurodiversity. Some of the biggest proponents of the idea have autism or Asperger syndrome. They object to being called abnormal or pathological. They reject the idea of being cured, because that would be like eliminating their current personality, and replacing them with someone else. I guess that would be a self-transplant without moving to another country. Or, in more serious terms, 1984 all over again. But, on the other hand, if you gained abilities that you didn’t have before, would you complain that you had been replaced by your “new” self? According to one group of people with autism, the idea of neurodiversity has been around since the early days of the Internet. It began as a way to describe the needs of people with autism in the face of social stigma and misunderstanding. Over time, it has covered more types of people, but you won’t find it in the DSM (the holy book of the psychiatric world), since that book is exclusively about pathology. But if neurodiversity is like the diversity

Therapy on horseback - Riding horses can be therapeutic. Even doctors nowadays are more likely to admit horseback riding's upsides. For the mentally retarded, those with developmental disorders and older people, therapeutic riding programs like Shining Stars' at the Freedom Valley Worship Center in Straban Township help. The program, explains founder Brandy Crago, helps some riders stretch, some strengthen and some learn tasks “The motion of a horse walking is very close to the motion you or I walk with,” Crago said during one of the program's evening lessons. “Side-to-side, up and down, and forward.”

Tiny babies, fragile families - Adrienne Nash writhes on a gurney in a speeding ambulance, gasping her way through another contraction. Take deep breaths, the emergency medical technician tells her; I know it hurts. Adrienne is 24 weeks pregnant and in full labor. It's too soon. The boy in her belly — with his immature brain, primitive lungs and translucent skin — isn't ready for life outside the womb.  It's Dec. 28, 2003. The baby isn't due until April 12.

The power to choose - After starting regular workouts with a personal trainer in March, Bob Iannuzzi woke up one morning and felt a strange sensation across his upper back. "What's that?" he wondered. annuzzi, to his surprise, soon realized that his muscles were sore — from the first real exercise they'd had in 36 years, since a car accident at age 15 left him a quadriplegic. Iannuzzi, 51, who still has partial movement in his arms and shoulders because his spinal cord wasn't complete severed, has since embraced the mantra "no pain, no gain," working out at Pure Focus fitness center in Brick with the owner, Kent Bierly, five days a week. In the past five months, exercising in his motorized wheelchair, Iannuzzi has lost six inches from his waistline and steadily increased his upper-body strength, to the point where he can now touch the top of his head and use his hand to operate the controls to his van's wheelchair lift — simple movements that once seemed beyond his limited powers.

Your Thoughts Requested: Top Autism Resources? - This week, I'm dedicating the site newsletter to reviews of autism-related books and downloads. But my Autism Resources section barely scratches the surface.  What have you found in the library, on the web, or through a support group that other families absolutely need to see? Have you discovered books, DVDs, toys, games, or organizations that have made a real difference as you navigate life on the autism spectrum?

Quest for a miracle cure - A child is born, and the child seems blessed. He lives in the richest nation on Earth, at a time of greater wealth and understanding than any in history. The infant even has interesting parents: one British, one American, each a little famous in their own right.  But then something disquieting happens. Perhaps this was your child, too.  He starts to go backwards. First he loses his language, then he enters a solitary hell. He turns away when touched and arches his back when held. He lines up his toys in rows, and seems afraid of things that should hold no fear. He appears not to notice you, and his indifference makes you feel snubbed.

Raising Healthy Kids - Columbia, S.C.: I recently put my kids in day care and they have had constant cold symptoms and mild diarrhea. I realize day care is an adjustment and exposes them to all sorts of new bacteria and viruses, but it's been more than a month and I am having symptoms as well. How long should this be expected to last? Dr. Claire McCarthy: There are all sorts of studies to show that children who attend day care get sick more often than those who don't. The number of illnesses each year varies a lot from child to child, from about three times a year to as much as six or seven —which could feel like almost constant illness to a parent, especially if the parent is catching the illnesses, too!

Youth advocacy programs a relief to parents - When Tyler Lain's constant movement caused doctors to believe the 6-year-old had attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Linda Fenton did not know what to do.  She was certain she did not want her son medicated and she worried about how else he could be treated. She was thrilled to find Youth Advocate Programs with options close to her Tunkhannock home. She credits the organization for improving Tyler's behavior, which made it possible for him to be receptive to learning. "This program came to my house," she said.

Your Thoughts Requested: Top Autism Resources? - This week, I'm dedicating the site newsletter to reviews of autism-related books and downloads. But my Autism Resources section barely scratches the surface.
What have you found in the library, on the web, or through a support group that other families absolutely need to see? Have you discovered books, DVDs, toys, games, or organizations that have made a real difference as you navigate life on the autism spectrum?  Please share your thoughts here!

Work is terrific for local actors - Susanna Uchatius and her daughter Alex Edwards were sitting down for dinner at their Burnaby home two years ago when Uchatius told her daughter Safeway had called to offer Edwards a job.  For Uchatius, it was just a bit of news to pass on to her daughter while they ate.  But the importance of the call soon showed itself on Edwards’ face.  “I didn’t realize how huge it was for her. She burst into tears,” said Uchatius of Edwards, who is developmentally delayed.  “It was an eye-opener for me.”  That dinner conversation inspired Uchatius, the artistic director of Theatre Terrific – a theatre company that provides a venue for people with an array of challenges to have a voice and an artistic outlet – to explore the importance of work during a Fringe theatre camp for actors with disabilities this summer.  While actors’ thoughts on work varied, Uchatius said one commonality was that work is important to everyone, regardless of their disability.

'Wounded Knee' tops Creative Emmys - The HBO movie "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" topped the winners list Saturday at the 58th annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards, taking home five statues including makeup, picture editing, sound mixing and editing and cinematography. HBO also was dominant during the ceremony, which took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The premium cable network received a total of 15 Emmys, followed by NBC with 12 and CBS with nine. Discovery Channel's "Planet Earth" and NBC's "Tony Bennett: An American Classic" followed with four wins apiece. Regarding the Emmy recognition for "Bury," executive producer Dick Wolf said after the show: "I'm both honored and humbled by the academy's recognition of 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.' This project has been both a labor of love and a labor of conscience for everyone who worked on it. I thank the incredible team of professionals who made the dream a reality."

A painful choice to save a family - When police officers finished binding her son Colin's hands and feet, they turned to Teresa Abernethy and asked what she wanted them to do with him.  It felt like every moment of the past decade led to this question.  Colin, then 12 years old, had severe autism. His disability had grown to shape the Abernethy family. Teresa knew that her answer to the officer's question would define it forever.  She thought first of Colin.  She thought of her other children. They already had seen and experienced too much. She thought of her husband, Jim, who once told her that if they placed Colin outside the home, he would never be able to see his son again. He would be too ashamed.  Teresa knew the answer but was surprised to hear herself say it: Take my son.

Announcing a Scholarship for People with Autism - If you're autistic and headed to post-high school studies - this scholarship is for you. And it's about time! Here are the details, from the Organization for Autism Research press release:

Are your child's toys safe? - In some developed countries, lead-based paint is banned from use in homes, toys and furniture. Yet recent toy recalls have left parents scrambling to pull toys coated in lead-based paint from their children's toy boxes. What is going on? And what do you need to know to protect your child from lead poisoning? Here is some practical advice. Why is lead-based paint such a concern.  Lead is a natural element that is present throughout the environment. It is possible to breathe or swallow lead particles from chips of lead-based paint or contaminated food, water, dust, soil or other products. Although brief or limited exposure to lead-based paint or other sources of lead is not likely to cause lead poisoning, exposure to even low levels of lead can be harmful over time especially in children. In extreme cases, lead poisoning may eventually cause speech, language and behavior problems, poor coordination and slowed growth. The most severe cases of lead poisoning may cause seizures, as well as permanent brain and kidney damage. Rarely, lead poisoning can be fatal. Some studies link lead poisoning with autism.

Autistic performer sings at state fair - When Jerry Hall was 2-years-old, doctors diagnosed him with autism. They said he would never speak or make eye contact with anyone.  But the doctors were wrong. Today he sang 8 Elvis songs at the state fair in Pueblo. "He can't communicate to us when we're face to face, but up there he's able to tell the audience - Hey, I'm here!," said his mother, Cindy Hall. Jerry began watching country music videos when he was three. He then started mimicking the singers, and hit the stage for the first time in first grade. After the family visited Graceland a few years ago, he became interested in the King of rock.

'Autistic spectrum' label has boosted diagnoses - I'm writing in response to the article titled "Autism anxiety" that was published in the Life Health section on Aug. 21. I wanted to afford some additional information that would hopefully allow readers to construct a more complete understanding of the subject. The perspective shared in the article was that the primary reason for the increased incidence of autism diagnoses was that it was previously "under diagnosed." I'd respectfully forward the proposition that the rather than previous under diagnosis, it is the greatly broadened concept of the "autistic spectrum" that is primarily responsible for the increased rate of the autism diagnosis. More specifically, the "autism spectrum disorders" (subsumed under the term "pervasive developmental disorders" of the DSM-IV) now allows for greatly expanded numbers of children manifesting widely variable and circumscribed behavioral concerns to be diagnosed.

Autistic man's testimony moves audience at hearing - When Taylor Crowe was diagnosed with autism as a 4-year-old, his doctor suggested his parents institutionalize the child. The doctor said the boy would never have friends, never hold a job.  But on Friday, the 26-year-old autistic man offered such compelling testimony before a state panel examining autism disorders in Missouri that hundreds in the audience broke into applause.  While Crowe received some specialized education, his parents also tried to keep him in mainstream classes.  "If people with autism are surrounded only by other people with autism, they are learning about how to be autistic," Crowe said. Advertisement

'Braindead Megaphone' amplifies funny human foibles - G eorge Saunders, the author of several novels, is one of those "celebrated" fiction writers, which means he is pretty funny. "The Braindead Megaphone" is his foray into nonfiction, and this collection of essays shows his strengths. The essays travel the globe, from Dubai to Texas, and the writing is warm and modest -- at one point Saunders admits to flirting with some old Mexican women, only to undercut himself by crotching himself on the corner of a table.  Such self-deprecation naturally opens the window to compassion, which runs every which way in these essays -- toward Minutemen, a grass-roots group of American border patrols whom Saunders can't seem to help but like, and to the English, to whom he acts the shameless American tourist. Saunders fights the temptation of snark and instead shares his internal doubts, which are many, as he explores issues such as immigration.

Check their ages, mate - With his elbows on the table and hands pressed against his cheeks, Ray Robson focused sharply on the black and white game pieces. His opponent was just as intense. But there was a major difference between the two master chess players -- his opponent was about 45 years older. That didn't deter Robson. He won the round that lasted more than three hours and was set to face a grandmaster, the highest designation in chess, Sunday night and then play two other rounds of competition today. Robson, 12, who lives near Clearwater, was 3 years old when his dad taught him how to play chess. When he was 4, he started beating his father and at 8 was beating other adults in chess tournaments.

Conference to show the “Faces of Autism” - This fall, parents, guardians and sufferers of autism will be one step closer to getting the support they need and deserve. “The Faces of Autism” conference will be held October 26-27 at Carpenter High School, where people from all over western Canada can learn about the disorder. The conference is hosted by Saskatchewan Health, Meadow Lake Tribal Council, Prairie North Regional Health Authority and Northwest School Division #203.
Conference Coordinator Carolyn Forsey said she wanted to hold an event that taught people the truth about a very real disease. “It happened when we were at a meeting and I said, ‘you know what, I want the people of Saskatchewan to see the face of autism’,” she explained.  “We want the faces of autism to be etched in the peoples’ brains.”
Forsey has had a lot of experience with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Her 13 year old son is autistic and she worked hard to get government support for autism in her home province of Newfoundland. Now she is focusing on Saskatchewan.

Confessions of a Former Filene’s Basement Cashier - The closing of Filene’s Basement at Downtown Crossing for a two-year renovation project had me reminiscing about the eight months when I worked as a cashier there. I was there from January 1987 to August 1987. By the time I left that job, I was very happy to leave. Don’t get me wrong. Filene’s Basement is a great store. I kept on shopping there after I stopped being one of their cashiers. In the years since 1987, I told people to shop there to get great bargains, but my choosing to work at Filene’s Basement as a cashier was wrong. I had graduated from Emerson College in 1986. Afterwards, I had a couple of jobs that did not last long. Then, my temp work was disappointing because a lot of the time I was sitting at home in my small apartment waiting to hear about my next assignment. One day after New Year’s, I decided to apply for a job at Filene’s Basement because I always loved to shop there when I was a student. My intention was to work there at least two or three months until I could find a job in my chosen career field.

Courage under fire / Instead of bowing down in the face of adversity, Shukla Bhadury rose above a personal tragedy to make a difference in the lives of scores of special children. Our correspondent meets the feisty founder of MENTAID - For 58-year-old Shukla Bhadury, life has been a challenge. But instead of bowing down in the face of adversity, she has managed to overcome a personal tragedy to empower herself.  Instead of pulling her down, Bhadury’s personal suffering motivated her to stand beside other parents. A mother of two, Bhadury is a perfect example of a “fighter”. While her 29-year-old daughter is autistic, her 16-year-old son was diagnosed as suffering from “obsessive compulsive disorder with mental retardation” a year back.

Disabled workers face phase-out -  At his East Raleigh assembly plant, a good day for Walter Weeks is one in which none of his employees has a seizure, there are no toilet accidents, and some of the workers stay on task. If he gets a job out the door on time, so much the better. "Everyone here has goals that we are working on," Weeks said of the 200 or so people with moderate to severe disabilities who report to Wake Enterprises every day. "Most of [the goals] have nothing to do with production." Since the 1960s, when they were called "sheltered workshops," operations such as Wake Enterprises have given disabled adults a safe place to go on weekdays where they learn a job and social skills. In recent years, about 120 programs across the state have served 9,000 to 10,000 clients a year.

Eli Lilly seeking a better Zyprexa - Eli Lilly and Co. is testing a new drug for schizophrenia that it says works quickly and safely without resulting in weight gain, a much-criticized side effect of its top-selling antipsychotic drug Zyprexa. The Indianapolis drug maker recently tested the new drug on more than 100 schizophrenic patients for four weeks and found it was effective in treating hallucinations, delusions, social withdrawal and apathy, according to a paper published today in the journal Nature Medicine  Patients who took the drug, LY2140023, showed no weight

Independent filmmakers, fans to ‘unconference’ - ... The festival will open with a screening of Kaushik Roy’s ‘Apna Aasman’, which is a story of a teenage boy suffering from autism, inspired by Mr. Roy’s son.  Bharatbala’s highly acclaimed ‘Hari Om’, which has been showcased at 40 film festivals and is the winner of eight awards, will be shown at the festival’s concluding session on September 7.

Knowing how to be a positive force - burg High School student body president Aaron Barden is a three-sport athlete and school newspaper editor. The 16-year-old senior loves math and already has earned college credit by passing his Advanced Placement Composition exam as a junior. He is youth representative on the Harrisburg Planning Commission, attended the Boys State mock political convention this summer and hopes to attend law school one day. Your typical, over-achieving student leader?  Not entirely.  Aaron has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. Autism affects an estimated 1 in 91 Eugene-Springfield area children, impairing their ability to filter sensory information and read social cues.

'Learning to accept autistic kids is critical' - Being the nephew of renowned director, the late Bimal Roy, it is not surprising that Kaushik Roy wants to dabble in films too. And he has embarked on this path with his first feature film, Apna Asmaan. Kaushik has been in the field of advertising and marketing communication for three decades. Although he has a passion for cinema (he wrote his first script when he was 15 and bunked college to work as a directorial assistant for a feature shot in the Sunderbans), he directed his first feature film after several years.

Letter: Wrong medicine, bad reporting - Wrong medicine in autism death  "Doctor charged in autistic boy's death" [News, Aug. 23] stated that a 5-year-old Pittsburgh boy with autism died after undergoing "chelation therapy" - the second time in a week you reported this claim.  The child received the wrong medication. The form he received is intended for people with heart issues. It was not chelation that killed him, but rather a doctor's error.

Love for sons drives parents' research -  Kathy Rand started taking her work home.  Not long after that, husband Jim Rand showed signs of taking his home life to work.  But this isn't about two people growing apart. It's a story of a husband and wife using their vocations to love and care for their sons — both diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.  The Rands were researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as the 1980s were drawing to a close. Kathy was studying molecules important for development of the retina, and her subjects were chick embryos. Jim was studying roundworms, technically called C.elegans. About 1 millimeter long, they have 302 nerve cells.  That's nothing compared to the brain, which has about a trillion nerve cells, he said. But the roundworms are a good model system for studying the function and development of a nervous system.  In research as in life, the paths a person intends to take often become complex and he or she — or both in this case — must adapt. So they did. There are so many parents who help their children in many different ways.

Low immunisation rates leave London facing serious threat of ... - London’s infant immunisation rates are so low that the chance of a serious outbreak of measles is worryingly high.   A London Assembly report1 today warns that just over half (52 percent) of the capital’s children are fully immunised against measles, mumps and rubella. This compares to a national average of 74 percent, and is well below the level required to prevent a severe outbreak.

Memorable feat by autistic Karan - KARAN Beri is a name to remember, after stepping up as Bahrain's only competitor in the World Memory Championsh ips. The 20-year-old's ability to remember dates and numbers so impressed international organisers that they allowed him a seat as a special entrant in the three-day tournament, which concluded in Bahrain yesterday.  It was an unforgettable achievement for the autistic youngster, who has risen above the misery of being bullied for years at school and battered by setbacks, as he tried to cope with life. Standing right beside him, swelling with pride is his mother Gopika Beri, who says she has never given up hopes on him since discovering his autism when he was four years old. Ms Beri, acting head of training and development at Bahrain Airport Services, coaxed and coached Karan, when even relatives were saying she should give up. Now he has shared the limelight on the world competition stage - and recently brought home his first salary after a training in catering. Karan is blessed with a memory and the power of recall that will make any 'normal' human envious.

Prime Minister receives 'Song for Autism' - Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Secretary of State for Children, Ed Balls, have received copies of the song for autism, 'Open Every Door'.  The cover version has been recorded by British musician Rozagy, who lives in Birmingham and was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder, over 500,000 people in the United Kingdom are on the autism spectrum, according to estimates over 90,000 children are autistic. UK researchers have stated that 1 in 100 children have autism.

Teacher sued for kicking boy / A TEACHER aide accused of kicking an intellectually disabled boy is facing civil action along with his employer, Education Queensland. - A psychiatrist found that Cale Doffiny, 13, who has broad-spectrum autism, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the 2005 incident. The boy, then 10, was pulled out of Coolangatta Special School by his parents after he was injured, because he was scared of the teacher's aide. An Education Queensland investigation found it was substantiated that teacher's aide David Smith became angry and kicked at Cale, causing him to fall from a chair. It found it had been an act of retaliation by Mr Smith, after the boy kicked him. The departmental investigator recommended Mr Smith be disciplined, according to documents obtained by lawyers Quinn and Scattini. Instead, Mr Smith was cautioned and allowed to remain in his job at the school, now called Currumbin Community Special School. A later review confirmed the findings. "Our son has suffered and he continues to suffer," Julie Blinco, from Kingscliff in northern New South Wales, said.