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What's New
Love and Asperger's - He's gentle, unworldly, highly
attentive and charmingly old-fashioned. The catch? The
very things that make Keith so attractive to Sarah are
symptoms of Asperger's. Anna Moore meets the couples
living with this surprisingly common condition
Sarah Hendrickx and Keith Newton sit tilted towards one
other, laughing a lot and disappearing down the
occasional alley of in-jokes, as couples do when they're
still in that early, besotted stage.

Programs for Adults with
Autism - Many
local programs are designed to help children with
autism, but families will tell you there aren't many
places in the Valley geared towards 'autistic adults'.
In tonight's Children First preview, we look at one
center that's a perfect fit for a young man who thrives
on creativity. Jason Irwin has fun in his puppetry
class. The 29-year-old is autistic but he also has a
sense of humor. Jason shows off one of his puppets, "My
name is danielle. And what do you do danielle? Danielle
keep biting people with a puppet?" Jason is a
student at UCP of Central California. The Fresno center
serves 250 adults with physical or mental disabilities.
"We modeled our program after the semester system at a
community college campus where electives are changed
every semester," said UCP Executive Director Jamie
Marrash, "they would prefer to be called students rather
than clients or recipients."

Police ask for public's help in finding
missing autistic man
- After disappearing on Friday, 30-year-old
Micah Anderson returned safely to his home on Sunday
afternoon. He told family and police that he had been
camping in the woods for several days. He returned home
in good condition. Anderson has mental health
issues and had not taken his medication for several days
prior to his disappearance. Anderson's family
reported him missing after he failed to return to his
home on Friday evening. Detectives from the
Portland Police Department said Micah Aaron Anderson’s
mother told them she last saw her son at his home around
7:30 p.m. on Friday night. She reported him
missing when he could not be located on Saturday.
Anderson lives on his own at a semi-assisted care
facility on SE 106 th Avenue and has the mental capacity
of a 10-12 year old.

CNN's Autism Day
Scores....Online
- CNN's coverage of World
Autism Day Wednesday paid off for CNN.com and
iReport.com. CNN.com received more than 6 million page
views of the content related to the medical team's
autism coverage. iReport.com, meanwhile, received nearly
450 contributions from people who shared personal
stories about living with autism. This is the first
major health initiative on the new iReport.com which
launched in February. Insiders tell TVNewser, previous
day-long coverage for events, including World Aids Day
and World Refugee Day, scored well but nothing to the
extent Autism Day did. As for the cable
contribution, viewers were not as tuned in to the
coverage. CNN averaged 122K A25-54 viewers during the
day and 196K in prime time. That's the lowest demo
viewership for CNN in total day, this year. By
comparison on Wednesday, FNC had 230K total day and 396K
demo viewers in the prime time; MSNBC had 156K total day
and 315K in prime.

Premature babies and autism
- “One in four premature babies ‘faces the risk of
autism’,”
reports the Daily Mail today. The Daily
Express also covers the story, saying that those
who are the smallest at birth are the most vulnerable.
Both newspapers go on to say that this could explain the
rise in the number of children with autism in recent
years. They add that the estimated amount of children
with autism has risen concurrently with the numbers of
babies born prematurely who survive into adulthood and
attribute these higher survival rates to advances in
medicine. The Daily Mail also says there are more
preterm births as there is a “trend for older women, for
whom premature babies are more likely, to give birth”.

Autism: Looking for Clues in the Brain
- Karen Pierce at the University of California
Autism Center are looking for abnormalities in the
brains of young infants who develop autism. Dr.
Courchesne says, "This region of the brain here..the
frontal lobes is larger than a typical child his age."
Autism is a developmental disability that causes
impairment of social behavior and communication and can
include unusual behaviors and interests.

Barnes & Noble Speaks for Autism
- Barnes & Noble kicked off its support of Autism
Awareness Month on April 2 with celebrity storytime
events in Los Angeles, Dallas, New York and Chicago
stores. Partnering with New York-based nonprofit Autism
Speaks, the retailer will host events in children's
departments at 500 locations throughout the month. The
events include a reading of Awaken Specialty Press'
Since We're Friends, a book explaining the disorder.
Representatives from Autism Speaks will be present at
most events to promote the organization's various
functions and hand out information. An endcap at the
entrance of the children's department merchandises Since
We're Friends and other relevant books for kids, while a
table display near store entrances merchandises titles
for adults. A stanchion sign bearing the Autism Speaks
and Barnes & Noble logos introduces the events as "A
Special Storytime supporting Autism Awareness Month."

Children's Hospital Contributes Genotype
Data to Enhance Autism ...
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has
contributed a large genotype dataset to the Autism
Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE), a scientific program
of the organization Autism Speaks, dedicated to
advancing genetic research in autism. This large genetic
dataset will now be broadly accessible to autism
researchers worldwide. The Center for Applied Genomics
at Children's Hospital employs highly automated
microarray technology to perform high-speed genome
analysis. The center's HumanHap550 system, manufactured
by Illumina, Inc., analyzed 4,500 DNA blood samples
gathered by AGRE and generated genotypes -- a
compilation of 550,000 genetic markers for each person.
Children's Hospital then contributed the genotyped data
to AGRE. / Release

Autism Diagnosis Runs In Families
- While researchers still know very little about autism
and its causes, they do know there seems to be a genetic
link. In the April issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine, a story on The
Children of Sperm Donor "X". The national
Donor Sibling Registry has determined that in seven
families in five states, donor "X" has fathered 11
children, all believed on some end of the autism
spectrum. "We have a few families who have more than one
child diagnosed on the autism spectrum," said Dr.
Catherine Tripani, PH.D., Education Director at the
Marcus Institute in Decatur, which treats children
with developmental disorders such as autism.

Can mice succumb to Mozart?
- Few if any people would claim that
rodents like Mozart. But three research
groups say this much: his music seems to do
something for them.

Robot Learning Symposium, April 24 /
The Robot Learning Symposium is free and
open to the public, but
those who wish to attend must register
online at
http://www.nasonline.org/robot-learning.
- At this public symposium, which will take
place during the 143rd annual meeting of the
National Academy of Sciences, scientists
will present research on how robots can
learn and adapt to their environment, a
development that could yield applications
ranging from robotic missions in space to
therapy for autism.

Growing up
in an
Asperger Family
by Maxine Aston -
View as HTML
or
download as a PDF


Living Your
Best Life with Asperger’s Syndrome
by Karra Barber
- Book Review by leading autism expert,
Professor Tony Attwood.
Press Release

Roberts "Talking" To Autism Drama
-
"Per Variety,
Julia Roberts is in negotiations to star in "Daniel Isn't
Talking," about a couple whose lives are turned upside down when
their son is diagnosed with auti"...Melanie is
determined to fight to teach Daniel to speak, play and become as
“normal” as
possible. Her enchanting disposition has already helped her weather
other of life’s storms, but Daniel’s autism may just push her over
the brink, destroying her resolute optimism and bringing her
unsteady marriage to an inglorious end. The situation is not helped
by Stephen’s far-from-supportive parents, who proudly display the
family tree with Melanie’s name barely penciled in, and who remain
disconcertingly attached to Stephen’s ex-fiancée, a woman apparently
intent on restaking her claim on Stephen. Melanie does have one
strong ally in Andy, a talented and off-the-wall play therapist who
specializes in teaching autistic children. Andy proves that Daniel
is far more capable than anyone imagined, and Melanie finds herself
drawn to him even as she staggers toward resolving her marriage."

"A Strangely Fascinating Story about the
True Meaning of Life." Recently had a
screening in Washington, DC
as part of the Docs in Progress series and
has been invited to the Atlanta Film
Festival this June. Art of Madness
Presents
My Life as an Underdog.
A documentary film about a performance
artist, Suzanne Muldowney, who has Asperger
Syndrome. A Film by Boris Gavrilovic &
Leon Martin
...Trailer and info on film

Mercury Generation
March - Autism is Treatable and
Autism is Preventable -
HAVE YOU
SEEN THE HEADLINES?
A Poisonous
Move for Kids by CDC. New Study
Supports Mercury-Autism Link Time for
CDC to Come Clean. CDC Obtains Children'
Confidential Records Without Parental
Consent

Robert
F. Kennedy Jr.: A Poisonous Move for Kids by CDC -
On February 22, CDC
announced that it is dramatically expanding America's flu
vaccination program to include
all children between six months and 5 years and their siblings and
caretakers. But, guess what CDC forgot to mention? There is not
nearly enough thimerosal-free flu vaccine to go around. Vaccine
makers produced fewer than 8 million thimerosal-free flu doses this
season, which doesn't bode well for the more than 17 million
children designated to receive flu shots under CDC's new protocol.

Federal judge rules that
Asperger's syndrome is a disability - A York
County girl who suffers from Asperger's
syndrome is entitled to special education
services even though she completes her
homework, behaves well in class and scores
well on tests, a federal judge ruled. U.S
District Judge D. Brock Hornby ordered
School Administrative District 55 to
assemble a team of teachers and specialists
to design an appropriate learning program
for the girl, identified in court documents
only as "L.I." A VICTORY
for parents! ...Read
the decision.


Dennis Debbaudt's
Autism Risk & Safety Newsletter
-
Winter
2006!! Here is what's up...

Rep. Arthur
Lerman/Maine is sponsoring legislation that
bans the use of mercury in vaccines
administered to children under 8 years old
and to women who are pregnant. The bill also
requires that supermarkets post a warning to
women who are pregnant or nursing regarding
mercury concentrations in certain fish.
The public hearing on LD 1947, An
Act To Protect Children from the Onset of
Autism, will take place on
Tuesday, January 24 at 1:00 pm before the
Committee on Health and Human Services (Room
209, Cross Office Building, Augusta). The
Committee work session on LD 1947 will take
place at 1:00 pm on Friday, February 3 in
the same location. For more information:
Rep. Arthur Lerman at
alerman2@yahoo.com

100 Families With Two or More Children
With Autism Sought For Genetics Study
- One hundred families with two
or more autistic children in Washington,
Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho and Alaska
are needed for an on-going University of
Washington study that is searching for the
genetic causes of autism. The $10.2
million study, which is also designed to
find the neurobiological causes of autism
and develop intervention programs to assist
children with the development disorder, is
funded by the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development. To be eligible
families must have two or more children at
least three years of age who have autism.
Eligible children may be of adult age.

In Memory of "Liz Birt, beloved and
highly accomplished and valued member of the
autism
advocacy community, fighter for and friend
of the children and families, passed from
our midst on Wednesday, December 28th
following a car accident. Liz was mom to
Matthew, Sarah, and Andrew. Matthew is Liz’s
son on the autism spectrum. Matthew had
regressive autism with onset following MMR
and HiB vaccines. Matthew is Liz’s son on
the autism spectrum. Matthew had regressive
autism with onset following MMR and HiB
vaccines. Among many manifestations of
Matthew’s condition, he has gastrointestinal
disease and documented vaccine strain
measles virus in his intestine and cerebral
spinal fluid. Liz founded Medical
Interventions for Autism, was co-founder and
board member of SafeMinds, a founding board
member of the National Autism Association,
founder and board member of A-CHAMP, helped
with the development of Extreme Sports Camp
in Aspen, Colorado and with the setting up
of Thoughtful House Center for Children in
Austin, Texas. Liz was a
health care and tax attorney. She worked on
the autism hearings with Congressman Burton,
and was a principal author of Mercury in
Medicine, the staff report released by the
House Government Reform Committee in 2003.
Liz worked for many years, having a vital,
positive effect on the effort for the
children. Progress has definitely been made,
and Liz was key. She was a champion for
rights, truth, justice, and health for the
children. Her immeasurable contribution to
innumerable children and families will
continue..."
...Read
more.

The Total Cleveland
Experience, Chapter 2
/ Forum regular Steve Buffum
continues his
personal
look at the trials and tribulations of being
a father, and a Cleveland sports fan. In
Part 2 of the three-part series, Steve bulls
his way through the rise and fall of the
Browns in the late 1970s... - "...It’s
entirely possible that had I been born in
1996 instead of 1964, I would have been
diagnosed with High Functioning Autism
(another catch-all blob on the plane)
myself. I learned or developed different
coping mechanisms as I grew older."

Send in the Idiots / New Book
- In the future, bemused historians will
look back on the affluent parts of the
early-21st-century world and wonder why
autism - its definitions, its causes, its
impact on children and families - became
such a key worry of the time. They may
decide that all the clinical and policy
debates masked a wider anxiety about what it
meant to be a full individual, and part of a
family and community, in a society of new
opportunities and new dangers alike. And one
book that will help them (and you)
understand our age of autism is Kamran
Nazeer's Send in the Idiots, due from
Bloomsbury in March. Diagnosed as autistic
at four, the boy from an itinerant Pakistani
family (who was born in 1978) entered a
state-of-the
art specialist school in New York. His book
looks back on the childhood and later lives
of his fellow-pupils, and teases out the
larger questions that lie behind all the
wrangles over diagnosis, treatment and
education. This remarkable piece of
true-life storytelling takes as its theme
not disability, but humanity. Nazeer himself
now works as a policy adviser in Whitehall.

Illness: the pathway to
creative genius?
/ Disease, rather than being a barrier to
greatness, may be its wellspring - New
research in fields as diverse as music, art,
science and literature
suggests that we’re wrong to think that
great men and women achieve despite disease.
Their illness in many cases is a path,
rather than an obstacle, to genius.
Einstein, Warhol, Newton, Cézanne, Goya,
Michelangelo, Turner and Berlioz are among
many whose achievements are now thought to
have been influenced by disease. Conditions
such as depression, autism, myopia, anxiety,
chronic pain, gout, stroke and dementia
heavily influenced their paths to
creativity.

Video
Game
System
Donation
Drive
for
Hurricane
Victims
with
Autism
-
Did
your
child
get a
new XBox,
PSP,
Gameboy
or other
video
gaming
system
for
Christmas?
What
will you
do with
the old
one? We
have a
solution
for you
that
will
keep
your
closets
uncluttered,
and you
can help
a child
in need!

College
District
Held
Responsible
for
Disability
Discrimination
of an
Employee
with
Asperger’s
Syndrome
-
"...The
jury
concluded
that the
employer
subjected
its
employee
with
disability
to
disparate
treatment,
and that
GCCCD
failed
to
timely
engage
in an
ADA
interactive
process
in good
faith
even
after US
Department
of
Education’s
Office
of Civil
Rights
(DOE
OCR)
intervention
and
request
to
comply
with the
law."

ABA4Autism.com
and the
Psychology
department
at the
University
of
Tennessee
at
Martin
are
conducting
a second
survey
on the
causes
of
Autism
Spectrum
Disorders
(ASD).
This
survey
is for
mothers
of
children
with ASD
as well
as
mothers
of
normally
developing
children
who are
ten
years of
age or
younger.
Mothers
who
participate
in the
survey
will
receive
a free
ABA
program
to teach
their
children
to
follow
directions
as well
as free
ABA mini
programs
for
common
problems
like
sharing.
To take
the
surveys
please
go to
http://www.aba4autism.com

AutismCares
is a
coalition
of
National
Autism
Organizations
who have
come
together
to help
families
dealing
with
autism
who are
victims
of
Hurricane
Katrina.
...Read
more.

Local
Teen
With
Aspergers
Missing
In
Europe
-
An
18-year-old
student
from
Northeaster
University,
who
suffers
from
Aspergers
Syndrome,
is
said
to
be
missing
in
Europe.
William
Lamar
purchased
a
plane
ticket,
unbeknownst
to
his
parents,
and
did
not
return
on
his
American
Airlines
flight,
which
was
ticketed
to
return
on
Friday,
November
4th
from
London's
Heathrow
Airport.
Lamar,
who
was
last
seen
on
October
27th,
has
a
history
of
being
naïve
and
vulnerable
- a
history
that
can,
and
has,
put
him
in
physical
and
financial
danger.
Lamar
is
described
as
having
light
hair,
6 ft
-
6'1",
180-190
pounds,
with
blue
eyes
and
blonde
hair.
Anyone
with
information
on
Lamar's
whereabouts
are
asked
to
call
Northeastern
University
at
617.373.2121.

Key
Magazine
would
like to
write a
feature
story
about a
high
school
senior
who has
Autism
Spectrum
Disorder
who will
be
graduating
from
high
school
in 2006.
About
KEY -
Each
issue of
KEY
Magazine
is
distributed
to more
than one
million
high
school
students
through
their
guidance
counselors
in the
fall,
winter
and
spring.
The
publication
and this
companion
web
site,
www.keycolleges.com
,
provide
students
and
parents
with a
resource
for
determining
a
college
or
career
choice
and
applying
for
scholarships
and
financial
aid. In
addition,
the
magazine
features
humorous
and
entertaining
articles
about
books,
music,
video
games
and
products
geared
toward
college
students.
KEY is
published
by
PlattForm
in
Olathe,
Kansas,
a leader
in
marketing
communications
and
direct-response
advertising
within
the
postsecondary
education
industry.
For more
information
please
contact
Kevin
Kuzma,
Public
Relations/Publishing
Manager.
PlattForm
at 500
N.
Rogers
Road,
Olathe,
KS
66062.
913-254-6087,
913-764-4043.
www.plattformad.com;
www.careerexplorer.net;
www.search4careercolleges.com

Cheap Cinema
Productions presents "Living the Autism
Maze," a film by Anne Barbano and
Jeff Farber, Saturday at 11:30 a.m., at the
Savoy Theater, 26 Main St. in Montpelier.
Admission is $5 (half benefits AAWARE); call
229-0509, or go online to
www.savoytheater.com. The film is available,
$24.95 for DVD, $19.95 for VHS, at
www.livingtheautismmaze.com.
 |
Local filmmakers explore
problems of autism treatment
- Autism is a big problem – and
apparently there is no consensus on what
to do about it. Nicholas Barbano-Gage
was diagnosed with the disease at the
age of 9. His loving parents looked for
guidance about what to do – but found
very few, if any, answers. This is
apparently a problem common to parents
of autistic children. But Nicholas'
mother did something. A Burlington
filmmaker, Anne Barbano, created a film
with Middlesex filmmaker Jeff Farber
chronicling the family's experience as
well as that of five others, plus
commentary by various Vermont experts.
"Living the Autism Maze," which
premiered in Burlington earlier this
year, will be screened Saturday at 11:30
a.m., at the Savoy Theater in
Montpelier. |

ASPIA
Launches
-
A Place for Validation, Information &
Inspiration. A site dedicated to
"acknowledging the difficulties and
differences and provide objective
information on how Asperger's Syndrome
impacts on a relationship and what steps can
be taken to reduce
the confusion, conflict and crushing
emotional experiences that characterise the
private lives of those affected."
Asperger's
Syndrome
Information
Australia, Inc.

Missing: Joseph Thomas, 20
- The Toronto Police Service is seeking the
public's assistance in locating a missing man.
Joseph Thomas, 20, was last seen leaving his
residence in the Morningside Avenue and
Guildwood Parkway area, on Tuesday, September
13, 2005, at approximately 1:45 p.m. He is
described as: white, 5’4”, and 125 lbs., thin
build, with short brown straight hair, brown
eyes and clean-shaven. He was last seen
wearing faded purple Raptors splash pants,
dark coloured T-shirt and red running shoes.
He was carrying a fanny-pack with a CD player.
Joseph Thomas suffers from Autism and Down
Syndrome. He has a good knowledge of the TTC
and is known to frequent the system. The
Toronto Police Service is concerned for his
safety. Anyone with information is asked to
contact police at 416-808-4200, or Crime
Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477),
or online at
www.222tips.com

ICE -
Paramedics will turn to a victim's cell phone
for clues to a person's identity. You
can make their job much easier with a simple
idea that they are trying to get everyone to
adopt. ICE
stands for In
Case of
Emergency.
You can add an entry in your contacts
list in your cell phone under
ICE, with
the name and phone number of the person that
the first time responders should call on your
behalf and save them a lot of time while
having your loved ones contacted quickly.
It only takes a moment of your time to do.
Paramedics and other first time responder's
know what ICE
means and they look for it immediately.
ICE your
cell phone NOW!

Looking for
Loved One / Megan Jane Carter. Location:
Kanner, LA. Please contact Tierra
Pardon/Cousin - Megan Carter is 13 years
old, unable to speak, and was last seen with
her caregiver Linda Jones in Kenner, LA (Near
N.O. Intl Airport). Megan is non-verbal, and
not toilet-trained (wears pull-ups). She
cannot feed herself, but likes any kind of
food; particularly milk. She does not like
candy or chips. Her mother is currently
disabled and in
the hospital, and her relatives are safe in
Greenville MS. She is in the Red Cross's
database and other lists. Someone has just
talked with her relatives, and naturally they
are worried sick. If you have any information,
please call her relatives at 662-334-4770.
Send email to
hurricanevictims@cnn.com

LIVE Online
at
www.disabilitynewsradio.com - Tuesday,
September 6 - 11:30 AM EDT
Barbara Jacobs, Author, Loving Mr. Spock.
Understanding an aloof lover: Could it be
Asperger Syndrome? Asperger Syndrome (AS)
affects as many as one in ten people. With
humor, optimism, and compelling honesty
throughout, this is an insightful handbook
that provides invaluable practical advice for
all adults. Along with being a prize winning
author, Ms. Jacobs is a psychologist,
lecturer, and one of the most respected advice
columnists in the UK. Ms. Jacobs and Dr.
Temple Grandin are keynote speakers at the
“Autism & Asperger's Syndrome 2005 -Atlanta”
Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday,
September 9, 2005. MailScanner has detected a
possible fraud attempt from "www.future-horizons-autism.com"
claiming to be
http://www.futurehorizons-autism.com/
Email your comments and questions to
monica@disabilitynewsradio.com
...Read
more.

Looking for
homes that are willing to take in displaced
autistic families from Mississippi. At
this time I do not have a final count, but am
being contacted today with a list of families
that need temporary housing. I am going to the
local television stations to ask for homes as
well. Please keep these families in
prayer...we all know how hard it would be on
our special needs child to suddenly lose
everything and have no where to go. Also
anyone who knows of a need in Mississippi
please contact me and I'll get right on it.
Thanks...
Cheryl Bailey 662-256-4315 home 662-305-2428
cell Amory, Mississippi

Autism Society of America Postage Stamp is available
- Now available at the ASA
Store are sheets of
20 stamps for a price of $20.00 - which includes shipping and handling.
Share your enthusiasm for these new stamps by buying a set today. This is
another way to help spread Autism Awareness and supporting the Autism
Society of America and their mission. Visit the new site that was launched
to help
Get the Word Out
-
www.gettingthewordout.org.
The Voice of Autism is the new "tagline" of the ASA. The sheets of postage
stamps are available with the ASA logo.

Autism Society of America Launches New Branding Effort
/ Initiatives to Enhance ASA's Presence,
Bring Increased Attention to Autism Epidemic - The Autism Society
of America (ASA), the nation's most widely-recognized and largest grassroots
organization serving the entire autism community, officially launched for
the public today its new branding campaign, which includes, among many
branding initiatives, a new logo, a makeover for its Web site,
http://www.autism-society.org,
the most widely used site on the Internet for autism information and
resources, and a jarring new ASA initiative,
http://www.gettingthewordout.org,
targeted at corporate donors and those outside the autism community

FAAAS, Inc. Presents Conference 2005.
"Asperger's
Syndrome, Relationships, and Cassandra".
October 8-9, 2005. Co-Sponsored by:
Massachusetts Mental Health CenterMMHC is a major teaching hospital of Harvard
Medical School. Keynote Speaker:
Professor
Tony Attwood,
Ph.D. Guest Speakers:
Isabelle Henault, Ph.D. &
Maxine Aston, B.Sc. Faculty: Lawrence E.
Lifson, M.D.
...Read more.

Autism One -
A Worldwide, Web-Based Radio
Station for the Care, Treatment, and Recovery
of
Children with Autism
 |
Sunday, August
14th:
8:00 pm – 8:30 ET Patricia S. Lemer, MEd, NCC,
MS Bus: After the Diagnosis, Then What?
9:00pm– 9:30 ET Michael Lang, MFA: Pathways of
Recovery
|
 |
Monday, August
15th:
11:00 am – 11:30 ET Laura Cellini : Parent
Activist
|
 |
Tuesday, August
16th:
10:30 am - 11:30 ET Teri Small: Autism: Help,
Hope, and Healing. Teri’s guest of July 26th,
Dr. Woody McGinnis will return with a more
detailed look at the topic: “Nutritional
Interventions for Oxidative Stress.” Advanced
questions to
tsmall@autismone.org. Dr. McGinnis’s July
26th interview is archived for Part I of this
topic.
12:00 pm – 1:00 ET Betsy Hicks: Path to
Wellness
Betsy and Marty Hecklinger from Sage Systems
will discuss food intolerances
|

New Musical explores complexity of Autism
- Although the ages of the actors at Andy’s
Summer Playhouse range from 8-18, don’t expect
anything childish emerging from their summer
stage. “Most of us who work here totally
despise child theater,” said Bob Lawson,
artistic diirector of Andy’s and writer of the
upcoming musical, “Tabula Rasa.” “A lot of our
work is very complex. Some of the kids may not
get a lot of the meaning, but they are totally
engaged.” “Tabula Rasa,” which opens today and
runs through Aug. 21, is an original musical
interweaving three convergent storylines: the
first a creative retelling of the Wild Boy of
Averyon, a true story of a boy in 19th-century
France assumed to have
been raised by wolves; the second about a
21st-century autistic girl named Emily who is
confined in a medicated state; and the third
an incorporation of the classic “Hansel and
Gretel” tale originally told by the Brothers
Grimm. By Tom Kressler

Research Project - The University of Texas at
Austin
-
Project
Title: Understanding the
decision making process that parents use in
selecting treatments for their children with
Autism or Down Syndrome IRB# 2002-10-0098
...Read
more.

On Sunday,
August 7 Mike Mendoza, host of the UK's
number one radio station, talkSport, will
interview Monica Moshenko, (bet you
thought it was the other Monica :) host of
DisAbility News & Views Radio Show. Make sure
you tune in to hear the interview and exciting
news at 6:30 PM EDT.
www.talksport.net

Tune in this week to Meet The Press
with Tim Russert, Sunday, August 7, 2005 where
David Kirby, author of Evidence of Harm
squares off against Dr. Harvey Fineberg,
Director of the Institute of Medicine
regarding the use of thimerosal, a
mercury-based preservative, in children's
vaccines and the plausibility of its
connection with autism.
If you haven't read a copy of David Kirby's
book, it is a must read. Whether you believe
in the autism/mercury connection or not, the
book provides valuable information in a
balanced manner.
Pick up a copy of Evidence of Harm for
yourself at any major bookstore, or purchase
one and give to a friend today. For Meet
The Press this Sunday, check local listings
for times.
Stay tuned next
Monday, August 8th, 2005 for a UA/NVIC
Action Alert that connects the
Giving Mercury to Children on Purpose is
Stupid
with the Meet the Press events on Sunday
to learn how you can do more in your local
community to spread the word.
Transcript of Meet the Press - August 08, 2005

Online
 |
2nd Internet
webcast of a Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!)
conference. The webcast includes all of
the presentations which was held last month in
Boston. The presentations can be video
streamed or downloaded. 25+ hours of
presentations from many of the top researchers
and clinicians in the field of autism,
including Drs. Sidney Baker, Tim Buie,
Stephanie Cave, Lisa Lewis, Jon Pangborn,
Andrew Wakefield and many more. There is no
charge to view the webcast!www.DANWebcast.com
|
 |
Online Autism
Courses at NSU NovaSoutheastern University
& the Autism Consortium of MSI are offering
online graduate courses in autism for
educators & speech & language pathologists.
Students can enroll as part of a master's
degree in special ed or as non-degree seeking
students. Ft. Lauderdale, FL . Christine
Reeve Click on "education & training" & select
the autism courses.
www.nova.edu/msi Or email
autism@nova.edu 954-262-7168
|
 |
Social Skills
Teaching - TalkAutism Distance Learning
Presentation - Jim Ball Ed.D. . Funded by a
Doug Flutie Jr. grant Available Jul 1 Anytime,
Free Online - Sharon Oberleitner - Princeton
Autism Technology. 888-355-7161
http://tinyurl.com/bwsb2
sharonober@aol.com
|

Williams-area teen subject of forest search
- An air and ground search is being conducted
in the forest near Williams for a missing
teenager. The Coconino County sheriff's
office says they're looking for 17-year-old
Derek Overhage. It says the teen suffers from
Aspergers syndrome, a form of high-functioning
autism. Derek reportedly walked away from his
home in the Woods subdivision three miles east
of Williams just before 5 p-m yesterday. The
sheriff's office says he may be heading to the
Phoenix area, where he has family members. By
the AP

Get
ready to set your VCRs or Video Recorders
again.... Tuesday, June 21st channel 12
KPTV 10:00 am /
The Montel Williams Show - Guest discuss
the possible link between Mercury and Autism.

Save the date!
June 7, 2005
CALL
IN DAY FOR
President Bush, Laura Bush and Congress
after 12 noon - Eastern Time. - Unlocking
Autism and the National Vaccine Information
Center are asking for your support from your
home and work
on June 7th for a call in/fax in day to
Washington, DC.
The last call/fax in on April 28th, started by
Lynn Notgrass, was so successful, that the
White House was in contact with us by 8:45am
central time to ask us to have people stop
calling. We told them that we had talked to
parents for years and that they could talk to
them for that day.
...Read more.

Amber Alert
- Unicel is getting ready to release a
Nation wide promo on Amber alerts. They are
offering FREE Amber alerts for any subscriber
with text messaging. This is
is a FREE service. Anyone who has a cell phone
with text messaging will get this
service FREE as a contribution to Amber Alerts
and Unicel's commitment to the cause.
Anyone interested can go to
https://www.wirelessamberalerts.org/index.jsp
Other wireless carriers are also offering this.
ASPIRES
salutes "all" carriers. "YOU"
can make a difference." Please join Amber
Alert. You never know when you can save a
life.

"...of a different mind" is a
combined business web site and a personal
web site of Roger
N. Meyer. Within this web site, he offer's
you views of his writing, his work and
himself. Roger is a published author, a
special education advocate, a paid social
security representative, and individual
disability and civil rights advocate. He is
co-founder of
Oregon Parents United
(1998), and co-founder of
ASPIRES
(2000). Roger lives in Portland, Oregon -
U.S.A.

DEPRESSION IN THE BRAIN (Broadcast
starting week of June 1, 2005)
Host Dr. Peter Kramer examines new research on
the biology of depression including new
findings showing depression is not only a
disease that affects the balance of chemicals
in the brain, but the anatomy of the brain, as
well. This is the latest scientific evidence
confirming that clinical depression is a
physical, medical illness which causes changes
in the brain.
Guests include: Dr. Robert Sapolsky, professor
of biology and neurology at Stanford
University and the author of both popular and
academic books related to stress and its
effects; Virginia Heffernan, the television
critic for the online magazine Slate and a
contributor to the
anthology "Unholy Ghost: Writers on
Depression"; Dr. Yvette Sheline, associate
professor of psychiatry and radiology at
Washington University in St. Louis; Dr. Ronald
Duman, a neuroscientist and professor of
psychiatry and pharmacology at Yale
University; and singer-songwriter Dar
Williams, who performs and discusses her song
"After All."
Read more about and listen to "Depression in
the Brain" on The Infinite Mind.
New!!!
Purchase an
MP3 instant download of "Depression
in the Brain" to listen to on your IPod
or computer!
Tell your
story! Discuss "Depression
in the Brain" on The Infinite Mind
chatboard

Senate Bill 2715 will be introduced to
the legislators on June 15, 2005 in the common
wealth of Massachusetts, home to Families of
Adult Afflicted with AS (www.faaas.or)
This is the first bill of it's kind to be
introduced on behalf of adults with AS and
their families in the USA.
All are welcome to come and testify. The
clerk said 'letters of support' for this Bill
will be accepted from around the world...to
show the legislators that there is a desperate
NEED for services for the many AS ADULTS in
various areas of their lives and at different
times in their lives....and that the families
who support them also need support and
services and assistance. I have sent for the
protocol and upon receipt will pass it on to
any who are interested.
This is only a start. Maybe if this bill
gains support or passes, other states will
look at similar legislation?
This is the AS communities chance from around
the world to submit testimony in favor of or
against this bill or for services you feel
your loved ones with AS need or for adults
"with" AS to share what you feel you need in
terms of support.
The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts
/
House Bill # 2715
May 25, 2005 /
IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND FIVE / An
Act RELATIVE TO ASPERGER'S SYNDROME.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives in General Court assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Instructing the Department of Public Health to
develop a public education program about
Asperger's Syndrome in Adults. The Department
will interact with Families of Adults
Afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome (FAAAS),
Incorporated and other groups to:
 |
Serve as a resource to disseminate
information |
 |
Develop training programs for professionals |
 |
Identify progress by creating registries
and surveillance
programs |
 |
Monitor and research adults afflicted with
Asperger's Syndrome |
 |
Assist families and caregivers |
 |
Seek resources from the federal government
for related
disabilities.
|
Letter's should be dated and submitted
before
June 15, 2005.
Contact:
Sen. Susan Fargo
Rep. Peter Koutoujian
Joint Committee on Public Health
Room 130, State House
Boston,
MA
02133
Dear Madam Chairwoman, Mr. Chairman, and
Members:
I write today in support of House 2715, An
Act Relative to Asperger's
Syndrome.........
http://www.mass.gov

New Vaccine site
launches.
Generation Rescue / Empowering parents
with the truth to help their children heal.
We want you, the parent, to know about recent
information that has emerged regarding the
cause, controversy, and cure of autism and
other neurodevelopmental disorders such as
Asperger's, PDD-NOS, ADD/ADHD, sensory
integration disorder, speech delays, and other
learning and behavior issues. While we often
refer to autism alone, we believe that all of
these neurodevelopmental disorders fall along
the same spectrum and that they are all
different degrees and manifestations of
mercury poisoning.
Autism is preventable and reversible / (
sometimes when something seems too good to be
true it helps to see it again )
[flyer]

Musical by Neil Simon
Celebrates Temple Grandin -
"Temple",
music by Norman Durkee, book and
Lyrics by Silvia Peto (March 2- April 1,
2006). Based on the real life of a
girl who did not speak until she was three but
grew up — despite her autism — to achieve
success, a doctorate and more, "this world
premiere musical celebrates the determined
ingenuity of a miraculous spirit through the
true story of Temple Grandin." By
Ernio Hernandez

ASPERGER'S SYNDROME: A
SPECIAL REPORT
(Part Two of Two)
-
In one of our most important programs to date, this
second of a two-part special report on Asperger’s Syndrome offers a
groundbreaking and extraordinary look at Asperger's in children and
young adults.
Click here to listen to "Asperger's Syndrome (Part 2)

ASPERGER'S SYNDROME: A SPECIAL REPORT
(Part One of Two) - "“Let’s not
use the word ‘cure’ if you don’t mind… When you talk about cure you
imply that we’re broken. I don’t feel broken.” So says Liane Holliday
Willey, a woman who not so long ago would have been described as a
“victim” of Asperger’s Syndrome. It’s been more than 60 years since
the Austrian doctor Hans Asperger identified the condition that bears
his name, but it has only been in the past decade or so that we have
begun to understand its broader implications. Asperger’s Syndrome may
be a part of the autistic spectrum, but that doesn’t necessarily mean
that an “Aspie” can’t function in the world."
Click here to listen
to "Asperger's Syndrome" on The Infinite Mind.


F. Edward Yazbak, MD, FAAP Appeals to the
Autism community and request's the IOM to:
withdraw
the report of the Immunization Safety Review
Committee Meeting of February 9, 2004;
form a new committee under a new chairman all
of whom should be
impartial experts independent of influence of
Government and pharmaceutical companies and
reconvene a meeting on vaccines and autism as
soon as possible and ensure that all
independent research is considered.
...Read his appeal and Letter.

Asperger Syndrome Conferences in Wales 2005
- The Wales’ Asperger Syndrome (AS)
conferences aim to provide valuable insights
and information for practitioners and parents
living or working with children and adults
with AS.
Aspergers Syndrome Conferences
In Wales 2005 and Booking Forms Newi, Wrexham,
N Wales - 15th March 2005. Millennium
Stadium, Cardiff, S Wales – 6th June 2005/
Please click here for a link to
the booking form

 
Monica
Moshenko Hosts Disability News & Views
Radio Show, reaching
thousands of listeners across Western
New York, from Northern Pennsylvania, and
Toronto, Canada. For more information,
please visit their web site at
http://www.disabilitynewsradio.com/

Please support DVD Times by ordering through
our partners -
An eleven-minute
quasi-documentary animation, A is for
Autism is likely to slip beneath most
peoples’ radars. Largely unknown outside of
specialist circles, the disc suffers from a
paucity of extras whilst the film itself is
without a “name” director and has a titular
subject matter seldom approached by filmmakers
(on the rare occasions that they do it is
often in a ‘high concept’ manner; consider the
murder mystery of Silent Fall or The
Boy Who Could Fly’s escapist fantasy). Yet
despite all this the piece is a minor gem and
deserving of as wide an audience as possible.
Commissioned by Channel Four in 1992, the
intention behind A is for Autism is to
provide an insight into the lives and
experiences of those who suffer from the
condition. It does so by being a collaboration
in the truest sense of the word: the animation
takes as its basis a series of drawings by
people with autism (whilst, understandably,
retaining their distinctive qualities) and is
accompanied by a soundtrack comprising of
their thoughts and recollections. By DVD Times

President Bush:
GET THE MERCUCRY OUT OF VACCINES. April 28,
2005 is National Call Day.
President Bush's comment line is 202-456-1111 /
Switch board 202-456-1414. Please join us on April
28, 2005 for a national call President Bush Day
and
tell him to "GET THE MERCURY OUT OF VACCINES."
Also, ask him to identify assistance for our
children who have been injured. We need our
insurance companies to pay for our tests, doctor
visits and chelation to help our children get
well. Please make our message heard loud and clear
and we can only do that if we all come together.
Please forward to everyone you know to help with
this issue. Family and friends can also call.
An
Open Letter from Unlocking Autism and how YOU
can help!
"Two states passed
bans of mercury in vaccines in 2004:
California and Iowa. Seven additional states
had ongoing mercury ban legislation in 2004:
Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New
York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Four
other states are pursuing legislation into
2005: Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina,
and Ohio.
As 2005
starts, Mercury Ban representatives in the
following 23 states are actively pursuing
legislation to ban mercury in vaccines:
Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas,
Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New
Jersey, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas,
Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and
Wyoming."

Robert Parish is
the father of a young man with ASD (Jack
Parish), and an independent
filmmaker. Robert recently completed a
new 28:00 short documentary called ASD
101.
Available on DVD for $34.95 (including
shipping and handling), the program features
two nationally-recognized experts, Patricia
Manning-Courtney of Children's Hospital in
Cincinnati, Ohio and Dr. Arnold Miller of the
Language and Cognitive Development Center in
Boston, as well as parents and siblings of
children diagnosed with ASD.
...Read more.

Williams to speak Tuesday
- Sondra Williams
-- wife, mother, lecturer, author, poet and
classroom aide who was diagnosed with
high-functioning autism -- will speak at 7
p.m. Tuesday to the Greater Akron Chapter of
the Autism Society of America at Akron
Children's Hospital's William Considine
Building. She will sign her book,
Reflections of Self (published by the Gray
Center), and DVD, Define Me, following
her talk. For more information call
330-543-3955 or visit
www.asagreaterakron.com.

Representing
Autism: Writing, Cognition, Disability.
A conference hosted by the SCE (Society for
Critical Exchange) Disability Studies
has largely overlooked the culture and
discourses of cognitive disabilities.
Nonetheless, one cognitive disorder has begun
to receive a great deal of attention both in
the academy and in the popular media.
...Read more.

Looking for Families That Have Used Medicaid
to Increase Independence -
We are
looking for stories from people with cognitive
disabilities and family members about how they
have used Medicaid to increase their
independence. We will collect written and
recorded stories for use on
www.theDesk.info, the only web site that
explains Medicaid for people with cognitive
disabilities. If we use your story, you will
receive a free T-Shirt and $50. If you have a
story send an email message to
stories@thedesk.info or call toll-free at
1-877-431-8532. If you know someone else who
has a story, forward this message to them or
tell them about it. We are especially
interested in stories from Hispanic families,
for presentation in Spanish.

The Disability Law Resource Project (DLRP) at
ILRU for a Web cast on IDEA 2004 -
IDEA 2004 is most current version of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act, the nation's law that works
to improve results for infants, toddlers,
children and youth with disabilities.
Troy R. Justesen, Acting Deputy Assistant
Secretary for the Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the
U.S. Department of Education will present this
Web cast on Wednesday, April 6, 2005, from
3:00-4:30pm Eastern; 2:00 Central; 1:00
Mountain; 12:00 Pacific; 11:00 Alaska; 9:00
Hawaii.

Documentary Dispels the Myths of Asperger's
Syndrome, a form of Autism -
Asperger is is one of the least known
Pervasive Developmental Disorders on the
Autism spectrum. Many parents of children
with Asperger symptoms are in denial that
their child may have a disability. This
documentary dispels the myths, half truths and
mystique of Asperger's, as seen through the
eyes of a family with a child who has been
diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. "RYLEE'S
GIFT-ASPERGER'S SYNDROME,"
is based on real life experiences.

Scalar Technology in Autism -
Careful
review of “scientific literature” reveals that scalar electromagnetic
energy is the preferred method of identifying the true etiology and
treatment of disease. The combined work of Antoine Priore, a french
scientist, and Royal Raymond Rife, an American scientist, offer the best
review of this subject and both have recorded results in treating a wide
variety of diseases. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s Antoine Priore
and a teem of leading French scientists demonstrated conclusive, total
remissions of terminal disease in hundreds of laboratory animals. Royal
Raymond Rife and his associates from 1930 on also had the same results,
however in human patients. His work and experiments were carried out in
many research hospitals in the United States only to be stopped by the
hostility of the medical pharmaceutical companies much as was Antoine
Priore’s work. Physicians in the U.S.A were informed by the AMA that if
they used this machine they would be barred from the practice of
medicine. Today most of the physicians in practice are unaware of this
work, since most of the physicians living during Rife’s time are now
deceased.

Oregon Health Science University to Take child
Away from Mother / OHSU threatens to
take an autistic child from his mother: Her
crime? Seeking medical treatment for her
son.
 |
Update on activist response request -
2/11/2005 |
 |
Update on activist response request -
2/17/2005 |

Autism Today~ Heartfelt
Thoughts from
Mothers has been
published.
...Read more.
 |
Mothers Wanted!
Hello!
My name is Judy, I have a 20-year old daughter named Jill
who has autism, and I am writing a book about Mother's of
children with Autism. The title of this book is
Autism Today
~ Heartfelt
Thoughts from
Mothers.
My goal in writing this book is to share what
all of us as mothers of children with autism know -that we
are not alone. Also, to bring some comfort in the
similarities we share in raising our children with autism,
and allow others a heartfelt look into "our world".
I would love to hear from
those of you who are interested in participating in this
project. For more information, please email me at autism_today@yahoo.com
or call me at 913-706-6404. Thanks!
|

Research Information Request: AS in the
Miltary Service -
The author
will be working with Department of Defense
decision-makers and others to develop
personnel policies uniform throughout all of
the US armed forces affecting reporting,
evaluation, and administrative protocols for
retention, reassignment, and separation from
the service.
The author
requests those who have been in the active,
reserves, or National Guard military service
to please contact him so that he can complete
a second article on AS and the military. That
article will focus on identifying, evaluating,
reassigning or separating AS individuals from
the service with an emphasis, in all such
steps, on a "soft landing."

An exciting new magazine is about to be
launched!
The Autism Perspective- TAP Magazine
will be a quarterly and full-color publication
devoted to the subject of autism spectrum
disorders; persons with autism, parents and
professionals. The magazine will cover a
variety of issues from the “here and now” of
everyday life including many of today’s
triumphs, struggles, and hope. The magazine
promises to be about options and different
perspectives without taking sides. This will
be a forum for discussion for everyone in the
autism community. I encourage anyone that is
interested in talking about their perspective
and experience living in the autism community
to contact
TAP. The all volunteer Advisory board is
impressive, and the magazine will present a
positive, upbeat and eclectic variety of
perspectives! Actor Gary Cole, wife and
daughter with autism are featured on the cover
of the Premiere Issue.
TAP is where voices can be heard and stories
can be shared…
Visit the
TAP website for subscription information at:
www.theautismperspective.org

Asperger Syndrome Experts Endorse New “INTRICATE MINDS” Peer Awareness
Video Some of the country’s
leading experts in Asperger Syndrome (AS) have endorsed a new video designed
to help classmates accept and befriend students with AS, who are now
frequently subjected to teasing, harassment and isolation. The video is
titled, “INTRICATE MINDS: Understanding Classmates With Asperger
Syndrome.” ...Read more.

Canada Regulators Order ADD Drug Withdrawn
-
Canadian regulators ordered a drug for
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder off
the market late Wednesday because of reports
that it has been linked to 20 sudden deaths
and a dozen strokes, including some among
children.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
however, said it had evaluated the same
reports and doesn't believe the data warranted
such action in the United States. In a
statement late Wednesday, Health Canada said
it is asking makers of related stimulants used
to treat the commonly diagnosed condition to
provide a thorough review of their worldwide
safety data. By FindLaw

AS Children for Adoption -
Please hit this
link. The gift of life and love starts
with all of us, as it takes a community to
raise a child in our current times. Please
take a moment and visit the
Northwest Adoption Exchange to see
"special" children just waiting to be loved
and accepted. Offering these kids a home and
opening your heart is one of the greatest
things you can do in your life time.

New York
Police Department wants to hear from YOU!
- Chief Deluca is on the committee that is
reviewing and recommending law enforcement
training standards for the state of New York.
Chief Deluca wants to see autism spectrum
issues represented in police training
statewide. Chief Deluca is asking that
autism and law enforcement advocates please
send letters of support for this to him at:
gdeluca@twcny.rr.com Letters of
support should be brief and to the point.
This is one of the rare opportunities to have
our voices heard, have input into the process,
and make a difference for people on the autism
spectrum. Letters of support can be from
anyone, anywhere. Letters from New York are
particularly important. Chief Deluca can be
reached at work phone (315) 823-1122.
This request is time sensitive. Please take
the time to write a short letter of support
now and email to Chief Deluca. If we can
help make this happen in New York, it can
happen everywhere in the country! Chief
Deluca needs our support right now!
Thanks! Dennis Debbaudt
www.autismriskmanagement.com

NIH Center of Excellence in Autism Research Seeks
Research Participants - Our Center is seeking individuals
with High Functioning Autism or Asperger's Syndrome between the ages of 8
and 55 to participate in our current studies. The individuals must be verbal
and not be in the gifted program at school. We are also seeking
families with more than one child with autism of any level of severity. Both
children need to be 2.5 years of age or older.

University of
Cambridge – Autism Research Centre announces
Asperger Syndrome (AS) Sib Pair Project -
We are looking for adults or children who are
diagnosed with AS to take part in a new genes
project, along with their brothers and
sisters.
This new worldwide study involves collecting a
DNA sample and a questionnaire from
individuals with Asperger Syndrome and their
biological brothers and sisters. Providing a
DNA sample is quick, easy and a completely
painless process.
For further information please see:
http://www.autismresearchcentre.com/volunteers/sib_pair.asp
Or email Sally Wheelwright:
sjw18@cam.ac.uk

To All Parents of a
Child With ASD: Would you be interested in
assisting the psychological well being of
siblings of children with an ASD?
My study
investigates which factors of the siblings’
relationship and family situations relate to
better psychological health among siblings of
children with an ASD.
...Read
more.

Online Chat With Dr.
Sally Shaywitz on January 27. Come
and visit our web site on Thursday, January 27
from 2-3 p.m. Eastern Time for what promises
to be an enlightening chat with Sally Shaywitz,
M.D. Named "One of America's Top Doctors," Dr.
Shaywitz is author of the bestseller for
parents called "Overcoming Dyslexia." She is
especially interested in answering questions
from parents and teachers.
http://www.readingrockets.org/chat/

Demystifying Asperger syndrome - Every
schoolyard has a few: the kids on the fringes. They have
obsessive interests and play alone. These kids just don’t fit
in, and it’s painful for them and their families who often
aren’t sure how to help. We are now learning that this
kind of behaviour could be a sign of Asperger syndrome. Asperger
is a high-functioning kind of autism that results in kids who
are sometimes called “little professors.” It’s tough to diagnose
and wasn’t even defined until the mid 1990s.
Thousands of adults may have grown up with Asperger without
knowing it. 60 minutes.
Produced by Telefactory Inc. Sunday, January 9, at 10:00
p. m. EST, repeated Sunday
January 16 at 4:00 p.m.
 |
This show
is now available on video. The price
for individual home use is $59.95 and $99.95
for a public library or organization. You can order
it by Visa or Mastercard by calling Vicky
Etheridge, Supervisor, U.S. Sales
Office, TVOntario at 901 Kildaire Farm
Road, Bldg. A, Cary, NC 27511
Email:
vetheridge@tvontario.org
Phone: 800/331-9566 or 919/380-0747
Fax: 919/380-0961 |

NBC Looking for Corporate
Asperger's Type - Allison Singer, an NBC
producer, is looking for an adult on the
spectrum who is succeeding in a
corporate-type work environment and is
somewhat high on the ladder, and yet who
wish to remain anonymous. Contact

Autism Today is
conducting a
survey on how to better serve the autism
community. They are offering the
first 500 people that fill out their survey a
free viewing of an Autism Education Online
presentation 'Keys to Success for Those with
Autism' by world renowned Stephen Shore Ph.D.,
a person on the autism spectrum.
Autism
Awareness
Puzzle Ribbon Car Magnet
is now available through Magnet
America. Check them out!

Stephen Shore to Rejoin ASA Board -
We are so
pleased to announce that AHA/AS/PDD's Advisory
Board member, esteemed colleague and friend
will be rejoining the board of The Autism
Society of America. For anyone fortunate
enough to have attended our April conference
in 2003 you heard Stephens wonderful talk as
our keynote and his return last year as one of
our workshop presenters. He will be back this
year with our adult panel in a thought
provoking topic of relationships and sexualty.
Stephen is the second of now two adults on the
autism spectrum on the board of ASA!!
Congressman
Dan Burton wants to know about children with
Autism - Congressman Dan Burton is asking
parents of children with autism spectrum
disorders to send in their personal stories.
When was the onset of autism? What were the
surrounding circumstances? What are the
hurdles you face in attempting to secure
appropriate educational placements and
services? What are the hurdles you face in
attempting to secure or access insurance
coverage/benefits? What are your child's
prospects for the future? Congressman Burton
will be personally reading these stories, and
selecting representative samples to be read by
him on C-Span.
Please send in
your stories to Congressman Burton, as
follows: Congressman Dan Burton, 8900 Keystone
Crsng. #1050 Indpls., IN 46240 Please be sure
to note at the bottom left of your letter
"Autism Family."

Peel Regional Police - Police searching for missing 15-year-old
- Peel Regional Police are searching for a missing 15-year-old
boy who has autism. Ali Malik was dropped off this morning at
the Woodlands Secondary School on Erindale Station Road; however
he did not attend his class. Shortly after being left at the
school he was observed on a Mississauga Transit bus and was let
off at Square One. Malik is described as male, South
Asian, 5'8" tall, 175 lbs., short black hair, a thin moustache,
and has a scar over his left eye. He was last seen wearing
jeans, a black shirt, black running shoes, and a black down
jacket with duct tape on the bottom. Malik does not speak
but will at times respond to his name. He functions at about a
1-year-old level. A photo can be viewed by
clicking on
http://files.newswire.ca/53/missing_Malik.JPG. Police
are appealing to the public for assistance in locating Ali Malik.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Peel Regional
Police Communications Bureau at 905-453-3311 ext. 4520.
For further information: Contact: Cst. Kathy Gagnon, Media
Relations Bureau, (905) 453-2121 ext. 4027; Archived images on
this organization are available through CNW E-Pix at
http://www.newswire.ca.
Images are free to members of The Canadian Press. Let's
find this boy and bring him some!

"We are pleased to announce Autism One Radio
Launch January 11, 2005. The Voice of
Change, Real Time, Real Issues, Real Answers,
Hope is Real, Our Children Get Better. A
web-based, autism, radio station with over 45
programs devoted to helping children with
autism.
Please click
here
to learn more."

Year 2003 Tax Benefits for
Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities

The Today
Show and CNBC will both air series on autism
the week of February 21. The Today Show series
will be 11 parts, airing at 8:15 and 9:15 each
day, with a "bonus" third piece on Friday. The
CNBC series will be 5 parts (for a total of 16
total pieces). Check your local listings
for times in your area.
 |
Education on autism - A Huntington
man will be featured in an upcoming series
on NBC’s "Today" show to help educate and
provide hope to people with autism and their
families, says the show’s producer. Donald
Harvey, 38, of Huntington was filmed Tuesday
doing his daily activities, including
getting ready in the morning, going to the
YMCA, and running the vacuum cleaner at the
Radisson Hotel Huntington, by The
Herald-Dispatch |

Author working on his second book and seeking input from
"you."
All of us have our stories about dealing with schools: some are horror
stories, and others actually have a happy ending. But for parents like us,
whose children are on the autism spectrum, the stories are never the same
as those of neurotypical children
My first non-fiction book, "THE ASPERGER PARENT: HOW TO RAISE A
CHILD WITH ASPERGER SYNDROME AND MAINTAIN YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR,"
dealt with the stresses we all feel and how we cope with them (well, or
badly) in various ways. It's meant to be a sort of support group between
covers, and to give a little encouragement when needed. Now, I'm working
on a new book about parents whose children are on the autism
spectrum (Asperger's, autism,
and all related conditions), and how they deal with school
systems, both public and private. The challenges, the obstacles,
the help and the stories. Mostly the stories.
...Read more.

Autreat 2005 -
We are now accepting proposals for workshops to be held
Monday thru Friday, June 27-July 1, 2005, in metropolitan
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Our campus location provides greater
comfort, accessibility, and food
service than previous camp facilities, while still offering the
open space and freedom to roam that have always been part of
Autreat. ...Read more.

Jane Pauley Show
on AS to
re-broadcast
- The message board had many posters from the last
airing (October 1, 2004) that missed the show and
wanted copies, so spread the
word that this show is being re-broadcast on
Tuesday, December 7, 2004. Please check your
local listing's for times in your area.

Autism Today - Tuesday's News / November 16, 2004

Wakefield Responds - Issues
Raised by the Sunday Times and the Channel 4 Dispatches Programme, UK
/ A statement by Dr Andrew Wakefield - The Sunday Times and the Dispatches
programme of 18th November raise a number of issues in relation to MMR,
autism and events at the Royal Free Hospital. Since many of the claims by
journalist Brian Deer have been demonstrably false and there in no
objectivity in the manner of their
intended portrayal, I declined to participate in any way in the making of
the Dispatches programme. In addition, vulnerable parents have complained
of being "tricked" into participating in the programme. I was not invited
to comment on the Sunday Times article prior to its publication, by Andrew
Wakefield

Petition: 60 Minutes II: TIME TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT
VACCINATIONS. "We,
the undersigned, request that you air a correction of your October 20,
2004 segment entitled “Saying ‘No’ to Immunization”. This piece was
biased, inaccurate, and dangerous to the health of the public because it
grossly misled viewers about the safety of vaccinations and
the autism epidemic. We, the undersigned, request that you air a
correction of your October 20, 2004 segment entitled “Saying ‘No’ to
Immunization”. This piece was biased, inaccurate, and dangerous to the
health of the public because it grossly misled viewers about the safety of
vaccinations and the autism epidemic."
For more information and to sign the
petition.

NAAR
Partners with WHO to Examine Vaccine Research
Commits $25,000 to Co-Fund Review of Literature
-
NAAR is partnering
with the World Health Organization (WHO) to co-fund a comprehensive review
of medical literature focusing on autism and vaccines. Recently, the
WHO’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety asked NAAR
to consider supporting an effort that examines the issue of whether
vaccines are involved with the cause of autism. NAAR’s Board of Trustees
decided to support the WHO effort with a $25,000 grant after a careful
review of the request by NAAR News

Our talk makes a difference.
Sunday, November 14, 2004 - Ask the Advocate!
PARENTS it is your TIME to call in the station with questions and concerns
about special
education, IEP’s, evaluations, and for resources! You can email your
questions to
monica@poweradvocates.org OR call the radio show at 716-681-1313
Sunday from 5-6 PM.
Special guest Roy Abell, CEO of PIE* Medical International, Inc., a
company that has developed and manufactures the world's first bowel
prosthetic device that changes the lives of people with disabilities. Please take time and go their website
www.piemed.com and discover what they
are achieving!

Dennis Debbaudt's Autism Risk & Safety Newsletter - Fall Edition
- 2004

People with Mental Disabilities have the right to vote!
-
Everyone wants to vote this year, including voters with mental
disabilities. If you are a voter with a mental disability, you
should know your rights. Knowing your rights will help make sure
you can vote. Take this piece of paper with you when you go to
vote so that you know what your rights are.
You can also show this to others if you run into any problems.
This paper tells lawyers
and
poll workers where to find the laws that protect your right to
vote!
...Read more.

Autism Today - Tuesday's News / November 02, 2004:
 |
-
Research at Yale
promises to revolutionize physicians' approach to autism by
providing an opportunity for earlier diagnosis of the disorder
read more |
 |
- Doris
Washington is a poet, and disability
advocate. She makes her home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with
her husband and autistic son, John who is her inspiration to
write....more |
 |
- Research at
Yale promises to revolutionize physicians' approach to autism
by providing an opportunity for earlier diagnosis of the
disorder
read more |
 |
-
Originally written 11 Apr 2003, after a long, trying day....more
|
 |
-
For years,
parents of autistic children have seen a difference in how
their kids behaved after they followed diets free of dairy and
wheat products or that restricted their sugar intake...read
more |
 |
-
As we approach the busy thanksgiving season, we are truly
thankful for all the wonderful people with autism we share our
lives with. Whether we are parents, teachers, professionals or
people...
read more |

Study links autism to intestinal virus - A maverick
British scientist who now works in Austin has completed a study
on autism that links the disease to a novel intestinal illness.
The research, to appear in the Journal of Clinical Immunology
due out today, opens the door to testing treatments for some
autistic children, including a diet that forbids dairy products
and certain grains.
Dr. Andy Wakefield, whose earlier work caused a furor by
suggesting an association between a common childhood vaccine and
autism, said he considers the latest research
ground-breaking.
The study by Wakefield and three collaborators identifies a new
inflammatory intestinal disease in some children who appear
normal but regress into autism, and suggests the intestinal
disease is viral, by Cox News Service - 11/01/2004

August 25, 2005 is the date set for the
first
Autism Awareness Cruise.
The Cruising Channel invites you and your family to join them in
the Caribbean for a fun filled educational cruise. So
gather your kids, pack your sunscreen and prepare for a great
adventure on the high seas. Space is limited so reserve
your spot now.
For more information, please visit their web site at
http://www.autismcruise.com/

Treating Autism More Effectively
/ Medindia Breakthrough In Focus October 24, 2004 - According to
a recent study researchers say autistic boys with language
problems might have a lot in common with boys suffering from a
language-related disorder known as Specific Language Impairment
(SLI) and they feel that these findings could help specialists
better understand autism and how to choose the best treatments
for individual components of the condition.
Researchers used MRI scans to look at Broca’s area -- a key
language center in the brain -- in autistic boys with language
problems, autistic boys without language problems, boys with SLI,
and normal boys. Normally, Broca’s area will be larger on the
side of the brain opposite from the person’s handedness. In
other words, right-handed people generally have larger Broca’s
areas on the left side of the brain. All of the boys in this
study were right-handed.
Results showed boys with SLI and autistic boys with language
problems both had larger Broca’s areas on the right side of the
brain instead of the left side. Autistic boys without language
problems and normal boys had larger Broca’s areas on the left
side of the brain.
Thus researchers believe their findings would shed new light on
autism and the
notion that autism might be more a collection of related
disorders with overlapping symptoms than a single disorder.

Check out the NEW
website Disability News Radio
Reaching thousands
of
listeners
across Western New York, from Northern Pennsylvania, and
Toronto, Canada.

'Open
Access' Medical Journal Provides New Model for Publishing Original,
Peer-Reviewed Research; PLoS Medicine Launched on Internet This Week
- Free Online Journal Answers Call of Congress, NIH, Nobel Laureates for
Increased Access to Biomedical Research. A new general medical journal
launched this week with a non-traditional publishing model is the latest
top-tier venue for publishing important, peer-reviewed biomedical research,
and is being called the first major, international journal to be introduced
in more than 70 years. Unlike most medical journals which are available only
through costly subscriptions, PLoS Medicine is available free of charge and
accessible to everyone through the
Internet, at www.plosmedicine.org.
PLoS Medicine is published by
the Public Library of Science (PLoS), a coalition of researchers and
physicians founded in 2000 by Nobel Prize winner and former National
Institutes of Health Director Harold Varmus, M.D.
...Read more.

NEWS ALERT: This Wednesday,
October 20, 2004 at
8 p.m. CBS-TV "60 MINUTES" will examine parental concerns about
vaccines and the position of the medical and public health community.
The 15 minute segment will feature correspondent Dan Rather and
interviews with physicians, mothers from the New York City area, NVIC
president Barbara Loe Fisher and others. Barbara was interviewed by Dan
Rather in New York City several weeks ago and filming also took place at NVIC's Vienna, VA office. You won't want to miss this special report on
why some parents are questioning vaccines and how doctors are responding
to their concerns.

The Lost Prince
TV
PG Airing Sundays, October 17 &
24, 2004 on PBS (Check local listings; dates and times may vary)
Set against a backdrop of unprecedented upheaval in Britain, The Lost Prince
tells the heartbreaking story of a prince that history forgot.
Acclaimed writer and director Stephen Poliakoff (Shooting the Past)
assembles a fabulous cast for this true story of an Edwardian prince, John,
the youngest child of George V and Queen Mary. His short life spanned one of
the most momentous periods in history -- the political build-up to the First
World War and the machinations of European royalty in the early part of the
20th century. Diagnosed as an epileptic, and suffering from
autistic-like learning difficulties, Prince John was unable to participate
in public life and became increasingly isolated from his family. Gina
McKee (The Forsyte Saga), Tom Hollander (Wives and Daughters,
Gosford Park), Miranda Richardson (The Hours, The Crying Game),
and Michael Gambon (Wives and Daughters, Harry Potter) star in this
human story of a unique family and an extraordinary boy.
I have always instinctively
felt if one wants to dramatize history and historical figures ... it is best
to do it through a half-open door -- as they might appear to a child. For if
we were to achieve that perennial fantasy of time
travel and propel ourselves backwards into any time but our own, we would
almost certainly find ourselves staring at it with the same mixture of cool
detachment and deep curiosity that children naturally posse by Stephen
Poliakoff
USF St. Pete Campus
Awarded Research Grant - The dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg was awarded
the largest research grant in school history, $892,000 from the U.S.
Department of Education to study communication patterns within families
with special needs children. V. Mark Durand, who is also a professor of
psychology, will conduct a five-year study of families with autistic and
other special needs children. The research will be done at the USF Center
for Autism and at the State University of New York at Albany's Center for
Autism. This academic year, USF, St. Petersburg faculty have been awarded
$2.5 million in research grants, compared with $1.6 million in 2003-04.

U of O student
working on a thesis for AS/HFA and is looking for families to
participate. - My name is Wanda Dixon, I am a senior at the University
of Oregon pursuing a BA in Psychology. I am currently working on an
Honor’s Thesis that involves a study of individuals with High Functioning
Autism (HFA) and individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS).
...Read more.

Autism Today's Current Newsletter - October 15, 2004 .
What in
it?
 |
U -
This article
is the first in a continuing series written by cardiologist and software
developer, Dr. Jeffrey Weisman.
Like many of you visiting
this website, I am a parent of a child with autism..read
more |
 |
-
Come and hear about what is new in the world
of autism treatments from someone who has lived the autistic experience.
Temple will delve into sensory/sensitivity issues, challenges with
language & learning, and the unique ways that people with autism pro..more |
 |
- A therapy created to help children process what they
see, hear or feel has its proponents. But others want to see the
proof...read
more
|
 |
- Massachusetts 1 of 7 States In Nationwide Test For
Harful Chemicals In The Home. ...more |
 |
- Babies with Asperger's
keep their head straight when their body was tilted, the University of
Florida team found. Doing the tilting test in all infants at the age of
six months could catch more cases early, they say....more |
 |
-
Parents of autistic children have converged on Parliament House
in Canberra in a plea for better services for sufferers. ...read
more
|
 |
- The past 20 years have seen a surge in
the number of children with autism but few corresponding funding
increases to study the disorder. But thanks to an October 2003 grant,
the Autism Birth Cohort, a joint project of Columbia University and the
Norwegian government, is now one of the largest research studies on
autism in history...more
|
 |
- Locked in a body that knows how to function, This
mind knows the rules, but not how to speak.
...more
|
 |
-
by Doris Washington - Doris Washington
is a poet, and disability
advocate. She makes her home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with her
husband and autistic son, John who is her inspiration to write. ..more |

Special tribute to Christopher Reeve! Featuring
Pat DePrima
of Mind Body-Spirit
Connection and Tony Attwood, world
expert, leading author on high functioning autism
and asperger syndrome. October 17,2004 on
DisABILITY News and Views Radio Show
...Read more.
'Superman' Christopher Reeve dies -
Actor
Christopher Reeve, who starred in
"Superman"
movies then became a famous advocate for the disabled after
being paralyzed from the neck down in a horseback riding
accident, died Sunday. He was 52.
Christopher Reeve was an inspiration to families
Internationally for his lust for life and advocacy towards stem
cell research and others with spinal injuries. He never
gave up and was an tireless advocate.
He will not only be remembered as "Superman" or for the other
movies he made, but also as a spouse, father and incredible role
model for all of us. Like the attached article states: "
he turned personal tragedy into a public crusade and from his
wheelchair became the nation's most recognizable spokesman for
spinal cord research."
ASPIRES
salutes Christopher Reeves life and offers support for his
family and loved ones. He will truly be missed and
cherished by
history as a man who spoke out on stem cell research literally
with his last breath and remembered as a inspiration to all of
us as he lived his life with courage, strength, humor and a lust
for life. The world lost a GREAT soul today.

Petition to Defend the Dignity of Autistic Citizens - We are
proud parents of autistic
children, autistic citizens, and allies who seek to preserve the dignity
of autistic citizens.
Are you fed up with autistic citizens being likened to animals?
We urge all concerned individuals to add your name to this petition.
To read
and sign the petition. Sponsored by
neurodiversity.com

Unlocking
Autism is taking a poll:
Do you believe Thimerosol contributed to your child's autism?
Thank
you so much to everyone who participated in last week's poll.
Over 1,887 people participated and cast votes in the following
manner:
1364 believed that thimerosal played a role in their child
developing autism or 72.28%
368 said no, it did not play a role in their opinion.
155 were undecided.
We have a new poll that will be
up and running until next Monday night at 5pm: Which
Presidential Candidate do you think will be more attentive to
the autism community for the next four years?
Cast your vote at
www.unlockingautism.org
and please use the
honor system and only vote once. Thanks again for
exercising your right to vote. We want to whole community to be
in shape for November 2nd!

Research Opportunity:
Seeking Parents of Children with Asperger's Syndrome (AS).
This is the FIRST research study
to examine the unique characteristics of parents of children
diagnosed with AS! Doctoral student seeking parent of AS
children willing to donate 30 minutes of their time to increase
understanding within the mental health community
of the needs of this group. I pay all postage. Ann at:
annim8ted@comcast.net

Duffy award goes to autism charity
-
Former
Boyzone singer Keith Duffy has waived his right to a libel award
worth more than €35,000, and donated it instead to an autism
charity which he helped set up.
Mr Duffy, whose
daughter is autistic, was awarded the cash in an out of court
settlement over an allegation in the Daily Mirror that he was
involved in a drink fuelled row with two other Coronation Street
actors at the Europa
Hotel in Belfast. The newspaper has agreed to Mr Duffy`s request
to pay a substantial sum to the charity SPEAC (Special Provision
for the Education of Autistic Children) and also that an apology
appear in Saturday`s paper.

Detention of a
man with autism was a breach of his human rights - The
Alzheimer’s Society has
welcomed a ruling made by the European Court of Human Rights,
that the detention under common law of a man with autism was a
breach of his human rights. The judgement was made in Strasbourg
on Tuesday 5 October 2004 and could have far reaching
implications for people with dementia.
The ruling follows a seven-year battle through the courts by
the carers of a now 55-year-old man, who was admitted to
Bournewood psychiatric hospital in July 1997 after he was deemed
incapable of consenting to treatment. He had no right to appeal,
unlike if he had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act
which would have given him the right to apply to a review
tribunal for release.
A large number of people with dementia live in residential
and nursing care homes and are effectively detained informally.
Many have not given their consent to be placed in a care home.
They are an extremely vulnerable group of people and they will
find it difficult to speak out or raise concerns about their
care and treatment. It is essential that safeguards are put in
place to ensure that the rights of people with dementia are
protected.
As a member of the Making Decisions Alliance, the Society
welcomes the ruling and believes that the Government will need
to take a fresh look at their proposals to honour the judgment
and close what was described as an indefensible gap in mental
health law. The Mental Capacity Bill currently before Parliament
does not have sufficient measures in place to safeguard against
another Bournewood case and a fresh look by Government is
needed. Currently, the Bill makes no provision for a right to
care plan, a right to a review of that care plan and a right to
advocacy to support that individual.

Latest Autism Research To Be Presented At ASA Conference In
Indianapolis: Oct 22-23 / The Autism Society of
America, the oldest and largest grassroots autism organization
in the country, is co-hosting a conference focusing on the
latest findings in autism research on October 22-23 in
Indianapolis, IN. - The Autism Society of America (ASA), the
oldest and largest grassroots autism organization in the
country, is co-hosting a two-day conference focusing on the
latest findings in autism research on October 22-23 in
Indianapolis, IN. The conference – "Racing Toward Answers in
Autism: Latest in Biomedical Research" – features medical
experts from leading institutions across the country who will
present research on the possible causes of autism, including the
roles genetics, environmental toxins, and immune issues, as well
as research on treatment approaches, including biomedical
treatments for the disorder by PRWire - Press Release

SDSU National ASD Parents & Family Survey: How
Effective?
- The following survey was designed to investigate
treatment efficacy of various modalities used in the
United States when working with children who have
Autism.
There is an alarming increase in prevalence for Autism
in the United States. Given this increasingly high rate,
it is imperative that the school needs of children with
Autism are adequately met. Many health services
occupations still need additional training in working
with children who have Autism. The information that you
submit will help us find the most
successful treatment methods and aid in future
professional training.
Please fill out as much of this anonymous survey as
possible. Please limit reporting one child's information
per survey. Please do not include several children in
one survey. This
survey does not endorse any treatment listed below nor
its effectiveness. Thank you for your time.

KUDOS:
Thank you for the article on Moe Norman, the autistic
savant golfer from Canada ("Golf's
purest striker rarely missed a fairway,"
Sept. 29). It's rare to see autistics treated with
respect, especially in the media, which is dominated by
messages of how pathetic we are. I'm a woman with an
autism spectrum diagnosis. I have an adult child also
on the spectrum. We need more stories like this to
bring balance. As my bumper sticker says, "Autism
- It's not like you think."
Davis, Calif. [USA] -
Sports Section / USA Today - 10/05/2004

TOP AUTISM EXPERTS
WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ON AWARES ON MONDAY, OCTOBER
4, 2004
THE first online autism seminar in Wales is to be held
on October 4, 2004.
Autism Cymru, Wales' only national autism charity, will
host the event and four leading experts in the field
will be on hand to answer questions on all aspects of
autism.
To go straight to the seminar room,
click here
Prof Anthony Bailey of Oxford University, Professor Rita
Jordan of the University of Birmingham, Dr Dawn Wimpory
of the North West Wales Community Healthcare Trust, and
Dr Glenys Jones of the University of Birmingham will all
give delegates the opportunity to ask them questions on
any aspect of autism.
The seminar is open to anyone interested in autism and
can be accessed by simply logging on to Autism Cymru's
website at www.awares.org at 9.30am on Monday, October 4
and clicking on the "seminars" button.
Autism Cymru is also planning its first major
international online seminar for October next year.
For further information on both seminars contact Sue
Gallagher on 01970 625256 or e-mail:
sue@autismcymru.org

National Institute of Information and Communications
Technology (NICT) Confirms Brain Mechanism in Speed
Reading
Tokyo (JCNN) - The National Institute of Information and
Communications Technology (NICT) announced October 6
that it has confirmed how the brain works when people
read rapidly.
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), NICT
has observed differences in brain activities between
normal and speed readers. Compared to the normal
readers, when the speed readers read, the brain
activities for language processing, specifically the
activities of Wernicke's and Broca's areas, are reduced.
In line with this discovery, NICT will promote further
research on various communications
methods based on the linguistic information processing
of the brain. Press Release

San
Diego resident Chantal Sicile-Kira has written "Autism
Spectrum Disorders: The Complete Guide to Understanding
Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental
Disorder and other ASDs" (Perigee, $15.95), which won
the 2003 San Diego Book Award for "Best in Health" for its
British edition. The author attempts to
demystify autism and provide an easy-to-read,
comprehensive guide with practical tips
and personal anecdotes, as well as experts' advice and a
resource section.

ASA Launches One-Of-A-Kind, Online Directory of Autism
Services - "AutismSource"
Offers Users Free Access To Valuable Resources In Their
Communities

HAS THE INTERNET CHANGED YOUR LIFE, OR ARE YOU JUST NOT
INTERESTED?
I am a PhD student at the University of Nottingham and
am keen to hear from adults (16 years old and over) with a
diagnosis of Asperger syndrome or high functioning autism,
who would like to take part in a project investigating how
and why they are using the
Internet. I am particularly interested in how it is, or is
not, being used as a means of communication.
...Read more.

"Easy Ride For Autism"
- October 10, 2004 - If you live in Southern California,
(heck, if you have a bike, or know someone who does, get
them to ride to Southern CA), ... we encourage you to
register for the ride. Everyone is welcome; ASA needs all
the riders we can muster! However, if you're not able to
ride, you are still encouraged to come and join us for "A
Day at the Beach." The cost is $10 per family (plus $5 per
person for lunch), which will give you access to the
beach, exhibitors, and a concert by the legendary Kingsmen,
known for their hit song "Louie Louie," which was voted
one of the greatest songs of the century by the Grammy
Hall of Fame Panel and is considered by VH-1 to be the
11th best rock and roll song ever recorded. Don't miss
this opportunity to hear the Kingsmen perform "the party
anthem of the universe." K-EARTH will broadcast live from
Bartel’s Harley-Davidson and Newport Dunes Resort the day
of the event.
Want to know more about the “Easy Ride for Autism,” on
October 10, click here or go to ASA’s Web site and click
on the ride logo. If you're interested in sponsoring this
event or placing an ad in our event book distributed to
50,000 Orange County Register subscribers on October 8,
please contact ASA Director of Development Carol Folsom by
phone (1-800-328-8476,
ext. 127) or e-mail
(cfolsom@autism-society.org).

60 MINUTES TO AIR PIECE
ON JERRY NEWPORT AND MARY MEINEL ON SEPT. 29TH.
Eight years ago, "60
Minutes" introduced viewers to Jerry Newport and Mary Meinel, both of whom have a form of autism known as
Asperger's Syndrome. Mary and Jerry had fallen in love
and married after meeting at a support group. What's
happened to the couple since then is the subject of "When Jerry
Met Mary," reported by correspondent Lesley Stahl, which
can be seen on 60 Minutes this coming Wednesday, September
29, at 8PM EST.
When Jerry met Mary - 60 Minutes Transcript

"ASPERGER
SYNDROME: A WORLD APART" What is it like for
parents who can't connect with their child? On
Friday, October 1st, 2004. The Jane Pauley Show,
we go inside the minds of children with Asperger Syndrome
- a neurobiological disorder affecting as many as 1 in 300
children - in hopes of helping parents recognize the
symptoms, and find solutions that can help their children lead
full, productive lives."

Wyeth
Comments on FDA Joint Advisory Committee Antidepressant
Safety
Recommendation for Pediatric Population /
Wyeth Commits to Work With
FDA to Develop Appropriate Warnings for
Pediatric Use - Press Release
 |
Clinical Trial Registration: A Statement
from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors -
"Congratulations to the
editors of the medical journals which signed this statement calling on drug companies to release
all research data on clinicall trials
of new pharmaceuticals, including negative as well as positive
results." ...Read
their statement.

New
Autism Website has its Own Autism Encyclopedia - The new
website http://www.chatautism.com/ has
an amazing resource for information. For those of you who don't know
what a wiki is, its an online encyclopedia. The one on the new
autism site called http://www.chatautism.com/ is
a brand new initiative. It is all about autism and asperger's
syndrome and is written by people who have autism themselves, it
gives a real-life perspective to the facts of autistic spectrum
disorders. The site itself will offer support to parents of children
with autism and Asperger's, and also has a chatroom to discuss any
issues that are related. There has been a large increase in the
amount of diagnoses of autism within recent years, prompting concern
by parents, and a real need for up-to-date information
on education,
medication issues, and therapies. At http://www.chatautism.com/ parents can communicate and ask questions on
the forum, or receive advice directly in the onsite chatroom. http://www.chatautism.com/ -
Press Release (PRWEB)

Genetics
key to Autism- (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- There has been a great
deal of speculation about what causes autism in a child. Some
reports suggest vaccines could play a role, but new research
disputes this claim. Now a new report points to genetic factors as
the main cause. One of the reasons investigators believe autism has
a genetic basis is because twin studies have found that identical
twins, who have the same DNA, are much more likely to share a
diagnosis of autism than fraternal twins. However, the exact genes
have not been identified, and many experts feel multiple genes may
be involved. Research led by Baylor College of Medicine in Houston
proposed that a complex model for genetic malfunction could explain
autism. They feel some of these genetic factors are inherited and
some happen in the genes of the autistic person. For their current
study, researchers put together a five-part hypothesis of the cause
of autism. Study authors feel one genetic cause of autism has to
do with gene expression. They say two or more principal genes could
play a role. In their own research, they found inheritance of extra
material from chromosome 15 causes autism in a small number of
cases. They say this chromosome and the gene for Angelman syndrome,
which is found in this region, play greater roles than is currently
appreciated. They feel their study presents some fresh ideas about the cause of autism
that can be tested in a number of ways in future research
studies.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers
Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to:
http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE:
American Journal of Medical Genetics, 20004;9999:1-10

NIH proposes FREE access for public
research data - "The National Institutes of Health has proposed
a major policy change that would require all scientists who
receive funding from the agency to make the results of
their research available to the public for free," ...Read
more.

Council of Parent Advocates and
Attorney's (COPAA) is soliciting proposals for presentations at its
Seventh Conference to be held on March 10-13, 2005, in Atlanta,
Georgia. Approximately 250-300 registrants are expected at the
conference. Attendees will include parents, non-attorney advocates
and attorneys. Registrants' level of knowledge of the law relating
to the education of children with disabilities will vary widely,
from novice through intermediate to advanced. Accordingly, proposals
should be developed, and will be clearly identified in
the program, for one of those specific levels of knowledge.
Proposals must be received on or before September 15, 2004, to be
eligible for consideration. Click on the link below for proposal
requirements.
http://www.copaa.net/Shared%20Documents/COPAACallforPapers2005Conf.pdf

There
will be a Congressional Hearing before the SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN
RIGHTS & WELLNESS on Wednesday September 8, 2004 in Room 2154 of
the Rayburn House Office Building at 10:00 a.m. "Truth
Revealed: The New Scientific Discoveries Regarding Mercury in
Medicine and Autism."- Invited speakers include Richard Deth,
Mady Hornig, Lyn Redwood and Scott Bono. Please take a moment
to contact C-SPAN and ask that they cover this very important
hearing. C-SPAN TELEPHONE NUMBER / Viewer Services: (765)
464-3080 Or send an email to mailto:events@c-span.org?subject=Event
Coverage The
Subcommittee on Human Rights & Wellness of the House Government
Reform Committee, led by Chairman Dan Burton (R-IN-5) has oversight
responsibilities associated with health care and
civil liberties issues within the United States and
abroad. http://reform.house.gov/WHR/
from the NAA Team

"Managing Feelings for Those With
ASD" by Dr. Tony Attwood is NOW available until September
15th! Purchase today at a limited - time amazing price of only
$29.97 (Value $200-500). For parents, siblings and
educators of children / adolescents with Asperger's and High
Functioning Autism. It features a user - friendly presentation that
anyone can easily learn to use ...Read more.

Dan
Marino presents Child Nett.TV -
"Childnett.tv
is an internet access web channel that broadcasts interactive
programming 24 hours a day, seven days week via the internet. The
lineup includes streaming video related to autism and other
neurological disorders. The mission of http://www.childnett.tv/ is to
reach out globally to families, clinicians and
educators, connecting them through the internet, to information
related to autism and other neurological
disorders."

READ AND
SIGN ON-LINE PETITION -
The national on-line “Show
Us the Vaccine Data Petition” was announced by the National Vaccine
Information Center (NVIC) at an August 23, 2004, meeting of the Institute of Medicine
(IOM), National Academies of Sciences in Washington, D.C. ...Read
more.

Ultimate
Learning for Children with ASD - "Dr. Jeffrey Weisman, a
cardiologist, and father of a 6 year old daughter with autism, is
enhancing children's problem solving and social
interaction skills by introducing them to thinking specific
activities available through a dynamic new computer software series
called Ultimate Learning." ...Read
more.

NCIL
Announces Disability Vote Teleconference, Thursday, August 26, at 3:00 p.m.
EDT Goal Is to Make 2004 the Year of the Disability
Vote. "Vote as if your life depended upon it-because it
does!" - Justin Dart

TV
Character who talks to God - "On the CBS hit Joan of
Arcadia, Amber Tamblyn's character talks to God. Now the actress
wants to talk about something equally important -helping people with
developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and mental
retardation," by John Morgan, Spotlight Health, with medical adviser
Stephen A. Shoop, M.D. in USA Today

Announcing a new book: "Artism Art" the
first-ever Canadian Winner of the Global Book Publishing Award is
hot off the press! This beautiful full-color compilation of
masterpieces from artists
within the AutismToday™ community is well worth the wait. This is a
labor of love that Includes works by Mark Rimland, Donna Williams,
and other amazing talents! Click
here for purchasing details

UNLOCKING AUTISM
asked the CANDIDATES of the 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WHERE
THEY STAND ON 7 AUTISM ISSUES. Click on the names below to find out
who responded. BUSH
-or- Kerry
ASPIRES does not endorse any
political candidate. We bring you this for informational
purposes only.

IEASA (Inland Empire
Autism Society of America) is proud to provide its families with
tickets to Perris Auto Speedway. FREE OF CHARGE!
(Tickets are on a first come basis) CAR QUEST HOT AUGUST NIGHT
CHAMPIONSHIP - ONE NIGHT ONLY. August 14, 2004 PASSCAR
Super Stocks, Ramona Tire Street Stocks, Car Quest Hornets,
Pick-A-Part Cruisers, and CDCRA Dwarf Cars. Front Gates Open at
5:00PM, Racing at 7:00PM. If you would like to attend, please
visit our web
page to request tickets!

Understanding
ADHD - To help patients, families and caregivers better
understand attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and
dispel some common myths about the condition; Shire US Inc.
will host the sixth annual ADHD Experts on Call on Monday,
August 9, 2004 from 8 A.M. to midnight EDT. This year, the
host of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Ty Pennington,
who was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, will talk about his
own experience managing the disorder, and answer calls along
with some of the nation’s top ADHD authorities at the
toll-free telephone hotline, 1-888-ASK-ADHD (1-888-275-2343).
The hotline is designed to provide "live" access to
English and Spanish speaking experts including physicians,
school nurses, educators, and advocates who can answer
questions regarding the disorder. In addition, a
confidential, one-on-one on-line forum will be available at
http://www.adhdexpertsoncall.com/ throughout
the day.

Miracle
Run is a movie that will air on August 9, 2004 at 9PM EST on
Lifetime. The movie stars Golden Globe winner Mary-Louise
Parker and Aidan Quinn. Miracle Run is a story about
Single mom named Corrine who is overwhelmed when she discovers that
her seven-year-old twin boys are autistic. But she refuses to give
up on their potential, even though it seems that the rest of the
world has turned its back on her sons. Thanks to this incredible
mother's support, her boys accomplish the unimaginable. This movie,
based on a true story, reminds us all that we deserve to reach for
the stars. Be sure to watch it with your friends and family or
better yet? Set your VCR to tape it.

Carnegie
Mellon and University of Pittsburgh Scientists Discover Biological
Basis for Autism "A team of brain scientists at Carnegie
Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh have made a
groundbreaking discovery into the biological basis for autism, a
mysterious brain disorder that impairs verbal and non-verbal
communications and social interactions."

Please
tune in on August 12, 2004 as All My Children will be airing a Cure
Autism Now Public Service Announcement.

Mozart and the
Whale: Jerry and Mary Newport have agreed to
write a book on "The real story" behind the movie, "Mozart and
The Whale." Their co-writer, Johnny Dodd, is a regular writer at
the Los Angeles office of "People Magazine." Johnny
specializes in people who overcome obstacles. The publisher is
Fireside, a division of Simon and Schuster. The book should be out
late next spring.

"What is educational testing? What
does it diagnose? How can parent and teacher use the testing process
to help a struggling child? ...Expert child psychologists, Ellen B. Braaten PhD and Gretchen
Felopulos, PhD, recently published “Straight
Talk about Psychological Testing for Kids,” an informative
guidebook for parents and educators detailing the testing process
from start to finish."

The award-winning documentary film
"Refrigerator Mothers" is set to air again on PBS on July 27,
2004. The film, which was developed by J.J. Hanley, the parent of a
child with autism, "explores the legacy of blame, guilt and
self-doubt suffered by a generation of mothers," who during the
1950s were blamed for their children's autism and labeled
"refrigerator mothers."

The Beach
Center on Disability announces the arrival of the inaugural
issue of its e-newsletter. The quarterly newsletter will feature an
area of research at the Beach Center that concerns children with
disabilities, their families, and their service providers. This
first issue features research, articles, staff interviews, groups,
books, and tips on disability policy, including the challenges that
families of children with disabilities face when advocating for
their child’s legal rights.
This promises to be an excellent
resource for families and professionals. When you visit the link be
sure to scroll down to the left where you can sign up to receive the
e-newsletter on a subscription basis. The subscription is
free.

The
Autism Epidemic Awareness Fund Demands Presidential Action.
- Families and friends Are Taking the Fight to End the Autism
Epidemic to the Ballot Box. We’re Calling on Both Presidential
Candidates to Commit to Doubling Federal Autism Research
Funding. Join the Fight. Contribute What You Can to Our
“Double The Funds” Campaign. Your Support will Enable Us to Run a
Nationwide Television Ad Challenging Both Candidates to Take the
“Double the Funds Pledge."

Press
Release - Walking The Talk - "Edited by Stephen Shore, author of Beyond the Wall: Personal
Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Ask and Tell: Self-
Advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum aims to
help people with autism effectively self-advocate in their pursuit
of independent, productive, and fulfilling lives."

News You Can Use scours the
World Wide Web daily for disability-related and newsworthy
articles. Subscribe directly at NewsYouCanUse@yahoogroups.com
or contact Christina directly at: christinag@mchsi.com

Autism Spectrum
Quarterly. A new name and look.

First
International Disability Pride Parade. Chicago, July
18, 2004.
Disabled peoples, their floats, their cars,
their wheelchairs, their service dogs, and their friends will march,
roll, and dance down Solidarity Drive near the Field Museum, turn
onto Museum Drive, and end up at Soldier Field Green for a
post-parade rally and celebration from 1-4...

Disability
News & Views Radio Show. Host, Monica Moshenko, every
Sundays 5-6 PM, WXRL 1300AM. Buffalo, New York. "The dream has finally become a reality for
Monica Moshenko, host of the only live talk radio show focusing on
disabilities every Sunday 5-6 PM on WXRL 1300 AM. For the past five
years, Monica, a single parent of three children (24 year old twins,
and ten year old son) has been raising awareness for autism and is
regarded as an advocate for families and children of special needs
but wanted to reach more people with disabilities, families and
professionals."

MassMutual
Sponsors Disability Awareness Night & Honors Contributions Made
By, and On Behalf Of, 54 Million Americans With Disabilities
- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) in
conjunction with Exceptional Parent Magazine and the Chicago White
Sox will sponsor Disability Awareness Night tonight when the White
Sox meet the Anaheim Angels at US Cellular Field, Chicago.
Exceptional Parent Magazine will donate 250 game tickets to several
local disability organizations on behalf of Mass Mutual's Chicago
agency headed by David Pearre II, who has a special needs
child.

This
is a request for assistance from people in the New York City
area. "...This is of
importance to the AS community because this young man was on parole
and just arrested AGAIN for the same offenses. Darius McCollum
was a very high profile case for the AS community that was outraged
that the judge literally REFUSED to have him evaluated for AS and
would NOT let this into the record. His trial was covered by
the media nationwide. It will be interesting to see how this
plays out."

Autistic
Teens Create Website for People with Asperger's
Syndrome. "Two teens with Asperger's Syndrome, a form
of autism, have created a website called http://www.wrongplanet.net/
for others who have the disorder. ..."Most of the existing resources are aimed at helping parents
and educators, while others encourage a hatred towards the largely
neurotypical society. We need to have a forum where our goal is to
try to coexist better in this world, not isolate ourselves from it,"
said Alexander Plank, cofounder. "Really what the goal is," Dan
added, "is to alleviate those with Asperger's from this pressure
that they need to conform to fit in. What is best is to learn how to
use your uniqueness to your advantage and find your place in the
world."

The
New Hampshire Leadership Series. Sponsored by the UNH
Institute on Disability/UCED in collaboration with the New Hampshire
Department of Education, the Division of Developmental Services, and
the Developmental Disabilities Council of New Hampshire announces a
"new" Leadership Series...

Can
a town discriminate against an AS child who is home schooled and ban
him from public areas? - One Mother's Plight. The
Gayle Fitzpatrick story.
Portland,
Maine. ...read
more. How you can
help!

The Adult Picture Project - In an
effort to introduce Autistic Adults to a world that seems to think
that all autistics are children, - we the underrepresented-
present... The
Autistic Adult Picture Project. A great website that
puts a face to the adult community.

Announcing
"Athletes Against Autism" - Cure Autism Now (CAN) current
partnership and project. Founded by three National Hockey League
players - Olie Kolzig of the Washington Capitals, Byron DaFoe
of the Atlanta Thrashers, and Scott Mellanby of the St. Louis Blues
-- who are fathers of children with autism to raise money for autism
research, and promote awareness.

Oregon
Health Science University to become one of 5 Autism Medical
Treatment Centers -
OHSU has agreed to
become one of 5 medical treatment centers in the nation that will be
established to treat children with Autism following an accepted
medical protocol that has been nationally recognized as effective in
treating children with Autism that suffer from gastro-intestinal,
absorption and other related issues.
...Their Autism Proposal can be read at
http://www.autismnwaf.org/harvardproposal.htm

The
National Autism Association (NAA) announces
An innovative product line
geared towards helping picky eaters and those with eating disorders
has been donated to The National Autism Association (NAA), a
non-profit organization designed to help children and families
affected by autism.

THE
"AUTISM IS TREATABLE" CAMPAIGN All aboard! - From: Bernard Rimland, Ph.D.
- Autism Research Institute - "The Autism
Research Institute is compiling an extensive list of families
throughout the United States who are willing to talk to the media
about their child's successful treatment. We have already heard from
nearly 400 families with dramatically improved children, and we
would like to reach 600 by April, "Autism Treatment Month." Our
press release will be issued April 7th to the major media (the
national television networks, the New York Times, USA Today,
Newsweek, Time, etc.) as well as to many hundreds of local TV
stations and local newspapers. We hope to be able to give
local reporters (as well as national reporters) the names and phone
numbers of families who are willing to be interviewed for
television, newspaper and magazine reports..."

Orion Academy -
Aspergers High School is a program for high
school students and young adults with a neurocognitive disability
such as Aspergers Syndrome or Non Verbal Learning Disorders (NLVD)
in California - USA. Orion is in the process of producing a
book featuring the work of young adult authors and artists with an
Autism Spectrum Disorder or Non Verbal Learning Disorder. For
more information and details, please contact
acarlile@orionacademy.org.

Football legend and sports commentator Dan
Marino invites you to kickoff the “Power of 1.5” Political Autism
Conference, Wednesday, April 21st, 2004, on the steps of the
U.S. Capitol. The Dan Marino Foundation will join with
Unlocking Autism, Cure Autism Now, the GRACE Foundation of New York,
and Talk Autism for the official opening of the conference.
Following the news conference, the future hall-of-famer invites you
to a congressional reception hosted by the Dan Marino Foundation and
Unlocking Autism...

CORRECTION
- For those that read this here or on other sites, this was
posted in error. This show originally ran in 2001.
Staff at Montel Williams apologize for the error and hope to replace
it on their site with the original transcript. Montel
Williams To Increase Autism Awareness -
Preparing for Autism Awareness Month. April 12, 2004.
Montel Williams Show. "The show, which covers
such topics as clusters of autism, genetic research, ABA, vaccines,
diet, the increase throughout the country, the Congressional Autism
Caucus, the Open Your Eyes project and the congressional hearings on
the cost of raising individuals with autism and how that figure
impacts the general public is very comprehensive. ...Check
your local television listings for the time and channel that will
air this important program."


Jerry
Newport Tele-Class Begins Next Tuesday - Jerry's Tele-Class
takes place over two 90-minute sessions through a TOLL-FREE
number! Join us 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday
February 17th & Tuesday February 24th. Each session
includes Question and Answer periods as well as the informational
lectures.

Essays
Wanted for New Book About Autism: Voices from the
Spectrum: Parents, People with Autism, Grandparents, Siblings,
Friends, and Professionals Share Their Wisdom Edited by
Cindy N. Ariel, Ph.D. and Robert A. Naseef, Ph.D. Cindy Ariel
and Robert Naseef are proud to announce our contract with Jessica
Kingsley Publishers, London (www.jkp.com). For this book, parents,
people with autism, grandparents, siblings, friends, and
professionals of various disciplines are invited to write about
their experiences. We want to hear lessons of mind and heart
culled from life and professional practice. In the essays,
authors are asked to address how autism has changed your life in
love and/or work, what you have learned, and what you would want
others to know that would help them. We are interested in
situations from the most mild to the most severe—from classic autism
to Asperger’s.

Infomercial - "Asperger's:
Millions Undiagnosed" is getting
ready to air. This 28 mins and 30 second spot will star Tony
Attwood, Carol Gray, Jerry Newport, and Jeanie Mcafee speaking
on various aspects of Asperger's Syndrome, sponsored by Future
Horizons.
The schedule for the first
flight of spots is as follows, (all times are the same
regardless of your time zone) along with the number of subscribers.
DATE
Time
Cable Channel Subscribers In
Millions
February 3 7:30
a.m. Woman's
Ent.
50 February 5 4:00
a.m. Pax
TV
26 February 7 4:00
a.m.
Oxygen
42 February 7 5:30
a.m. Food
Network
62 February 8 4:30
a.m. Discovery
Health
20 February 10 3:30
a.m. ABC
Family
84 February 11 3:30
a.m. Discovery
Health
20 February 12 4:00
a.m. Pax
TV
26 February 13 3:30
a.m.
Oxygen
42 February 14 4:30
a.m. ABC
family
84 February 14 6:00
a.m. Woman's
Ent.
50 February 15 2:30
a.m. Discovery
Health
20
Their goal is to inform people about the traits,
difficulties, and attributes of people with Asperger's syndrome. If
you would like a DVD copy of "Asperger's: Millions
Undiagnosed" --either for your organizational use or to disseminate
to your local station or educational institution to be used as a
program for public or educational service- they will give you the
DVD FREE. (Shipping and handling fee
of $8.00 applies) Just email your name, address and phone
number to teresa@futurehorizons-autism.com

AS Film in
2005. "Mozart and the Whale." This is a
loosely based fictional story of Jerry Newport and Mary Meniel. Inspired by an article that appeared in the LA Times
on October 23, 1995 titled, "Against
All Odds: A Love Story," film director, Steven Speilberg
took special interest in this article. On May 15, 1996,
Variety Magazine runs an article titled, "Dreamworks
Pays 2 Million for Rain Man Type Script. On
September 29, 1996, Jerry and Mary Newport grant an interview to 60
mins. in the USA. Leslie Stahl reports. For
Transcripts (in USA only) call 1-800-777-TEXT or 1-201-992-6600.
Now, 9 years later, Variety announces the
movie "Mozart and the
Whale," will began filming in Washington in March 1, 2004.
Why the title? "Jerry told her about the Halloween party. She came as Mozart. He came as
Willy the whale. She thought he was strange. He thought she was
weird." This will be the
first movie done on an AS couple that married Jerry is also
the author of "Your Life Is Not a Label" and co-author (with Mary)
of "Autism-Asperger and
Sexuality." - 'Whale'
tale finally takes plunge with Hartnett

The Power of 1.5 - Political Autism
Conference Washington, DC April 21 - 23, 2004
In
April 2004 in Washington, DC Unlocking Autism, together with Cure
Autism Now, GRACE Foundation of New York, The Dan Marino
Foundation, The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism and
Talk Autism, will host an energetic Political Autism Conference
(PAC). This conference is designed to equip parents and advocates from across the country by giving them the necessary
tools and education to bring about political change for the
issues of autism. The objective is to review the political
process at the national level so that attendees can go back to
their states and hometowns with confidence to affect change at a
local level. ...Read
More


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