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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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."

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:

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]

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)   

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.

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.

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.

Autism Today~ Heartfelt Thoughts from Mothers has been published.  ...Read more.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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      

Autism Today - Tuesday's News / November 02, 2004: 

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.

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?