First.. I'd like  to say.. (((( Sad ))))

My child was on risperidone at a very young age.... and the side effects were real bad..

I wish I new more back then about this drug because she got purple spots on her body started going ridged holding arms and feet up in the air while laying down her behavior got far worse it just...

She was agitated and indistress after trying a few different kinds of meds back then for her following that... we gave up on seeing this doctor because he would not listen to us... or our concerns....

We just needed some sleep to deal with her behavior as well as she needed a goodnights sleep as well... because she hardly slept... Ever.. back then.... 

Not theses heavy drugs that didn'twork on her... we explained to the DR...... after it was not working.... the meds... and he would not listen to us..

Perscribing a light weight drug to help her sleep better..

No.. He'd rather prescribe theses kind of drugs for her....

Still. After all we knew... 

So we went else where to look for help.... 

So on this thread.. I'm going to post updates for autistic child and thoses on what I .... and many others call the spectrum .....

Thats what this threads about....    

But resperidone was a real bad thing to do for her thought she was only on it a short length of time..

As a parent.. One tends to allways beat themselves up for the choices we make from the advice that we get..

I wish she was never on it and it just galls me to think a heavy duty drug like that could have meesed her up inside and thou I did not have H or T at the time...

But... because of my expirences with hyperacusis and tinnitus..... which followed all thoses events..

Who knows what the medications might have done to her..... inside????

Thats what upsets me so much as a parent...

You have no idea how I totally feel unless you are a parent yourself..

Parents feel more deeply about theses things.. 

O.K maybe aunts and uncles too !!!!  

But this is what this thread will be about....

Heres the latest update..        

We know that 1 of 166 children have autism and thats not includeing ADHD ADD ..

and all other children that I would consider to be on the spectrum.. 

That is alot of children in this country and cannot be overlooked..

But what upset me the most in my research over this issue and that is how I formed my beliefs of now..

That I was allready upset over the issue of mercury in the shots but when I read ' Being one that has suffered thru hyperacusis disorder "...................

And had the flu shot early on in my condition...

Found out what the flu shot contains Thanks To Janice...

What mercury exposure can do to ones auditory system and brain..

Causing abnormality sound sensitivitys, hearing loss, deafness ect....

Effecting the neurons in the brain.....

I just about went stark MAD...... and to find out that we are exposed more then we think we are to this substance...by the air we breath the food we eat things we come into contact with just about blew me away...

And we all know the drill about autistic children that cover their ears to sounds and have hearing problems and 40 percent they say that have hyperacusis ....  it just goes to show.. 

Well.. It's just not good...... but worth the research I have done..

But this is NOT a thread about that..

Mercury on the hearing.. The auditory system... The brain...

This thread is about ...

Autism...... the latest from a certain widely held viewpoint by many.....

For thoses who want to know whats in the news for many... when it comes to this issue of today....   

THE ACIP MEETING IN ATLANTA IS SIX DAYS AWAY!
THIMEROSAL HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE AGENDA
PARTICIPATE IN ‘THE COMMON SENSE CAMPAIGN’

Thimerosal has been added to the ACIP (Advisory Commitee on Immunization Practices) meeting agenda at 4pm on October 25th.  

The ACIP Committee needs to hear our stories and how our children have been affected by thimerosal.

It is important to encourage the ACIP committee to recommend that infants, children, and pregnant women only receive thimerosal-free vaccines!

Mercury is still entering the bloodstreams of pregnant women and our children. Now’s our chance to speak up!

Parents are encouraged to attend the meeting and speak to the committee during the public comment periods.  This is a great opportunity to make a statement on how your family has been affected by the decisions of the ACIP.

NAA has created ‘The Common Sense Campaign’ to send to the ACIP committee. To view the ads, scroll to the bottom of the page. Anyone attending the meeting or sending letters to the committee is welcome to print these out and take along as hand-outs or include with letters.
  
The full meeting agenda is online here:
 
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/acip/agendas.htm
 
You can register to attend here:
 
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/acip/dates.htm

If you cannot attend, please mail a letter to the ACIP committee with your story, and reasons why they should recommend that children and pregnant women should only receive thimerosal-free vaccines.

Mail your letters to:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, NE
Building 19, Room 232, Auditorium B
Atlanta, Georgia  30333
 
If you plan to attend the meeting, here are some nearby hotels:

Emory Inn
1641 Clifton Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30329
(404) 712-6000 or 1-800-933-6679

Marriott Century Center
2000 Century Blvd.
Atlanta, Georgia
(404) 325-0000
(must request a government rate) 

Homestead Suites North Druid Hills
1339 Executive Park Drive
Atlanta, Georgia
(404) 325-1223
(must request a CDC rate)

Marriott Courtyard Executive Park
1236 Executive Park Drive
Atlanta, Georgia
(800) 321-2211
(must request government rate)  

CDC Announces New Autism Study as Advocacy Organizations Challenge Agency’s Motivations
Concern among parents over past CDC handling of autism data casts a shadow on future studies

Nixa, MO – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new study last week regarding the autism epidemic currently plaguing one in 166 children in the U.S. While the CDC has never officially declared autism an epidemic, the agency and the American Academy of Pediatrics released a joint “Autism A.L.A.R.M.” in 2004 which stated that one in six children now suffers from a developmental disorder and/or behavioral problem. This study comes following mounting concerns from parents and scientists that the CDC manipulated relevant vaccine safety data and that the agency may be concealing a connection between vaccines and the huge rise in autism and related disorders in recent years.

“Many parents get nervous when they see ‘autism’ and ‘CDC’ in the same sentence, and for good reason,” commented Claire Bothwell, National Autism Association (NAA) board chair and parent of a vaccine-injured child diagnosed with autism. “The transcripts from the Simpsonwood meeting clearly show that the CDC was well aware of a relationship between mercury in vaccines and neurological disorders in children, yet they did all they could to see that this crucial information remained buried. How can parents ever trust this agency to conduct honest autism research given its past deceit?”

The Simpsonwood transcripts are from a June, 2000 meeting of CDC scientists in Norcross, Georgia. The meeting was held to discuss the results of a study using the CDC’s vaccine safety data base to determine whether thimerosal, a mercury-based vaccine preservative, might be causing injury to young children. The transcripts were obtained by the nonprofit organization SafeMinds through the Freedom of Information Act and are now widely available to concerned parents seeking answers for once-healthy children who regressed into autism following exposure to mercury in vaccines.

Compounding the mistrust of the CDC is the secretive manner in which data for other autism studies has been collected.  Last year, parents in Colorado and Arkansas became aware that the CDC had collected medical and school records of their children without obtaining parental consent. “It’s an outrage that this agency has complete access to any information they want on our children, and parents have no say in the matter whatsoever,” observed Bothwell.

The CDC’s release on the new study doesn’t mention vaccines or mercury, fueling concerns of yet another
smokescreen, steering attention from what many parents consider the most critical factor in the development of autism. “In my opinion, the study will muddy the waters further as they spend millions on anything other than the mercury portion of the equation,” noted NAA board member Laura Bono.

The study includes data collection from cheek swabs and blood and hair sampling. “Even if mercury detection was a research objective, these methods would only be useful for recent exposures. Mercury clears the blood rapidly, settling in the brain and other target organs,” said Bono. “Additionally, the two to five year age range of the children in the study is of concern as the largest mercury exposures are among the older kids. The CDC knows this. Their unwillingness to explore the most plausible causation factor is very telling.”

For more information on autism, go to http://www.nationalautism.org.

-30- 

Think Autism. Think Cure.

The Right To Search For Truth also implies...

A duty one must not conceal any part of what one has reconized to be the truth...

-Albert Einstien.....

NCI- No Conflicts Of Interest....

Medical Truth No Compromise...

The Journal Of Medical Veritas International, INC....

http://medicalveritas.com/home.html

National Autism Association Announces Atlantic City Poker Tournament

Poker Players to go “all-in” for autism research in No Limit Hold ‘Em tournament

Atlantic City, NJ – The National Autism Association (NAA) today announced the first No Limit Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament, to be held Thursday, November 2 at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City in the hotel’s new 85-table poker room.  The tournament will get underway at 7:00 p.m. with sign-in beginning at 5:00 p.m.

According to Borgata’s Director of Poker Marketing Ray Stefanelli, “Borgata is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of others.  Hosting the NAA Tournament is consistent with that mission.”  The event will follow genuine No Limit Hold ‘Em tournament guidelines with cash pay-outs to the winners.  “It’s real Texas Hold ‘Em action and excitement.  Poker players can win while supporting a great cause,” said Stefanelli.

The $250 entry fee includes buy-in to Borgata’s nightly No Limit Hold ‘Em Tournament, a $100 contribution to NAA, admission to an exclusive players’ lounge at Mixx, and special gifts donated by corporate sponsors.  The players’ lounge at Mixx will feature live entertainment, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction.  A non-player package is also available for $130, providing an option for those who don’t play poker but want to join in the fun and support the cause.

Wendy Fournier, parent and NAA president, plans to ante-up for the event.  “Autism has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., affecting one in 166 children.  We hope the growing popularity of poker playing will offer an enjoyable venue for people to partner with NAA in finding a cure for the hundreds of thousands of children now diagnosed with autism.

The National Autism Association is a nonprofit, parent-run organization. Tournament proceeds will further crucial research and fund NAA’s Helping Hand program that provides financial assistance to needy families affected by autism.  For more information on autism and the No Limit Hold ‘Em Tournament, visit http://www.nationalautism.org.

Borgata is a joint venture of Boyd Gaming Corporation and MGM MIRAGE . Located at Renaissance Pointe in Atlantic City, it features 2,000 guest rooms and suites, 161,000 square feet of gaming, 14 destination restaurants, 11 boutiques, and a 54,000 square foot spa. For more information, visit http://www.theborgata.com.

National Autism Association Cites Serious Shortcoming in CDC Flu Shot Safety Study
Six-week follow-up called “ridiculously inadequate” by autism advocacy group

Nixa, MO – A study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicating that the influenza vaccine is safe for infants and toddlers is being criticized for the brief six-week follow-up of subjects involved in the study. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nine of the 19 authors admit ties with vaccine makers including Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, and others.

“Following-up with these children for a mere six weeks is ridiculously inadequate,” according to National Autism Association (NAA) executive director Rita Shreffler. “The neurological injuries that result in diagnoses such as autism do not typically occur immediately after getting shots. Exposures to vaccine toxins such as mercury are cumulative and symptoms of injury may not be apparent for months or even years. Apparently, this is yet another CDC-drug company collaboration to whitewash thimerosal and ensure that flu shots are as profitable as possible, regardless of their long term adverse effects.”

Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative used in most flu shots, including those often received by pregnant women and young children. While some mercury-free flu shots are manufactured each year, the majority contain 25 micrograms of mercury, an amount considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency for an adult weighing 550 pounds. A growing number of scientific studies link mercury exposure in susceptible individuals to the development of neurological injuries such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The CDC now recommends the flu vaccine for pregnant women, and annually for children six months through five years of age.

At a meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) last week, thimerosal was not placed on the agenda despite a request from 15 national organizations that the ACIP follow the 2001 Institute of Medicine recommendations that pregnant women, infants, and children receive thimerosal-free vaccines. CDC officials also refused to vote on stating a preference for thimerosal-free vaccines for pregnant women and children.

“Pregnant women and young children shouldn’t be exposed to mercury in any form because of the potential for serious neurological injury,” commented Laura Bono, NAA board member and mother of a vaccine-injured son. “In my opinion, failure to follow-up appropriately with the kids in this study, then based on the incomplete data, promote flu vaccines as ‘safe,’ is irresponsible, giving parents a false sense of security. Predictably, this latest from the CDC does nothing to address the long-term dangers of injecting children with mercury.”

For more information on autism, visit http://www.nationalautism.org

National Autism Association Questions Suggestion that Injected Mercury from Flu Shots is “Safe” for Pregnant Women and Infants

Small scale study in Bangladesh touted as evidence that a known neurotoxin can be safely injected into humans 

Nixa, MO - Findings from a small study conducted in Bangladesh are being promoted as proof that the benefits to pregnant women and infants from mercury-containing flu shots outweigh the risks.  Advocacy organizations including the National Autism Association (NAA) today are questioning the wisdom of continuing to promote the injection of mercury through influenza and other vaccines, particularly when the developing brain of a fetus or infant is a factor.

The Bangladesh study involved only 340 women, while a study conducted in the U.S. of 50,000 women and infants over five flu seasons found no difference in those given influenza vaccines and controls for flu or flu-related illnesses. To read the study visit http://nationalautismassociation.org/pdf/Pregfluvaxineffective2004.pdf

According to the Physician’s Desk Reference, the flu vaccine is considered a category C drug.  Drugs in this classification have not undergone animal reproductive studies and should only be administered during pregnancy if the benefit far outweighs the risk.

“It defies all reason that our government agencies continue to tell the public that injecting mercury has no consequences for unborn children, at the same time warning pregnant women not to eat too much fish because of the threat posed by mercury to the developing brain,” commented Laura Bono, NAA board member and mother to a mercury-injured son.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends flu shots for pregnant women and annually for children 6 months through 5 years of age.  Most flu shots contain 25 micrograms of mercury, an amount considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency for an adult weighing 550 pounds.

According to a paper on the ACIP recommendations for pregnant women by F. Edward Yazbak, MD and David Ayoub, MD in the 2006 summer issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons:

• There is no convincing evidence of the effectiveness of influenza vaccination during this critical period.
• No studies have adequately assessed the risk of influenza vaccination during pregnancy.
• Thimerosal, a mercury based preservative present in most flu shots has been implicated in human neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.
• The ACIP policy recommendation of routinely administering influenza vaccine during pregnancy is ill advised, unsupported by current scientific literature and should be withdrawn.
• Use of thimerosal during pregnancy should be contraindicated.

The ACIP’s next meeting is scheduled for October 25 and 26 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.  NAA is encouraging parents to attend the meeting or send letters to the committee urging them to adopt a policy of eliminating thimerosal from vaccines, especially those intended for pregnant women and children.  To register for the meeting, go to http://www.cdc.gov/nip/acip/dates.htm

For more information on autism, visit http://www.nationalautism.org.

Reasons For The Fall Of The Roman Empire..

( Does History Repeat Itself  ) ??

Decline In Morals and Values.. Crime..

Public Health.. There were many public health and environmental problems..

Military Spending... 

Urban Decay...

Political Corruption...

Inflation...

Inferior Technology ...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/1008189/posts

------------------------------------------------------------------------

And all that lead they used in their plumbing and dishware ect did not help with their decline as well..  Is mercury the new lead  ?????

Autism is a National Public Health crisis , affecting over 1.5 million Americans and costing $35 Billion Annually, by 2010 , more people then ever will be liveing with Autism.

Don't Ignore It. Get Informed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

House hold allergies play a big role in increased Autistic Behaviors.

Here is an article that explains where some household allergies can come from in our homes. This is an article that is written in general for allergies but as I have researched I found that allergies greatly affect behaviors in children with autism, with both food and environmental allergies. The problem is they don't have the same symptoms as most people with allergies such as teary eyes, runny nose and sneezing. Our childrens symptoms can range from irritablity, aggressiveness, defiency and sensory overload which causes increased stemming and can include ADHD affects.

Chemical contaminants are infecting the air you breathe in your home sweet home.The culprit may surprise you.

It's chemicals in the clothing you sent to the dry cleaners, the laminated kitchen cabinets, and your beautiful dining room wallpaper. While the Environmental Protection Agency does regulate these contaminants for the outdoors, they can be two to five times higher once you bring them inside your home and close the windows, reports WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C.If you think pollution is only an outdoor problem, think again. Most of us spend over 90 percent of our time indoors--in homes, offices, cars, and stores. Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio reports that the indoor environment usually has higher contaminant levels and provides more immediate and prolonged exposure to pollutants.

Here are the primary contaminators in our homes, according to the EPA:

Dry-cleaned clothes
Contaminant: Perchloroethylene
Effects: Neurological, including nausea, headache, and dizziness.

Laminated wood products, wallpaper, and stain-resistant fabrics
Contaminant: Formaldehyde
Effects: Watery eyes and burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat. Also, nausea, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, skin rashes, and allergic reactions.

Synthetic carpets and new furnishings that have been wrapped in plastic
Contaminant: Chemicals such as benzene, styrene, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde may be in the adhesives and glue strips, the underlay or rug pads, and may have been used to treat the carpet or upholstered furniture for anything from stains to moths.
Effects: Respiratory, as well as watery eyes and burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat.

Bathrooms
Contaminant: Mold and mildew caused by excess moisture
Effects: Irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat.What can you do? "Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation. It is definitely the key," EPA's Elissa Feldman told WTOP reporter Amy Morris.
On winter days when the weather is mild enough, do crack open the windows to let fresh air in.

Remove excess moisture by running a fan in the bathroom or stovetop.

article found here:

Home & Real Estate - environmental allergies:
http://webcenters. compuserve. com/wmconnect/ homerealestate/ package.jsp? name=fte/ infectinghouse/ infectinghouse& floc=wn-wm

Now taking pre-orders for the 2007 Faces of Autism Calendar.

Holiday gifts for everyone on your list are just a click away
at NAA's Little Shop of Hope.

Click here to begin shopping!
http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/categories.php?cat=42

The National Autism Association is a non-profit organization. Your purchase in our online store generates proceeds for autism research and family-care programs. And as always, NAA members save an additional 10%!  Thank you for your support!

 

Dr. Bernard Rimland

The National Autism Association joins countless parents and friends worldwide in mourning the death of a beloved leader and friend, Dr. Bernard Rimland. We had the honor of working with Dr. Rimland as a member of our advisory board, and are grateful beyond measure for all we have learned from him. Charting a new course in society’s understanding of autism, Dr. Rimland continued to lead this course throughout his life. His work to expose the myth of the “refrigerator mother” made it possible for scientists and families to advance beyond a world of stereotypes and predictions of bleak outcomes, to one of hope and healing.

The hope Dr. Rimland inspired in all who are touched by autism has led to an enlightened age of research and treatments for all diagnosed with what once was thought incurable. His steadfast drive to look beyond subjective psychological labels and into biological causes of autism were revolutionary, leading to the recovery of children that mainstream medicine had written off as forever lost to the mysterious world of autism.

Dr. Rimland’s foresight and determination have replaced mystery with treatment, despair with hope, and resignation with advocacy. The memory of his pioneering spirit will continue to light our way with hope for all the children and families affected by autism.

 

Think Autism. Think Cure.

The following letter has been sent to Chairman Barton in an effort to reiterate the need for the mandate of...

specific environmental research in the Combating Autism Act.

November 29, 2006

The Honorable Joe Barton
2109 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4306

Re: Combating Autism Act: New Study Supports the Need for Urgent Action.

Dear Chairman Barton,

            Thank you for your ongoing efforts to complete work on the Combating Autism Act before the end of the current session.  Attached please find a pre-publication release from a group at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center that supports the urgent need for a significant increase in funding for research on the role of environmental factors (including vaccines) in causing autism spectrum disorder (ASD): “Evidence of Toxicity, Oxidative Stress, and Neuronal Insult in Autism” (Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, 9:985-999 (2006)).  

            We ask that your bill include (1) a specific authorization to NIEHS (leaving centers a matter of discretion); (2) the Autism Advisory Board (to provide a more hands-on tool for community and researcher feedback and recommendations to ensure the most useful and strategic research), and (3) a subject matter mandate that research topics specifically include vaccines, other biologics, and their preservatives.  These latter two items were addressed in the Senate report and colloquy but are of such importance that they should be included in the statute itself.  We also urge adoption of the floor statement submitted on behalf of the community two weeks ago, a copy of which is also attached for your convenience.

            S. 843 authorized $45 million over five years for Centers of Excellence in Environmental Health and Autism.  The bill was the product of months of detailed negotiations and compromises involving dozens of organizations in the ASD community, federal agencies, and a lot of hard work by Senate staff.  The specific authorization reflected the need for a significant increase in funding for environmental research for two simple reasons.

            First, the nation is confronting with the leading edge of a costly and debilitating ASD epidemic (1:166 affected children).  As with any epidemic, while there may be underlying genetic susceptibilities, there must be an environmental cause (virus, fungus, heavy metals, pollutants, etc.).  Once the cause is discovered, immediate steps can be taken to prevent new cases and abate the epidemic.

            Second, as is the case with lead poisoning, many cancers, and several other chronic disorders, knowledge of the environmental cause or triggers leads directly to effective treatments.  These will provide those with ASD the best possible quality of life and the ability to make the greatest possible contributions to society.

            Even with the more comprehensive list of subject matter topics for research focusing on the cause, prevention, and treatment for ASD which you have included in your draft, whether the research in fact gets done depends on the money actually spent.  We recognize that as an authorizing bill this is just the first step, and that the ultimate research agenda depends on appropriations and discretionary decisions.  However, clear Congressional direction at the authorizing stage will give the community an important tool, and Congress a point of reference for oversight, to work with the appropriations committees and the administration to implement the needed research agenda.

            The federal officials most responsible for funding research into the cause and treatment for ASD provide the best – and frankly scariest – justification for a Congressionally mandated significant increase in funding, accountability, and oversight.  CDC Director Dr. Gerberding was recently quoted in a November 22 UPI story (“Autism Picture Still Incomplete”): “We just simply don’t have answers to the cause of this disorder or the disorders that fall into the autism spectrum, . . . we don’t have a complete picture of the scope of the problem.”  NIMH Director Insel was quoted in the same article: “We don’t really understand that whole landscape very well, . . . There's just a whole series of questions that we need to begin to define answers to much more precisely.”  “Ironically,” Insel admitted, “this is such a high priority for the National Institutes of Health -- and we have a large hospital and a huge clinic, with 18,000 people here in Bethesda -- (but) there has not been an autism program here until now. . . . As it is, autism has arrived at the stage where polio stood in the mid-1950s.”  Dr. Gerberding conceded in an earlier article (“Autism Research Stance Shifting?): “"When you're dealing with a problem as complicated as this one and as important to so many children and so many families across the United States, we have a responsibility to be open to any and all hypotheses.”  Exactly so, but Congress must direct, appropriate, and oversee funding to make sure that no stone is left unturned.

            Solutions to the many ASD puzzles must be based upon sound science.  But the urgency of the need coupled with a lackluster track record of NIH discretionary decisions underfunding needed research in the past demands more active Congressional direction and oversight.  We fully support your overall NIH initiative for improved transparency and accountability, and want these principles applied against the ASD epidemic immediately.

            The enclosed critical review article, from Congressman Barton’s own district – the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, provides an excellent roadmap and summary of recent research, much of it privately funded, on the environmental causes and the various biological dysfunctions associated with ASD.  The existence of an epidemic indicates environmental causation:

The increase in public awareness and broadening of the criteria may be possible contributing factors; however, the substantial increase in the rate of autism revealed by epidemiological studies and government reports implicates the importance of external or environmental factors that may be changing (USDE, 2003; Chakrabarti and Fombonne, 2001; Palmer et al., 2006).

Several environment-based mechanisms of causation are set forth:

Many theories were postulated regarding the underlying cause of autism. For example, autism was implicated to be related to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (Wakefield et al., 1998, 2000; Wakefield, 2003); mercury in vaccines (Bernard et al., 2002; McGinnis, 2001); immune system dysfunction (Cohly and Panja, 2005; Warren et al., 1990, 1992, 1995; Singh et al., 1993; Weizman et al., 1982); fungal infection (Shaw et al., 1994; Shaw, 1996), toxicity (McFadden, 1996); metabolic abnormalities (Waring and Klovrza, 2000; Waring and O’Reilly, 1990; Alberti et al., 1999); and “leaky gut syndrome”(Vantrappen and Geboes, 1993). Most recently, studies have suggested that decreased glutathione levels and increased oxidative stress may play a role in the pathology (James et al., 2004). Which of the many theories may be correct and/or how the various theories may fit together remains unclear. It is important to note that these theories are based on small studies and much more research is needed.

But this orchard of low-hanging fruit will not get picked without a clear authorization from Congress.

            The review cites several studies demonstrating that children with ASD have difficulty eliminating metals including mercury from vaccines and the environment.  The review cites reports from the “real world” of families coping with ASD:

The Autism Research Institute collected data from over 22,300 parents of children with autism on the behavioral effects of biomedical interventions. The survey includes a list of 45 medications, 23 non-drug supplements or biomedical treatments, and 9 special diets. The parents were asked to rate the treatment on a 6-point scale. Of these 77 choices, parents rated chelation therapy (or the removal of heavy metals) as the highest. Seventy-six% of parents said that their child “got better” on this treatment. The next most effective treatment was a gluten and casein free diet at 65% (ARI, 2006).

Yet NIH has only recently announced but not yet begun a clinical trial of chelation that has been used by the few families that can afford it for years.

The article’s conclusion offers an ominous warning:

The evidence presented in this article suggests that some of these children may be experiencing neuronal cell damage sometime after birth as result of insult.  The evidence also suggests that these children may be selectively vulnerable to the impact from external or environmental factors.  Some children with autism may be like the canary in the coal mine, exposing policy and/or environmental issues that need to be addressed.

We hope that Congress will be able to say that it has done everything possible to stop and treat this epidemic. 

            The following organizations represent a broad range of families, advocates, and researchers involved with ASD.  We appreciate your efforts and look forward to working with you to pass – and implement – a law that will truly make a meaningful difference for those with ASD and their families.

Sincerely,

The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology
Autism One
Generation Rescue
National Autism Association
SafeMinds
Talk About Curing Autism (TACA)

http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20061122-092219-6168r

The Age of Autism: 'Problems' in CDC data
By DAN OLMSTED
UPI Senior Editor

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- For three years, the CDC has used a study conducted on its own Vaccine Safety Datalink to reassure parents that mercury in vaccines does not cause autism. Now a panel of government-appointed experts says there are "serious problems" with exactly the approach the CDC took.

"I think what we're saying is that (study) wasn't the last word and that things need to be looked at again and perhaps with different methodology," chairwoman Irva Hertz-Picciotto told Age of Autism, which obtained a copy of the panel's report.

Critics said that renders reassurances about the mercury preservative, called thimerosal, unconvincing.

"How can health authorities, with a straight face, claim they have any evidence proving no connection after this report?" asked J.B. Handley, co-founder of Generation Rescue, an advocacy group that believes autism is essentially mercury poisoning by another name.

"This is analogous to our government not finding WMD in Iraq after reassuring the world they would. It's a loss of credibility, and we are back at square one."

The study -- often called the Verstraeten study for its principal author, Dr. Thomas Verstraeten -- used the Vaccine Safety Datalink maintained by the CDC to extract information from records kept by three health maintenance organizations. On its Web site, the CDC says: "(T)he results from this study suggest there is not a 'cause and effect' relationship between thimerosal and autism or ADD (attention deficit disorders)."

But the database has weaknesses -- including different ways of diagnosing autism at different HMOs -- that make it hard to draw broad conclusions, the experts said.

"The panel identified several serious problems that were judged to reduce the usefulness of an ecologic study design using the VSD to address the potential association between thimerosal and the risk" of autism, according to the report. An ecologic study -- analyzing groups rather than individuals -- was the approach the CDC used.

"We actually just got the report and haven't had a chance to assess it," CDC spokesman Glen Nowak said Monday. "Our Office of Science will be working with our Immunization Safety Office in terms of where and how this fits into our research agenda. We've got a couple of other studies under way."

Nowak said that the agency is working to eliminate all remaining thimerosal-containing shots as soon as possible, "so it wouldn't change where we want to go there, either."

He added that limitations of the study were acknowledged by Verstraeten -- who subsequently said its findings were "neutral" and required follow-up. Nowak said several studies support the safety of thimerosal, and he noted the expert panel suggested other ways to look for a possible connection using the database, including comparisons of siblings of those diagnosed with autism.

The panel was convened last May at Congress's request by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health. Congress wanted an independent opinion about whether the CDC's Vaccine Safety Datalink could be used to compare autism rates and vaccine mercury before and after thimerosal was phased out beginning in 1999.

That wouldn't work, the panel said, partly because of changes over time, but also because of problems with the data.

"I think there's more work to be done," said Hertz-Picciotto, a professor in the Department of Public Health at the University of California-Davis School of Medicine. She added it's unlikely that autism rates will decline significantly anytime soon.

"It's an 'open question' whether anything about vaccines -- timing, dose, preservative -- is related to the rise in diagnoses," she said.

The study was one of five key epidemiological studies cited by the prestigious Institute of Medicine when it concluded in 2004 that the evidence is against a link between thimerosal and autism.

But Hertz-Picciotto said several of those studies had more problems than the one conducted with CDC data.

"Some studies are stronger than others. The Verstraeten study was an improvement on other studies including the two in Denmark, both of which had serious weaknesses in their designs that limit what we can learn from them," she said.

David Kirby, author of the book "Evidence of Harm" on the controversy over thimerosal and autism, said the Institute of Medicine report -- intended to bring the mercury-autism debate to a close -- is on shaky ground as well.

"This is a strong blow at the very foundation of the 2004 IOM report, which builds its conclusion against causation largely on this (CDC vaccine safety) database.

"I would also point out that all the weaknesses cited by the NIH (expert panel) were highlighted long ago by members of SafeMinds," a group that opposes mercury in medicine.

Kirby said that in 1999, while the CDC's research was under way, SafeMinds' Lyn Redwood met with Verstraeten and raised the same issues: "under-ascertainment of cases, misreporting of data, ignoring prenatal exposure and a 25 percent exclusion rate" of children listed in the databases.

Kirby predicted the Institute of Medicine will now face increased pressure to take a fresh look at thimerosal and autism.

The expert panel's Hertz-Picciotto said research into autism has barely begun.

"We know there's a major genetic component to autism, but genes cannot explain a rise over a short time period of a few decades," she said.

"We also know that environment plays a significant part, and the scientific community is just beginning to search for what those factors and exposures are."

DOUG FLUTIE, JR. FOUNDATION AND SPEEDWAY CHILDREN’S CHARITIES GRANT NAA $30,000 for BURBACHER/CHARLESTON STUDY
Funds to support research on effects to the brain following mercury exposure

December 19, 2006

Nixa, MO – The National Autism Association (NAA) announced today the receipt of two grants for the Burbacher/Charleston study into the effects of mercury exposure in the brain. The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. awarded a $20,000 grant, along with 25 other grants to organizations totaling over $357,000. Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC) of Concord, NC, will also support the research with a $10,000 grant from its national charitable funding program. SCC awarded more than $2.8 million to over 470 organizations in 2006.

The mercury study’s primary investigator is Dr. Thomas Burbacher, a University of Washington researcher. Burbacher’s earlier research found that exposure to Thimerosal, the ethylmercury-based vaccine preservative, resulted in inorganic mercury deposits in the brain that were twice the amount of those following exposure to equal amounts of methyl mercury, the type commonly found in fish. Previous research has documented that inorganic mercury is associated with a neuro-inflammatory process, recently documented to also occur in the brains of children diagnosed with autism. Inorganic mercury has no discernable half-life and, once trapped in the brain, continues to damage brain cells.

NAA has been assisting in funding the ongoing Burbacher research since 2005. “Continuing this research will provide even more important clues into the neurological effects mercury has upon our children, which we hope will lead to better treatments and even a cure,” said NAA board member Laura Bono. “We’re extremely grateful to the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation and Speedway Children’s Charities for these wonderful grants.”

"As parents of a child with autism, we are concerned about the possible correlation between mercury and autism and are pleased to see NAA continuing to support this very important research that may help resolve the mercury issue," commented Doug and Laurie Flutie.

"SCC is proud to award the NAA a grant to enhance its Burbacher/Charleston research study," said General Thomas Sadler, Executive director of SCC. "I hope these funds will help them come closer to finding a cure and continue to help the children affected by autism."

For more information or to donate to the Burbacher/Charleston research, visit http://www.nationalautism.org

-30-

Dear NAA Members, Families and Friends; 

All of us at The National Autism Association would like to take this opportunity to thank our members, our community, our supporters, and friends for your help in making 2006 a successful year in the fight against autism.

In December 2005, we lost founding board member, dear friend and fearless autism advocate, Liz Birt. Her spirit continues to inspire us everyday. We’re 100% certain she has been standing alongside us throughout this past year. This time of year is often referred to as the Season of Giving.  It's become true for our community through a new fund established by a special friend to not only our organization, but to all families dealing with the autism diagnosis of a loved one. The generous benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has created the Liz Birt Hope for the Holidays Fund to provide $1,000 each December for the next five years to families that are in dire need of financial assistance.  We think this is a beautiful tribute to Liz, and one that she would enthusiastically embrace.  We hold in our hearts endless gratitude and admiration for Liz and the creator of this fund in her honor.

In 2006, we were able to contribute nearly $30,000 to needy families affected by autism through our Helping Hand Fund. With your generous donations, many autistic children were helped with biomedical interventions and therapies.

Also with your phone calls and letters, the first-ever autism research legislation, the Combating Autism Bill was passed. With it, the environmental component to the autism epidemic was acknowledged and directives into critical areas of biomedical and toxicological research were outlined. We will continue to need your advocacy assistance in 2007 as the bill reaches the Appropriations Committee. It is our goal to have as much money allocated to environmental research as possible.

NAA, along with your help, has paid $33,500 of our $145,000 commitment to researcher Thomas Burbacher at the University of Washington for studies into the effects of mercury exposure upon the brain of infant primates. The results of these studies, due in the Fall of 2007, will help us better understand mercury poisoning in children and we hope will lead to successful treatments and a cure.

We are extremely grateful for the three grants awarded to NAA during these last few weeks of 2006.  The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation has granted nearly $15,000 to distribute our conference DVD collection to autism-related organizations around the country.  Two groups in each state will be given these DVD sets so they can share this valuable information with local families affected by autism.  Additionally, NAA received two generous grants to assist us in our continued funding of research into mercury’s effects on the brain: $10,000 was granted from Speedway Children’s Charities and $20,000 from the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation.

In August of 2006, we added an important position to our staff, Chapter Development Director, which was filled by Nancy Maddy of our home office in Nixa, Missouri.  Nancy has worked to form two new chapters in Cleveland and Boston, and is in the process of adding chapters in several locations including Chicago, Atlanta, central California, and Minnesota.

Also in 2006:

• Our “All Access” Program allowed us to distribute 17 computers and three month’s Internet access to needy families so they can learn how to help their autistic child through research, biomedical interventions and advice from other parents.
   
• An Environmental Autism Research Roadmap and Suggestions for NIH’s Autism Research Matrix were completed by SafeMinds and NAA as a result of our Environmental Factors in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Symposium held in August 2005. The papers were distributed to Congress and prominent scientists, and presented to the National Institutes of Health at the November 2006 Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). Presenting the research regarding the link of environmental factors (including mercury) in the development of autism was a groundbreaking achievement for the autism community! NIH is finally acknowledging environmental triggers in the causation of the autism epidemic. Our presentation was well received by researchers and policy makers in attendance and we hope will lead to better-targeted studies at NIH to directly help our children.
   
• We held our first “One in 166” Autism Walk in Boston, thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of Jean Whelan, founder and president of NAA’s Boston chapter.
   
• A Golf Tournament for autism research was held at Summit Chase Country Club in Snellville, GA on October 30th under the direction of NAA Secretary Adrienne Rousseau.
   
• We held our first Poker Tournament in Atlantic City, NJ on November 2nd, thanks to event organizer Amy Becker Clark.  Proceeds from this exciting event went to our research and Helping Hand funds.
   
• We once again received an overwhelming response to our photo contest. Each and every photo submitted was wonderful, once again confirming that our children are  truly beautiful.  It was extremely difficult to select the finalists who light up the pages of our 2007 "Faces of Autism" calendar that is now available in our online store.  We thank all the families who shared their precious photos with us.
   
• NAA presented our views on the Vaccine Safety Datalink CDC “Verstraeten” Study at Public Comment at a meeting at the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in May. In November, NIEHS released their paper regarding the viability of using the VSD in future research.
   
• NAA represented our members during public comment at two meetings of the Advisory Council of Immunization Practices at the CDC. We are requesting mercury be immediately removed from all vaccines and that the effects of Thimerosal be addressed formally in upcoming ACIP agendas.
   
• NAA was represented at the Neurotoxicology Conference in Little Rock, AR in September. By representing the autism community there, we hope that more toxicologists and other researchers will chose to study autism to better target treatments for our children.

Coming up in 2007:

• NAA will work to make sure the money needed to fund the Combating Autism Act is appropriated, specifically the money we need designated to NIEHS.
   

• We will introduce our newest program, Family First, designed to offer marital support to couples in the autism community.
   

• NAA hopes to expand its Helping Hand Program so that more children in need can receive assistance.
   

• Our second National Autism Conference that is shaping up to be even bigger and better than our first will be held November 9 – 11 in Atlanta, Georgia.
   

• Jean Whelan is planning the 2nd “One in 166” Walk to be held in May, again in the Boston area.
   

• NAA’s Third Annual Golf Tournament.
   

• NAA’s Second Annual Poker Tournament.
   

• NAA feels very strongly that autistic children’s biomedical and therapy interventions should be covered by insurance. So far, this has been an uphill battle fought mainly by overworked families and on a case-by-case basis. But there is strength in numbers! NAA wants to unify the community behind an effort to include this vital help to families in a new Federal Autism Services Bill that we will be working on. We have already had several meetings with Capitol Hill staff regarding this much-needed legislation and will provide updates as we have them on our advocacy efforts.
   

• An Autism Omnibus Hearing is scheduled in Washington, DC in June regarding the thousands of cases in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Families of suffering children have waited years for this hearing. NAA will be present providing you with news as it occurs on this very important event.
   

• More state chapters will be added with your help.

Your continued support will help us reach our 2007 goals. Many donations are being made in honor of individuals with autism, which is a nice idea for family members and friends on behalf of your child.  If you or your loved ones wish to make a contribution before 12/31/06 to receive a tax deduction this coming April, please click here.  (http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/proddetail.php?prod=Donation)

Again, thank you for such a wonderful year. You have certainly proven that when we work together, anything’s possible.

As we look to 2007, let us vow to make it an even better year of successful advocacy, on-going research to help our children and giving to families in need.

Sincerely,

The Officers and Board Members of NAA: 

Rita Shreffler, Executive Director
Wendy Fournier, President
Ann Brasher, Vice President
Adrienne Rousseau, Secretary
Claire Bothwell, Board Chair
Laura Bono
Scott Bono
Leslie Davidson
Roe Dubrowsky
Sheila Ealey
Lori McIlwain
Jim Moody
Lyn Redwood

 

 

 

Oh... They have moved to a new web site address...

The Pink Disease support board... The link above on that pink disease site no longer is active... I didn't know that for I have not been there for awhile...

Sorry..

An information gathering exercise by the Pink Disease Support Group has revealed a higher than average incidence auto-immune disorders, Bronchiectasis, Solar Urticaria, chemical sensitivities, allergies, eye and mouth problems, infertility, co-ordination difficulties, poor health, and a proneness to emotional and psychiatric disorders.

http://www.pinkdisease.org/

Also on that site how to get mercury out...

There are a number of different methods for removing mercury from the body. These include medical chelation via the use of prescribed drugs; the use of vitamins, minerals and nutrients; dietary means; homoeopathy; and amalgam removal..

Plus....

Baffled doctors put forward all sorts of theories as to its cause, from light sensitivities, allergies, viruses, nutritional deficiencies and infectious agents. The story behind the discovery of the cause of Pink Disease and the banning of the teething powders is one of the great medical detective stories of all time.

Plus....

Not all cases of Pink Disease are caused by teething powders; some babies were too young to have been teething and received the mercury in other forms, from the mother's diet to environmental factors.

Plus....

I've been to doctors for many complaints over the years and they've never told me that Pink Disease in fact is mercury poisoning...

Plus....

One of the reasons why there were so many theories about what caused Pink Disease was that the symptoms of the disease were so diverse and were similar to the symptoms that could be caused by various infections, vitamin deficiencies, poisoning and so forth.

Plus....

Mercury was in very common use for medicinal purposes up until the 1850's and it's been suggested that if any doctor had seen a baby with Pink Disease up until that time, they would have recognised the symptoms of mercury poisoning immediately because the symptoms of mercury poisoning were well known then.

Plus....

Dr. H. Swift, of Adelaide, first recognised Pink Disease when he was a physician at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London in 1885 and he described the disease at the Australasian Medical Congress in 1914, calling it "erythroedema".

Plus....

The symptoms of Pink Disease were well described by the early 1920's so the search for the cause began in earnest.

Plus.....

The most common KNOWN cause of Pink Disease was mercury containing teething powders. In the English speaking Western World, the use of mercury in teething powders was banned in the 1950's. There were, and still are, numerous other household, industrial, natural, agricultural and medical sources of mercury in the environment.

Plus....

The breakthrough was published in The Lancet in 1949. By 1951 there were many confirmations of exposure to mercury of the sick children, but there were also many sceptics and strong opposition from the manufacturers of the powders.

Jan 8, 2007

National Autism Association Announces American Legion Child Welfare Grant for Autism Outreach
Applications now being accepted from autism groups nationwide to receive National Autism Conference DVD sets

Nixa, MO - The National Autism Association (NAA) today announced its receipt of a grant from the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation (CWF) to disseminate DVD sets of complete presentations from NAA’s first National Autism Conference to two autism-related organizations in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.  The conference, held in late 2005, consisted of 40 presentations from renowned autism experts in fields ranging from cutting-edge scientific research to getting the most out of Individualized Education Plans.

The organizations selected as recipients will submit an explanation of how they intend to use the DVD’s, agree to track usage, and submit a usage report to NAA at year’s end. “We are very happy to make this wealth of valuable information more widely available,” said NAA board chair Claire Bothwell.  “The generosity of the Child Welfare Foundation will help educate families around the country on the best treatments, therapies, and educational strategies available for the one in 166 children now affected by autism.”

The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation was founded in 1954 to provide other nonprofit organizations with a means to educate the public about the needs of children across this nation.  To date, they have provided over $8 million to help children in need in this country.  According to CWF Board President Dennis R. Boland, “The National Autism Association DVD sets will provide current, up to date information on autism treatment and management to 110 autism organizations throughout the country; touching the lives of thousands of children.  The Foundation is pleased to be a part of this worthwhile project.”

Autism-related organizations can complete applications online at http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/htmlpages/dvdapplication.htm  for submission to NAA no later than February 28, 2007.  Applicants will be notified by March 31 if they are selected to receive DVD sets to share with local parents and caregivers.  Final decisions will be based on the ability of the organizations selected to provide access to the conference proceedings to local communities.

For more information about autism, visit http://www.nationalautismassociation.org

For more information about CWF, visit http://www.cwf-inc.org/    

I just read this report up above and it so true to me...

Both my autistic children are different it is not the same..

And genetic testing came out different as well..

One is higher functioning autism and has a great memory feature..

She memorizes books and information  and talks and reads and taught

herself to do so thru this memory feature..

And like the rainman though her memory is not that sharp in function.

She has to calm herself at times like the rainman does with the first on

base who's on second routine.. 

Except she will start pacing and singing though that is rare and mostly

a social gathering thing especially being around kids her age she may

feel uncomfortable with..

Her genes showed up like matching of genes with other autistic children.

But that doesn't mean because it did for her there wasen't a trigger or

enviromental factor that set theses genes off or caused these genes to be

different..  

But my other child who is more severly autistic is the kind that was talked

about above.. The kind that doesn't talk that can bite or seems to be distress..

Her genes that were tested was not showing up in that fit

of catagory... With the the test of the certain amount of

genes they tested...

I believe that she has the same vunerablity to theses others factors

my other daughter had but even worse..

She was effected by it even worse as they are not twin twins but related

twins which means it is two seperate cases but related..

of childern who handle toxins in different ways..

I see it.. The parents that see this what he's talking about above..

Believe it and know it as he wrote above above..

And the terrible thing lately..

She has regressed but as this happened before in the past..

We hope she will improve overtime again..

She's the regressing kind..

My other child is not..

Why is this so if it's the same..

I don't believe it is.. Because my belief on what triggers the symptoms

of autism is what explains that to me.. 

Why one child would be effected more or in different ways then another. 

The difference's in a child but the same trigger....

Thats what I believe because thats what I see....    

Reminder:  Comments to NIH on Autism Research Matrix must be submitted by Tuesday. January 16th.

Forwarded from SafeMinds Newsletter
http://www.safeminds.org

Life University to host Test of Life Charity Rugby Tournament to Benefit the National Autism Association

MARIETTA, GA – Life University will be hosting the Test of Life Charity Tournament, which is a four-team Rugby tournament, on Feb. 24-25 to raise money for the National Autism Association. The National Autism Association’s mission is to educate and empower families affected by autism and other neurological disorders and to fund appropriate research efforts.

“The Rugby team put together this event because as members of this community, they seek to make a positive contribution to the lives of the people that they come in contact with,” Athletic Director John Barrett said.

The tournament features the Atlanta Renegades, Potomac Athletic Club from Washington DC, Charlotte Wolfhounds and Life University Running Eagles.

"Life University Rugby invites all to support us in our commitment to being dedicated players to our sport and our community. This tournament gives spectators an opportunity to support and see the most successful rugby teams in the South Eastern United States battle it out on the pitch for this worthy cause," said Scott Lawrence, Life University Rugby player.

In addition to all of the proceeds from the tournament going to the National Autism Association, several local businesses will be sponsoring the event including Atkins Park in Smyrna, Joel’s Tavern and Wal-Mart in Marietta.

“Community involvement is one of things that we believe is important in our athletic program,” Barrett commented. “Our connection to the community and the people in it are what make Life University and Life University athletics unique.”

The Life University Rugby Football Club consists of 40 rugby players and features Scott Lawrence and Patrick Bell who are members of the World Cup Qualify USA Men’s National Team.

Life University Rugby Football Club has been around since 1980. In 1984, 1985, and 1986, Life was named the National Graduate & Professional Schools Champions. Since then, Life University Rugby Football Club has advanced to USA East Championship every season and captured the title in 1987 and 1994.  In the summer of 2000, Life claimed their first ever Super League National championship, and two years later joined the Division I bracket. 

Please contact Stacy Rutter, Director of Marketing & Communications, (770) 426-2628 for more information.