Date:	Saturday, December 11th (alway s the 2 nd Saturday of each month)
	Time:	1:00pm – 4:00pm
	Topic:	School District Roundtable
	Place:	VINEYARD NEWPORT CHURCH - 102 East Baker Avenue - Costa Mesa
		(Please do not contact the church for meeting details. They have graciously offered use of their facility, but are not affiliated with TACA.) And remember, we are still a non-faith based group!
	Directions:	405 FWY South, Exit Bristol Right on Bristol Left on Baker Go under FREEWAY. The Vineyard Church is on the corner just after the freeway - turn left onto the freeway access road, make FIRST right into the Vineyard's parking lot.
	IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DECEMBER 11 th MEETING: Important note: PARTICIPANTS AND VOLUNTEERS MUST RSVP to attend! (This is required to organize districts and similar geographic areas!) RSVP (Note: if you have already RSVP'd for the meeting – no further response is required.) School District Roundtable Meeting Goals School districts vary greatly in philosophy, size and services they provide, and their approach to helping special education children in receiving a free and appropriate education and in meeting their annual goals. Services provided by school districts can vary drastically even WITHIN THE SAME DISTRICT AND SCHOOL SETTING for children with similar diagnosis and age. The goal of the annual TACA School District Roundtable meeting is to: Connect special needs parents to other parents within their own community Discuss district high points and possible issues, Review good resources within the district (i.e. school settings, teachers, etc.), Recommend preferred Non Public Agencies (NPA) that provide services to special needs children within their district. Use the time to share important information about our children. How is this meeting organized? Small groups will be organized at the beginning of the meeting based on the number of RSVP's and actual attendees . These discussion groups will be set up by school district wherever possible and then by city and close geographic proximity. We will not know the number of attendees by district or geographic area until the date of the meeting. To help facilitate the meeting: To help facilitate the meeting, TACA has asked the help of local special education attorneys, advocates and experienced parents to participate in the meeting and discussions. This will not be a forum for these resources to solicit business but rather provide crucial input regarding special education law where needed. What TACA needs: 1) For as many districts breakout groups as possible – a district parent volunteer or special education attorney or advocate to facilitate their individual group. 2) A note taker for important elements learned 3) And a sign-in sheet should the round table participants wish to keep in contact for future issues and discussions. Meeting Rules: 1)      Everyone must do one thing at the meeting: a. Introduce themselves, specify relationship to the child, provide the child's AGE and what district they reside in. It would be best but optional if they could say if they have an in-home program or school site program and services. AN IMPORTANT NOTE: Parents are NOT required to share any additional information, sign in for future meetings and correspondence. Participation in the rest of the meeting and future correspondence is optional. 2) If you learn something from a new friend at this meeting, you are NOT TO SAY NAMES OF PEOPLE RECEIVING SERVICES TO DISTRICT PERSONNEL OR ANYONE ELSE. IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO SHARE ANY OF THEIR INFORMATION FROM THIS MEETING. A good way to discuss findings with the district at a future meeting is: ”I have acquaintances in this district who receive such services for their child. Their child has similar issues to my child. I am not going to share names. That is not what is important here. What is important is a disparity of services. How are you suggesting we move forward here?” WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT? Retribution to the family who shared important information is possible. And it is not required you share confidential information shared in confidence by others parents in the same district with the district. 3) If you have a confidential settlement with your district, you should NOT discuss this settlement with anyone else. Please contact your special education attorney for details. 4) TACA cannot guarantee all people will follow these rules or that a district person is not present at this meeting.  If a piece of information is truly confidential and you are concerned about confidentiality and protection, please do not share this information at the meeting! 5) Special education attorneys and advocates WILL NOT solicit parents at this meeting. Business cards for each attorney and advocate who volunteered and participated in the meeting will be made available at the front table. 6) Special education attorneys and advocates can attend this meeting and will be randomly selected for the districts represented. TACA will send an invite to the TACA vendor resource list to all advocates and attorneys where address has been provided.  Please note: Last year, only half of the participants RSVP'd as requested and some parents had to cancel their attendance due to personal reasons. There is no way to estimate the number of attendees in total or by district. Some districts had many more participants than others. TACA cannot provide a guarantee of the number of participants for each district represented. Confidential parent contact information will not be provided. 7)  This meeting is for parents and caretakers of special needs children only.  Special education attorneys and advocates have been exempted from this request as volunteer facilitators. No district employees or outside observers will be permitted at this TACA meeting.       NOTE: TACA will do our best to screen all attendees at the door of the meeting. Please note:  there are no guarantees that our process will be perfect in screening out people who desire to attend.  Note:  All volunteers need to arrive to the meeting by 12:30 pm to be randomly assigned to your group to facilitate. Questions? If you have any questions, please contact us. We look forward to seeing you there! Important note: PARTICIPANTS AND VOLUNTEERS MUST RSVP to attend! (This is required to organize districts and similar geographic areas!) Please contact us to RSVP.

TACA Has 7 Southern California Meeting Locations:
1.	Costa Mesa:	2nd Saturday of each month (info in item #1 for meeting topics and details)
2.	West Hills:	(the Valley, man) 1st Sunday of every month, 7-9 p.m. Location: Jumping Genius – 22750 Roscoe Blvd., West Hills (the corner of Roscoe Blvd. & Fallbrook Ave.) Info: Contact us
3.	San Diego:	4th Tuesday evening – 6:30- 8:00 p.m. Info: Contact us
4.	Corona:	3rd Saturday – 1:30–4:30 p.m. For more info: Contact us (New location starting January 2005) December meeting: A holiday potluck
5.	Torrance:	3rd Monday of each month at Whole Foods Market on PCH in Torrance – 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. For more info: Contact us
6.	Visalia:	3rd Wednesday of month Time: 6 p.m. "Happy Hour" with GFCF snacks and coffee 6:30-8:30 p.m. Speaker Location: Kaweah Delta Multi-Service Center Auditorium, 402 W. Acequia, Visalia. Information: Please contact Lynne Arnold via email at Contact Lynne December: NO MEETING. Let's take a break for the holidays!
7.	Santa Rosa:	(typically) 2nd Tuesday of each month at Swain Center – 795 Farmers Lane, Suite 27, Santa Rosa – 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. For more info: Contact us

Article A: IDEA – Re authorization Signed

President Bush Signs Special Education Reform Bill;
House Republicans Hail Bipartisan Achievement

WASHINGTON , D.C. - President George W. Bush today signed into law a bipartisan bill revamping the nation's special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), setting in motion important changes that will help teachers, parents, and schools ensure every student with a disability receives a quality education.  The new law is the second major bipartisan overhaul of American education policy to be completed during President Bush's first term in office, building on the No Child Left Behind Act signed by the President in January 2002.
 
The new law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (H.R. 1350), is based on legislation authored by House Education Reform Subcommittee Chairman Mike Castle (R-DE) that passed the House in 2003 with bipartisan support.  The culmination of more than two years of work in Congress on IDEA reauthorization, it includes reforms recommended in 2002 by President Bush's special education commission, as well as key elements of the IDEA reauthorization bill passed by the Senate in 2004.     
 
"This new law is a bright light that demonstrates both parties can work together and achieve real change to improve the lives of Americans," said Castle.  "Today we are making sure children with disabilities are given access to an education that maximizes their unique abilities and provides them with the tools to be successful, productive members of our communities.  But we cannot stop here; we must continue to work to improve education for all children, so we ensure each child has access to a quality education."
 
"Democrats and Republicans were able to work together during President Bush's first term to deliver not one, but two major revisions to federal education law," said Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), who chaired the House-Senate negotiations that produced the final bill.  "There's a lot more left to do, particularly in terms of ensuring low-income parents have the same choices other parents have in choosing schools for their children.  But this new law is a major bipartisan step forward that will make a positive difference for teachers, parents, and children with special needs."
 
The new special education law will:

• Ensure school safety and reasonable discipline;
• Give local schools more flexibility and greater control;
• Move away from compliance with burdensome regulations and costly litigation, and reduce the paperwork burden on teachers; and
• Expand choices and give parents more control over their children's education.

"[This] law's passage offers a refreshing example of adults pushing across party lines and back at interest group pressures, and working together to change the status quo and improve educational opportunities for our most vulnerable children," wrote Sara Mead, a policy analyst with the Progressive Policy Institute's 21st Century Schools Project, in the December 2, 2004 edition of the "Education Gadfly," the weekly education reform bulletin published by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.  The bulletin can be found online at http://www.edexcellence.net/foundation/gadfly/index.cfm .
 
A full summary of the new special education law and other related information can be found online at the House Education and the Workforce Committee majority website at http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/108th/education/idea/idea.htm .

Article B: FUNDING FOR AUTISM RESEARCH (From the CAN newsletter)

Autism Community Secures Inclusion of $3 Million Appropriation for National Autism Awareness and Physician Education and $16 Million for Epidemiology

The Cure Autism Now Foundation is pleased to announce that Congress has approved CAN's request for additional autism-related funding in the Federal Fiscal 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Act pending before Congress.

The bill provides approximately $3 million--up from $2.2 million last year--to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for a national autism awareness program and physician and healthcare provider education. It also provides approximately $16 million--up from $15 million last year--for epidemiological studies. Overall, the CDC autism earmark was increased by $1.75 million over 2004 spending.

Since its inception, the Cure Autism Now Foundation has worked very closely with elected officials in Washington , DC to help raise awareness and increase federal funding for autism. CAN wishes to thank the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) for its efforts in lobbying the House of Representatives, as well as the entire autism community for its continued support in federal lobbying efforts.

Article A: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-vaccinecourt29nov29,0,7927757.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Vaccine Injury Claims Face Grueling Fight

A federal compensation program is increasingly viewed as unyielding and tightfisted in conceding that routine shots caused harm or death.

By Myron Levin, Times Staff Writer

Like good moms everywhere, Janet Zuhlke made sure her kids got their shots.

This proved disastrous for her daughter, Rachel. She was a healthy 5-year-old until a brain injury triggered by a routine vaccination left her mentally retarded, physically handicapped and legally blind.

A single mother raising three daughters in Satellite Beach , Fla. , Zuhlke needed help with the enormous costs of Rachel's lifetime care. So she brought a case in a special federal tribunal set up to handle vaccine injury claims.

There, opposing lawyers hired expert witnesses to prove that Rachel's injuries weren't vaccine-related. When that failed, they balked at paying for costly medicines her doctors said she badly needed.

The Zuhlkes finally won — but it took more than 10 years.

"I thought it was very cruel," Zuhlke said. "People were very aware of the fact that my family was suffering."

The lawyers who opposed the Zuhlkes were not working for a vaccine company, but the Justice Department. Government attorneys fought relentlessly to defeat a mother who thought she was doing the right thing by getting her daughter a government-mandated vaccine.

It wasn't supposed to happen that way in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, informally known as the vaccine court. Created by Congress and jointly run by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Justice Department and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, it was designed to shield vaccine makers from damage awards that were threatening to drive them out of business.

It also was supposed to compensate victims in rare cases of injury under a flexible, no-fault system that would avoid the rancor and delay of traditional litigation. Claims were to be handled "quickly, easily and with certainty and generosity," said a House report accompanying the legislation in 1986.

Instead, say advocates for families with injury claims, federal officials often fight them with such zeal that many who deserve help are denied it, and even successful cases get bogged down for years.

The program "was supposed to be non-adversarial and it's become very adversarial," said Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), whose House Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness has held hearings on the matter. Many have "had legitimate claims and they went on for eight, nine, 10 years."

Vaccine compensation officials refused to be interviewed, but in written statements they said the program had "an excellent record of promptly and appropriately compensating" valid claims.

Over the years, about $1.5 billion has been paid out in compensation and legal fees for more than 1,800 families, most of whom would have had little chance of winning a civil trial, the officials said. They insisted that the vaccine court was less adversarial than civil courts, but said they were obliged to fight claims that weren't based on good science.

This was "never intended to serve as compensation source for ... conditions that are not vaccine-related," said Joyce Somsak, the program's acting director.

But in trying to weed out undeserving claims, critics say, the government has insisted on a level of proof of injury that is almost impossible to meet.

And a Times analysis of claims data shows that the court has become more unyielding over time: Officials are much less likely than in earlier years to concede that a vaccine was responsible for an injury or death. The percentage of people getting awards also has declined.

Even when families do win compensation, officials have sometimes battled them over just a few dollars.

In one case, government representatives argued that $150 a year was too much to spend on wheelchair maintenance. They have haggled over how much to allow for replacement shoes and braces for people with polio. Another time, they recommended rubber sheets for the bed of an incontinent person because they were cheaper, although less comfortable, than disposables costing $135 a year.

"We never anticipated the extent [they] would go to deny these kids compensation," said Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center , who lobbied for the bill that created the program.

Viewed another way, by being tightfisted, officials have been good stewards of the vaccine injury trust fund, the self-insurance pool that pays awards to the injured. In fact, the fund — fed by a surcharge of 75 cents per vaccine dose — has ballooned to more than $2 billion, while earning about as much in annual interest as it pays in awards.

But the fund was not meant to be a moneymaker. The idea was that it was better to "err on the side of compensating the victim," said Rep. Henry Waxman (D- Los Angeles ), sponsor of the legislation .

Roots of the Program

Along with clean water and sanitation, mass immunization ranks among the great milestones in public health. Among its glittering achievements: Measles cases in the U.S. dropped from about a half million in 1960 to 42 last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But while millions benefit, even the safest vaccines aren't safe for everyone.

Because of genetic differences, some people are harmed by vaccines "that almost everybody else responds to just fine," said Dr. Robert W. Block, former chairman of a federal advisory panel on childhood vaccines.

And some have paid a terrible price. For example, until 2000, when the U.S. switched from the oral live polio vaccine to inactivated polio shots, the vaccine itself caused a few polio cases each year.

Gordon Pierson, a 12-year-old in Jackson , Tenn. , contracted polio as an infant this way and is paralyzed and unable to speak.

"We were doing what we thought was best for our son, and the exact opposite happened," said his father, Randy Pierson. "We were just heartbroken, and we are every day."

Fear of legal fallout inspired the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Act. At the time, vaccine makers were facing a surge in claims, mainly from adverse reactions to the diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus, or DPT, vaccine. A mass exodus from the market and crucial shortages seemed possible. In response, Congress decreed that instead of suing vaccine makers, people would first have to seek compensation from the new vaccine court.

Health and Human Services officials would administer the trust fund and screen petitions, deciding whether to concede or oppose each claim. Justice Department lawyers would appear in court on their behalf.

Petitioners could not seek awards for punitive damages or losses to family members as they could in civil court. But they were to benefit from greater speed and flexibility, and a lower burden of proof. Moreover, the program typically would pay petitioners' legal costs once the case was over, win or lose.

However, what was meant to be a win-win proposition instead has been mostly "a stupendous success in protecting the industry," said George Washington University law professor Peter H. Meyers, who directs a group of law students who represent petitioners. As for helping victims, he said, the record is "much more spotty."

Some see this as a natural result of federal health officials' fierce devotion to the immunization program — and their fear that if enough injuries were acknowledged, people would be afraid to get their shots.

Universal immunization is a fundamental mission of Health and Human Services. One of its branches, the Food and Drug Administration, licenses vaccines, while another, the CDC, promotes their use with such slogans as, "Vaccination: An Act of Love."

From the start, agency officials worried that the program might create an exaggerated public impression of the risks of vaccines. At a congressional hearing before passage of the bill, Assistant Secretary for Health Edward N. Brandt Jr. warned that despite the program's laudable goal, it could "provide a significant disincentive to childhood vaccination programs."

Burden of Proof Shifts

In 1995, the government changed the rules of the vaccine court in a way that made cases more contentious, protracted and harder for petitioners to win.

Officials amended the vaccine injury table, a set of guidelines that had tilted many cases in petitioners' favor. According to the table, if certain symptoms appeared within a specified time after a shot, the vaccine was deemed the culprit unless the government could prove another cause. Many "table injuries" were simply conceded by the government, leaving only the amount of compensation to be determined.

A few amendments changed all that. In one major shift, "seizure disorder" was scratched from the table as a telltale sign of injury from a DPT shot. And a new, more restrictive definition of encephalopathy — or brain dysfunction — meant that many conditions that had been table injuries suddenly were not.

Somsak said the table was changed for one reason only: to better "conform with the scientific evidence."

But the upshot was that in many cases the burden shifted from the government to prove the shot didn't cause injury to the petitioner to show that it did. Because it's usually hard to prove with certainty that a vaccine caused harm, the effect of the change was profound.

The Times analyzed a vaccine court database of 10,741 claims filed over 16 years. The analysis showed that in the three years before the changes, the government conceded one-third of all claims. Of cases filed in that period, compensation was awarded in just over half.

But since the changes took effect March 10, 1995 , the government has conceded just one claim in seven. About 35% of petitioners have received compensation.

And cases dragging beyond five years have become increasingly common.

Even the court's top judicial officer, Chief Special Master Gary J. Golkiewicz, has lamented the drift toward "full-blown litigation."

"Clearly," he said in one of his rulings, "that is not what Congress intended when it designed the program as an alternative to tort litigation."

Clifford J. Shoemaker, a lawyer for petitioners, said if the government softened its stance, the worst that would happen is that a "family that needs some money to deal with their profoundly injured child is going to get it."

"Is that such a terrible thing?" he asked.

Some observers have warned that the government's uncompromising attitude could backfire.

Although the law directs all claims to vaccine court, it allows those who disagree with a ruling — or have waited more than 240 days — to sue vaccine makers in civil court. So far, few have.

But by their tough stance, officials may be inviting more civil suits, Rep. Waxman said. "The whole idea of the compensation system is to be generous so they [petitioners] won't want to go to court."

Lost on a Technicality

Vaccine court officials were none too generous with Veronica Spohn.

Her parents claimed that a DPT shot caused their infant daughter to suffer brain damage. But they lost on a technicality: Their petition was filed a few hours late.

Although the vaccine compensation program was billed as more flexible, its three-year statute of limitations is draconian compared with rules of civil courts in all 50 states, which place no deadlines on the filing of injury claims for minors.

In the Spohn case, the doctor's records were a mess, alternately giving July 17 and July 19, 1992 , as the date of the fateful shot. The family's lawyer filed the petition July 18, 1995 , thinking he had made the deadline with a day to spare. In fact, he was a day late.

Seizing on the error, the Justice Department moved for dismissal. Special Master Elizabeth Wright concurred, citing the Spohns' "failure to use due diligence in pursuing the claim."

It was "very much an injustice," said Veronica's mother, Karen Spohn, a nurse in Butler, Pa. "I had a normal child, and all of a sudden in one day, within hours of the vaccine ... she became a child with a disability" who is "going to need assistance for the rest of her life."

"They didn't rule that she didn't have damage. All they did was say, you filed 12 hours too late — too bad on you."

Spohn said she was too heartsick at that point to look into filing a civil lawsuit. "Emotionally I couldn't deal with" continuing the fight, said Spohn, who preferred to "accept what you're dealt with and go through life."

Lengthy Legal Battle

In the case of Dustin Barton, the government fought so long that the Albuquerque boy did not live to see the resolution of his claim.

As an infant, he had suffered seizures and brain damage after a DPT shot. But Dustin had a congenital condition known as periventricular leukomalacia, a form of brain injury, that the government blamed for his injuries.

His mother, Lori Barton, filed the claim in November 1991. The case dragged on for years. Barton complained to friends and family that she suspected the government was waiting for Dustin to die — noting that it would be cheaper for the program to pay the death benefit of $250,000 than to buy an annuity to cover lifetime care.

Dustin eventually died of a seizure, nearly six years into the case, but the government continued to fight. Finally in May 2000, 8 1/2 years after the petition was filed, the family won a ruling that Dustin's injuries were vaccine-related.

Not ready to give up, Justice Department lawyers considered an appeal. Then they offered a deal: They would drop the challenge if the Bartons agreed the decision would remain unpublished. This meant it would not be sent to legal databases, such as Westlaw, where attorneys for other petitioners could see it.

Lori Barton, who has since died, described her reaction at a congressional hearing in December 2001: "To me, it was extortion." But Barton, who then was seriously ill herself and had borrowed thousands of dollars to pay expert witnesses, took the deal.

In a statement to The Times, the Justice Department said it had made similar deals "on very rare occasions." It happens when the government "disagrees with a decision, but believes that settlement is fair and in both parties' interests," according to the statement.

Family Finances Ruined

Rachel Zuhlke's claim was filed in September 1992. The government blamed her brain injuries on complications from a strep infection she had at about the same time she got her DPT shot.

Janet Zuhlke said Rachel's illness contributed to the breakup of her marriage. She also lost her job as a dental assistant because of frequent absences to deal with Rachel's medical emergencies. Even with health insurance, the family's finances were wrecked.

"We had a lot of hot dogs," Zuhlke said. "We had two other children that went without many, many, many things ... because I couldn't afford them."

Her case moved at a crawl, getting repeatedly reassigned to different special masters, and from one Justice Department lawyer to another, who repeatedly got extensions to complete filings in the case.

Nearly eight years into the case, Golkiewicz, the chief special master, brought in a mediator for settlement talks. Zuhlke recalled her despair — and the special master's shock — when the Justice Department refused to make a settlement offer. "You should have seen Golkiewicz's face fall on the table," she said.

Golkiewicz said recently he was disappointed that the case didn't settle, but that didn't mean "that one side or the other was at fault."

Still, he said, the case took far too long, and the Zuhlkes "had every reason to feel frustrated."

As it turned out, the government lost its all-or-nothing gamble. In July 2001, Special Master George Hastings ruled that Rachel was entitled to compensation. Fifteen months later, he granted a multimillion-dollar award, including $925,000 for her pain and suffering, future lost earnings and past medical bills, and at least $90,000 a year for living and healthcare costs.

Although relieved that the case is finally over, Zuhlke still struggles with grief over what happened to her child, now a young woman. Rachel's life, she said, "is so different from what it should be at 20."

And she still finds it "unfathomable" that the government fought her claim for so long, Zuhlke said. "My little girl hadn't done anything wrong."

Article B: Autism – Mercury Poisoning in Thousands of Children. U.S. Congress Probing Relationship Between FDA & Big Pharma

The U.S. Congress is finally starting to investigate the possible conflict of interest connection between big pharma and the FDA. Thousands of children have been vaccine injured from mercury laden baby vaccines that were required for all school age children

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) November 24, 2004 -- The U.S. Congress has begun to investigate conflict of interest concerns between big Pharma and the FDA. In a move to keep up public confidence, the U.S. Congress has begun raising questions about the drug approval process. Recently, questions began to surface about a host of drugs that are now being pulled from the market because of cardiovascular damage that can occur from continued use.

The U.S. congress is examining in particular the relationship that exists between the FDA, big pharma and the rapid approval process that was employed in order to get these drugs to market. The U.S. congress indicated that a “cozy” relationship exists.

In cases of vaccine injuries to children from injections containing Thimerosal, (a deadly neuro-toxin mercury compound) Congressman Burton of Indiana called the relationship between big pharma and the FDA, a violation of the “public trust”. It was obvious to many that not enough safety was incorporated into the approval process for these vaccines. Any deadly compound containing 49.6% MERCURY should never have been injected into millions of children.

Autism has become an epidemic where children have been damaged for life. The pharmaceutical industry and now the FDA will be required to answer questions about what they knew about this problem and when they knew it.

Autism and mercury poisoning are identical in symptoms and the damage is permanent. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on Thimerosal confirms toxicity fears. The rush to get these vaccines to market has compromised the safety of our children. Thousands of innocent children are now permanently handicapped.

This is a terrible tragedy. Thousands of our children are now brain damaged. This will cost our society billions of U.S. dollars.

The book titled, Mercury: The Winged Messenger (ISBN # 1-4184-3781-6) answers many questions about the Autism – Mercury poisoning issue. The facts explained in this book are very disturbing and will leave the American people asking more questions. This book is available at online book sellers.

Article C: New Safe Minds Report

SafeMinds' Report Shows CDC Ignored Autism-Mercury Data

Documents Show Agency Discovered Elevated Autism Risks and Withheld From Public/Congress

WASHINGTON , Nov. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeMinds -- America 's leading scientific organization investigating the links between mercury and autism
-- has released a report showing that government analysts were aware of a potential vaccine-autism link as early as 1999, but hid that information from the public and Congressional inquiry.

The SafeMinds study, "Generation Zero," details these initial findings based on data contained in spreadsheets and related email traffic from former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research fellow, Dr. Thomas Verstraeten. In his analysis, secured by SafeMinds through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, Verstraeten examined the connection between mercury exposure and childhood disease for the first time. SafeMinds board member and published researcher Mark Blaxill prepared the review and chose the title "Generation Zero" for two reasons: 1) the CDC analysis compared autism risks in children with high thimerosal exposure levels to children with zero exposure levels, a logical approach they abandoned later; and 2) these CDC analyses preceded four subsequent generations of reports that an earlier Safe Minds study designated Generation One through Four.

"Verstraeten's initial analysis reveals two important facts," Blaxill said.
"First, CDC official were aware in 1999 of an eleven fold increase in autism risk in children who received vaccines containing thimerosal versus children who received no exposure. Second, in four subsequent generations of reports using this data, the CDC never revealed their initial risk findings to the Institute of Medicine , nor to Congress when called upon to present evidence during relevant hearings."

Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative used for years in many vaccines, lies at the center of the vaccine-autism debate. Although the dangers of early childhood mercury exposure have long been recognized, vaccines, including those given to infants, still contain this potent neurotoxin.

"In the most straightforward analysis of the risk of mercury exposure in children, Verstraeten discovered significant extremely elevated risks of autism as well as a range of childhood developmental disorder including ADHD and sleep disorders. In emails accompanying his analyses, Verstraeten invited his colleagues to find ways to explain away these findings.

Predictably, his alarming analyses were suppressed by the CDC. Only watered-down reports were ever shared and fourth of these was made public several years late, discounting any autism-mercury link," continued Blaxill.

CONTACT: Mark Blaxill, 617-875-9334; Mark.Blaxill@BCG.com - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm

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OCME plans to have Santa Claus on their December dates.  What fun! 

FREE TRAIN RIDES - third full weekend of every month.  
The OCME Train Rides for the remainder of the year are:

Saturday and Sunday: 12/18 and 12/19

Run 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM (Santa will be there until 2:00 PM )

Their track is located in Fairview Park on Placentia Ave. between Adams on the north and Wilson on the south.
For Information, call (949) 54-TRAIN.

NO NEED TO RSVP!  JUST COME AND PLAY!!

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Invitation to join CHALLENGER BASEBALL LEAGUE: 

Here is your invitation to join our Cypress Challenger Baseball league.  We are located in Cypress and play at several fields.  You do NOT have to live in Cypress to have your child play.  There are no fees involved.  That's right, it's free.  The Rotary Club of Cypress provides this opportunity for our kids.  If you think your child would enjoy being involved, come sign up.  If you know of any other families who would be interested, please forward this email to them.  There are signups this weekend at the Cypress Community Center , which is on Orange Ave between Valley View and Walker.  Sign ups will be from 11-3. If you have any further questions, feel free to email me or contact Jon Peate (714) 713-5153.

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I CAN PLAY recreational group – SAN DIEGO

A recreational group for children with developmental delays in the greater San Diego area between the ages of 5 and 9.  The group is primarily for high functioning and Asperger's children. The children have the opportunity to explore many games and sports including soccer, baseball, golf and several other recess time activities. The group provides a low pressure, highly structured and positive environment to enjoy athletic activities.
The coaches have extensive training in TEACCH, PRT, Floortime, PECS , ABA , incidental learning and social skills facilitation.
Founder: Cari Miller, M.A.
Contact: Cari Miller, Carilnn@aol.com

6. TACA Survey Update

Only 61 surveys have been collected since August 2004 at the TACA meetings. We would like to hear from you regarding WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR, what is important to you and your family.

Below is a summary grouped by topic and highest priority of the surveys collected to date. Please be sure to let us know what you want to hear about in 2005. To request your free survey form, please contact us.

7. New Autism Magazine

TAP, The Autism Perspective Magazine , was founded upon the passionate philosophy that those living with and treating autism spectrum disorders and pervasive development disorders should have a single resource that presents the full perspective of options for therapies, new understanding, treatments, and services. Our goal is to enrich and enhance the lives of those living with autism and give them new sources of hope.

Our organization, The Autism Perspective, is poised to achieve this goal, to bring to our families a world-class publication filled with balanced, informative, and educational articles from across the country and the world. Within the pages of our magazine, also included are legislative updates, advocacy advice, personal accounts and inspirational stories to encourage and inspire us and make every family feel a little less alone in its struggles, hopes and dreams

The need in the autism community for this kind of publication becomes clear when you consider the overwhelming support The Autism Perspective has received in creating a stellar all-volunteer Advisory Board, comprised of leaders, experts, and advocates in the autism community. Thank you for your support.!

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE LOGON TO:

http://www.theautismperspective.org

The Autism Perspective - Tax Exempt 501(c)(3) - California Non Profit Public Benefit Corporation

8. Upcoming Fee-based Conferences & Seminars
in Southern California

Parents of Special Needs Children Support Group
We welcome you to attend our group, which wi ll provide education, support, and counseling.
This wi ll be a sma ll group setting with opportunity to share your experiences with other parents.

Contact group leaders:
Susan Gonzales, LCSW (310) 770-5009
Karen Cladis, MFT (714) 490-3780
New Group Beginning SOON! – Call for details
Fee: $50.00 per meeting
Time: Mondays 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Place: 19732 MacArthur Blvd, Suite 130 Irvine, Ca. 92612

TASK (Team of Advocates for Special Kids) has some great workshops on a variety
of different topics in different locations.
Check them out at all South County TASK Workshops are held at:
South O.C. Family Resource Center
28191 Marguerite Parkway, Suite 19, Mission Viejo.
Workshops are free!
Reservations are required - Call (714) 533-8275 to reserve your spot!

With the holiday season in FULL SWING and Jeff on me about Christmas presents, and with all the hustle and bustle, it takes some time and attention to write you all a holiday wish for you and your family – So here it is:

• I wish your children have much improvement in 2005 and beyond.
• I wish your children sleep well at night, are able to digest all the good food you take time to prepare, stay healthy and grow, and find the words to thank you for all your hard work.
• I wish you and your spouse (or significant other) have time to take out to enjoy each other and to stay married this year and beyond.
• I wish you have the time to appreciate and love your other children not affected by autism and give them the attention they need.
• I wish that TACA meets our funding goals so we can continue to provide most of what we do free to families affected by autism.
• I wish your children receive the necessary services they need to make the progress they have the potential to achieve.
• I wish that in 2005 they find the gene, the cause and start on the cure for autism in helping our children be the best they can be.

Now, as we get through this holiday season, celebrate the New Year – I hope you add a wish to this list. Now I hope that these wishes all come true. God bless you all, Merry Christmas, Special Hanukkah wishes, and Happy Holidays to you all.

Hugs, thanks, and be SAFE,
Lisa A Jeff's mom

And Editor: Kim Palmer (thanks Kim!)