2a We’re Walking!! Are you??

Please sign up for Walk Now Orange County & San Diego Events!

Support autism research and education, information and support programs that have an immediate impact on families living with autism. TACA is partnering with Cure Autism Now on Saturday, November 12th for Walk Now Orange County at Camp James in Irvine (same location as the TACA picnic).

TACA receives 50% of the donations you raise for WALK NOW if you:

Register for the walk.

Indicate either with your online or hard copy registration that you are part of "TEAM TACA"

Top TACA fundraiser and top TACA team will receive:

Hyperbaric Oxygen – 10 free treatments from Whitaker Wellness (requires prescription)

Valuable Vitamin Supplement packages

$100 gift certificate from Fashion Island

TACA Gift Pack (including: bag, T-shirt, bands & bracelet)

Mothers Market $50 Gift Certificates

Super Duper $50 Gift Certificates

And more!

Note: If you have already registered for WALK NOW and would like TACA to be the recipient of 50% of the funds raised, please contact Violette Prentice .

Need more information?
TACA is partnering with Cure Autism Now on their Orange County and San Diego walks this year. TACA will benefit from these walks for families and friends that register THRU THESE LINKS BELOW ONLY. TACA will receive 50% of the proceeds by TACA members and friends.

Goals of these events
Cure Autism Now (CAN) and Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) have joined together to help Southern California families today with support and finding answers for our kids through research tomorrow. CAN understands that autism affects thousands of families in Southern California and wishes to support them today via the assistance of TACA. These events will help provide much needed funds to two great organizations providing support for the families affected by autism and for finding the cure through research.

General Information WALK NOW is a 5K Walk and Community Resource Fair benefiting Cure Autism Now and Talk About Curing Autism.

Before and after the 5K walk, you and your family will have an opportunity to meet local autism service providers in a kid-friendly, carnival-like atmosphere.

Providers will include a wide variety of educational resources, therapists, schools and recreational organizations.

While parents obtain important information on available resources, kids will be entertained with Moon Bounces, Arts and Crafts, jugglers and other fun activities.

ORANGE COUNTY WALK

Date:

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Registration 8 am
Walk Opening Ceremonies 9 am
Closing Ceremonies 12 pm

Location:

CAMP James / Hidden Valley
Right next to Wild Rivers Water Park

At Irvine Center Drive & Lion Country
off the 405 Freeway

Address: 8790 Irvine Center Drive – Irvine, CA 92618

To Register : www.tacanow.org and click on
ORANGE COUNTY WALK LINK

SAN DIEGO WALK

Date:

Saturday, November 5, 2005

Registration 8 am
Walk Opening Ceremonies 9 am
Closing Ceremonies 12 pm

Location:

Vacation Island, Mission Bay

Off the 5 Freeway in San Diego Near Sea World

Address: 500 Sea World Dr. San Diego, CA

To Register : www.tacanow.org and click on
SAN DIEGO WALK LINK

How to Register If you are a TACA member or wish 50% of the proceeds to go to TACA, it is very important to click on the links below for registration. This is the only way to track the referral for TACA friends and family who wish to help both TACA and Cure Autism Now.

• For Orange County on November 12, 2005:
https://www.kintera.org/faf/teams/registerTeam.asp?ievent=104879&lis=
1&kntae104879=022DEAE9063B40C5ABD8F8AB4D167FE7&msource=05TACAOC

• For San Diego on November 5, 2005:
https://www.kintera.org/faf/teams/registerTeam.asp?ievent=75839&lis=
1&kntae75839=9A477C39719C48E2A5F834BB14D50C97&msource=05TACASD

Please join us at these special, family fun events!

3 General News

3. Article A:

CALIFORNIA AUTISM NUMBERS DROP … AGAIN….

According to information released today by the California Department of Developmental Services (www.dds.ca.gov), the number of new cases of professionally diagnosed full syndrome DSM IV autism entering California's developmental services system declined from 734 new cases during the second quarter of 2005 (April through June) to 678 new cases during the just completed third quarter of 2005 (July through September), a 7 1/2% decline in one quarter.

During the first three quarters of 2003 California added 2449 new cases, last year in 2004, California added 2267 new cases of autism, and most recently, during the first three quarters of this year, 2005, there have been 2148 new cases added to the system.

The recent continuing decline of new cases of autism is occurring against the backdrop of over two decades of record setting consecutive years of new cases of autism entering California's 36 year old system. Even with the declining numbers, autism as a category, the other categories being mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy, now comprises 66% of all new intakes, or 2 out of every 3 persons now entering California's system has been professionally diagnosed with full syndrome, DSM IV autism, easily making autism the number one disability entering California's developmental services system.

It is important to note, that in California's developmental services system, children under the age of 3 years old are NOT counted in DDS's quarterly reports. Also, only those persons with professionally diagnosed full syndrome autism, not including PDD, NOS, Asperger's, or any other autism spectrum disorder, are included in these reports.

The latest quarterly report confirms the trend of decreasing number of new cases entering California's developmental services system. (See Los Angeles Times article below.)

New Autism Cases Level Off in State, Data Show;
Some say the slowdown may be linked to the removal of mercury from
infants' vaccines.

Los Angeles Times
Jul 13, 2005

by Thomas H. Maugh II

The number of newly diagnosed cases of autism in California, which had been skyrocketing for more than a decade, has leveled off and may even be declining, according to new data compiled by the state Department of Developmental Services.

Although the total number of autistic children receiving special education services from the state continues to grow -- bringing the current total to 28,046 -- the rate of increase peaked in 2002 and has dropped slightly since then.

The findings are important because California has the best reporting system for autism in the United States and is generally considered a bellwether for the rest of the country.

Experts do not have a good explanation for the slowdown in new cases.

"Perhaps whatever caused [the number of cases] to go up -- environmental insult, or whatever -- is no longer present," said Dr. Robert Hendren, executive director of the UC Davis MIND Institute, which researches neurodevelopmental disorders. "It's all speculation. I wish we had good studies."

Parent activist Rick Rollens of Sacramento, who played a key role in the creation of the MIND Institute, said that the trend roughly corresponds to the removal of mercury preservatives from pediatric vaccines. Many activist groups say that the use of mercury in the vaccines caused the sudden increase in autism cases. Federal scientists, however, have continually said that the evidence does not support such a link.

The state data do not include children under the age of 3. According to the department, about 90% of all autistic children are entered into the system before the age of 6.

That means, Rollens said, that children born since 1999, about the time that mercury was phasing out of vaccines, are just now entering the system. The slowdown could thus reflect the change in vaccination practices.

"We can argue till the cows come home about what caused the increase," Rollens said, but the bottom line is that the increase is slowing.

California guarantees access to special education for all children diagnosed with autism and other developmental problems. Thus, the state's data are considered particularly reliable.

According to the state data, 2002 was a record year for new autism diagnoses, with 3,259 cases. In 2003, the number of new cases slipped to 3,125. In 2004, the number was 3,074.

For the first half of 2005, there were 1,470 new cases, compared to 1,518 in the same period in 2004.

"The interesting thing is that, before 2002, every quarterly report had shown an increase over the previous year," Rollens said. "Now, that is no longer the case."

3. Article B:

Startling rise in autism stirs questions about the cause

By JUDY L. THOMAS

The Kansas City Star

Once considered rare, autism — a collection of neurologically based developmental disorders characterized by social withdrawal and repetitive behaviors — now afflicts 1 in 166 American children.

What’s more, the Autism Society of America estimates that the number of autistic children is growing by 10 percent to 17 percent every year.

U.S. Department of Education statistics show that in the past decade the number of children ages 6-21 who were diagnosed with autism and served under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act increased more than 500 percent.

In Kansas, the number of children served in 1993 was 147. In 2003, the number was 993, a 575 percent increase. In Missouri, 399 children were served in 1993, compared with 2,664 in 2003, a 568 percent increase.

“It is obvious from all accounts that there is a crisis in the United States regarding the dramatic rise in autism rates and the resulting strain placed on families, the education system, and state Medicaid and disability programs,” a congressional report concluded in 2003. “A further crisis will ensue in the next two decades when we see an explosion in the need for adult services and long-term housing.”

The cause of autism has been hotly debated for years. Many experts think it involves a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

One theory is that the increase of mercury in childhood vaccines may have triggered a response in children who were genetically predisposed to being more vulnerable to neurological damage from mercury. But government health officials say that research indicates no connection between mercury in vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders.

The issue intensified in 1999, when health officials announced that thimerosal — a compound that is 49.6 percent mercury by weight — no longer would be used as a preservative in children’s vaccines. They stressed, however, that the action was merely precautionary.

But those who think there is a correlation between mercury and autism note that the alarming growth in autism cases coincided with an increase in the number of recommended childhood vaccines that contained thimerosal.

Throughout most of the 20th century, children were not required to receive many vaccines. The only vaccine routinely given to infants that contained thimerosal was the DTP vaccine. It contained 25 micrograms of ethylmercury and was administered three times in the first six months of life, with a total of four times in two years.

But in 1991, when the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending the hepatitis B vaccine and increased the doses of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine, the amount of mercury exposure to infants increased significantly.

Many Hib vaccines contained 25 micrograms of mercury and, like the DTP vaccines, were given three times in the first six months and a total of four times in the first two years. The hepatitis B vaccine contained 12.5 micrograms of mercury and was given shortly after birth, then two more times in the first six months of life.

That means babies receiving the recommended vaccines at their checkups went from getting 25 micrograms of mercury in one day to up to 62.5 micrograms in one day.

The daily limit set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is 0.1 microgram of methylmercury for every kilogram of body weight. For an 11-pound baby — about the weight of a 2-month old — the daily limit would have been about 0.5 micrograms. So that baby would have received 125 times the EPA’s daily threshold.

How did this happen?

In 1997, Congress ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine the effects of mercury on the human body through foods and drugs.

But when the agency examined the amounts of ethylmercury being injected into children, it faced a problem: The effects of ethylmercury had not been studied as extensively as methylmercury — the kind found in seafood — and the government had not established safety limits for ethylmercury exposure.

As a result, the agency ended up comparing the exposure from the vaccines with the federal limits for methylmercury exposure. And what they found was that the cumulative amount of mercury in the vaccines exceeded the EPA’s threshold.

“For years, nobody sat down to do the math to figure it out,” said U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon, a Florida Republican who has introduced legislation in Congress to ban the use of mercury in childhood vaccines.

That delayed discovery led the FDA and other agencies in 1999 to recommend, but not order, the removal of thimerosal from most childhood vaccines.

A June 29, 1999, e-mail sent to colleagues by a former senior FDA official said the news would “raise questions about FDA being ‘asleep at the switch’ for decades by allowing a potentially hazardous compound to remain in many childhood vaccines, and not forcing manufacturers to exclude it from new products.”

“We must keep in mind that the dose of ethylmercury was not generated by ‘rocket science’: conversion of the percentage of thimerosal to actual ug (micrograms) of mercury involves 9th grade algebra,” the FDA official wrote. “What took the FDA so long to do the calculations? Why didn’t CDC and the advisory bodies do these calculations while rapidly expanding the childhood immunization schedule?”

Those who have studied the issue say it could take a few more years before it is known whether thimerosal causes autism.

“Time will tell,” said David Kirby, author of Evidence of Harm, a new book about the controversy over mercury in vaccines. “One way or another, this is all going to come out.”

3. Article C:

PARENT GROUP AND 11-YEAR-OLD CHILD ESCORTED FROM AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS CONVENTION

“WE HAVE THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, BUT NOT THE FREEDOM TO BE HEARD,” SAYS ONE PARENT AFTER BEING THROWN OUT OF CONFERENCE IN DC

Washington, DC – On Saturday morning, six parents and an 11-year-old child were removed from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Convention. They were escorted by security officers after being told by coordinators that they were not welcome. The parents, two of which are medical professionals, were pre-registered to work at a booth and hand out materials to pediatricians about autism. Two camera crews were also escorted out prior to the ouster of the parent group so that the AAP's actions could not be recorded by the media.

According to parents, Cynthia Airhart, AAP Director of Division of Convention and Meeting Services, said that even though the group was pre-registered, their badges would not be issued because the group had broken the AAP rule of disseminating information at a demonstration outside of the conference. When it was pointed out to her that not all of the parents had done so, she changed her reason for banning them and said it was because they took part in Friday’s “Power of Parents” rally, a non-hostile and family-friendly event on Capitol Hill which focused on the association between mercury and autistic-like symptoms.

One of those asked to leave was an 11 year old child who had been previously diagnosed with autism and was subsequently found to have suffered from mercury toxicity. After biomedical treatments aimed at correcting the many known sequela of mercury exposure, the child has made remarkable improvement. His plan was to hand brochures to doctors in order to spread awareness about autism and the potential for effective biomedical treatments. After he was escorted from the premises, the young boy was terribly upset. “He only wanted to help raise awareness and felt like he had failed in doing so,” said his mother. "It is a sad day when a child is asked to leave a meeting which is supposed to be about the care of children."

Not all participants of the conference agreed with AAP’s actions. Many of the pediatricians were surprised and gave the escorted parents words of encouragement for their work in speaking about the disorder. Many also signed a petition at the booth.

Rita Shreffler was allowed to stay, but was accused of stealing someone else’s badge in order to enter the conference. After she showed proper identification, Ms. Shreffler, a mother of two vaccine-injured children, was followed around the conference for the remainder of the day. “I feel as though the AAP violated our civil rights and grossly overreacted to an embarrassing level,” says Shreffler.

Other parents expressed similar dismay over first amendment rights violations after being escorted out by AAP security for wearing T-shirts with messages regarding the role of mercury-containing vaccines in the development of their children's neurological disorders.

Parents traveled from as far away as Hawaii to have the opportunity to address pediatricians and ask for help for their autistic children. Several political figures were also on the list to be banned. Although Congressman Dave Weldon, Congressman Dan Burton, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Representative Carolyn Maloney had no intention of going to the conference, the AAP stated that they would be turned away after delivering speeches at Friday’s rally.

“We came here today asking for help for our injured children. We brought with us relevant new research and information that the AAP denied its members access to. Why?” asks parent and president of the National Autism Association, Wendy Fournier. "The AAP should be ashamed of the treatment we received here today. I hope its members will look beyond their leadership in search of treatment options for their patients with autism.”

Last year, the AAP refused to print an ad in their journal that thanked pediatricians for their work and dedication to the autism cause and asked them to request mercury-free vaccines from vendors. Just this year, the New York AAP fought a measure that, starting in 2008, would limit mercury exposure in vaccines given to children under three and pregnant women. Governor Pataki was asked by the AAP to veto the measure after it passed unanimously in the State Senate and passed 147-3 in the State Assembly.

For more information on autism, visit www.nationalautism.org.

3. Article D:

The Age of Autism: More Sick Kids

By Dan Olmsted, UPI Senior Editor
http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi/20051010-085118-3002r.htm

In our last column, "A whole-body illness," we wrote: "Something is medically wrong with many, many autistic children. To be more precise, many things are wrong with them. Yet autism is defined by the health authorities as a mental disorder, diagnosed solely by observation."

That prompted lots of e-mails from parents describing all kinds of ailments that, taken together, suggest a pattern of pervasive illness in some people who have autism.

With the American Academy of Pediatrics now holding its annual convention in Washington, we decided to share some excerpts and ask two questions they might want to address: What is wrong with these kids, and why are so many parents so angry at so many of you?

My 14-year-old son with Asperger's Syndrome has several things in common with other parents that I know with kids in the Autistic Spectrum.

1. Abnormal Immune System. He has asthma and is allergic to dust, animals, pollen, and mold. He has gotten allergy shots since he was six and must have them bimonthly.

2. Abnormal Gastrointestinal System. He has recurrent bouts of diarrhea with fever and stomach aches, and occasional vomiting. All tests come back negative. Has very large amounts of gas.

3. Red ears. His ears become beet red and are very hot to the touch for no apparent reason.

All these main symptoms are common in the AS children that I know.

I would just like to add that my 13-year-old son, newly diagnosed as high-functioning autistic, has had immune problems his whole life. He had a huge history of ear infections (tubes inserted by 11 months old), inexplicable high fevers (105 plus) with no other symptoms, a histiocytoma (tumor in his femur, immune system related) and most recently a halo nevus (immune system attacking a mole on his back).

He has a large list of learning disabilities, but I've had trouble finding a doctor that can add all of this up. I think each thing adds up to the whole of him being autistic, but the doctors only see each individual problem for what it is.

I just wanted to add my testimony to those whom you quoted. Our son is 4.5 and was diagnosed with autism two years ago immediately following a series of ear infections, the most severe of which left enough fluid in his ears to cause moderate hearing loss. I had always suspected that his autism was caused by something physical, some illness in his body, but none of the professionals we consulted took my suspicions seriously.

Then about 10 months ago we had our first consultation with a DAN! doctor (Defeat Autism Now!doctors use biomedical treatments for autism symptoms).

We went through many tests to determine our child's physical state, and we took him off casein and gluten and began vitamin therapy.

Within three weeks after changing his diet, he began to speak in full sentences, and actually look at us and respond to us when we asked him questions. We are continuing with biomedical treatments and he is continuing to improve.

No one can tell me that his abrupt, dramatic turnaround was simply coincidental with starting this biomedical treatment. I know that my little guy, like many other children diagnosed with autism, has some serious health issues that are impairing his ability to communicate and interact. Thank you for bringing these issues into the mainstream.

My son also shows allergies by both blood and skin tests to every food he eats, has ever eaten, and many he has never tried. When two years old, an Ig panel was run for an unrelated condition (pneumonia) -- IgE levels 10,000 times above normal.

"Autism is a disease that affects the immune, GI and central nervous system" -- This is our experience absolutely.

Our son is now adult, 22 years old. We continue to try to find things to help him. He was in and out of hospitals and doctors' offices for the first few years of his life. We've just about given up on regular medicine at this point as our son is allergic to most drugs anyway.

I would agree that autism has some form of physical symptoms as well. My son who is sixteen has had chronic ear infections up to about seven or eight. He was on so many antibiotics that I got tired of filling the prescriptions and stopped at one point. The ear infections seemed to clear up on their own.

He has had many rashes due to drugs he has been given such as codeine for tonsillitis, and penicillin. He has food allergies. He has learned what foods agree with him and ones that do not. All trial and error on his own.

Sometimes he does not appear to be as "autistic" as other times. He is not retarded but he struggles socially.

We don't go to doctors anymore. I don't like being bullied and made to feel stupid. I would only go to a doctor for accident-related events.

My nine-year-old grandson had numerous ear infections when he was about 15 months old and a two-week-long bout of diarrhea as well. He has only said a word or two since then, so he can't tell us how he feels. He puts his fingers in his ears a lot, so he must be supersensitive to sound (I’ve seen a few other autistic children do this as well).

His ears and sometimes his face also turn red a number of times during the day (but my 88-year-old mother apparently has had that symptom although she has always been incredibly healthy). He has good days when he seems more normal" to us and lifts our spirits, but on other days I know he is not feeling well because he is more short-tempered about everything.

I have a 20 year old autistic daughter. I cannot believe the lack of understanding associated with this condition! I thought I was the only one to notice all these other "trends." I am not a doctor but after 20 years of this I feel like I could take a test and get my degree within the week.

Doctors and scientists obviously are NOT listening to parents.

My daughter has always had bowel issues, swallowing problems, allergies, ear infections and, though youthful genes run in my family, she looks 12 at the age of 20. Now as she is becoming a young woman, it has become painfully obvious to me that hormones are wreaking havoc on my precious daughter. The one "expert" I spoke with about this subject knew nothing.

I will not, and cannot afford to, put my daughter through the insanity of the medical system, trying to find a doctor that knows what they are doing. We deal with her autism and its adverse symptoms with a holistic agenda. We control her diet and use supplements, and maintain a very open and honest line of communication.

Which is almost an oxymoron. That communication consists of me digging and dragging bits and pieces of information out of her and putting it together like a puzzle. I maintain a constant vigil of reading and listening to all the latest research and information. The most accurate and effective information I have ever attained is the experience of other parents.

Why can't medical science see the obvious?

This ongoing series on the roots and rise of autism welcomes reader comments. E-mail: dolmsted@upi.com

The Age of Autism: 'My child is toxic'
By Dan Olmsted

This column receives a welcome avalanche of correspondence, but our recent discussion of autism as a "whole-body illness" has generated more e-mail and faster than any other topic we've considered.

The mail comes mostly in three varieties -- parents telling their own tales of battling multiple illnesses and disorders in their autistic children; describing what they believe to be significant improvement through biomedical approaches; and venting anger at pediatricians for failing to see the disorder the way they do.

Matt Mester of Morganville, N.J., neatly summed up those aspects: "My child is toxic and needs to be detoxified." Here is his letter.

As a father of a 5 1/2-year-old boy diagnosed with autism at age 2, I have followed your series very closely.

My son also exhibits a series of biomedical problems that are completely out of the ordinary compared to my other 2 children (both neuro-typical), not to mention my wife and myself. Jack is virtually non-verbal and would be classified as severe, although thankfully Jack is not self-destructive and he is a happy boy.

He cannot tolerate dairy or soy, has had chronic constipation since infancy, and has terrible seasonal allergies. Like too many other children, Jack has regressive autism, which became apparent at approximately 18 months of age when he lost his language as well as his interest in the world.

Thankfully, the medical science field has progressed since he was first diagnosed 3 years ago, and we are seeing our first bit of significant improvement in Jack since we started Methyl B-12 shots and glutathione treatments this past summer.

In addition, a very recent blood test has revealed an underlying metabolic problem that will apparently need to be addressed -- we are still awaiting detailed results of a series of tests to lead us in the right medical direction.

I'd like to specifically comment on a statement published in your most recent article, quoting a parent: "Autism is a disease that affects the immune, GI and central nervous system." I honestly disagree with this opinion and offer the opposite conclusion.

In my humble opinion, there is no such thing as autism. Autism is a series of symptoms caused by one of a number of underlying medical issues -- most highly related to metabolic or detoxification problems. These problems are more than likely genetic, yet triggered by an environmental cause.

I believe that each child needs to be individually diagnosed and tested, as autism is a very personal disease, therefore studying and revealing as many possible treatment paths is the right thing to do. There is no cure-all, rather there are a number of paths that must be followed until you find the right one. And unfortunately, all of the paths have yet to be identified.

While I'm not certain that thimerosal (a mercury-based vaccine preservative) or mercury caused my son's symptoms to appear, I'm becoming more and more certain that my child is, for lack of a better word, toxic, and needs to be detoxified. His improvement with B-12 and glutathione is proving it to me once and for all.

Here is another representative letter, from Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Haite of Kingston, Mass.

We are certain there are medical issues at the forefront of our ten-year-old son's autism. Sadly, they were missed by mainstream doctors for most of his early years. When we received his diagnosis there were no blood tests, screenings or medical work-ups. Most simply advised therapeutic services which in turn had to be obtained through adversarial means with our school district.

As we watched our son physically decline and had our concerns dismissed time and time again, my husband and I often thought of just driving to the emergency room of a major hospital in Boston and refusing to leave until we had answers.

Instead in 2001, I wrote the exact same letter to my son's physician, his neurologist and a doctor whom I had never met, but heard was having success treating children on the spectrum. The letter outlined all our concerns regarding ear infections, frequent antibiotic use, a multiple-vaccination schedule, suspected food intolerances, eczema-type skin rashes, pale skin coloring, the inability to tan or burn, imbalance of bowel ecology, poor protein digestion, chronic diarrhea followed by episodes of constipation, and malabsorption issues.

Further, our son presented with no protective antibody to Hepatitis B and elevated titers to measles. He also had nutritional and metabolic deficiencies as well as elevated HHV-6 and heavy metal toxicity. We did not receive any response from the aforementioned pediatrician and neurologist.

Thankfully, the physician we never met, Dr. Jacquelyn McCandless, responded to our request. She reviewed his entire medical history from birth and validated most if not all of our concerns. She recommended further testing and proposed treatment protocols that was the first real medical attention our son ever received. Improvements followed and we continue to address these issues today.

We parents have every reason to be angry with the AAP ( American Academy of Pediatrics), but frankly we don't have time for that, because of the intense commitment to help our son. It is a double tragedy ... not only in what we believe to be the root cause of our son's autism (thimerosal/vaccine additive connection) but the way we were treated along the way.

Initially, we completely stepped up to our parental roles and did not wallow in "How did this happen?" but rather "How do we help?" The AAP did not. Ironically, it was only until we did the work to understand "how this happened" that we could truly help our son.

We struggle daily to work with and celebrate gains made ... but perhaps our son's treatment and outcome potential would be far less challenging had our concerns not been dismissed early on.

Last, here is a letter that suggests why a sense of urgency and openness is so desperately needed in dealing with a disorder that the CDC says afflicts 1 in 166 American kids. We withheld the name.

My son is 7 years old and I'm concerned about his future as an autistic adult. A little at a time I'm beginning to realize that his autistic behaviors are not changing that much, and that as he grows, he's becoming a larger body with the same behaviors.

I saw (ABC TV's) "Nightline" the other night and, for the first time, saw an autistic adult. There is no information out there on the subjects of teen years and adult years, and what to expect for elderly years for autistic children. I cannot bear the thought of my son in a mental institution just to have a place to live when he grows old.

For now, we've started a trust fund for him so that maybe when he becomes old enough, he'll have money to have someone take care of him when we're gone. Is this the right thing to do? What else do I need to do?

Readers who have a constructive response to this father are invited to offer it via this column.
E-mail: dolmsted@upi.com

3. Article E:

Deadly Shooting Spree in Aliso Viejo

Chilling New Details

ALISO VIEJO - Internet messages left by William Freund before he killed two neighbors and himself in Aliso Viejo indicate he was an anguished Asperger's syndrome sufferer crying out for help, it was reported today.

The disease, caused by a neurological disorder, often triggers depression and suicidal thoughts but is seldom marked by violence. Sufferers are often presumed to be rude, and while it is subtler than autism, Asperger's can be emotionally crippling, according to experts quoted by the Los Angeles Times.

This month, Freund revealed his anguish and frustration in more than two dozen messages on wrongplanet.net, a Web site created by people with Asperger's as a place where they can post comments, share experiences and talk in chat rooms, The Times reported

Members of the online Asperger's community tried to reassure Freund and offer suggestions, and volunteer moderators tried in vain to find his parents, according to The Times.

In his messages, Freund asked for a "real life" friend, said he was contemplating suicide, revealed he had bought a shotgun and threatened to start "a Terror Campaign to hurt those that have hurt me," according to The Times.

Authorities say Freund donned a dark cape and paintball mask Saturday morning, entered a neighboring house armed with a shotgun and killed Christina Smith, 22, and her father, Vernon, 45. He allegedly also shot at a house across the street, tried to fire at a neighbor, then walked home and killed himself.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department has said it is looking into Freund's mental health to explain the slayings.

(Editors note: my heart is in my throat writing you all a note about this absolutely tragedy. Words cannot express my sadness of what lead up to this terrifying day and this young man’s actions. I only wish I could have known him and his family. I wish there was something we could do to protect our kids, show them love and build a better community so we can all support each other. )

4	Vaccine News

4. Article A:

CALL TO ACTION NEEDED

Now, more than ever, we must fight for our children.

Parents, grandparents and loved ones: We need your help. Please take a few minutes from your day to join us in calling and sending faxes! We need to send the message: DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TAKING AWAY OUR CHILDREN’S CIVIL RIGHTS!

Parents, we know you are busy. But liability protections to pharmaceutical companies are coming toward us from all angles. Please call and fax ASAP! Faxes and phone calls are very important and tie up their regular lines. Let them know we are watching out for our children!

In The Name Of Bioterrorism, Congress Again Plans to Extend Liability Protection To Vaccine Manufacturers , Abandoning America's Vaccine-Injured Children. Here are the three main areas we are fighting:

- The President’s Liability Protection Legislation: Six of the vilest, rights-trampling pages you’ll ever read including NO lawsuits, NO judicial reviews, NO discovery.

- In the Senate: S 1873, (Sen. Burr) "Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act of 2005".

- In the House: The Companion bill to the Senate Version, HR3970, (Cong. Issa)- Bioterror and Pandemic Preparedness Protection Act.

Points you can make:

- Drug companies have suppressed safety data and poisoned a generation of children with mercury-laced vaccines.

- If passed, vaccine makers will have even more incentive to ignore product safety. The reckless disregard for injuries to Americans through dangerous products created by drug manufacturers must not be further sanctioned and encouraged by our lawmakers.

Capitalizing on fear and intimidation, and the reminder of generous campaign donations, drug companies have seduced Congress into awarding the pharmaceutical industry unprecedented liability protection, removing any financial incentive to produce safe vaccines.

The Biodefense/Pandemic Influenza Bills, influenced by drug industry lobbyists, abandons the children and citizens of this country and rewards a pattern of bad behavior by an industry recognized for suppressing safety data on vaccines.

A parent/advocate has been visiting with legislators this week on Capitol Hill and summed up her visit with two important observations:

1) The pharmaceutical protection legislation has become a priority to a greater degree than we’ve ever seen before. Using a shotgun approach, the plan is that if just one of the several pieces of legislation with the protection language gets through, Pharma is home free. Profit will trump safety to an even greater degree than we’ve already seen, and our children’s rights will be nonexistent.

2) Many Senators and Members of Congress expressed that they are not hearing from their constituents about this legislation at all. Some specifically said we must “speak louder” if we are to be heard.

LET’S MAKE SURE THEY HEAR US LOUD AND CLEAR THIS TIME!

Please also enlist your spouse, in-laws, neighbors, friends, and anyone else you can think of to help with calling and faxing. We need these legislators to hear from as many of us as possible NOW.

What you can do TODAY:

Please call and fax the members of the Senate Health Committee, Congressional friends to the community and Congressional Reps that could swing our way on this important legislation. Let them know you and your family oppose rewarding the companies responsible for injuring countless children through unsafe vaccines.

Your communications with the HELP Committee members need not be long or detailed, especially since time is of the essence. Just let them know you are the parent, caregiver, or friend of a vaccine-injured child, and that the language in all the liability protection legislation currently on the table protects the pharmaceutical industry for the results of lax, profit-driven safety standards. Further removal of accountability to this industry is detrimental to public health and unacceptable. Below is a letter you can use if you want to cut and paste.

Dear (Your Congressman or Your Senator);

Say NO to Ripping Off The Rights of Vaccine-Injured Children, And NO to Rewarding the Very Industry That Injured Them!

As both a voter and caregiver of a vaccine-injured child, I feel very strongly that my child's rights are about to be jeopardized once again.

I ask you to pledge to put the interests of America’s children and families before that of drug companies, and remind you that the public is watching. Just like the Homeland Security Rider, the Biodefense Bill and other bills implementing liability protection will be seen for what they are -- gifts to the pharmaceutical industry in exchange for campaign contributions. This type of corruption must not be allowed to further hurt the innocent children already damaged by unsafe pharmaceuticals.

As a voter, I am asking you to take a firm stand against legislation that will remove my vaccine-injured child's rights to fair litigation, and to send a resounding “NO” to allowing drug companies even more incentive to put profit before safety.

Thousands of families of special-needs children are going bankrupt, and many are selling their homes just to pay for care that insurance does not cover. More over, lawsuits give our children the voice that was taken away. The right to have fair litigation. The right to have compensation for care.

Please do not support anything that allows pharmaceutical companies more favors than your constituents--especially those that cannot speak for themselves. If you do, parents, grandparents, and caregivers from around the country will make sure that every reporter in your state knows what you have done to your weakest constituents.

Sincerely,
(your name)

Parents, for more information on the Biodefense Bill and its implications to public health, please see the analysis from the Center for Justice and Democracy at http://www.centerjd.org/free/mythbusters-free/MB_VaccinesAlert.htm

Republicans on the HELP Committee:

Enzi, Mike (R - WY) [[CONCENTRATE ON ENZI. HE IS PUTTING IN AMENDMENTS]]
290 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3424
Fax: (202) 228-0359
E-mail: senator@enzi.senate.gov

Gregg, Judd (R - NH)
393 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3324
Fax: (202) 224-4952
E-mail: mailbox@gregg.senate.gov

Frist, William (R - TN)
416 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3344
Fax: (202) 228-1264
E-mail: http://frist.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Burr Richard (R-NC)
217 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3154
Fax: (202) 228-2981
E-mail: richard.burrnc05@mail.house.gov

Isakson Johnny (R- GA)
120 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3643
Fax: (202) 228-0724

Alexander, Lamar (R-TN)
UNITED STATES SENATE WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4944
Fax: (202) 228-3398
E-mail: http://alexander.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Bond, Christopher (R - MO)
274 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5721
Fax (202) 224-8149
E-mail: kit_bond@bond.senate.gov

Roberts, Pat (R - KS)
302 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4774
Fax (202) 224-3514
E-mail: http://roberts.senate.gov/email.htm

Ensign, John (R - NV)
364 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6244
Fax (202) 228-2193
E-mail: http://ensign.senate.gov/contact_john/contactjohn_email.html

DeWine, Mike (R - OH)
140 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2315
Fax (202) 224-6519
E-mail: senator@dewine.senate.gov

Democrats on the HELP Committee:

Kennedy, Edward - (D - MA) [[CONCENTRATE ON WORKING WITH ENZI ON AMENDMENTS]]
317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4543
Fax: (202) 224-2417
senator@kennedy.senate.gov

Dodd, Christopher (D - CT)
448 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone (202) 224-2823
Fax (202) 228-1683
E-mail: http://dodd.senate.gov/webmail/

Harkin, Tom (D - IA)
731 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone (202) 224-3254
Fax (202) 224-9369
E-mail: tom harkin@harkin.senate.gov

Mikulski, Barbara (D - MD)
709 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4654
Fax (202)224-8858
E-mail: senator@mikulski.senate.gov

Bingaman, Jeff (D - NM)
703 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510Phone:
(202) 224-5521
Fax (202) 224-2852
E-mail: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov

Murray, Patty (D - WA)
173 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2621
Fax: (202) 224-0238
E-mail: senator_murray@murray.senate.gov

Reed, Jack (D - RI)
320 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4642
Fax (202) 224-4680
E-mail: jack@reed.senate.gov

Clinton, Hillary (D - NY)
476 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4451
D.C. Fax (202) 228-0282
Long Island Fax (631) 249-2847
Email: http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html

Helpful Senators, not on the HELP Committee but important to contact:

Senator Susan Collins
172 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2523
Fax (202) 224-2693

Senator Olympia Snowe
154 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5344
Fax (202) 224-1946

Senator Lincoln Chafee
141A Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2921
Fax: (202) 228-2853

Senator John McCain
241 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone (202) 224-2235
Fax (202) 228-2862

Senator Debbie Stabenow
702 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax (202) 228-0325

Jeffords, James (I - VT)
728 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5141
Fax (202) 228-0776

Graham, Lindsey - (R - SC)
UNITED STATES SENATE WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5972
Fax: (202) 224-3808
Web Form: http://lgraham.senate.gov/email/email.htm

Helpful Congressmen to contact:

Congressman Dan Burton
2185 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-2276
FAX: 202-225-0016

Congressman Chris Smith
2373 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-3765
FAX: 202-225-7768

4. Article B:

Worried about Bird Flu?

SafeMinds Issues Urgent Warning on Risk to Pregnant Women, Children, Infants of Exposure to Mercury from Flu Shots; As Bird Flu Plan is Unveiled Group C

Contact: Stephanie Morris, 202-628-7772 or smorris@venturecommunications.com

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- As the flu season approaches and the Bush administration begins sharing details of their plan to prevent a possible avian flu pandemic, much emphasis is being placed on the idea that flu shots should be readily available and administered to large portions of the population. But lost in these numerous media reports is the danger posed by mercury found in a majority of annually administered flu vaccine preparations.

"Consumers are not aware of the fact that flu shots still contain thimerosal, a mercury based preservative recently phased out of most childhood vaccines," said Lyn Redwood, president of SafeMinds, a non- profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and conducting research into mercury exposure. Most alarming to Redwood is the fact that pregnant mothers and infants are now targeted to receive the annual flu vaccine when they are exactly the populations known to be most vulnerable to exposure to mercury. "We know from study after study that mercury rapidly crosses the placenta, enters the fetal brain and interrupts critical stages of development," said Redwood.

The CDC's recently recommended exposure to mercury from flu vaccine comes despite the fact that one in every six women of childbearing already has blood levels of mercury high enough to harm their unborn children from environmental exposures. An EPA announcement came on the heels of a report, which found that the fetus actually accumulates mercury and typically has blood levels 70 percent higher than those found in the mother at the time of birth.

According to Mark Blaxill, director of SafeMinds, "Why on earth would the CDC on one hand recommend that pregnant mothers avoid environmental exposure to mercury from eating seafood, but on the other hand ignore the danger from mercury administered in vaccines when they know that an average flu vaccine exceeds EPA's safe level of daily mercury exposure in the average woman by four fold? By suggesting that a direct injection of ethyl mercury via a flu shot is harmless, and indeed by recommending that exposure, these policies defy not only sound medical practice but common sense."

"If you choose to be immunized against regular flu, you should know what benefits you're actually getting," continued Blaxill. "American consumers should make informed decisions about their health. Amidst rising fears over a theoretical avian flu pandemic, numerous health officials have tied the avian flu risk to the regular annual flu shot, but most people don't realize that the annual flu shot won't protect you against avian flu. In addition, pregnant women also should know that recent scientific studies show little support or benefit to them or to their fetus from a flu shot."

SafeMinds also expressed concern about the blanket protection from liability for vaccine manufacturers offered in Bush's flu pandemic plan.

"Any kind of blanket immunity will only take away incentives for producing safe products and inevitably, will set our country up for a bad outcome," continued Redwood. "Immunity from legal liability for injury will result in vaccines that are less safe, which in turn will cause declining public confidence in vaccines."

The claim that the threat of lawsuits has kept manufacturers from entering and staying in the vaccine business has long been touted as a reason for protecting the pharmaceutical industry. Language providing relief from liability for vaccine manufacturers has been introduced unsuccessfully over the past several years. Although supporters of these bills claimed that intervention is needed to address concerns over the vaccine supply, the past problems that occurred were a result of long overdue FDA enforcement actions concerning violations of good manufacturing practices and complacency on the part of the manufacturers for production and distribution of their products, not litigation.

As the avian flu scare becomes increasingly political, SafeMinds is urging consumers to take a critical view of the rising media hype. SafeMinds encourages doctors to educate themselves and their patients about the risks of mercury exposure before administering the flu vaccine and to recommend only mercury free vaccine products for their patients.

More information about SafeMinds (including neurodevelopmental disorders, autism and mercury exposure) may be found at http://www.safeminds.org or by calling Stephanie Morris at 202-628-7772.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

4. Article C:

Does danger lurk in that vaccine?

Childhood immunizations no longer contain mercury. Flu shots do. But as you take your children for theirs, you have a choice. Mercury-free pediatric flu vaccine is available but may be hard to find

By JUDY L. THOMAS

The Kansas City Star

Millions of America’s health-conscious parents are lining up their children for this year’s flu shot.

But many are unaware that some doses contain mercury, a potent poison. Even more do not know that a mercury-free flu shot exists. That lack of understanding has driven down demand and reduced the availability of mercury-free vaccine this year.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children ages 6 months to 23 months get a flu shot. Citing many studies, the agency insists that flu shots containing mercury are safe.

CDC officials also recommend that parents who want a mercury-free shot for their children, only to find none is available, should still get them vaccinated.

“We want to protect people against influenza, and vaccination is the very best way to do that,” said Jeanne Santoli of the CDC’s Immunization Services Division.

Critics disagree, saying that mercury — which is used to prevent contamination in multidose flu vaccines — is causing an alarming rise in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

“I think it’s absolutely criminal to give mercury to an infant,” said Boyd Haley, an expert on mercury toxicity and a vocal critic of the CDC.

As the debate continues, the company that makes most flu vaccines says there is a waiting list this year for health agencies that want vaccines that contain mercury. Meanwhile, the company is scaling back production of its mercury-free vaccine, The Kansas City Star has learned.

Only Sanofi Pasteur is approved to market a new mercury-free pediatric flu vaccine. Spokesman Len Lavenda said the company had planned to make 8 million doses of the mercury-free version of its Fluzone vaccine for this flu season but has cut back to 6 million doses.

The CDC estimates it would take about 12 million doses to vaccinate all children ages 6 months to 23 months.

“We were prepared to more than double the quantity this year, but demand for the product didn’t warrant producing that much,” Lavenda said. “While we have on several occasions sold out all of our preservative-containing (mercury) vaccine in the last several years, we have never sold out all of our preservative-free vaccine.”

Lavenda said he had no idea why health officials were not ordering more mercury-free vaccine.

In 1999, the CDC, the U.S. Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended removing mercury from other childhood vaccines as a precaution after concerns were raised that children may be receiving too much mercury in their shots.

The CDC is adamant there is no risk.

“The preponderance of evidence consistently does not reveal an association between thimerosal (mercury) and autism,” Julie Gerberding, the CDC’s director, said at a recent news conference.

But The Star’s examination found that:

Lower prices appear to be a major factor in the continuing use of flu vaccines that contain mercury — yet mercury-free vaccines cost only about $2.50 a dose more.
The small amount of mercury in flu vaccine still exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s daily safety threshold, even though the cumulative amount children now receive from all vaccines is much lower than it was in 1999.
A massive government database that could be used to study the safety of flu vaccines and other vaccines containing mercury has been kept off-limits to some researchers, a move that an independent advisory body has criticized.
At least six states have restricted the amount of mercury allowed in vaccines. A dozen others are considering it, and a similar bill is pending in Congress. Many European countries and Japan already restrict mercury in vaccines.

A law passed earlier this year in Missouri requires that any immunization given to knowingly pregnant women or children younger than 3 contain no more than 1 microgram of mercury per 0.5-milliliter dose. But the law won’t take effect until April 1, 2007.

Efforts are just getting under way in Kansas to regulate mercury in vaccines.

Pharmaceutical companies, however, insist that flu vaccines containing mercury are safe.

Chiron Corp., for example, is making 18 million to 26 million doses of vaccine this season for people ages 4 and older. Most of the doses contain mercury.

“There have been a number of studies that have not found a link” to autism, said Alison Marquiss, a Chiron spokeswoman. “But at the same time, we’re following government guidelines. It’s been an ongoing discussion between government and industry, and everybody is working toward the same goal of removing it.”

Cost a consideration

If mercury is a health concern, why is it still in some childhood flu vaccines? The reason government officials cite most is money.

Mercury-free vaccine must be made in single-dose packages, which is more expensive than making multidose vials. Single-dose vaccines also take up more refrigerated storage space in doctor’s offices and health clinics.

Sue Denny, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said the CDC’s cost per dose for a 10-dose vial of flu vaccine is $9.71. A single-dose package costs the CDC $12.02.

“So if you’re buying a lot if it, it makes a difference,” Denny said.

Regardless, many parents complain they have been in the dark about what is in their children’s flu vaccine.

Laurie LaTessa of Lenexa has been diligent the past two years about getting flu shots for her five children. She was surprised to learn that many of the shots still contain mercury.

“I did it thinking it was protecting them,” LaTessa said. “But any protection they would be getting I don’t think can compare to the fact that they’re getting mercury.”

LaTessa said that this year she will check first to find out whether the vaccine contains mercury.

The Kansas City Health Department said all of its flu vaccine this year for its “Vaccines for Children” program will be mercury-free. “I think that’s because there’s a public perception that it’s best,” said Judy Moore-Nichols, the department’s child health and immunization program manager.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services ordered about 90,000 doses for its “Vaccines for Children” program. Denny said some doses were mercury-free, but she did not know how many.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment ordered 31,000 doses for the program, spokeswoman Sharon Watson said. Of those, 5,000 are mercury-free and 3,000 are a nasal mist that does not contain mercury but is only for people ages 5 and older.

If mercury-free vaccine is not available, the CDC recommends that children still get flu shots because of the risk of becoming sick.

But critics complain that in promoting vaccinations, the CDC exaggerates the number of flu deaths. Before 2003, the agency said that about 20,000 people a year died from the flu.

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, however, reports that 727 persons died of influenza in 2002, according to the most recent information available from death certificates. The number of deaths for children ages 4 and younger was 12. In 2003, the CDC raised the total flu deaths to 36,000. Yet Santoli acknowledged the 36,000 figure was only an estimate.

“The way they try to look at the deaths associated with influenza is they look at deaths during a certain time of year and due to certain causes and how it exceeds the deaths that occurred from those causes during the non-influenza time of year,” Santoli said. “So they look at the excess and estimate those are the number of deaths.”

Over safety threshold?

The flu vaccines in question contain thimerosal, a compound that is 49.6 percent mercury by weight. Thimerosal has been used for decades in other vaccines and medical products as a preservative and to prevent contamination from multiple needle punctures into the vials.

But in the 1990s, health officials increased the number of recommended childhood vaccines. That meant many babies went from getting 25 micrograms of mercury in one day to up to 62.5 micrograms in one day.

After it was found that infants were receiving amounts of mercury above the limits considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency, government and private health agencies in 1999 recommended removing mercury from such childhood vaccines as hepatitis B, DTP and Hib.

The CDC says that because mercury has been removed from all other childhood vaccines, it is not a problem that it remains in flu vaccines because the cumulative exposure now is much lower.

But the flu shot given many babies today contains 12.5 micrograms of mercury — 14 times the daily amount considered safe by the EPA for a child weighing 20 pounds. Young children routinely are given a second 12.5-microgram dose a month later.

Other health agencies have limits for mercury exposure, but the EPA’s are considered “a scientifically justifiable level for the protection of human health” by the National Academy of Sciences.

“The vaccine has 12.5 micrograms of mercury, which means a baby would have to weigh 275 pounds for it to be considered safe, according to the EPA standard,” said Haley, a biochemist at the University of Kentucky.

CDC officials said that because the EPA’s guidelines cover an extended period and not a one-time flu shot, it is unfair to assume the vaccine could be dangerous.

Still, Richard Deth, an expert on drugs that affect the brain, said that “it does make a difference when it’s all given in one day.” Deth said his studies at Northeastern University in Boston have found that even low concentrations of thimerosal can hurt the development of brain cells.

“The one time is important because the driving force for going into the brain is the concentration at any one time,” Deth said. “So when you get a (large) dose like that, it more or less drives it into the brain based on that higher, even temporary, concentration.”

Some lawmakers are concerned that government and industry are not moving quickly enough to remove mercury from all vaccines.

“The fact is there should not be any mercury in any vaccine,” said U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, an Indiana Republican who led a congressional committee that researched the issue for several years. Burton has a grandson who is autistic.

But a professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Columbia said her research has found nothing to link mercury in vaccines with autism.

“Obviously, it’s worrisome to families, and it seems reasonable to conclude that a relationship exists,” said Judith Miles, the director of MU’s medical genetics division. “However, if you look at the data, there is simply no relationship between them.”

Secret database?

The CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink, which tracks the medical records of more than 7 million patients, could show what effects vaccines have had on human health.

But the database has not been made publicly available for closer examination, which upsets some researchers. The CDC says that because the database contains health information, making it public would violate patient privacy.

Critics, however, think that the lack of access stems in part from a private meeting convened by the CDC in June 2000. At the meeting, dozens of health officials and scientists discussed research from the database. Those studies showed a possible connection between thimerosal and neurological impairment such as tics, attention deficit disorder and speech disorders, but not autism.

Despite the questions, most of those attending the meeting found the results inconclusive.

Since then, those who have tried to examine the Vaccine Safety Datalink have hit CDC roadblocks.

“We subpoenaed stuff like that, and they have jumped through every hoop they could to keep the public from knowing what was in those reports,” Burton said.

But in February, a committee of medical experts assembled by the Institute of Medicine criticized how the CDC and its National Immunization Program have handled the database.

“There are legitimate reasons for public concern about the independence and fairness of the review of VSD data-sharing proposals … ,” the committee stated. “The lack of transparency of some of those processes affects the trust relationship between the National Immunization Program and some members of the general public.”

The committee recommended that the CDC ease restrictions on researchers and said that an independent review of how the database is used “is integral to public trust in the use of the VSD to answer questions about vaccine safety.”

Researchers David and Mark Geier have spent years trying to get a complete set of data. They were given access to some of it after a congressman intervened, but they said the process has been difficult.

Documents obtained by the Geiers under a Freedom of Information Act request show that in 2002, the CDC awarded a 10-year, $191 million contract to the company now called America’s Health Insurance Plans to oversee the database and other vaccine safety projects.

Because America’s Health Insurance Plans is a private company, the public does not have access to the information.

“You and I paid millions for a database that nobody can see,” said Mark Geier, a geneticist from Silver Spring, Md.

Glen Nowak, the CDC’s director of media relations, said the agency is trying to accommodate independent researchers.

“We’ve worked really hard to make these records available to external researchers, but because they’re medical records, there are certain steps that need to be taken to ensure people’s privacy is protected,” Nowak said.

Mercury bans growing

State legislatures are not waiting for Congress to restrict mercury in vaccines.

Iowa was the first to do so, followed by California, Missouri, Delaware, Illinois and New York. Legislation is pending in more than a dozen other states.

U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon, who also is a doctor, has introduced federal legislation to remove mercury from all childhood vaccines.

“Mercury should be out of all pharmaceuticals and all biologicals,” said Weldon, a Florida Republican. “I don’t think there’s any way you can justify this.”

Weldon introduced the bill with U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat. A similar measure is pending in the Senate. So far, neither bill has had a hearing.

The fact that mercury remains in many flu shots outrages Kelly Kerns of Lenexa, who has three autistic children — 7-year-old twin boys and a 9-year-old daughter. Although her children’s conditions have improved, the emotional and financial drain of dealing with them has been enormous, Kerns said.

The Kerns are among thousands of families who have filed claims with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program since 2001. The families allege that their children suffered autism or other neurological disorders because of mercury in their vaccines.

Congress created the program in 1986 to encourage drug companies to keep making vaccines despite increasing liability costs from lawsuits. The program requires families to resolve their claims through the “vaccine court” before filing civil lawsuits.

To date, about 1,900 families have received $1.5 billion for claims that did not involve mercury — but none of the 4,900 claims linked to autism and mercury has been resolved.

For the CDC and many health officials, the debate over whether mercury causes autism is settled. But critics such as Weldon are not convinced.

If it is shown that mercury in vaccines has hurt children, Weldon said, it will go down as “one of the biggest blunders in modern medical history.”

Flu vaccine tips

What does the government recommend?

Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending that all children ages 6 months to 23 months and all pregnant women get a flu vaccination.
The CDC says the best time to get a vaccination is October or November. Flu activity generally peaks between late December and early March.

What if I’m

concerned about mercury?

Call your doctor or clinic and ask whether thimerosal-free vaccines are available.
Even if none is available, health officials recommend getting the vaccine that contains thimerosal (mercury), saying that the benefits of the shot outweigh the theoretical risk of exposure to mercury. Critics disagree, saying they would not give their children any vaccine containing thimerosal.

How can I tell if the flu vaccine I’m getting is mercury-free?

Generally you can tell if flu vaccine contains mercury if it is in a vial that contains multiple doses. Mercury-free vaccine generally is packaged in a single-dose, pre-filled syringe. But this year it also can come in a single-dose vial.

4. Article D:

More research urged into effects of inorganic mercury

By JUDY L. THOMAS

The Kansas City Star

Researchers and lawmakers worry that not enough is known about ethylmercury, the kind of mercury in flu vaccines.

For years, health officials assumed that ethylmercury was less toxic to infants than methylmercury, which poses a risk to pregnant women and is found in some seafood.

A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that while there was less total mercury in monkeys’ brains after injections containing thimerosal than after exposure to methylmercury in food, there was twice as much inorganic mercury in the monkeys’ brains after the thimerosal injections. Thimerosal is a compound that is 49.6 percent ethylmercury by weight.

“Having less total mercury in your brain is good news, but having this inorganic mercury twice as high in your brain is concerning,” said Thomas Burbacher, a mercury toxicology expert at the University of Washington and the key researcher on the project. Previous studies had shown that inorganic mercury can inflame certain kinds of brain cells.

Some scientists and lawmakers say the NIH study shows that more research is needed.

“Clearly, prior assumptions about the way thimerosal is handled by the human body must be revisited, and follow-up studies must be undertaken,” U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon wrote in April to Michael Leavitt, secretary of health and human services.

Critics say that some of the studies that were used to show no connection between thimerosal and autism were done by researchers who were too cozy with government agencies and drug companies.

They also note that some decisions on vaccine policy were made by advisory boards and that some members of those boards had ties to drug companies that would be affected by their decisions.

For example, in a recent congressional hearing, it was revealed that members of committees that advise the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention owned stock in drug companies that made vaccines. Committee members also held patents on vaccines affected by the decisions of their committees.

Some researchers and scientists also complain that when their findings suggested possible links between thimerosal and autism, government agencies cut off their funding.

Boyd Haley, a University of Kentucky biochemist, received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants from the National Institutes of Health to make compounds called “photoaffinity probes” that are used to study neurological diseases.

“It was a major scientific accomplishment, and they’re used all over the world today,” Haley said. “Our biggest customer is the National Institutes of Health.”

But Haley noted that it was “only when I started using these probes to show that mercury was toxic that I lost my NIH grant, which I had for 27 years.”

Weldon said he had heard similar complaints.

“What I’ve had said to me repeatedly by researchers is that they would start working on it and they will have their department chairman or their colleagues … ” saying, ‘You really shouldn’t do this; you’re going to ruin your career,’ Weldon said.

Glen Nowak, the CDC’s director of media relations, said he was not aware of any researchers losing funding as a result of their findings.

“At CDC, almost all the research that we fund is peer reviewed and it’s usually blind peer reviewed,” Nowak said. “We don’t know who wrote the proposal. And NIH does this, too. We have objective reviews of the proposals that come in.”

4. Article E:

Curing Jamie Handley

One Portland family pushes a fix for the autism "epidemic."

BY ANGELA VALDEZ

avaldez at wweek.com

The ritual begins the same way, every other morning, in J.B. and Lisa Handley's Southwest Portland home. They roust their 3-year-old son, Jamie, from their bed, take off his pajamas and squeeze 23 drops from a tiny white bottle onto his inner thighs. They rub in the liquid and, triggering a wave of giggles, blow his skin dry.

"It's like a spiritual moment because of the utter magnitude of what we're actually doing," J.B. says. "We're literally altering the course of his life."

Jamie is autistic, and his parents blame the disorder on mercury poisoning. They treat him with a $180-a-bottle tincture of amino acids that binds to mercury and other heavy metals in his body and flushes them out with his urine.

The Handleys have faith that the treatment, called chelation ("key-LAY-shun"), will eventually cure their son, halting his disruptive, repetitive behavior, social disinterest and inability to communicate. They see their morning routine as a small victory in a battle being waged by thousands of parents against a perceived epidemic, and against the medical establishment, which insists that chelation is not a cure and may actually put children at risk.

In less than a year, the Handleys have become leaders in a growing national movement, investing hundreds of thousands of their own dollars to launch a nonprofit called Generation Rescue, print full-page ads in The New York Times and USA Today, and hire a San Francisco PR firm to run a media campaign. The couple, both Stanford graduates, makes a formidable team: Lisa, 38, is a Hering, long a prominent Oregon surname, and J.B., 36, runs an investment-capital firm based in San Francisco.

But in recent months, the Handleys and their movement have come under assault. In August, a 5-year-old autistic boy in Pennsylvania died of cardiac arrest following an intravenous chelation treatment in his doctor's office.

The death prompted renewed warnings from parents and doctors worried about chelation's potential side effects, including liver failure and allergic reaction. But the Handleys have not backed down. J.B. said the death, though tragic, was an opportunity to "to bring this issue to the top of the national health agenda." He blames the government for failing to recognize the virtues of chelation, which is not covered by insurance when used to treat autism.

While conventional medicine holds that autism stems from an abnormality in the brain, alternative theories have long sought an external cause for the devastating disorder. In the 1940s, psychologists denounced "ice box mothers" who left home for work and neglected their children. Today, parents like the Handleys blame mercury and a corrupt medical establishment. Perhaps more than any other historical nostrum—from the shark-cartilage cure for cancer to magnetic therapy for pain—the theories about mercury poisoning and autism convince more parents each day, despite a lack of clear scientific evidence.

The problem, J.B. says, "is that we're painted as blind to reason because we're doing something that the mainstream hasn't put a stamp on. I say that's horseshit."

In 2004, the Handleys were living comfortably with Jamie and his older brother, Sam, in Lafayette, a wealthy community 10 miles east of San Francisco, in a ranch-style home on a hill shaded by groves of eucalyptus and oak trees.

As the spring wore on, their blue-eyed, 18-month old son began to slide backward in development. His newly acquired words—"mamma," "daddy," "night-night"—evaporated into a silence soon filled with frantic screams. He began to obsess over repetitive actions, like running back and forth—for minutes—along the kitchen counter, his eyes averted to the side, or walking on his toes.

While Lisa suggested autism as an explanation, J.B. says he resisted, finding excuses like a recent cold or a new playmate to explain their son's behavior. But during a visit with Lisa's family in Portland, they watched Jamie play alongside a cousin four months his junior. The younger boy seemed far more advanced than their son. "The contrast was so stark it shocked us out of any denial we may have had," J.B. says. "It changed everything."

Like many parents, the Handleys went online before venturing into a doctor's office. They learned that autism fell amid a spectrum of developmental disorders, with symptoms including social dysfunction, speech delay and repetitive behavior. The condition presents a paradox: Normal-looking children lose their ability to speak while growing socially aloof and emotionally ..

Finish story here http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=6822

.(WOW! Great story again GENERATION RESCUE AND THE HANDLEY FAMILY!!)

4. Article F:

National Institutes of Health: Vaccine Additive Linked to Autism

By Douglas Fischer for Red Orbit Breaking News - http://tinyurl.com/a5bhu

A mercury-laced preservative once widely added to pediatric vaccines exposes infants' brains to twice the neurotoxin previously suspected, offering evidence that health guidelines may underestimate the risk newborns face, researchers say in a report being published today. The additive, thimerosal, has been used in vaccines since the 1930s and is almost 50 percent mercury by weight. Since 2001, manufacturers have gradually phased it out of almost all domestic pediatric vaccines, though it remains in use overseas in cheaper "multidose" vaccines.
The study, being published today in Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed publication of the National Institutes of Health, also chides health officials for abandoning an earlier recommendation that the preservative be completely phased out and further studies conducted.
And it fuels the debate over the federal government's aggressive vaccination plan that subjects infants to a battery of shots some of which contain aluminum and other potentially harmful compounds in their first weeks of life.
"We're talking about a low-level delivery of a toxin given to a baby on the first day of its life," said mercury expert Boyd Haley, chairman of the chemistry department at the University of Kentucky, who was not involved in the study.
"What's needed is a total study of the sensibility of the vaccine program. Why would you want to vaccinate a baby on the first day of its life?"
The report is one of the first to look beyond mercury blood levels resulting from vaccines. Instead it examines both the amount and type of mercury reaching the brain. It suggests health officials examined the wrong compound and failed to look far enough when assessing the danger of mercury in thimerosal.
This is largely a past concern for the United States, given the predominance today of thimerosal-free vaccines. Both the study's lead author and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday urged parents to have their children vaccinated.
"That's the first message," said Thomas Burbacher, lead author and associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington's School of Public Health.
"The bottom line is that trying to assess the effects of a compound with very little or no data is not a good thing to do. ... Unfortunately, we started doing studies on this compound way too late. Basic information like this should've been available decades ago."
The problem is very much alive for developing nations, however, where the additive is common. The World Health Organization has expressed interest in Burbacher's research.
The problem, Burbacher said, is that regulators trying to assess thimerosal's harm used as a benchmark methylmercury, a widely studied compound, rather than the little-known compound called ethylmercury in thimerosal. Both compounds cross the blood- brain barrier. But methylmercury breaks down slowly, whereas ethylmercury dissipates fairly rapidly, suggesting to regulators that a standard based on methylmercury would adequately protect infants. Burbacher and colleagues found ethylmercury's fast breakdown leaves higher levels of so-called "inorganic" mercury in the brain. Inorganic mercury lingers in the brain for a year or more, potentially altering certain cells. A previous study has shown such damaged cells are also found in children with autism. Using monkeys, Burbacher found the brains of thimerosal-exposed infants had twice as much inorganic mercury as methylmercury- exposed infants. The Food and Drug Administration has never required testing of thimerosal's safety or of its safe exposure levels for newborns and children. Although high mercury levels particularly as a result of vaccinations have long been suspected as a leading cause of skyrocketing autism levels, the CDC and Burbacher cautioned Wednesday against drawing any conclusion linking the two.
"To date, the vast majority of the science doesn't support an association between thimerosal and incidences of autism," said CDC spokesman Glen Nowak. But "at the end of the day, we still don't know what causes autism." Others, however, expect such links to become apparent as thimerosal fades from use in the United States. Already, noted Haley, California's autism rates have decreased three of the past four quarters a first. "There's something in the vaccines doing it. That something is thimerosal."
The FDA's Web site on thimerosal and vaccinations, including a chart showing common pediatric vaccines and the date thimerosal was eliminated, can be found at http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm . Contact Douglas Fischer at dfischer@angnewspapers.com.
Source: Oakland Tribune

TACA & United Way

For the TACA members who have asked – it is the United Way season and TACA is a charity listed. Here is some more information.

The United Way of America is used by many large and small companies across the country to manage their employee giving campaigns. We are pleased to announce that donations to most United Way Campaigns can be directed to TACA. Most workplace campaigns take pledges in the last quarter of each year and offer variable payment methods for your gift in the following year. Campaigns often allow you to take out small amounts of money from your paycheck each month to fulfill your pledge.

For example, writing a single check for $300 may be a strain on your budget. But that same contribution, spread out over twelve months as a monthly $25 payroll deduction may not be as difficult. Remember that even if your employer does not actively pursue an office-wide campaign, often they will have set up charitable giving options that you can use. Don't be afraid to ask what the company policies are.

Whether you are a seasoned contributor at your workplace or planning a first-time gift, please consider choosing or "writing-in" TACA as a recipient of your generosity. The detailed information below may help you make informed decisions about your contributions.

CANNOT AFFORD THE UNITED WAY DEDUCTION? THERE IS ANOTHER WAY! Many TACA Families are encouraging their co-workers to donate to TACA as well. Often the designation of charity is left blank. Tell your co-workers about TACA and ask for their support.

United Way of America

United Way of America has a network of 1300 local affiliates throughout the country. Most of these affiliates will allow you to designate TACA as your charity of choice.

Most United Ways do not encourage giving to non-member organizations and your workplace coordinator may not know this option exists - but it does! You can write TACA in under the donor option section as follows:

Talk About Curing Autism
P.O. Box 12409
Newport Beach, CA 92658
Tax ID # 27-0048002

For United Way designation use: Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) #TAC100

As always, thank you so much for your support!

CALLING ALL TACA LIBRARY BOOKS!

Hello TACA members! Have you had a TACA library book, CD or video for over
2 months? Please remember – it is time to turn it back in!

We need to be able to share all the resources with all families so we can keep offering this service for free (no late fees!) Other families need access to the information and we need your help!!!

Please get those items back to the TACA library in November! It would help greatly.

If you cannot make the meeting to return the TACA library items: MAIL IT to TACA P.O. Box 12409 Newport Beach CA 92658-2409

REMEMBER: to include your name and the TACA location with the book!

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!

Vendor Announcements

The Speech & Language Connection, Inc. now has a new name. We have changed our name to the Children’s Learning Connection, Inc.

CLC would like to Welcome our newest member of our team, Nicole Sadauski MS,ORT/L. Nicole has a great deal of experience with younger children as well as school age children. She is well versed on the needs autistic children often present as it relates to sensory processing, feeding, fine motor skills as well as daily living skills.

Nicole has a special interest in feeding. The behavioral therapists and the occupational therapist often work closely to design a program that will address the child’s feeding challenges as they relate to behavioral patterns that may develop as a result of a sensory eating issue.

The Children’s Learning Connection Treatment Program

This comprehensive program is specifically designed for children who are "at risk" for an autism spectrum disorder or who have a diagnosis. The program design includes three components: behaviorally based teaching methods ( ABA), developmental curriculum, and an intensive focus on teaching key learning strategies that underlie the development of cognition and language. Services are provided by an interdisciplinary team that is composed of a behavioral specialist, speech therapist, occupational therapist and developmental specialist staff. Licensed clinicians work directly with your child and provide direct hands on training to the family and developmental specialists. All services are provided at a one-to-one ratio. The "average" program includes 7 hours per week of clinician time. Developmental specialist intervention time may range from 5-35 hours per week depending on the child's needs. Therapy takes place in the clinic, home, school and community environments. Intensive collaboration among all team members occurs on a daily basis to ensure the integrity of the child's program.

Individual Services Provided:

Applied Behavioral Analysis
Speech Therapy
Occupational Therapy

Please contact us at 714.965.2324 if you would like additional information regarding our services or visit our website at, www.childrenslearningconnection.com . Please see website for a complete description of the company and services.

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TUNE INTO LEARNING: Based on the concept of setting "social scripts" to a song format to increase memorization and motivation, Tuned in to Learning has been designed by a team of educators and therapists for children with autism, including a CD, DVD, and CD-ROM.

Tuned in to Learning has now been field-tested in over 300 classrooms and speech therapy programs in Southern California with excellent response. In accordance with autism research, our program is based on principles of applied behavior analysis, and emphasizes the use of audio and written scripts, full color photographic cues, and music mnemonics.

You can preview the program including visual, audio, and video samples at http://www.tunedintolearning.com

Books & Web sites

RECOVERY FROM AUTISM IS POSSIBLE! Want to watch some uplifting video online?

For those of you that live outside of Los Angeles, Baxter's TV spots are now posted online at the following link: http://www.autismmedia.org/media11.html

Just scroll down that page until you see Baxter's two spots and click on the button on the right to play it. Part 1 is KNBC and part 2 is KCAL 9. Both these local stations aired our story on the same day! This is a big coup for us getting our story out there. Please check it out!

Thanks to Erik at Autism Media!!!!!

The Parent Side on-line store
It's a campaign for inclusion and against exclusion!

Parents and professionals promoting inclusive practice are raving about the designs and products available at http://www.theparentside.com The store was created by Colleen Tomko, the parent of a child with disabilities, who started drawing cartoons to illustrate the common experiences families go through when attempting to get their children appropriately included. The cartoons first appeared on the award winning Kids Together website at http://www.kidstogether.org (TASH Image award 2003 and many others!). Kids Together is an unfunded all-volunteer non profit 501(c)3 that promotes "inclusive communities where all people belong". An overwhelming number of parents and professionals responded asking for more cartoons to use in trainings, newsletters etc., as well as many many requests to have them available on t-shirts, mugs or other products.

Destination LRE (tm) design copyright 2005 The Parent Side Colleen Tomko In response to the demand, the on-line store "The Parent Side" was created, which offers many designs on a great variety of products. Colleen has received various awards and recognition for her years of volunteer work and dedication to improving the overall quality of life for people with disabilities at the local, state and federal levels.

Shoppers will find many designs to promote acceptance of diversity, inclusion, least restrictive environment as well as statements against exclusion, along with humor. This gives everyone an easy means to promote inclusion What are you waiting for? Join the campaign and get your inclusion gear now!

Celebrate Diversity Design copyright 2005 The Parent Side Colleen Tomko I survived an IEP (tm) design copyright 2005 The Parent Side Colleen Tomko Time for inclusion Design copyright 2005 The Parent Side Colleen Tomko

FUN ACTIVITIES:

TACA Family Social Event:

Attention all TACA members! Diane Gallant has worked hard with South Coast Plaza in arranging FREE CAROUSEL RIDES for children with Autism and their siblings!!

Come join us for a morning of fun and horse rides at South Coast Plaza!

Upcoming Dates: The Saturday schedule is: November 19th.
Times: 8:30 am-9:30 am (BEFORE the mall opens)
Local: South Coast Plaza by the carousel ( NOT the Crystal Court carousel!)
Costs: FREE!!!!!!!!!
Park: Park by ZTejas Restaurant and the Bank of America ATM’s off Bristol
Note: Kids can ride as often as they would like and based on availability.

NO NEED TO RSVP! JUST COME AND PLAY!!

10.

Conferences

FEAT BIOMEDICAL CONFERENCE 2006

FEAT’s Capital Autism Conference Series is excited to present its first BIOMEDICAL CONFERENCE, as follows:

Date: January 14, 2006

Place: Sacramento State University

Time: 8:30am - 4:30pm

Speakers :

David Kirby, Author
“Evidence of Harm – Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic – A Medical Controversy”
Did mercury in vaccines cause an epidemic of autism, ADD, ADHD, speech delay and other childhood disorders? It is a disturbing, important book that examines both sides of this brewing controversy.
Dr. Jerry Kartzinel (DAN! Doctor and Pediatrician, Thoughtful House, Austin, Texas)
Dr. Kartzinel will give an introduction to, and present the potential benefits of, various biomedical interventions and diet for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (as well as ADD & ADHD).

Questions? Contact either:
- Tara K. Buran (Conference Chairperson) at 916-791-0542 or tkburan@comcast.net, or
- Bruce Kaminski (FEAT Bd. of Directors) at 916-372-4752 or bruce.kaminski@feat.org

(Conference schedule & ticket information to follow. Vendors and exhibitors will be on hand to provide biomedical products, services, and information.)

PLEASE SAVE the date!!!! Please invite your pediatrician or DAN! Doctor to attend!

11.

Personal Note:

This past weekend marks the 10 th annual Defeat Autism Now!(DAN!) Conference in Long Beach. With over 1,300 attendees, the Westin was packed with families and professionals understanding that AUTISM IS TREATABLE!

A record was set with over 100 doctors there for DAN! protocol training – many were looking beyond the old status quo that autism is a lifelong disability. Also included in this wonderful conference was a beautiful presentation of 14 recovered children and their parents. Many in the audience cried tears of joy for the hard work of the families and especially their children for their hard-earned recovery. One young teen was asked by the announcer about being teased as a young child and what he would say to those individuals who were hard on him. He answered simply with the question, “Why did you do that to me?” I for one was totally affected by this statement and the pure feeling in his voice.

What also struck me about this DAN! Conference was the unity and cohesive presentations of this conference versus previous events. All the scientists seemed in agreement and were looking to other diseases for information and revelations that could assist autism spectrum disorders. Many were also excited about recent studies involving Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments for autism.

For more information about this conference, tapes, and the conference syllabus – please see www.danconference.com . I was thrilled and am re-energized about all the exciting new announcements and research going towards our children. Autism is truly treatable!

I thank God for the DAN! movement and specifically Dr. Bernard Rimland. Had we not stumbled upon DAN! and Uncle Bernie in 2000, Jeff would not be where he is today. Through traditional therapies and biomedical interventions unique to his needs Jeff has made great strides. He has gone from “no hope, no cure, and we were told to think of institutions” recommendations from three doctors to a typical 2 nd grade placement, with friends, a sense of humor and being the light of my life. We have more of our journey through autism to conquer, but so much success and love to report from this process so far. I wish your family the same love and success for your beloved child.

Hugs, thanks, and be SAFE,
Lisa A Jeff's mom
And Editor: Kim Palmer (thanks Kim!)

Web Page for TACA Group: www.tacanow.com
check it out and let us know your thoughts

Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) provides general information of interest to the autism community. The information comes from a variety of sources and TACA does not independently verify any of it. The views expressed herein are not necessarily TACA’s. TACA does not engage in lobbying or other political activities.

P.S. TACA e-news is now sent to 1,985 people!
(This number represents families – 95%, and the rest are professionals.)

The Age of Autism: 'My child is toxic' By Dan Olmsted

The Age of Autism: 'My child is toxic'
By Dan Olmsted