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In March 2005, the IRS issued a new ruling that may help families with the costs which may be incurred for their child’s special needs in education. The private-letter written determination clarifies areas when special education costs may qualify as medical expense deductions. Although the private-letter ruling applies only to the taxpayers who requested it and should not be cited as precedent, tax advisers say it is a useful illustration of the IRS’s thinking. Available in PDF (3 pages, 18 KB). http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-wd/0521003.pdf

Carol J. Risley, Chief
Office of Human Rights and Advocacy Services

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/lifestyle/consumerhealth/printer_1041993.php

By UPI

WASHINGTON , DC, United States (UPI) -- The news that the first child diagnosed with autism got better after medical treatment -- while leading experts didn’t make the connection -- suggests how research and reality have been distorted for decades.

As The Age of Autism reported Monday, the child known as Case 1 is alive and doing remarkably well in the same small Mississippi town he grew up in. Although we didn’t talk directly to "Donald T., " his brother told us that he had a miraculous response" to gold salts treatment at the age of 12.

It cleared up a devastating case of juvenile arthritis and -- astonishingly made a marked difference in Donald’s autism, he said.

"When he was finally released, the nervous condition he was formerly afflicted with was gone, " his brother said of the two- to three-month gold salts treatment in 1947.

"The proclivity to excitability and extreme nervousness had all but cleared up, and after that he went to school and had one more little flare-up (of arthritis) when in junior college. " He also became "more sociable," his brother said, and was invited to join a college fraternity.

That was 58 years ago, yet we’re not aware of any mention in the millions of words written about autism that this very first case may have gotten better following a novel medical treatment.

Instead, today’s mainstream medical experts dismiss the idea of biomedical interventions such as anti-inflammation and detoxification therapies as dangerous hooey perpetrated by quacks and charlatans.

Yet the treatment Donald got was patently biomedical: Medicine prescribed by a doctor to treat a physical illness appears to have had a positive effect on his mental disorder.

The official hostility to such approaches is currently so great that the only research under way on the topic is funded by parents. An official at the National Institutes of Mental Health told The New York Times last month that it "isn’t responsible\" to prescribe chelation, which is designed to eliminate heavy metals from children with autism.

Yet dozens of parents -- and, for that matter, dozens of doctors outside the mainstream treatment community -- say the treatments have made huge improvements.

Some of them have banded together at generationrescue.org; they argue that autism is mercury poisoning (primarily from a preservative that was used in vaccines) and that getting the mercury out has cured some children of autism and vastly improved the condition of others.

Other doctors, many of them connected with Defeat Autism Now!, a project of the Autism Research Institute, are using everything from special diets to B vitamins to folinic acid. They cite similar successes, and many parents agree.

These parents and doctors get the modern equivalent of what awaited the parents of early autistic children -- skepticism and scorn.

In the beginning, there was strong suspicion -- in many quarters, certainty -- that bad parenting caused autism. This came in part from the striking fact that so many of the parents of those early cases were successful, affluent, career-oriented professionals. Even more suspiciously, many of the mothers had college degrees and -- alert the mental-health authorities! -- their own careers.

"One other fact stands out prominently," wrote Leo Kanner, the child psychiatrist who first identified autism, beginning with Donald T., in his landmark 1943 paper on the disorder. "In the whole group, there are very few really warmhearted fathers and mothers. ... The question arises whether or to what extent this fact has contributed to the condition of the children."

While Kanner also noted that the children appeared to have been autistic from birth -- and thus the parents` personalities could not entirely explain their children’s disorder -- it set the stage for a tragic morality play over the next several decades.

The worst was Bruno Bettelheim, who wrote in "The Empty Fortress" in 1967:"I believe the initial cause of withdrawal is rather the child’s correct interpretation of the negative emotions with which the most significant figures in his environment approach him. ... The tragedy of children fated to become autistic is that such a view of the world happens to be correct for their world."

We couldn’t help thinking of all that when Donald’s brother told us Kanner suggested "the best thing that could happen" would be to place Donald with another family -- a childless farm couple. The parents complied, but it was only after the juvenile-arthritis attack four years later, and the subsequent gold-salts treatment, that Donald dramatically improved.

Yet Kanner attributed the change to "the intuitive wisdom of a tenant farmer couple, who knew how to make him utilize his futile preoccupations for practical purposes and at the same time helped him to maintain contact with his family."

It wasn’t until Bernard Rimland wrote Infantile Autism in 1964 that the idea of the "refrigerator mother" began to change -- slowly.

What makes Donald’s case all the more interesting is that none of the specialists his family took him to -- including the Mayo Clinic -- could identify the cause of his uncontrollable fever and joint pain when he was 12, his brother said. It wasn’t until Donald’s father happened to mention the affliction to a practicing physician in a nearby small town that juvenile arthritis, a rare autoimmune disorder, was identified. Here is how one of our correspondents summarized this sequence: 1. The world expert (Kanner) was incompetent with respect to medical assessment of illness. 2. He assumed that they needed to get Donald away from his parents. They really did think it was a parental abuse problem back then. 3. Kanner mistakenly attributed Donald’s progress to the "therapist" when it was really the medicine. 4. Recovery is possible with biomedical treatment.

5. Biomedical treatment ideas are not likely to come from the autism experts (Kanner) or the prestigious clinics (Mayo). They come from real medical doctors who know how to recognize real illness and autoimmunity in the kids.

Contrast that analysis with the standard dismissals when parents claim biomedical treatments have helped:

They may be indulging in wishful thinking -- wanting their child to improve so badly that they delude themselves; They may have tried another treatment such as behavior therapy that is actually responsible;

Their child may not have been very autistic in the first place.

Does anyone think Donald T., the first child diagnosed with autism, was not very autistic in the first place? Surely, Donald’s family was not "imagining" his improvement, since they weren’t even trying to treat his autism.

Of course, that intuitive, wise, childless farm couple may have made all the difference -- that is, if you think autism is caused by unwise, non-intuitive mothers and fathers (bad parents).

We don’t know what to make of Donald’s evident improvement -- and the fact that it has stayed buried for so long even as parents and researchers frantically turn over every stone to uncover treatments for this burgeoning, awful disorder.

We acknowledge we have not met Donald and are unable to vouch for his brother’s account, although we certainly found him credible and convincing.

But it does make us wonder whether much has changed.

These days, parents aren’t condemned for having autistic children – just for doing something about it without the permission of experts who are certain nothing can be done.

In upcoming columns we’ll look at the implications of Donald’s treatment.

E-mail: dolmsted@upi.com

Ela Schwartz
http://www.longislandpress.com/index.php?cp=188&show=article&a_id=5637

Luke Gilmore has come a long way in the past few years. The 5-year-old boy used to avoid eye contact and would spend his time staring out the window or racing distractedly around the house. Now he plays with other children and can even identify about 40 words by pointing them out to his teachers. But Luke's father, John Gilmore of Long Beach, says his son hasn't spoken a word since he was about a year old.

Luke has been diagnosed with autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder whose causes remain unknown.

Gilmore believes Luke's autism was caused by mercury poisoning via three vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in childhood vaccines since the 1930s. In 1999, the U.S. Public Health Service recommended that manufacturers reduce thimerosal content from about 25 micrograms per shot to trace amounts, although older vaccines may still be on the market. But the government has not officially identified mercury as a cause of autism. Indeed, many medical professionals and even other parents like the Gilmores say the correlation isn't clear.

Luke's parents began noticing changes after his first vaccination, at the age of 2 months, when he developed eczema and asthma. After another round of vaccinations, at 8 months of age, Luke stopped making eye contact and would alternate between being "spacey and hyperactive," says Gilmore. At about 1 year, Luke got his third round of vaccines and "all hell broke loose," as his father puts it.

"He'd just bounce off the walls constantly, had gastrointestinal problems and his eczema was out of control," Gilmore remembers. "We knew something was really wrong. We'd seen three distinct changes in our son after three rounds of vaccines."

Gilmore is not alone in his belief that autism is a medically caused catastrophe. Many parents with autistic children have joined groups that seek to eliminate mercury from vaccines altogether. Gilmore is president of one such group‹the New York Metro chapter of the National Autism Association. Others include the Coalition for SAFE MINDs (Sensible Action For Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders), NoMercury and Generation Rescue, all of whose members say their children were developing normally until regressing into the desolate world of autism between the ages of 2 and 7.

Their proactivity was rewarded this summer when Gov. George Pataki signed into law a bill limiting the use of thimerosal in vaccines for pregnant women and children. The bill was powered by Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg. A former educator, Weisenberg is familiar with the needs and issues facing children with physical and mental disabilities. Determined to improve the quality of life for disabled people and their families, he spearheaded the recently passed legislation that limits the amounts of thimerosal in vaccines given to children under 3 or pregnant women.

"Although there's no evidence thimerosal is the cause, we're aware mercury is toxic and poison, so why inject this into a child?" he says. But some parents say this isn't enough. They want thimerosal banned in all 50 states and financial compensation for what they consider to be injuries caused by vaccines.

"I have three children with autism, so clearly there's a genetic basis," says Michele Iallonardi of Hauppauge. "But I believe that my children would not have autism if they hadn't been exposed to thimerosal. Some people are genetically predisposed‹their bodies don't have the ability to get rid of the thimerosal injected into them with their vaccines. My children are a perfect example."

Iallonardi says her eldest son, Jackson, 4, suffered developmental delays from early infancy, and because he had health problems, doctors recommended two dosages of the flu shot when he was 2 years old. "His behaviors got worse," she says, "and about a month later he was diagnosed with autism."

After that, Iallonardi stopped vaccinating her twins, Bennett and Luca, now 2, when they turned 3 months. She says their autism is not as severe as that of their sibling.

AUTISM ASCENDING
Autism was first described in the 1940s, but the condition was poorly understood and little known until the 1990s. At first, autistic children were thought to suffer from schizophrenia or emotional trauma. Then, aloof and unloving "refrigerator mothers" were blamed for their children's odd behavior.

Now considered a spectrum disorder, autism ranges from its "classic" state to Asperger's Syndrome, characterized by social and communication difficulties but average to superior intelligence. Children with the disorder may exhibit repetitive behaviors as well, such as hand-flapping, head-banging or rocking back and forth. Those with classic autism generally don't speak, seem unaware of the outside world and often require institutionalization.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), autism rates have climbed from about one in 2,500 children in the 1980s to between one and four in 500 today, but it's unclear whether the number of cases is rising or greater public awareness and broader diagnostic criteria have brought more cases to light.

Densely populated Long Island has a high number of autistic children. May-Lynn Andresen, a registered nurse and the senior administrative manager at the Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism at North Shore-Long Island Jewish (NSLIJ) Health System in Bethpage, is the parent of a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Based on stats provided by the CDC, Andresen estimates that there may be as many as 18,000 autistic children in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens. "Autism is a big issue for us here," she says.

EVIDENCE OF HARM
David Kirby, a Brooklyn-based journalist, first heard about the thimerosal theory in 2002. He was skeptical until learning that a rider tacked on to the Homeland Security Act‹dubbed the "Eli Lilly Protection Act" after the primary manufacturer‹absolved pharmaceutical companies from liability for damages caused by the vaccine additive. The rider was repealed in 2003.

Kirby chronicled the experiences of parents who formed the Coalition for SAFE MINDs in Evidence of Harm‹Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy. Published in April 2005, the book investigates claims that the FDA failed to total up the amounts of thimerosal in the increasing number of vaccines given to children and conduct safety studies, thus exposing children to amounts of thimerosal that far exceeded federal safety limits.

The book also alleges that the CDC manipulated data from the federal Vaccine Safety Database to eliminate a statistically significant link between thimerosal and autism, ADHD and speech delay, and that the CDC refused to disclose data and records until required to do so under the Freedom of Information Act. Kirby says government officials refused requests for interviews.

"I would have been willing to publish anything they had to say," he says, stressing that "evidence" of harm is not the same as "proof." People should reach their own conclusions after reading the book, in which Kirby does not take an anti-vaccine stance, he adds.

"If I had children, I would have them vaccinated," Kirby says. "Children can lose their sight or hearing, become disfigured, even die from these diseases."

Thanks to vaccinations, few of us recall the days when catching diseases such as diphtheria or measles was a childhood rite of passage. Smallpox has been eradicated; polio is rarely seen outside of the Third World. But when vaccination rates drop, diseases regain a foothold, as Japan, England and Sweden discovered when whooping cough and measles re-appeared after parents fearful of side effects stopped inoculating their children.

IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS
While there have been many studies aimed at unearthing the causes of autism, none has proven a link between the disorder and thimerosal. For the most part, the medical community attributes autism to genetic factors, and statistics do show a correlation. According to the CDC, if one child in a family has autism, the odds that a sibling will be affected increase significantly.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and independent researchers, who are trying to identify genes that could cause autistic symptoms, say these traits often run in families. That's something many parents of autistic children acknowledge, even as they insist there's more to blame for the condition than just chromosomes and genes.

Not everyone in the autism community believes that mercury's to blame. Many cite the fact that the CDC and other public health organizations conducted five major epidemiological (large-population) studies examining the health records of hundreds of thousands of children in the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which pored over the data, those studies show no proof that autism is linked to thimerosal.

Proponents of the theory that thimerosal and autism are linked counter that the IOM failed to give equal weight to biological and toxicological laboratory studies showing the negative neurological effects of thimerosal.

"Autism could be caused by any number of factors, but the potential for thimerosal to be one of them is there, based on research done by qualified professionals," says Chris Petrosino, the parent of a son with autism and co-president of the Nassau/Suffolk chapter of the 500-members-strong Autism Society of America, which supported the legislation to remove thimerosal from vaccines.

Those on the other side of the fence say mercury-blaming parents are upset‹seeing your child regress into autism is traumatic‹but that emotion is no substitute for science and facts.

Retired Roslyn dentist Marvin Schissel is an adviser to the American Council on Science and Health and the National Council Against Health Fraud. His adult son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 25. Schissel sees no point in funding more thimerosal studies, since the preservative has been removed from most vaccines and studies have shown no concrete connection.

"Why keep wasting money and energy with this issue when we could be investigating other, more promising areas?" Schissel asks.

Marty Schwartzman, too, has his doubts about the thimerosal theory. The Bayside resident, president of the Long Island chapter of the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR), says his twins, Allyson and Robby, now 12, did not show signs of regression after receiving vaccinations.

"They were both delayed, but then, for some reason, Allyson took off," Schwartzman says. Now a typical seventh-grader, Allyson wants to work with autistic children when she grows up. Her brother has autism and attends the School for Language and Communication Development in Glen Cove.

Schwartzman, however, considers himself open-minded and doesn't discount any potential links to the disorder that affects his son. "I go to a lot of presentations and read papers [about autism], and [many things] sound plausible, but I'm not a chemist and I don't understand the structure of cells," he says. "I think we need to explore the cause of autism to the fullest extent."

Those who do blame thimerosal are encouraged by new developments. The Los Angeles Times published a Merck company memo warning of the dangers of high mercury doses through increased immunizations. The memo was dated 1991, eight years before the FDA recommended that thimerosal be removed from vaccines.

In California, autism rates are dropping, in keeping with the prediction of lower rates after thimerosal’s phase-out. The University of Texas found that school districts in environments with high mercury levels had the highest rates of special-education services, and that autism rates increased by 17 percent for every 1,000 pounds of mercury released. The emissions came from coal-burning plants, with Texas releasing more than any other state.

FUTURE FALLOUT
Autism affects more than the child diagnosed with it. Parents exhaust themselves trying to fill the child's needs. Siblings feel neglected. Financial and marital woes often set in because insurance seldom pays for expensive newer therapies and one parent may have to quit work to care for the child.

And our society is responsible for caring for a staggering number of autistic individuals. Robert Krakow, an attorney who represents vaccine-injury cases and is the father of a child with autism, is also chairman of the board of Lifespire, a not-for-profit organization that provides housing and services for 5,000 disabled adults in the New York City region. Krakow says that if you multiply the cost of special-education services for a child over several years, then add about $225,000 that's spent per year on each adult resident at an institution, the cost comes out to about $13 million to care for an autistic individual who requires housing and services over his or her lifetime.

Andresen says that huge numbers of developmentally disabled Long Island children need to be helped and supported, brought in to local school districts and protected from teasing and bullying. "Communities need to rally and provide opportunities for them to practice social skills in different environments and support them with jobs," she says. "We need to understand that it truly takes a village."

By JENNIFER C. YATES, Associated Press Writer Fri Aug 26, 8:00 AM ET

The death of a 5-year-old autistic boy has raised questions about whether a medical treatment aimed at cleaning the body of heavy metals should be used to treat the neurological and developmental disorder.

Officials said they do not know for sure what killed Abubakar Tariq Nadama, who went into cardiac arrest and died Tuesday after receiving his third chelation therapy treatment at a suburban medical clinic. State police were investigating.

The boy was undergoing the therapy at Advanced Integrative Medicine Center in Portersville, about 35 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Neither the boy's doctor, Roy E. Kerry, nor a representative from the center returned a call for comment.

Chelation (pronounced key-LAY-tion) is often used in patients with sickle cell anemia, lead poisoning or other maladies. Its use dates to the 1940s.

Some people believe autism can be linked to a mercury-containing preservative once commonly used in childhood vaccines. Chelation therapy has been advocated as a remedy, although it hasn't been proven, because it causes heavy metals to leave the body through urine.

"If I were a parent considering it, I would probably stop considering it. There is no clear evidence that you can make kids better with this," said Dr. Gervasio A. Lamas, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center-Miami Heart Institute.

Autism is a developmental disability that affects a child's social interaction and communication. There is no cure.

Because there are more questions than answers about autism, parents often desperate to help their children are willing to try anything, said Lamas, who is leading a $30 million government-funded study into chelation therapy and heart disease.

Geoffrey Dubrowsky, of Brick, N.J., said his 10-year-old autistic son, Daniel, has been sleeping better and responding more to learning since starting chelation.

"These are caring parents doing whatever they can to help their child," Dubrowsky said. "We're desperate because there are no answers and the government is not willing to put up any answers."

During chelation, chemicals are administered under the skin or orally. The chemicals bind to heavy metals in the body, and patients then excrete the chemicals through urine.

One of the most common uses for chelation is lead poisoning, in which a synthetic chemical called EDTA is given to patients. It's unclear exactly how many people undergo the treatment.

"There are thousands of patients getting chelation at home at night in many parts of the world. And it's generally considered quite safe," said Dr. Lakshmanan Krishnamurti, a pediatric hematologist and director of the Sickle Cell Program at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

In 2001, the San Diego-based Autism Research Institute issued a position paper saying that 73 percent of more than 23,000 parents surveyed reported that mercury detoxification helped their children.

Lamas said the therapy does come with risks, including causing kidney damage and in some cases heart problems.

Dr. Cynthia Johnson, director of the Autism Center at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, said autistic children often undergo a variety of therapies so it's difficult to pinpoint what is working and what is not.

"I tell families frankly that I don't see (chelation) as benign and it's really very scary to me," Johnson said.

The boy's mother, Marwa Nadama, said she did not blame the therapy, but was waiting for results of an autopsy. ___

On the Net:

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Autism Center: http://www.chp.edu/clinical/03a_autism.php

RESPONSE TO THE CHELATION TRAGEDY by David Kirby

Autism and Chelation: Where is the Science?

Nearly four years ago, the Institute of Medicine recommended research into chelation therapy and autism. But that never happened, and now a little boy in Pennsylvania is dead.

The heartrending tragedy of Abubakar Tariq Nadama, an autistic five- year-old who died while undergoing chelation this week, is one of the saddest chapters in the very sad saga of autism in America.

But even as the grieving immigrant mother makes funeral arrangements for her beloved boy, opponents of the theory that drew the family to America (the theory that mercury triggers autism, and removing it through chelation may improve symptoms) are holding his death up as proof that the idea is bogus. They claim that the use of chelation to treat autism is foolishly dangerous, and should be shut down at once.

Some people have come perilously close to exploiting this tragedy to further their own political or personal agendas. Some blame the boy's death on his mother, who has been labeled as reckless and "desperate." Others blame the Pennsylvania doctor -- and any autism doctor willing to try chelation (the use of certain chemicals to remove heavy metals from the body) – for the tragedy. Some fault me, for writing a book that dared to include the topic of chelation and autism within its pages.

It's time to take a deep breath and look at the facts.

First of all, only an autopsy will reveal the actual cause of death, and I think it is prudent to wait before jumping to any conclusions about the general safety of chelation and autism. That said, the boy did die while undergoing the procedure, and it's possible the controversial treatment is what killed him.

But here is where things get more complicated. Abubakar was given a substance known as EDTA, and he was receiving it intravenously. EDTA is used mostly (and legally, I might add) for the treatment of lead poisoning. EDTA is not typically used in mercury cases, and it is not clear why it was used to treat autism here.

In fact, I am unaware of any autistic child who's been chelated with EDTA, nor am I familiar with any autism cases where IV chelation was employed. The chelation methods I have written about (I do not, and cannot recommend treatments, for the record, I only report on them) were either oral or trans-dermal, and they used substances that are significantly different than EDTA.

Furthermore, I cannot find any reference in the medical literature about any patient dying from chelation. (Please post them if you have them).

Does chelation therapy work? We just don't know. Could it be dangerous, even deadly, for children with autism? Perhaps, but there's no hard science available one way or the other. And if chelation does improve symptoms, what are the best agents, at what doses and timing, and through which route of administration? No one can say, of course, because no one has bothered to study these questions in double-blinded trials.

Which brings us back to the IOM recommendation of 2001. The committee assigned to look into thimerosal (the mercury containing vaccine preservative) noted that some autism practitioners report "clinical improvements following chelation." And though the committee said that chelation "is not a benign treatment," it nonetheless recommended "careful, rigorous, and scientific investigations of chelation when used in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, especially autism."

That report was issued on October 1, 2001, nearly four years ago.

But few paid attention to the recommendation, and no one did the hard science on chelation. This left parents and doctors flying half- blind in pursuit of chelation -- not out of "desperation," but out of strong evidence their children had suffered from mercury exposure.

Just think, if the government had listened to the very IOM report it commissioned back in 2001, we might know a lot more about chelation and autism than we know today. If clinical trials had gotten underway then, we would know with certainty whether chelation could heal, or kill.

If hard scientific proof had been uncovered that chelation was 100- percent worthless in the treatment of autism, no parent or doctor would still be pursuing the therapy today. If evidence had surfaced in clinical trials that children could be harmed or even killed by chelation, no one would be using it today. The doctor in Pennsylvania would have halted chelation therapy long ago, and this poor grieving family would never have crossed the ocean from the UK in pursuit of its false promise.

But what if the opposite were true? What if the "rigorous science"

recommended by the IOM had yielded proof that chelation can indeed help some kids -- provided that it's done with the safest agents, at the safest doses, and through the safest routes of administration (not to mention in combination with other therapies)?

Either way, if America had done its scientific homework, as recommended by its top science professors, Abubakar might still be alive today.

If chelation is quackery that kills, let's outlaw it today. But if it can be done safely, with demonstrated clinical benefit to some autistic patients at a minimum of risk, then it should be approved by the FDA for the treatment of autism.

Does chelation in autism kill or cure? Only hard science will answer that question. What a shame we have wasted four long years not finding out.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/autism-and-chelation-whe_b_6286.html

An important response from Dr. Rimland at Autism Research Institute:

Autism Research Institute 4182 Adams Avenue
Home About ARI Introduction to Autism DAN! Treatment Vaccines and
Heavy Metals Additional Information ARRI Publications Media


The Safety and Efficacy of Chelation Therapy in Autism Statement by Bernard Rimland, Ph.D., Director, Autism Research Institute regarding death on August 23rd of 5 year-old Tariq Nadama Of Pittsburgh, who was given intravenous EDTA chelation

I have received many media calls regarding the above, very unfortunate matter. This is what I tell reporters:

Chelation is not used to treat autism, but to treat heavy metal overload (lead, mercury, cadmium, etc), which is a major cause of autism and retardation.

Tens of thousands of children and hundreds of thousands of adults have been treated safely with chelation therapy for many decades. Dr. Ralph Miranda says there have been no deaths associated with chelation since the 1950's.

The child's mother, Marwa Nadama, says her son showed such remarkable improvement after the first few chelation treatments that if she had a choice, she would choose chelation again.

The mother also notes that she is unwilling to say chelation caused the death: "Let's wait until we have the results of the autopsy" (It could be the result of an allergy, for, example, to latex exposure in the medical office).

Conventional physicians, who have been critical of chelation, routinely use drugs such as Risperdal and Clonidine in treating autism. Death is a known side-effect of such drugs (read the labels!). Such deaths get no media attention.

The vast majority of autistic children who are chelated are chelated orally or transdermally (by gel, through the skin), as suggested in our Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) document available at our website www.AutismResearchInstitute.com
(www.autismwebsite.com/ari/dan/mercurymetaldetox.htm ).

Thousands of parents of autistic children, treated safely with chelation, report, like Tariq Nadama's mother, that their children have shown remarkable improvement after chelation was initiated. Formal data collection is just getting underway, but initial data, on several hundred children is very encouraging.

Since 1967 The Autism Research Institute has collected "Parent Ratings of Behavioral Effects of Biomedical Interventions." To date, almost 24,000 parent responses have been collected. Chelation is a recent addition to our list of interventions. So far, of the first 400 parents who reported on the efficacy of chelation, 76% report "good" results, which is by far the highest "good" percentage reported for any of the 88 biomedical interventions (including 53 drugs) the parents have rated. See: www.autismwebsite.com/ari/treatment/form34q.htm .

The death of Tariq Nadama is a sad, very unusual and as yet unexplained anomaly. To advise parents against chelation because of this event is much like saying "Don't take your child to grandma's house — a child was killed in an auto accident en route to his grandmother's house."

Another response from an amazing TACA Mom:

(This tragedy) can be a lot of reasons.  Allergic reaction of child.  Interaction with other supplements/medications the child was using. Improper dose. Contaminated product.  Improper chelation method for that specific child.

This was an IV, and most of the parents I know are not using IV.  From my research, IV is the most risky of the different chelation protocols.

When I was considering chelation for my son, I considered several options:

1.  Do nothing.  Not really an option for me, because my son was severely low functioning and had no chance.

2.  Detox without chelating.  This is a good option for many parents, especially for those kids whose bodies will detox *somewhat* by themselves, so long as they are healed of other issues [like vitamin deficiency].  The problem with this option for my son, is that he tolerated no supplements, so I could not pursue this option.

3.  Chelate.  This is the option I chose, so then I had to choose the chelator and protocol.  After reviewing all the available chelators and protocols currently available, I chose oral ALA [an OTC supplement].  I started with a low dose, conservative protocol.  I have fully chelated all four of my kids.  They lost their food intolerances, no more gut yeast, and they started tolerating supplements.  It was actually the supplements, not really the chelation, that caused the most improvement.  But I could not have given the supplements without the chelation.

My kids are fully chelated.  It was one of the best things I did for them, because it was basically the first step toward their recovery. I did not use traditional chelators [like DMSA, EDTA, DMPS, etc], I used ALA.  I researched and came to the conclusion that the benefits of ALA outweighed any potential risks, and the risks of the others outweighed any potential benefits.

Chelation is a scary proposition.  But to me, leaving the metals in the body was even scarier.

Well, this child was probably chelated by a qualified, experienced doctor, although I don't know for sure.  There are messages on other message boards that indicate the doctor was *not* new and inexperienced.

My opinion is slightly jaded, because when I called around 5 years ago to find a doctor, none of them would accept my son because of his dx. So I recovered him on my own, with OTC supplements.  Some of the things that I have read on message boards and by private email, that so-called "doctors", DAN! and otherwise, have prescribed for autistic children, are shockingly scary and even have caused some severe issues.  So my opinion is that a qualified, experienced doctor is optional, sometimes even harmful.  A well-informed parent is what is critical, but even then there are no guarantees.

It took me 2-1/4 years to chelate my kids.  They are fully chelated. I will have my #2's dx removed once I can remove the final supplement.

I disagree with any protocol which indicates the kids will get worse before they get better.  My kids did NOT get worse, they just got better.

I also disagree with anything injected, whether a chelator or even mB12, unless the child seriously needs it [like the child might die] and there is no other way to do it.  I know many children benefit from mB12 injections and other injection interventions, but in my personal opinion [which people are free to disagree with], the risk of injection outweighs any potential benefit except in extreme situations.

I have only used oral ALA, and selenium.  No problems here.  I know of some kids who don't tolerate ALA though, so each child's situation is different.

Thousands of children have recovered, or nearly so, with chelation. One death is tragic, but does that mean chelation is not valid?  No medical procedure is without risks.  The one tragic result gets the news coverage, but not the thousands who have greatly benefited.

I posted this info on another message board:

About a year ago in my local area, an autistic child was leaving his therapy session when he saw his aunt [or other preferred relative, I forget now] sitting in the car across the street waiting for him. He ran across the street to see her, got hit by a car, and died. But no one suggested that kids stop therapy, or never cross the street again.

More kids die from auto accidents than almost anything else. But you always read about the plane crashes, because they are not so common.  Is anyone suggesting we stop putting kids into cars?

Always do your own research, even if you are using a doctor who you believe you can trust.

Dana

(thanks Dana for your thoughts!)

More comments from Paul Sullivan & Dr. Buttar:

I think that many of you may find the following blog post to be quite interesting.  On Friday, I sent an email to Dr. Buttar asking him to comment on IV EDTA chelation and the autistic boy's death, as well as TD-DMPS and his thimerosal challenge.

http://www.patsullivan.com/blog/2005/08/dr_buttars_rema.html

Btw, this is my first post to EOH, but I have been a member for about 2 months.  Your posts have given me much insight on the reality of life day in and day out with an autistic child.  My prayers to you all!

My Dad (Pat Sullivan) and I (Patrick Sullivan Jr.) started following the numerous Autism groups for the past year once it became obvious to us that there was such a strong parallel between autism and the spectrum of other chronic health conditions that my dad has battled with off and on for the last 30 years.  He recently wrote a book called "Wellness Piece by Piece" and we started a company called Jigsaw Health to help others find the pieces to their own chronic health puzzle.  (And I say that not for self-promotion, but for full disclosure.)

- Patrick Sullivan Jr.

More comments from Generation Rescue

http://tinyurl.com/d6xhm
By Anne B. Jolis

Thimerosol, the controversial mercury-based preservative, is used only in flu vaccines today. Though federal government officials insist that the increased use of the preservative during the 1990s cannot be linked to the dramatically higher rate of autism and other childhood neurological disorders, some parents are not convinced.

Since 1999, the CDC and the FDA have advised pharmaceutical companies to discontinue use of the preservative in vaccines. According to Von Roebuck, a spokesperson for the CDC, this was done only as a "precaution."

"There is no proven connection between thimerosol in vaccines and autism," said Roebuck, citing an Institute of Medicine study that reviewed data from selected research projects. "They stopped using thimerosol in vaccines in 1999 because at the time we didn't have a clear understanding of the relationship. Now, we do understand, but the manufacturers have moved on to other ingredients and processes. It has nothing to do with any link to autism, which doesn't exist."

Paul Potito, Executive Director of New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community, said it's hard for many parents to trust the claims of these studies.

Potito said parents of autistic children have evidence of their own that thimerosol played a role in their children's condition.

"There has been a wide gap between what the scientific community has found and what parents are telling us," said Potito. "A number of these studies -- even ones in other countries --have shown no link, but parents, though anecdotal information and other studies that aren't necessarily advertised by the CDC, have claimed that autism displays itself shortly after they'd received a thimerosal-laced injection. The truth lies in between there somewhere."

"I'm just a parent with a gut feeling," said Catherine Medovich of Marlton, the mother of a 14-year-old with autism. Medovich is a board member of the Parents of Autistic Children Together, or PACT, a chapter of the Autism Society of America. The parent-support group reaches out to families in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties.

"My strongest suspicion is definitely that thimerosol played a role in my child's development," said Medovich. "The government studies will deny it as long as they can, though, because there are just so many kids that are affected."

Indeed, the government is not the only entity with a lot to lose should thimerosol be shown to be linked to autism, according to Potito.

"At this point, the vaccines with thimerosol have all been used," said Potito. "So if, in a few years, we see a drop in the number of kids with autism, we'll know that the preservative was the culprit. The settlements awarded to families all over the country would, in my opinion, dwarf the tobacco settlements. A class-action lawsuit would hit the CDC, the FDA, a huge combination of pharmaceutical companies."

Potito said he doesn't think parents will be the only ones suing, either.

"I would think the states spending millions of dollars on educational programs and other facilities for people with autism would also seek a claim for themselves," said Potito, adding that he doesn't know of any impending lawsuits at this point. "I think people are waiting for science to show us the way."

"I'm not even interested in a lawsuit," said Mandovich. "I just want to know. I just want someone to uncover the truth."

"The government's and the scientific community's answers at this point have not been satisfying to a growing number of parents, because they see flaws in their procedures," said Potito. "Definitive research needs to be done. There either has to be a link found -- and admitted -- between thimerosol and autism, or something that demonstrates that there is no link. They need to give us a yes or no in a way that parents can accept."

Parents seeking more information on autism or support groups in their area should go to www.solvingthepuzzle.com.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-76206sy0sep03,0,2460388.story?coll=dp-opinion-editorials 

On June 15, the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church - the largest conference in United Methodism with almost 350,000 members - overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling upon our government to protect children from mercury-containing vaccines and drugs.

Seven days before, my 4-month old son, Elijah, received a series of vaccines - vaccines that are mandatory if he is to attend public school. As I held his little hand in mine, I never even thought about the safety of the vaccines he received. Only later did I learn that some childhood vaccines, particularly the influenza vaccine, contain Thimerosal, a preservative that is almost 50 percent mercury by weight.

Mercury in vaccines is an antiquated idea. To a non-medical person like myself, mercury in vaccines seems as inadvisable as lead in paint or leaches for the treatment of fever. And yet, (Thimerosal, which is 49.6 percent mercury by weight) is still in the meningitis vaccines, the flu shot and the tetanus booster in this nation and is even more commonplace in American-made vaccines which we send to developing nations around the world. When I was pregnant with my son, I followed the EPA warnings and limited my own intake of fish that contained high levels of mercury. Why, then, are we still injecting levels of mercury that exceed the EPA's published guidelines into our children as part of approved childhood vaccines?

Even after learning that mercury is present in a limited number of childhood vaccines, I still believe that vaccines are wonderful and necessary tools in our medical arsenal. Vaccines have done a remarkable job to improve global health by preventing, and eventually eradicating, many deadly diseases. But since June, I have come to realize that mercury in vaccines can endanger the fragile and developing nervous system of children and infants.

There is no doubt that mercury is a neurotoxin and that safe and effective alternatives exist for preserving and sterilizing vaccines. Critics say that there is no undeniable proof that vaccines containing mercury cause neurological damage. I say that lack of proof is the result of lack of study. Critics say that the use of Thimerosal allows drug manufacturers to keep vaccinations affordable. I say that the use of Thimerosal allows drug manufacturers to increase their profit margin while placing children at risk. If a drug inflicts neurological damage on even one child, then that drug is no bargain at all. Thimerosal-free vaccines are already available and will only become more affordable if government regulations and the public demand safe vaccines.

My son, Elijah, is now 6 months old. Last week I took him to his pediatrician, and he received a series of vaccinations while I again held his tiny, little hand. Before he received one shot, however, I discussed my concerns about Thimerosal with my son's pediatrician. Confident that she will adhere to my request that my son receive only Thimerosal-free vaccines, I allowed Elijah to be vaccinated. With knowledge as my weapon, I feel confident that my son can be vaccinated without falling victim to any adverse neurological effects from mercury-containing vaccines.

However, as a concerned citizen and as a person of faith, I believe that my duty is not only to my own child. I also have a responsibility and an obligation to the other children of our world. I worry about the parents who do not have the knowledge or the opportunity of informed consent which would enable them to request Thimerosal-free vaccines for their children. I worry about the millions of other children around the world who receive mercury-containing vaccines that come from American drug manufacturers.

I want to trust that vaccines are safe, for I believe that vaccines are extremely important. However, I cannot fully place my trust in vaccines while they are tainted with a life-threatening neurotoxin. Only when the use of Thimerosal is banned will I be able to fully trust that vaccines are safe and effective again.

The adverse effects of Thimerosal on the fragile nervous system of developing infants and children may not yet be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. But whenever one injects a known poison into a child, there is a great level of risk. As a mother who is concerned about the needs of all God's children, that risk is one that I am not willing to take - not for my child nor for anyone else's.

Douce, of Lawrenceville, is a United Methodist pastor in Brunswick County, VA.

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: September 24th, October 22nd & 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!!

A special thanks to volunteer Lynn Milucky for being the host and organizer of these special events. These social events have concluded for 2005. Please attend the TACA Carousel rides at South Coast Plaza above.

Also a special thanks to PUMP IT UP for being a wonderful place for TACA families!

If you have the desire to volunteer for your area, find an activity and location, and manage this for TACA – please let us know!

To all TACA families who helped Ruthie Daniel and her family:

I humbly thank you for your prayers and generous support. Your giving hearts has created miracles in my life!

God has blessed me more than I can ever imagine. He is using this illness to strengthen my character and mold me into the design that he requires of me in order to serve him and help others.

At present, I have just completed my radiation treatments and now I get a 30-day break! Then, I'll go back for CT/PET scan to see if I'm in the clear. I'll keep you all posted".

God Bless You All,

Ruthie Daniel

Note from the editor: Thank you for the compassion and the help provided to this wonderful family. It is wonderful the spirit and caring the TACA group can offer those in need. And Ruthie – we cannot wait until you are 100% back on your feet – which we know will be soon!

Thoughtful House Announcement

First off – Procedures
For those of you interested in Thoughtful House services this is how it works….
First of all, you should email or call our offices and request an initial intake form (please include your contact information as well as the name(s), date of birth, diagnosis (if any) and if you are a current/existing patient of any of the physicians). This is a 6 page document that asks brief questions about your child’s diagnosis and treatment history. There is a place on this form for you to indicate the services you are interested in (if you know).  If you do not know what services you want, Thoughtful House will make recommendations.

Once this form is received back in our office, it will be reviewed. If you have requested specific services (CARD or one the doctors) you will then be sent the intake packet for those services. For example, if you are interested in seeing Dr. Krigsman, you will receive the GI clinic packet (this packet is more extensive than the initial intake form and has lab prescriptions).

The next steps vary from providers (please allow at least 3 weeks for review and contact concerning your forms). Below is a summary for each:

Dr. Krigsman: Once you have completed the GI clinic packet (that should take a few weeks to get the labs and complete all of the requested information) you will receive confirmation that this file is completed. Once Dr. Krigsman has his license (see more on that below) – things will go like this: completed file returned to our office, you receive confirmation this file is complete, then we will call to schedule your appointment (if you are 100 miles away from Austin the first appointment will be a phone consultation).

Dr. Kartzinel and Dr. Jepson: Once you have completed and returned the initial intake form indicating you are interested in this service, your child will be placed on the waiting list to see one of these physicians (you may or may not be asked to complete an additional questionnaire prior to scheduling an appointment). As soon as they receive their Texas medical license you will be contacted to schedule your first appointment and will be sent their clinic packet. If you are an existing client there is no need to fill out a new initial intake form.

CARD services: Once you have completed and returned the initial intake form indicating you are interested in this service, your information will be forward to the Austin CARD staff and they will contact you directly to get your information and to schedule an intake assessment.

Thoughtful House Equestrians: Once you have completed and returned the initial intake form indicating you are interested in this service, you will be contacted by the Thoughtful House Equestrian Program Director to get your information and discuss the program and schedule with you.

And in other news , Thoughtful House will be moving into the new offices (next door to our current location) in early September. This space will house the offices of Dr. Kartzinel, Dr. Jepson, Dr. Krigsman, CARD staff, Thoughtful House research and administrative staff.

LicensingUpdate: Dr. Krigsman will be meeting with members of the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners later this month, armed with scientific papers and all of the great letters of support many of you wrote. Thank you for taking the time to do this. Hopefully this will be the last step to licensure and he will be able to start seeing patients in Texas soon. Both Dr. Kartzinel and Dr. Jepson are also waiting for word from the TSBME board. Our hope is to have all doctors seeing patients in the clinic before the fall. We promise we will keep you up to date as we get more information.

Special Event updates:

Location : Chatsworth, CA                                  
Event: Benefit for Thoughtful House and ACT! Today (CARD)
Date : September 22nd at 6 pm                           
For an invitation please email info@thoughtfulhouse.org 

Location : Dell Diamond, Austin                       
Event: Thoughtful House All Star Classic Celebrity Softball Game
Date : November 6th                                            
More information coming soon!

New Study Announcement at UC San Diego:

SIBLINGS OF ASD CHILDREN NEEDED FOR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH STUDY

We are seeking 1-month to 18-month old siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified) to participate in a series of tests at the UCSD Infant Vision Lab.

The goal of our research is to better understand brain and behavioral development in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study may help us identify a marker for ASD that, in the future, could result in earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Our assessments are safe and non-invasive and have been used previously with infants in our lab. The complete series includes visual processing tests and behavioral and EEG studies of social and communicative development through 36-months of age. Families can participate in one or all of the tests. An on-going commitment is NOT required.

For more information, please contact Lisa Tully at

(858) 822-0541 or LTully@psy.ucsd.edu. You can also visit our website at http://psy.ucsd.edu/babylab/sibling.html

The Listening Center Personnel Change Announcement

This is to inform TACA families that the new director of The Listening Center Costa Mesa is going to be Katie Shook. Katie has been here as the Program Coordinator since January and has an extensive history working with emotionally disturbed children in a group home setting.

HELPFUL EMERGENCY STICKERS FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Hello parents,

    I want to share this small story and you can benefit too. On my van is a red sticker inside the windshield stating:  ATTENTION Emergency Personnel!!!  PERSON WITH AUTISM

Then on my back door is the ribbon magnet of AUTISM AWARENESS. This really became a key element on August 24th, when a man who ran a red light and caused me to run right into him.  Everyone including Ryan is doing fine and he was seat belted in the back seat listening to his music.  THE KEY FACTOR IS:  The officer that approached me saw the red sticker in the window and the magnet not the back hatch.  He asked "do you have a child with you or anyone else"?  I exclaimed my son is with me and doing okay.  The officer says" I see you have the autism sticker and is he okay"?  "Do you need medical or a wrecker"?  I said "No, we are okay and he is not upset yet".  Officer said "I will try to get you out of here as soon as possible and I understand".


Within a few minutes while waiting on confirmation on paperwork he explained that he once dealt with an autistic child in a wreck and the child was devastated and hard to handle.  Well, another officer walked up and first thing asked "is the child okay and how is he handling this"?  I told him we were both okay and he is being patient.  Then the first officer came back and explained they were going to have to put handcuffs on the guy who hit me and mentioned this may upset your child.  He had all the information he needed and said I could go.   As I pull away, they made sure I was to the next block till they put those handcuffs on.


Thank you, officers.


Thank you, Unlocking Autism, for the wonderful sticker.  I even have one in the window by my front & back doors.  To purchase this sticker go to www.unlockingautism.org

The Law Offices of Roberts, Adams & Jewell presents: “Introduction to Special Education Law and Process” - Conducted by Paul M. Roberts, Esq.

An introductory seminar to assist parents with newly diagnosed children and to assist parents who are new to Special Education.

• Date September 19, 2005
• Time 6:30 pm
• TO R.S.V.P: (714) 698-0239 or email: info@edattorneys.com
• Space is limited
• Location: Roberts, Adams & Jewell 18377 Beach Blvd., Suite 322 Huntington Beach, CA 92648 www.edattorneys.com

Thursday, September 22 7:30 p.m. Author of “A Real Boy: A True Story of Autism, Early Intervention and Recovery,” Christina Adams will discuss her book and sign copies. “A Real Boy,” a much-needed update on autism, is the story of how Christina and her husband stopped their son’s unexpected descent into autism and illness and won him a second chance for a full life.
For more information, please call (562) 916-1342 or visit www.christinaadamswriter.com.

Date: September 27
Time: 7:00 - 9:30 PM -
Location: Irvine/Newport Beach - Mariners Church New ADD/Autism Parent Workshop

• 7:00 - 8:15 PM
  Dr. Alan Lincoln: Alliant International University/CARES
  Current Treatments for Autistic
• 8:15 - 9:30 PM
  Dr. Michael Linden : ADD Treatment Centers
  Subtypes of ADD & Autistic Spectrum Disorder & Treatment Implications

SEATING LIMITED, CALL TODAY TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS FOR THESE
VALUABLE SEMINARS - For more info please call ADD TREATMENT CENTERS
( 949) 489-3233 or www.mpccares.com

Overview:
Based on the latest scientific research, discover how people with Autism, Asperger’s and PDD can learn to communicate reciprocally, be genuinely interested in others, and not just tolerate, but enjoy change, transition and going with the flow.

The goal of the RDI™ Program is for each person on the spectrum (whether they are considered "low" functioning or "high" functioning,) to be excited about expanding their world,
rather than to be afraid of it.

Find out what motivates people on the autistic spectrum to develop relationships. Understand the contrasts between the RDI™ Program and social skills programs that emphasize socially acceptable behaviors but fail to develop the real motivations essential to the formation of genuine relationships.

The RDI™ Program is a parent-based, clinical treatment program designed to address the core deficits of autism which impact social communication, relationship building, motivation, critical thinking, abstract language comprehension, problem-solving and executive functioning.

Often called the "missing link" in treating persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders, RDI™ is a powerful step-by-step, growth model based on typical development and the most current research by world experts in autism.

http://www.rdiconnect.com/workshops/SanDiegoCA/

What will the 2-day workshop cover?

• The core deficits of autism based on the latest scientific research.
• Research results on the quality of life for people on the autism spectrum.
• The developmental path unique to people on the spectrum:
• including the concepts of dynamic mental engagement,
• self regulation & co-regulation with others,
• absolute vs. relative thinking,
• imperative vs. declarative communications,
• episodic memory, and more...
• The basic principles of the RDI™ Program.
• Dramatic new video clips of "RDI in action"
• Research on the effectiveness of the RDI™ Program and much more.

http://www.rdiconnect.com/workshops/SanDiegoCA/

Register online for the workshop:
http://www.rdiconnect.com/workshops/SanDiegoCA/ or email: Kristin Adiska at adiska@rdiconnect.com or call toll-free: 1-866-378-6405, ext 119, for more information.
Group discounts available:
email Kristin Adiska at adiska@rdiconnect.com.

Visit our web site:
http://www.rdiconnect.com/

Steven E Gutstein, Ph.D.
SteveGutstein@rdiconnect.com
http://www.rdiconnect.com/
P.S. Please forward this email to the schools, OT's, SLP's, doctors, parent groups, etc, or post to any on-line groups or message boards and let them know.

October 20: Computerized & Brain Imaging Testing for Accurate Diagnosis of ADD & ASD ,
7:00-8:30 PM, Saddleback Church-Lake Forest/M. Viejo

SEATING LIMITED, CALL TODAY TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS FOR THESE VALUABLE SEMINARS For more info please call ADD TREATMENT CENTERS (949) 489-3233 or www.mpccares.com

October 2005 Long Beach conference. The web conference also includes the Recovered Autistic Children event.  To learn more about the DAN! web conference and to subscribe, visit: www.ARIWebConference.com or www.danconference.com

Our world and autism community had two tragedies since the last TACA e-news -- the massive disaster called Hurricane Katrina and the sad death of a little boy following chelation.

Watching the heartbreaking news and the huge amount of devastation has been so hard. I cannot imagine how these families may feel losing everything, worrying about relatives and lost loved ones and even worse. In this e-news are some suggestions for helping the individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina and families with children on the autism spectrum. Please do what you can and please provide your thoughts and prayers for these folks in need.

On a scale of one, but a tremendously sad event, I was heartbroken to hear about the tragedy of Abubakar Tariq Nadama, an autistic five-year old boy who died in Pennsylvania this past month after receiving IV chelation. Many of us could only imagine the pain these parents may be going through because of the loss of their beloved son while they sought treatment to help him. What we know about this event are minimal details. This e-news also hosts the information we do know and some important commentary about the sad event. We hope that we will know more soon after the autopsy is completed. Please also keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. These are two tragedies that have affected our world and community in many ways. While this school season gets under way. I hope that you and your family remain safe and have a wonderful experience in this upcoming school year and beyond.

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.IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO RECEIVE THESE EMAILS, just respond and I will be happy to remove you from the list.

P.S. TACA e-news is now sent to 1,874 people!
(This number represents families – 95%, and the rest are professionals.)