TACA holds monthly meetings in many locations throughout the United States that feature educational speakers on important topics and allow family members to connect with one another and stay on top of the latest information in the autism world. Each TACA group maintains a resource library of the latest autism books and tapes that can be checked out by members at no charge.

Check out our group listings: each contains information on TACA meetings and special events as well as a contact form.

Are you wondering what happens at a TACA meeting? Watch our video.

Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) is pleased to announce its third annual Adopt-A-Family Holiday Campaign! This is open to residents of the United States who have a child living with them with autism. The holiday season is a happy time filled with warmth, love, generosity and hope.

TACA, in partnership with the National Autism Association (NAA) and Healing Every Autistic Life (HEAL) will be adopting approximately 75 families to help provide the things that will make this holiday special.  We will be providing holiday gifts for your children, assistance with special needs such as diapers, groceries, vitamin supplements, etc. Holiday giving will be valued at approximately $200 and will be based on family need and family size. 

Apply to be Adopted – Deadline November 24, 2008

If you are a family in need, we will do our best to make 2008 a special holiday season for your family.  To qualify, you must:

• Be a TACA member (sign up on our website – it takes less than a minute)
• Have at least one child with autism
• Live in the United States of America

Download the Holiday Adopt a Family Application form

Read guidelines to help with our Adopt-a-Family Program.

OC Register
TRUE LIFE: A neighbor writes about an autistic boy and his mother, who died this month when struck by a suspected drunk driver.

By SUSAN CHRISTIAN GOULDING, SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER

The beauty school next to Vons is the best kept secret in my neighborhood. For five bucks, you can get a meticulously styled 'do, cut with care by an earnest student determined to score straight A's. My hair hasn't looked so bouncy since my '80s perm.

A couple of weeks ago, I talked my son into giving it a try. Matt's mop top was in desperate need of a mop up. Upon arrival, he skeptically surveyed the decapitated mannequins with flowing synthetic locks.

I was relieved to spy another boy about Matt's age in a barber's (for the moment) chair. His mother stood nearby. The image is a blur to me. I had grocery shopping on my mind.

I vaguely recollect the brunette youngster, two trainees hovering over him. The woman looked something like me – a generic mom. At least, I think she did. In truth, she is a blank spot in my memory.

As an apprentice was pinning up sections of Matt's hair (a first for him), I trotted off to Vons. "I felt like a girl," Matt later commented. Neither of us mentioned the other boy.

Three days later, I dragged Matt along on an errand. He's good company.

We came upon police cars and flares on the opposite side of winding Lampson Ave., which flows into our Seal Beach neighborhood. "This street is so dangerous!" we shuddered. "There are so many accidents on it! People treat it like a freeway!"

That night, I couldn't get the accident scene out of my mind. There's not much reason to be on that stretch of road unless you live in our tract. So I emailed some friends inquiring what they'd heard.

Bit by bit, information trickled in. A car hit two bicyclists – a mother and her son – then rammed into a tree. The boy is 14. His family lives two blocks from our house. Both the mother and the driver were in critical condition.

I racked my brain. A boy only a year older than Matt? Surely we know him.

Matt pointed out that a sweet kid named Jamie lives on that street. Jamie played on Matt's flag football team last fall. Super-nice parents. Athletic mom – the kind who would be out pedaling on a Sunday afternoon. My heart sank.

But then more details dribbled in. Not a Jamie. A Sam. Who's Sam?

"I know Sam," Matt answered. "He's autistic. Remember the kid in the beauty shop? That's Sam."

The driver was drunk, at 5 in the afternoon. He already had a DUI on his record. He missed a curve and hit the woman, who flew 30 feet into a wall. She suffered severe head injuries. Sam's OK.

More background, from friends of friends of friends: Sam is an only child. His parents are active in the autism community. His mother "is the center of his universe, and he of hers," one message said.

"They're always out riding bikes or jogging," Matt recalled. "Haven't you noticed them?" Not really.

On Tuesday, Oct. 14, the woman was taken off life support. Her organs were donated to eight people.

I don't know this family, but they are very much in my thoughts – for so many reasons.

How do you tell a child – one who can't even understand-- that he never again will see the center of his universe?

Life is so fragile and death so random. Twenty seconds later, Sam and his mother would have turned back onto a side street, off the major thoroughfare.

What a coincidence, of sorts, that I had just shared that brief interlude with them – a routine chore, nothing special about it, nothing to indicate that this generic mom who looked something like me had only a few days left to live.

"Generic mom," of course, does not begin to do her justice. Heroic mom is more like it. A mom who embraced her son's disability and loved him with all her might. A mom who could have wallowed in self-pity but instead rolled up her sleeves and got to work. A mom who served as best friend and recreation coach to a boy who couldn't make friends or play Little League.

It's curious, now, how invisible Sam's family was to me. Parents live in their children's worlds, and our two worlds did not intersect -- other than in the beauty shop and, probably, the post office or the Rite Aid or the dry cleaner. No cheering together at soccer games, no small talk in classrooms, no carpools to science camp, no prearranged sleep overs.

But Sam's mom had her own social network, her own interests, her own rewards, her own joys. And in that universe, she and Sam were each other's sun.

Contact the writer: Susan Christian Goulding is a Seal Beach-based writer and SAT instructor. Contact her at susangoulding.com; susanchristiangoulding.com.

Cathy Busse, who was 47, lived in Seal Beach with her husband, Ben, and son Sam, 14, a student at Los Alamitos High School. She also is survived by her mother and five sisters. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: Busse Family Special Needs Trust, Care of St. Anne's Catholic Church, 340 10th Street, Seal Beach, CA 90740. Remembrances: Read Cathy Busse's obituary and sign her guest book

Parents' Stories of Autism at FAIR: Autism Media.

Watch Lisa's video interview about TACA and how it serves families. Available online in both Quicktime and Windows Media format.

TACA is blessed to have friends and supporters who are celebrities and professional athletes, and who care deeply about people with autism and the TACA mission. Many times they asked us how they could help. In response to that question, the Hope, Faith & Recovery Project was born.

The Hope, Faith & Recovery Project consists of artwork developed by TACA special friends along the theme of three very important words for families living with autism - HOPE, FAITH and RECOVERY. Each artist has been asked to be inspired by infusing hope for families affected by autism and for the finished project to have a child like flare.

The art work will be displayed in the TACA office and on the TACA website and events, along with a personal message from the artist to TACA families. The art work has been made into note cards that can be purchased in packages of 8 for $15 + shipping to help support the TACA mission and message.

The News Tribune

DEBBIE CAFAZZO

A popular method of therapy isn't covered by most insurance plans, putting families in a financial bind. A proposed state law would mandate coverage, but the insurance industry says the therapy is educational, not medical.
Grant Fulton is a busy boy.

Seated at a child-sized table in his family’s Lacey living room, the 5-year-old kneads a ball of soft, claylike material. He talks about its colors, shapes and textures.

Laurie Waguespack, his therapist, subtly switches between play and learning. Her goal is to help Grant, who has autism, gain cognitive skills.

Waguespack grabs a deck of picture cards, and asks Gran t to name the colors and shapes as she flips through them.

“Pentagon. Octagon. Diamond. Black. Circle. Rectangle. Yellow,” says Grant, building speed as he identifies 34 of 35 cards correctly.

Eight months ago, says Denise Fulton, Grant’s mother, it would have been difficult to get him to name shapes and colors. Two years ago, it would have been impossible. Grant has mastered this only through daily, step-by-step therapy administered by Waguespack and others.

“It’s hard trying to rewire the brain,” says Fulton.

It’s also expensive, with in-home therapy costing anywhere from $15 to $25 per hour. None of it is covered by the family’s health insurance plan.

Insurance industry representatives such as Susan Pisano, spokeswoman for the national industry trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans, say some autism treatments aren’t really medical treatments but are more educational in nature. They argue that education is the responsibility of public schools, not private health insurance.

But Susan K. Malmquist, a Shoreline educational consultant who works with children with autism, says schools can’t go it alone.

“The federal government does not provide enough funding through the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), nor do we have enough local funding,” she says.

Insurance companies also point out that increased benefits for some means premium increases for everyone.

“It is a public policy question,” Pisano adds.

The question is being debated in state after state, as laws mandating insurance coverage for autism treatments are considered. At least seven states have passed laws targeting insurance coverage for autism treatment. And this year, the debate comes to Washington state with a proposed law by a group called Washington Autism Advocacy that would govern insurance coverage for autism.

Last month, the state Department of Health held a hearing on the proposal.

For three hours, parents of children with autism told their stories. They spoke of the strain that paying for their children’s treatment places on families and marriages.

“We had $200,000 in IRAs,” Adam Burns of Sammamish, the father of a 7-year-old boy with autism, told the Health Department panel. “It’s all gone.”

Burns said that even though therapy is helping his son, he has to cut back on treatments because of the cost.

Robert Ott, a Bellevue Realtor, said he spent $68,000 last year on treatments for his 6-year-old son with autism.

“We have nowhere to turn for help,” he said at the hearing. Without insurance reform, Ott added, “I’ll always be broke. I’ll always have creditors calling.”

EFFECTIVE OR NOT?

The therapy that’s been so successful for Grant Fulton and other children with autism relies on a method called applied behavior analysis (ABA).

It uses one-on-one instruction, repetition, rewards and a structured environment to draw children with autism out of their strange, often silent world and teach them the communication skills they’re unable to learn on their own. The goal of ABA is to increase desired behaviors and decrease undesired behaviors by using prompts, cues and positive reinforcement, according to autism experts.

Some in the insurance industry argue that there haven’t been enough studies looking at the long-term results of ABA.

“A recent review of published peer-reviewed studies doesn’t confirm that ABA is actually proven effective,” says Dr. Diane Stein, a medical director for Regence BlueShield insurance in Seattle. She says many studies have shortcomings, such as small sample sizes or no control groups.

Still, while the positive effects of ABA-based therapy can vary from child to child, it’s widely accepted by autism experts. The therapy is “well-established in terms of efficacy for children with autism,” says Milani Smith, associate director and director of clinical services at the University of Washington Autism Center. “I’m sure there are people who find it controversial. It certainly doesn’t work for every child.”

For most Washington state families with children who have autism, medical insurance covers none of the cost of ABA therapy. If parents want it for their child, they must pay on their own. At the standard cost of $15 to $25 an hour, 40 hours a week can cost about $50,000 a year.

Because Denise Fulton and her husband, Dean, have seen how much individualized ABA therapy has helped Grant, they pay for it themselves. They also pay for a special diet and alternative medicine treatments that they say have allowed their son to flourish.

To afford Grant’s therapy, the Fultons drive a used car. They have tapped into savings but are trying hard not to touch their 401(k) retirement fund.

The total out-of-pocket cost for Grant’s therapy, diet and treatments are “pretty much like buying a new car every year,” says Dean Fulton.

‘A HUGE TASK’

Arzu Forough, a Kirkland mother of two sons with autism, would like to change the insurance coverage picture. She’s leading an effort in Washington state for legislation to mandate insurance coverage for autism and related disorders, known as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

“We have a huge task on our hands to educate Washington that autism is treatable, and that it is an epidemic that is not going away,” says Forough.

The Washington proposal, backed by Washington Autism Advocacy and the state chapter of the national group called Autism Speaks, would require insurance companies that cover public employees in Washington state and sell policies to the public to include coverage for diagnosis and treatment for individuals with autism to age 21. The proposed legislation would:

• Require coverage for ABA-based treatments, along with coverage for medication, occupational, speech and other types of therapy – as long as they are prescribed by a licensed physician or a licensed psychologist.

• Prohibit insurers from dropping coverage of individuals with autism based solely on their diagnosis. Forough and other parents say this has happened.

• Remove limits on the number of visits an individual can make to an autism treatment provider.

• Cap benefit payouts for treatment of autism at $50,000 a year – a figure that would be adjusted for inflation annually.

An initial analysis by the Washington State Health Care Authority, which administers health benefits for the state’s public employees, estimates that the new law could increase premium costs for those employees by at least 1 percent or slightly more. That could mean an additional $17 million or more in 2010.

Washington state’s Autism Task Force, appointed by the Legislature, made an autism insurance mandate its highest priority in a report published in 2007.

“Insurance that covers evidence-based services for ASD is severely lacking in Washington,” the task force noted in the report to the governor and Legislature.

In the absence of such coverage, parents must pay for therapies and treatments themselves.

Corey and Lorina Gardner of University Place, seeking treatment for Zander, their 5-year-old son who has autism, have abandoned insurance coverage.

Corey Gardner owns his own business, while Lorina Gardner is a stay-at-home mom for Zander and his older sister, Vegas. They lean toward alternative medicine treatments not covered by insurance. They decided that instead of paying for insurance that Lorina Gardner says was largely useless, they would spend money on Zander’s treatments, including in-home ABA therapy and a special diet.

“We think and act outside the box to heal our son,” says Corey Gardner.

And, “it works for our child,” says Lorina Gardner.

MAGNANIMOUS MICROSOFT

While the proposed law could help many Washington families, it wouldn’t reach those who get their insurance through some of the state’s largest employers.

Many large companies are self-insured, which means they contract with an insurance company to administer their plans but actually pay the claims to employees themselves.

“Under federal law, states cannot tell self-insured employers what benefits they can offer,” says state Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, chairwoman of the Senate health care committee.

But Keiser says that state insurance mandates do tend to raise the bar for everyone.

“Large employers like to retain and recruit employees,” she says. “They tend to meet the standard quickly.”

One large self-insured employer is already setting the standard: Microsoft has covered ABA therapy for children with autism since 2001.

The addition of autism coverage came at the request of employees, says Julie Sheehy, who manages the company’s insurance benefits for U.S. employees.

“Microsoft has a long history of striving to offer comprehensive benefits packages,” she says.

Sheehy wouldn’t outline specifics of the plan, nor would she say how much the added benefit has cost the company. But the benefits aren’t limited by a child’s age, and employees do pay a portion of the treatment costs.

Ronnie Thibault of Monroe, Snohomish County, is the mother of a child with autism, and her husband works at Microsoft.

“When my son was diagnosed at age 5 two years ago, I didn’t know how privileged we were,” she says.

Thibault says that when she deals with health care providers, all she has to do is tell them her husband works at Microsoft and her son’s treatment is “completely free of hassles. All families deserve what my son is getting.”

RESTRICTION RATIONALES

Why is insurance coverage for autism so restrictive? The insurance industry argues that some treatments – including ABA therapy – should be the responsibility of public schools, which are mandated under federal law to provide services to disabled children from ages 3 to 21.

School districts routinely offer speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy, says Doug Gill, director of special education for the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

But how many use ABA therapy is unknown, he adds.

“Autism is pretty complex, in terms of how it plays out,” says Gill. “You have to look at the individual needs of a student and what works best. The issue is what is an appropriate program for the child.”

Keoni Smith, co-director of special services for the Sumner School District, says that while there has been research focusing on what works for very young children with autism, “there has not really been as much with school-age students, especially secondary-age (middle school and high school) students.”

Smith says Sumner teachers might use ABA-related or other types of behavioral therapy, but students would be unlikely to receive one-on-one therapy exclusively.

“We do have students in our preschool who might receive 20 to 25 hours of services,” says Smith. But those hours would likely include both individual therapy and group classroom time, he adds.

Vanessa Tucker, a Tacoma special-education teacher with expertise in autism, says the educational and health care systems need to collaborate.

“It’s not something any one agency should be responsible for,” she says.

“The insurance companies say let the schools take care of it,” adds state Sen. Darlene Fairley, D-Lake Forest Park, who’s supported past unsuccessful legislative efforts to expand insurance coverage for kids with autism. “But the schools have so much else to do. You can’t just leave kids to be cared for by the schools.”

Stein, of Regence BlueShield insurance, sees it differently.

“Typically, providers of behavioral interventions such as applied behavior analysis are not licensed health care professionals,” she says. “Rather, they are teachers and others with training in ABA … such as paraprofessionals and parents, and therefore not eligible for health plan coverage as providers.”

Stein notes that other medical and rehabilitation services for autism are covered, including those provided by pediatricians, physical therapists, occupational therapists and mental health professionals.

But parents of children with autism say insurance policies often limit the number of visits per year for occupational, physical or speech therapy, in effect cutting off therapy after a matter of months and rendering it ineffective.

“There may be limits on physical therapy or occupational therapy, regardless of the cause,” says insurance industry spokeswoman Pisano. “It’s not specific to kids with autism.”

Jenny and Chris Hazelton of Lacey have insurance that covers occupational therapy for their 4-year-old son, Noah, who has autism. They pay about $40 a week in co-pays for occupational therapy. But Jenny Hazelton says that about once a quarter – when Noah reaches his 25-visit limit – therapy stops for 45 days or so before he can become re-eligible for coverage.

It’s difficult for the Hazeltons to afford both occupational therapy, with its on-and-off coverage, and ABA therapy, which isn’t covered by insurance at all. Due to the family’s medical bills, the couple has never owned a home.

“We’re basically spending every dime we have on Noah,” says Jenny Hazelton, who worries about what will happen when the family is no longer able to find money for treatment.

POTENTIAL ALLIES

If Washington’s proposed autism insurance mandate turns into a bill in the January legislative session, it could find some allies in both the state House of Representatives and the Senate.

Sen. Marilyn Rasmussen, D-Eatonville, has a grandson with autism. So does Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn. Both Roach and Rasmussen have served on the state Autism Task Force.

Roach’s son, state Rep. Dan Roach, R-Bonney Lake, has a 6-year-old son, Drew, who has autism.

“This is a huge burden on families financially,” says Dan Roach’s wife, Melanie Roach, the Olympic weightlifter who recently competed in Beijing. She says their family spent an estimated $25,000 in less than two years paying for ABA therapy for Drew, then stopped last fall due to the cost.

Dan Roach argues that mandating insurance coverage for treatment of children with autism would ultimately save tax dollars. He says children who aren’t treated early in life risk becoming dependent on the state as adults.

“If you understand what’s really going on with autism, it’s hard to argue,” says Dan Roach. “If you want to save taxpayer dollars, it’s much better to do the mandate now.”

Adds Rasmussen: “If we take care of these kids, if we start early, we can mainstream them in classrooms by the time they are 8 or 9 years old. We are going to make this (new law) happen. It saves money in the long run.”

State Sen. Keiser predicts the proposed autism insurance law will face stiff opposition from insurers.

“It will be hard fought,” she says, comparing it to the battle over past legislation that mandated more coverage of mental illness.

“These things happen with a lot of effort,” Keiser says. “It’s an incremental, painful and harmful method of dealing with health care issues. We can do so much better.”

Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635

An autism Q&A: What it is, how it's recognized
Children with autism suffer from a developmental disorder that can leave them locked in a lonely world, unable to interact or communicate with others.

The cause of autism is unknown, but theories include some combination of genes and environmental factors. One of the more prevalent theories, often put forth by parents of children with autism, is that vaccines are a possible cause. But a series of scientific studies has found no link.

The most recent study was published last month in PLoS, the online journal of the Public Library of Science. A team of researchers led by scientists at Columbia University found no association between the measles vaccine and autism.

Although there is no cure for autism, experts believe that if treatment is started early enough, it’s possible to teach many children with autism the kinds of skills that come almost effortlessly to typical toddlers – increasing their vocabulary, pointing to objects of interest, making eye contact, and engaging with the world and the people in it.

What is autism?

A group of related conditions is commonly referred to as autism spectrum disorders, or ASDs. Children with ASDs can fall anywhere on the spectrum, and exhibit a variety of symptoms from mild to severe.

The classic characteristics of autism include impaired social interaction and problems with speech, as well as unusual and repetitive actions, such as hand flapping, and severely limited interests.

Children with autism may focus intensely on one thing, such as dinosaurs or guitars, to the exclusion of other objects. They often fail to learn to gesture and point to objects. They may act as if they’re unaware of their surrounding environment or other people. They may have poor coordination and may be inclined to self-injury, such as hair pulling or head banging.

What are some other problems that go along with autism?

Sleep disturbances, stomach problems and/or diarrhea, seizures and food sensitivities are common.

How common is autism?
One estimate from the federal government says that as many as one in 150 American children fall somewhere on the autism spectrum.

In Washington state, more than 5,000 children with autism were in public schools in 2006.

There is debate about whether the incidence of autism is increasing, or whether doctors are simply becoming better at recognizing and diagnosing the condition.

What are common signs of autism?
Children with autism have problems with social interactions and communication. Some exhibit extreme tantrums.

Signs of autism may be present from birth; for example, a baby who is unresponsive to people. Other children develop normally for a year or two, then regress, losing the ability to speak and exhibiting other symptoms, such as withdrawal from social contact.

Children with autism cannot understand facial expressions, such as a smile, or other social cues. They often ignore other children and may prefer to play alone.

Some children with autism are insensitive to pain, but are abnormally sensitive to light, texture or touch.

David Kirby on the Huffington Post

The media may be transfixed on "Joe the Plumber" today, but the real winner of last night's debate was autism.

I cannot recall a single disorder ever becoming so prominent in a national election as autism has been in 2008: Not cancer, not AIDS, not heart disease.

Autism was raised on the campaign trail (when Obama, McCain and Hillary Clinton all said it was increasing, and the potential vaccine connection must be researched), it was raised at both conventions, it was raised duing a FOX News interview with McCain and Sarah Palin, and it certainly came up last night at Hofstra University.

Tellingly, autism was brought up, unprompted and somewhat unexpectedly, by one of the candidates: John McCain, who was answering a question about why Sarah Palin would be qualified to step up to the Oval Office, should something terrible happen to him:

She'll be my partner. She understands reform. And, by the way, she also understands special-needs families. She understands that autism is on the rise, that we've got to find out what's causing it, and we've got to reach out to these families, and help them, and give them the help they need as they raise these very special needs children.
"Autism is on the rise, and we've got to find out what's causing it." To most parents of affected children, that was more than music to their ears -- it was a symphony. If autism is on the rise, then its cause is more than genetic. Something has gone terribly wrong, and we need to find out what it is. Now.

McCain's autism remark did not come from nowhere (and he was not confusing autism with Down Syndrome, as many believed).

He brought up autism because it is ubiquitous -- and it never was before.

Autism in the United States today is, simply, everywhere -- even in Sarah Palin's family. Her sister has a son with the disorder.

McCain did not have to be asked about autism to speak about it. All over the country, parents have been reaching out to him and to Sarah Palin (and to the Democrats as well) -- behind the scenes and in public -- telling their stories, pleading for research, begging for help at home and in the classroom. As Senator McCain said:

Town hall meeting after town hall meeting, parents come with kids, children -- precious children who have autism. Sarah Palin knows about that better than most. And we'll find and we'll spend the money, research, to find the cause of autism. And we'll care for these young children. And all Americans will open their wallets and their hearts to do so.

Now, it is certainly debatable that Sarah Palin knows about autism "better than most," and Barack Obama wisely chose to steer clear of that rhetorical iceberg. Instead, he clobbered McCain, who had just publicly vowed to spend taxpayer money on autism research and care (unless he meant that our rapidly emptying American wallets are supposed to cover the whole thing):

I think it's very commendable the work she's done on behalf of special needs. I agree with that, John. I do want to just point out that autism, for example, or other special needs will require some additional funding, if we're going to get serious in terms of research. That is something that every family that advocates on behalf of disabled children talk about. And if we have an across-the-board spending freeze, we're not going to be able to do it.

Ouch. Obama is right, of course. No one is going to cure autism (or anything) while a mandatory federal spending freeze is in place.

Reaction from autism parents that I know has been mixed, and quite pointed.

Mostly, people were thrilled to see autism placed front and center -- at last -- in the national political dialogue. (I do not recall autism ever coming up in the 2004 or 2000 race, though I could be wrong, and it was certainly never mentioned in elections before then).

There was this, from a father on Long Island:

Autism is now officially included among the major issues of the campaign and the day. The strategy of pushing each campaign to escalate the issue worked and played out in the debate. It reveals a respect that both campaigns have for the autism constituency. The ripple effects downstream in the political world will be interesting to watch. No politician will ignore or dismiss autism.

And this, from a mom in Wisconsin:

The ordinary viewer back home must be asking ...Why do we keep hearing about autism? Why does this disorder get mentioned in the presidential debate if it's nothing new? Especially, if doctors are just finally recognizing something that's always been around. More and more questions about autism are everywhere -.but no one has answers.

And a father in Oregon:

The CDC doesn't even acknowledge the number of autism cases is truly rising. Contrasting that to the way McCain talks is a story in of itself.

Skepticism, however, was keeping close company with appreciation last night. A mother in Manhattan wrote:

"Getting to the bottom of this" means being unafraid of asking tough questions. Are they prepared to DO this? They cannot work on what is causing autism without talking about vaccines, or else we continue to run in place. The government MUST support independent vaccine research now. No more millions down the drain for studies on genetics. That money would be so much better spent supporting autism families in crisis

And this from a mom in New Jersey:

These politicians just woke up and realized that half the country is affected by autism and they better say something? Call the World Wrestling Foundation and get the choreographer on the phone, he may be the only one who can explain this latest development.

Some people thought the Republican team would be better suited to tackle autism head on, like this Democratic dad from Massachusetts:

I'll probably vote for Obama, but I think McCain is the better autism candidate. Why?

He asked for our vote and he promised to get to the bottom of the epidemic. He seems to get it. Obama lumps autism in with the general category of developmental disability, rather than focusing a targeted effort to solve the autism problem and make it disappear. But the issue came up multiple times in a presidential debate, for God's sake!! McCain put the issue on the table and said all the right things -Obama steered away from it and has dodged the issue every time it's been raised. If I were a single issue voter, the choice would be pretty clear.

But a mother from Long Island begged to differ:

They bring up issues when they don't have anything else to say. Palin has VERY little expertise. That fact that her family is in the special needs community is all I have heard. I haven't heard any detailed stories or facts from her or McCain. I haven't seen any proof that she knows crap about autism other than 'I know autism'. Oh, Ok, I'm just supposed to trust that.

There has been quite a bit of debate over Palin's record on special needs children in Alaska. Early reports erroneously stated that she had cut special education funding (she hadn't, the money was moved to another line in the budget).

But skepticism abounds. For example, this attorney (also a Democrat) from Connecticut, who works with special needs children, recently posted the following on her blog:

Gov. Palin's views on this are far outdated. I have traveled to Alaska to give a speech to parents and professionals on the subject of the rights of children with special needs. I was stunned by how far behind the State was from the vast majority of the rest of the country on the education of children with disabilities... I am in regular contact with a colleague of mine who is a Parents' attorney in Alaska, who has had to fight tooth and nail for children with special needs in Alaska simply to secure them the most basic of services that we take for granted here. I for one do not want the rest of the country to use Alaska's system of educating our most vulnerable children as a paradigm.

I also know of autism parents who are suing the Palin administration to get services for their children. But Palin's record is more complex than that.

In fact, in this year's budget, Governor Palin authorized a major increase in funds for "intensive needs" children, (the official Alaska term). When she came to office in 2006, according to the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska was spending just $27,000 a year per child. This year, the budget she signed increased that amount to $49,000, and in three years it will reach $74,000. (So much for spending freezes, but them again, unlike the US, Alaska is awash in cash).

The subject of "intensive needs" and autism came up in another debate as well, back when Palin was running for Governor. And it shed some light on both her ideological, as well as personal motivations. As the Anchorage Daily News reported:

Palin said she wanted to diminish the oppressive hand of government while still providing needed help. Services, the Republican candidate said, shouldn't be dictated by government; ideas should come from the bottom up. Topping her list of social and health priorities: housing, a trained work force and containing costs. She glanced at sheets of notes as she spoke. She also talked about her young nephew, who has autism, describing him as a "red-headed angel."
Most autism parents I know, including Republicans, believe that autism services should most certainly be "dictated" by government, (though they might use a more moderate word, like "mandated," or "required.") So, that statement is sure to cause a certain amount of consternation among "autism voters," if there is such a thing.

Then again, the ADN article included another quote from Palin that might raise some eyebrows among all voters.

During a gubernatorial debate in Wasilla, her hometown in the heart of the Mat-Su Valley, she had this to say:

You will have an advocate down there in Juneau, of course. Certainly people will assume that I am biased toward the Valley in the decisions I make. So be it, because I will be.

Now, some voters might interpret this to mean that Sarah Palin's decisions in Washington -- should she get there -- would be equally biased toward Alaska.

But I know a lot of parents who would be perfectly happy to see a little bias towards autism, as well.

Star Telegram • BY MITCH MITCHELL

ALEDO — When Kristin Pass was born 18 years ago and diagnosed with Down syndrome, the family did not quite know what to expect, says her mother, Carolyn Pass.

What they got Friday was royalty, as Aledo Senior High School students voted Kristin Pass their homecoming queen.

"The first thing that I thought about was my friends," the new queen said Saturday before attending the homecoming dance at the school with her date, a friend in college who returned to town for the dance.

"I have a lot of good friends in Aledo," Kristin said. "They are all real good to me."

Down syndrome is a set of mental and physical symptoms that result from having an extra copy of chromosome 21, according to the National Institutes of Health Web site. Even though people with Down syndrome may have some physical and mental features in common, symptoms of Down syndrome can range from mild to severe. Usually, mental development and physical development are slower in people with Down syndrome than in those without it.

People with the syndrome may also have other health problems. They may be born with heart disease. They may have dementia. They may have hearing problems and problems with their intestines, eyes, thyroid and skeleton, the NIH Web site said.

But the people of Aledo have always treated Kristin Pass "just like any other teen," her mother said.

Because of her condition, the Kristin Pass story is not typical of royalty, according to friends and family members. At 7 months old, Kristin Pass had open-heart surgery. A more recent shock: her father, J.T. Pass, died two years ago of a heart attack while he was relaxing at home, family members said. Her father’s death meant that David Campbell, Kristin’s grandfather, was chosen to escort her onto the football field before her coronation.

"I don’t think she said a thing," said Campbell, a physician who lives in Corsicana. "We kissed and she got her flowers and crown, then enjoyed the affection of her friends for the rest of the evening."

Kristin was one of several seniors nominated by fellow students for homecoming queen. The field was narrowed to three finalists, and Kristin won that vote.

Through all the family’s challenges, the people who voted for Kristin learned to revere and respect her family as a group of people who radiate love.

Her coronation as queen was just a way the town could give some of that love back, said Ashlyn Utley, a family friend and an Aledo freshman.

"I believe that Kristin is an inspiration to everyone," Utley said. "She accepts you for what you are, no matter your race, no matter what clique you belong to. She’s truly a social butterfly. She’s a role model to everyone at the school."

Kristin’s sister, Kendall Pass, said the groundswell of support that ultimately elected her sister homecoming queen was organic and not contrived.

There was no campaign, Kendall Pass said.

Because Kristin works at a Railhead Smokehouse restaurant and as a counselors’ aide at the Pines Catholic Camp near Big Sandy in East Texas, she is known by a lot of people in town, family members said.

"Whenever she doesn’t know someone, she introduces herself," Kendall Pass said. "She talks to everyone like she’s their best friend. Sometimes people are having a bad day and she stops to talk to them to cheer them up.

"I think this happened because people at school thought she was the best choice, because she was a good friend and because they all liked her," she said.

There was genuine excitement throughout the student body in reaction to Kristin’s nomination, said Sheryl Preston, Aledo Senior High principal.

"She’s very well-known on campus and very well-liked," Preston said. "For the senior class to honor her this way was remarkable. It speaks very well for our student body."

Meaghan Geary, a 17-year-old senior at Aledo and one of the new queen’s best friends, said word spread very quickly after the nomination that everyone should vote for Kristin.

"At halftime, when they made the announcement, everyone in the student section stood up and screamed as loud as they could," Geary said. "Last night, I was sitting with her in her room, and she looked up at me and said, ‘My dad would be so proud of me.’ "

To Mr. Leary and publishers,

On the comment widely circulated:
Another brilliant actor/comedian has offered up his take on autism. Dennis Leary has a new book coming out that offers the following observation about autism:
"There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids can't compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don't give a what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you - yer kid is NOT autistic. He's just stupid. Or lazy. Or both."

It's hard to find the time to reply to each and every attack against autism, our family, or our beloved son who is that "dumb-ass" kid spoken of in the quote......

Especially since we know the words in reply might never reach you. But I suppose we do it anyway because it is, quite frankly, therapeutical - so we don't need to "throw money into the happy laps of shrinks"...

Writing these replies, --- it releases those emotions we don't have time for with the 24/7 demands of autism.

For me, it makes me focus on the "good" in autism... in that without it in my life, I might be like Mr. Leary! Ignorantly using the latest headline, which justifiably is autism, to boost a career, book, or t.v. show, - to get the publicity from the controversy created.

What a shallow existence that would have been for me, - and I personally thank you for reminding me of that when all those e-mails poured into the inbox's of us parents of kids with autism, about those "fat, lazy, kids" who don't really have autism.

You made me take the luxury of a few moments to think about what an "inattentive mother" I really am... For once not focusing on the humility with which many of us try to do what we do for autism with; but for this one time perhaps, the pride in what my son has shown me I can do, - that I would not have otherwise known I could do, had it not been for his autism.

I was part of the first ever rally for National Autism Awareness. I actually came out of my shell in Houston, TX, and traveled to, for me, another world which was Washington, D.C. I helped plan, organize, and helped gather the troops, and then walked with about 3,000 of those troops, those other "inattentive mothers", who borrowed money to go, begged for money to go, and then stole time away from caring for their child with autism - to make that trek, to make a statement, for the need for help for their precious children at home suffering, yes suffering, from autism.

Those "inattentive mothers" didn't just go back home from that event and wait for someone else to help their "deficient junior morons" as you portray them. They went back home and helped to further create that change that was needed in the way autism was portrayed and medically treated. They didn't wait until they became a famous celebrity with the money, power, and public influence to help. They found the money, they became powerful, and thus became the most influential generation of mothers around -- these "inattentive mothers".

Which leads us to the present "huge boom in autism".

You do have those 4 words correct -- Autism is now finally in the headlines where it belongs because of a huge boom in terms of both correct, and early, diagnosis, and awareness. And that started not with famous celebrities, - but with us wee little "inattentive mothers" who despite not having money, power, or public influence, -- had something better: heart, soul, determination, and a fierce unconditional love for our children.

Something we had all along, but would have never known fully had it not been for our "stupid and lazy" kids who brought out the best in us.

Those "stupid and lazy" kids that mind you, enter school before they are 3 years old, and work non-stop until age 21 most often, just so they can have the same chance at an independent future that their typical peers have.

To close, us "inattentive mothers" who are fortunate enough to have had their marriage survive the riptides of autism, couldn't have done it without the equal devotion of the fathers of our children.

My son's "competitive dad" didn't want just an "explanation for why his dumb-ass kid couldn't compete academically". He wanted a tool to help heal his "dumb-ass" kid from constant crying in pain, seizures, constant diarrhea, and an overwhelming sense of frustration from not being able to express with words what he needed, felt, or wanted.

Do you know, Mr. Leary, how frustrating it must be to watch a man you love who has enough tools in his garage to fix any possible problem with anything in his house --- try to find but a single tool to help his own flesh and blood who lives in that house? And not be able to??

No, you don't.

Do you know, Mr. Leary, what it is like to take your child to a doctor with very real medical symptoms and have them tell you, "it's just autism", and send you home with no treatment except for risperadol to help with the behavior issues caused by that very real underlying medical issue that they don't bother to research to treat?

No, you don't.

Would you want to go to the doctor for a broken arm and come home with a prescription for risperadol?

No, you wouldn't.

And you don't know what it was like for my husband to have to at one time work 2 jobs to pay for the costs of me finding those medical treatments not covered by insurance so that our son could get the medical treatment he so desparately needed.

And do you know what it's like to be a parent knowing there are medical treatments out there for their child with autism, but because they are poor or on an eternal waiting list for help, they instead watch their child regress further into autism?

I hope you never do.

My "competitive dad" husband does have to compete. Against peers at work who have the ability to take promotions and travel, when he can't because of the burden it would put on the family with him being gone. Against the laughter and cheers of dads in the lunchroom bragging about their kids' latest homerun at T-Ball, while knowing his son was still trying to learn how to sit at a table and feed himself. Against typical friends in listening to their stories of teaching their sons to drive, while at nearly 15 years old, his son still needs help with basic self-care skills.

And do you know what the best thing about these "competitive dads" is?

It's that they lost the competition. Yes, in this case, losing is winning. They lost the backward philosophy that bigger is better, that its 'every man for himself', the 'I gotta take care of me' mentality of our world these days.

For so many of them, they stayed when they wanted to leave, they traded early retirement for late nights trying to get their children to sleep, and they traded in helping their Boy Scout earn badges at camp, for cheering on their child each day at therapy.

So anyway Mr. Leary, thank you for the free one-hour therapy session you have just given me the luxury of. I needed a pick-me-up. I needed to be reminded how much I would rather live in my "autism" world, than in your "crackerjack whack job " world where instead of using the staff at your disposal to research or edit things better before you shoot off insults, or the money in your bank account to actually help the autism cause instead of hurt it, you use your careless words to create publicity for your book.

I hope you are right, in that one day "yer kid is NOT autistic". I do hope that one day there will be access through every Pediatrician's office to the treatments that help a child with autism overcome the areas of that autism that limit their health, happiness, and independence.

But unil that, with remarks like yours, we are just left with dealing with people like you, who are "just stupid". "Or lazy." "Or both."

In your profession as an actor, success is measured by publicity, prestigue, profit, and an award of some sort: Golden Globe, Oscar, Emmy, etc. But don't think that because of that, it gives you the right to foolishly trample on the feelings of others. When you do that, you take away the purity and gold-standard of any of your successes, nominations, or awards or statues or globes you manage to earn; and that success, and that position, and those awards, that could have been used for good, becomes nothing more than Iron Disulfide.

Known to us common folk as "fool's gold".

Sincerely,
Michelle M. Guppy
For my son who has autism...

MSNBC: 1 in 26 kids affected last year, up 18 percent from 1997, federal study finds

Thirty years ago, food allergies were extremely rare, but today 4.3 million U.S. children suffer from the potentially life-threatening condition. NBC's Robert Bazell reports.

updated 6:18 a.m. PT, Wed., Oct. 22, 2008
ATLANTA - Food allergies in American children seem to be on the rise, now affecting about 3 million kids, according to the first federal study of the problem.

Experts said that might be because parents are more aware and quicker to have their kids checked out by a doctor.

About 1 in 26 children had food allergies last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. That’s up from 1 in 29 kids in 1997.

The 18 percent increase is significant enough to be considered more than a statistical blip, said Amy Branum of the CDC, the study’s lead author.

Nobody knows for sure what’s driving the increase. A doubling in peanut allergies — noted in earlier studies — is one factor, some experts said. Also, children seems to be taking longer to outgrow milk and egg allergies than they did in decades past.

But also figuring into the equation are parents and doctors who are more likely to consider food as the trigger for symptoms like vomiting, skin rashes and breathing problems.

“A couple of decades ago, it was not uncommon to have kids sick all the time and we just said ’They have a weak stomach’ or ’They’re sickly,”’ said Anne Munoz-Furlong, chief executive of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, a Virginia-based advocacy organization.

Parents today are quicker to take their kids to specialists to check out the possibility of food allergies, said Munoz-Furlong, who founded the nonprofit in 1991.

The CDC results came from an in-person, door-to-door survey in 2007 of the households of 9,500 U.S. children under age 18.

When asked if a child in the house had any kind of food allergy in the previous 12 months, about 4 percent said yes. The parents were not asked if a doctor had made the diagnosis, and no medical records were checked. Some parents may not know the difference between immune system-based food allergies and digestive disorders like lactose intolerance, so it’s possible the study’s findings are a bit off, Branum said.

However, the study’s results mirror older national estimates that were extrapolated from smaller, more intensive studies, said Dr. Hugh Sampson, a food allergy researcher at the Mount Sinai School of medicine.

“This tells us those earlier extrapolations were fairly close,” Sampson said.

Hospitalizations on the rise
The CDC study did not give a breakdown of which foods were to blame for the allergies. Other research suggests that about 1 in 40 Americans will have a milk allergy at some point in their lives, and 1 in 50 percent will be allergic to eggs. Most people outgrow these allergies in childhood.

About 1 in 50 are allergic to shellfish and nearly 1 in 100 react to peanuts, allergies that generally persist for a lifetime, according to Sampson.

Some people have more than one food allergy, he said, explaining why the overall food allergy prevalence is about 4 percent.

Children with food allergies also were more likely to have asthma, eczema and respiratory problems than kids without food allergies, the CDC study found, confirming previous research.

The study also found that the number of children hospitalized for food allergies was up. The number of hospital discharges jumped from about 2,600 a year in the late 1990s to more than 9,500 annually in recent years, the CDC results showed.

Also, Hispanic children had lower rates of food allergies than white or black children — the first such racial/ethnic breakdown in a national study.

The reason for that last finding may not be genetics, said Munoz-Furlong. She is Hispanic and said people in her own family have been unwilling to consider food allergies as the reason for children’s illnesses. “It’s a question of awareness,” she said.

ABC World News Tonight... Trenton Rally Huge Success... Massive Press Coverage...
Keep the Pressure Up... Call Oprah to Counter ECBT

ABC WORLD NEWS WITH CHARLES GIBSON TONIGHT
The ABC film crew just left my house.  They will air a short 2 minute segment on this issue tonight, sometime between 6:30-7:00pm EST.  Another crew was filming the Health Commissioner at nearly the same time.  Keeping fingers crossed… they have promised to be balanced.  If you can DVR the clip and put it on a DVD, please let me know (in case we need it). Here’s the article they just posted: www.abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluNews/Story?id=6051917&page=1

TRENTON RALLY RECAP
One of the police present at the event told Claudine that we had 700 people at the peak of yesterday’s rally contrary to the reports of some press.
 
A huge thank you to everyone who helped, spoke, traveled to Trenton and attended us in spirit.  We must acknowledge a lot of people whose support made the rally possible including the leaders of the NJ Coalition for Vaccination Choice, all our speakers and everyone who attended, Whole Foods Princeton for the bottled water, Barb and Jamie Majeski for donating the A/V equipment (and Barb’s wonderful video), Christine Heeren who always shows up, donates her valuable talents and time and documents our important events, the Hasenkamps and Asenka Creative Services for donating the creative talent behind some of our flyers, Versatile Entertainment and PSAV Event Services for discounting their services to us, Autism One Radio and Teri/Ed Arranga for covering the event live (check back middle of next week for the video), Kim Stagliano and Age of Autism for giving us the platform to share our stories and the prayers and encouragement we receive across the country from many, many parents who believe we deserve the right to choose.  
 
And we are still working to reschedule the meeting with Health Commissioner Heather Howard that was postponed.
 
PRESS COVERAGE
VIDEO
www.njn.net/television/webcast/njnnewsthursday.html (use the timer on the left and advance it to 16:30)
cbs3.com/video/?id=66610@kyw.dayport.com
 
lots of youtube video being put up as well

PRINT
AP reporter David Crary wrote a piece that was picked up across the country including the LA Times, Chicago Sun Times, CBS News, 6 ABC and MSNBC.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27225500
 
It was also picked up by the Drudge Report a major, US-based news aggregation website.  
 
Trenton Times
Star Ledger
The Record (reported 500 at rally)
Asbury Park Press and www.app.com/article/20081017/NEWS03/810170400/1007
 
Interviews occurred today so hopefully more to follow.
 
If anyone knows how to take video off the internet and put it on a DVD, please let me know.  We were told that the Fox News clips will be taken off their site by the middle of next week.
Live
Internet after show (the urgent need is for this one)

KEEP THE PRESSURE UP
Please continue calling and writing your legislators.  Write another letter!  Let’s keep the momentum up from today’s rally. They all read about us.  We are on the front burner RIGHT NOW.  Tell your legislators how impressed you were by the legislators who passed by and either addressed the group or expressed support (including Sen Oroho, Asm Chuisano, Asw Littell-McHose, Asw Karrow, Asm Rumana, Asm Bramnick, Asm Doherty (his aide came), Asm Schaer).  Offer to meet with your legislators. We will help you to get them up to speed on the facts.  As other legislators catch on that this is a hot issue, we will gain more support. In addition to the four who spoke, several others were unable to stay but voiced their strong endorsement of A260 or S1071.

COUNTER ECBT’S OPRAH CAMPAIGN
Please e-mail Oprah. Tell her about the NJ rally and take a moment to express the urgency around chronic autoimmune illness and neurodevelopmental disorders in our country… that’s the crisis, not the 2 kids who died of the flu in NJ since 2004. Check out this e-mail by ECBT that was sent right after our rally yesterday:

From: Amy Pisani
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 4:37 PM
Subject: Please Take The Time To Contact The Oprah Winfrey Show

www.ecbt.org

October 16, 2008
Please Take The Time To Contact The Oprah Winfrey Show

It has been quite some time since Every Child By Two (ECBT) has asked you to take action on an issue related to immunizations. I write to you today with an urgent request for your assistance in reaching out to the Oprah Winfrey Show to urge that she dedicate a show to the science behind the question of whether vaccines cause autism. More than fourteen credible studies have been
conducted worldwide exonerating vaccines and yet the media and entertainment industry continue to frame this as a debate. ECBT and our public health partners have reached out to Oprah’s producers countless times without success.

However, I recently had a lengthy conversation with one of the producers who recommended that we initiate a letter writing campaign by commenting within the Oprah.com feedback section of the website. This information is tabulated to determine whether there is enough interest to conduct follow up shows.  

I urge you to take five minutes to fill out the Oprah Winfrey Show online form by following the link below. In your comments, please request that Oprah invite credible scientists and/or physicians to explain the science of vaccines to her viewers. We also would like her to invite parents who have
suffered the loss of a child from a vaccine-preventable disease, and a parent of an autistic child who can speak on behalf of the many families that are frustrated over the continued focus on vaccines and their supposed link to autism and the therapies that focus on “repairing vaccine damage.”  Please relate any personal experiences you may have with vaccine-preventable diseases or autism. In addition, please refer the Oprah Winfrey Show to Amy Pisani, Executive Director of Every Child By Two, for any follow-up questions. My phone number is (860) 443-1166.

And finally, please forward this to your family and friends and request that they also reach out to the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Amy Pisani
Executive Director
Every Child By Two
(860) 443-1166

Dennis Leary Joins Fray in Public Debate Over Autism, Childhood Vaccination

By Dan Childs and SHEILA MARIKAR
Oct. 16, 2008—

On "Rescue Me," his character doesn't hesitate to jump into blazing buildings or self-destructive situations. In real life, Dennis Leary's jumping into the ring with Amanda Peet and Jenny McCarthy in the battle about autism.

In his new book, "Why We Suck: A Feel-Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid," Leary, who has two sons, lashes out against parents who think their kids are autistic.

"There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids can't compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks ... to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don't give an [expletive] what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you -- yer kid is NOT autistic. He's just stupid. Or lazy. Or both," he writes.

Leary's not the first celebrity to weigh in on a debate that may be best handled by the medical community, not Hollywood. In August, Amanda Peet spoke out about autism and childhood vaccination on ABC's "Good Morning America," saying the public might be better off to turn a deaf ear to celebrities when it comes to vaccines.

"It seems that the media is often giving celebrities and actors more authority on this issue than they are giving the experts," Peet said. "I know it's a paradox, but that's part of why I wanted to become a spokesperson, to say to people, 'Please don't listen to me. Don't listen to actors. Go to the experts.'"

Peet also apologized again during her appearance for comments she made in the July issue of the parenting magazine Cookie, in which she stated, "Frankly, I feel that parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites."

"I didn't mean to show disdain, and I did and do apologize for the use of the word 'parasites,'" she said. "But I do in no way, shape or form retract my position or the meaning behind the use of the word, which is that if there are vast reductions in herd immunity, our children will be at risk."

Peet has taken her message to the Internet, sharing her story on www.vaccinateyourbaby.org. And the actress, who stars in the new movie "X-Files: I Want to Believe," last month announced her support of the group Every Child By Two (ECBT). She is scheduled to be part of a panel on Aug. 5 to encourage parents to have their children receive all recommended vaccinations by the age of 2.

Peet says her interest in vaccines began with the birth of her daughter, Frankie, on Feb. 23, 2007.

"When Frankie was born, I started to learn about vaccine safety," she told ABCNews.com in an e-mail message. "The more I learned, the more I realized how much misinformation there is about vaccines."

Amy Pisani, executive director of ECBT, says she hopes Peet's advocacy is "a 100 percent antidote" to former Playboy model Jenny McCarthy's position that the current vaccine schedule places children at a higher risk of developing autism.

Pisani says that the issue is too important to be reduced to a showdown between celebrities.

"We don't want it to be a fight between Jenny McCarthy and Amanda Peet," she says. "This is between scientists and the public."

Still, the entrée of the latest celebrity voice into the vaccine debate has made waves online. In a message on ECBT's Web site, Peet says she made the decision to support the organization when she was pregnant.

"Many of our friends in Hollywood were choosing not to vaccinate their babies or to delay vaccines because they feared that they might cause autism or other disorders," she notes in her message. "We had never thought about not vaccinating, but when we went online to educate ourselves on vaccines, we found Web site after Web site warning us about their dangers. Naturally, we were very concerned about what we read."

Peet says her discussions with doctors at once allayed her fears and introduced her to the dangers of skipping vaccinations. It is this platform that she has pushed in recent weeks -- and some of her comments have been a source of ire for those who believe there is a link between childhood vaccinations and autism.

In particular, Peet's "parasite" comment has been a sore spot for many parents who believe in a vaccine-autism link.

Rebecca Estepp, parent support and media relations manager for the advocacy group Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) -- of which McCarthy is a spokeswoman -- says the star's comments were out of line.

"I guess she's calling me a parasite, because I did not vaccinate my second son because of what I saw happened to my first son," says Estepp, who adds that her first child developed autism shortly after his vaccination.

Science as a Celebrity Cause?

While celebrity advocacy of certain health causes is not a new phenomenon, having McCarthy and Peet squaring off over the vaccine debate has taken public interest in the issue to another level.

Dr. Paul Offit, chief of the section of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, says much of this has to do with the fact that the public, as a whole is, in many ways, more eager to listen to celebrities than to researchers.

"I think when Jenny McCarthy appears on "Oprah" and says, 'I think vaccines harm our kids,' that has an effect. When Amanda Peet comes out and says, 'I believe the scientists on this,' that also has an effect," Offit says. "It's a culture of celebrity, and we tend to trust what celebrities tell us."

Offit, a leading advocate of the current vaccine schedule, is the doctor whose advice Peet sought early in her search for information. Peet met with Offit through her brother-in-law, who is a fellow in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's division of infectious diseases. And Offit says that what Peet learned about the risks of skipping vaccinations is what drove her to take action.

"It angered her," he says. "She felt like this, at some level, put her children at risk."

As for McCarthy, Estepp says the former model approached TACA in 2005 after her own son had been diagnosed with autism.

"When [her son] got better, she said, 'I want to help,'" Estepp says, adding that McCarthy's advocacy grabbed the attention of other celebrities. "It looks like Jenny's story kind of sparked like wildfire through the Hollywood community."

Offit, too, notes that Hollywood has become a major battleground in the vaccination debate. And he says that while scientific evidence on the importance of vaccination is irrefutable, celebrity culture goes a long way in shaping public discourse on the topic.

"[Peet] lives, to some extent, in the California culture and knows that people like Jenny McCarthy are not the minority there," he says.

But Peet says she bases her arguments for vaccination on the expertise of doctors and medical groups.

"I don't think parents should be taking medical advice from actors," she told ABCNews.com via email. "I take medical advice from several pediatricians, other doctors, the CDC, and the American Academy of Pediatrics."

Following Peet's appearance on "Good Morning America," the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement further clarifying its position on the matter.

"We know vaccines protect children against potentially deadly and disabling diseases," the statement reads. "Vaccine side effects are usually minor and include fever, mild swelling and pain at the injection site. In unusual cases, such as when children are ill or have certain chronic conditions, a pediatrician will advise delaying or skipping certain vaccines.

"Many valid scientific studies have shown there is no link between vaccines and autism," the statement continues. "The American Academy of Pediatrics supports further research into the causes of autism in hopes this will lead to optimal strategies for prevention, diagnosis and treatment."

Offit says Peet's approach sets her apart from other celebrities weighing in on the topic.

"[Peet] says, 'I'm not a scientist; you shouldn't even be listening to me,' which is refreshing," he says.

Beyond Celebrity, Debate Rages

While the participation of Peet and McCarthy in the vaccination debate may make waves among the public, their convictions are unlikely to sway those of medical experts and autism advocacy groups.

"The risks [of skipping vaccinations] became no longer theoretical with the recent measles outbreaks, which have sickened 127 children in 15 states," Offit says. "Measles makes you sick. One out of every 1,000 kids who gets it dies from it, and one in five are hospitalized."

"We do not endorse vaccination for all children, and with the present schedule, because of the lack of safety testing and the number of reports from parents about losing their child after vaccination," counters Stan Kurtz, executive director of the advocacy group Generation Rescue, in an e-mail to ABCNews.com. "My child and Jenny McCarthy's child included."

But Offit says, no matter what science may say, there is little doubt that celebrity advocacy goes a long way in swaying public opinion -- and public health.

"We're in an information age more than any other time in history, and I think that's both good and bad," he says. "It's good because we have a lot of information to work with, but it's bad because some people think that's enough to make them experts. That's not true here."

This article was updated on Aug. 15 to include a statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

N.J. policy is first in the nation to require the vaccine for small children

Doctor challenges autism, vaccine link

Oct. 30: NBC chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman tells the story of one doctor who believes vaccines are not to blame for autism.

updated 1:07 p.m. PT, Thurs., Oct. 16, 2008
As flu season approaches, many New Jersey parents are furious over a first-in-the-nation requirement that children get a flu shot in order to attend preschools and day-care centers. The decision should be the parents’, not the state’s, they contend.

Hundreds of parents and other activists rallied outside the New Jersey Statehouse on Thursday, decrying the policy and voicing support for a bill that would allow parents to opt out of mandatory vaccinations for their children.

“This is not an anti-vaccine rally — it’s a freedom of choice rally,” said one of the organizers, Louise Habakus. “This one-size-fits-all approach is really very anti-American.”

New Jersey’s policy was approved last December by the state’s Public Health Council and is taking effect this fall. Children from 6 months to 5 years old who attend a child-care center or preschool have until Dec. 31 to receive the flu vaccine, along with a pneumococcal vaccine.

The Health Council was acting on the recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has depicted children under 5 as a group particularly in need of flu shots. But no other state has made the shots mandatory for children of any age.

“Vaccines not only protect the child being vaccinated but also the general community and the most vulnerable individuals within the community,” New Jersey’s Health Department said in a statement. It has depicted young children as “particularly efficient” in transmitting the flu to others.

'Parents have a right to decide'
Opposition to the policy is vehement. Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, one of the speakers at the rally, said she now has 34 co-sponsors for a bill that would allow for conscientious objections to mandatory vaccinations.

“The right to informed consent is so basic,” she said in an interview. “Parents have a right to decide for their own children what is injected in their bodies.”

State policy now allows for medical and religious exemptions to mandatory vaccinations, but Vandervalk said requests for medical exemptions often have been turned down by local health authorities. She said 19 other states allow conscientious exemptions like those envisioned in her bill.

New Jersey’s health department has come out strongly against the legislation.

“Broad exemptions to mandatory vaccination weaken the entire compliance and enforcement structure,” it said.

The department also contends that New Jersey is particularly vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases — with a high population density, a mobile population and many recently arrived immigrants.

“In light of New Jersey’s special traits, the highest number of children possible must receive vaccines to protect them and others,” the department said.

Several hundred people attended Thursday’s rally, some with signs reading, “Mommy knows best.”

Among the speakers was Robin Stavola of Colts Neck, N.J., who said her daughter, Holly, died in 2000 at age 5 less than two weeks after receiving eight different vaccines, including a booster shot.

“I am not against vaccines, but I do believe there are too many,” she told the crowd.

Divide over vaccine safety
State health officials and the CDC insist the flu vaccine is safe and effective, but Vandervalk and the parent groups who support her bill contend there has been inadequate research into the vaccine’s impact on small children. Critics note that flu vaccines contain trace amounts of thimerosol, a mercury-based preservative; the CDC says there’s no convincing evidence these trace amounts cause harm.

More generally, many of the parents mobilizing against the state policy believe various types of vaccine are being overused, resulting in more cases of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other neurological problems in children.

State-by-state vaccine exemptions
Click on each state to see the percentage of medical, religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions for school kids.

“There’s not been a response from the government that is credible in terms of doing the scientific research that will screen out vulnerable children,” said Barbara Loe Fisher, a speaker at the rally. She is co-founder of the National Vaccine Information Center in Vienna, Va., an advocacy group skeptical of vaccination policies.

“There’s an acknowledgment that prescription drugs can cause different reactions in people, but there’s a blanket statement by health authorities that we all have to vaccinate, all in the same way,” Fisher said.

Fisher is a prominent player in a nationwide movement challenging the scope of vaccination programs. She was harshly critical last year when school officials in Maryland’s Prince George’s County threatened to impose jail terms and fines on parents whose children didn’t get required vaccinations.

Many of the activists in New Jersey accept the need for mandatory vaccinations for certain highly dangerous diseases, such as polio, but argue that the state went too far in requiring flu shots.

“The flu is not a deadly disease,” said Barbara Majeski of Princeton, N.J., who does not want her two preschooler sons to get the vaccination.

In fact, flu kills about 36,000 Americans a year and hospitalizes about 200,000. But children make up a small fraction of the victims — 86 died last year, from babies to teens, according to federal figures. Only two flu deaths of children in New Jersey have been recorded since 2004.

“Mother Nature designed our bodies to be able to fight off infections through natural means — you need to be exposed and develop immunity,” Majeski said. “We’ve just gotten a little too overprotective with our children.”