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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.

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December 2010 #2

Here is your update on TACA (Talk About Curing Autism). If you are new to our site... WELCOME! This newsletter is produced two to four times each month.

We are an autism education and support group. We want to make this e-newsletter informative for you. As always, contact us your thoughts and/or questions so we can improve it.

We focus on parent information and support, parent mentoring, dietary intervention, the latest in medical research, special education law, reviews of the latest treatments, and many other topics relating to autism. Our main goal is to build our community so we can connect, share and support each other.

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.

1. Find a TACA Meeting

Come to a TACA Meeting!

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, CDs and DVDs 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.

2. Join Us for Coffee Talk!

Come and receive some extra support or to

chat all topics related to autism and meet

other TACA families at these informal,

monthly get-togethers.

3. Parents Connect To Cure Autism

By Lori Eller, Volunteer Talk About Curing Autism, Midweek.com

At 18 months old, Kai Chorman had very little language. By 24 months, his verbal skills had not improved and his behavioral issues began. There were temper tantrums that could not be controlled followed by periods of unresponsiveness and limited eye contact. By the age of 3, Kai had been diagnosed with a form of autism called pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Daily life was a challenge, and his future looked bleak.

Fortunately his parents Tommy and Tina Chorman found other families with children on the autism spectrum and made valuable connections. Sharing resources, tips and stories, the Chormans were able to find and implement effective interventions to reach their child, who seemed hopeless. Today, at age 7, Kai is completely mainstreamed in a second-grade classroom without support. His teacher didn’t even realize he had an autism spectrum diagnosis (ASD).

Recognizing the important role parents with ASD keiki can play in supporting other ASD families, the Chormans and others formed the Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) Hawaii Chapter in 2008. TACA’s mission is to provide information, resources and support to families with children affected by autism.

Nationwide TACA serves almost 20,000 families, and with no paid local staff, TACA Hawaii still manages to support more than 300 families in the Islands.

Anne Kauffman never misses the monthly TACA support group meeting held at Kaimuki Christian Church.

“Once I found TACA, I never felt alone again,” she says.

Hiromi Toyokama benefitted from TACA’s Autism Journey Seminar: “This all-day parent-led meeting left me feeling empowered to help my child. I appreciated that the parents were able to share from their personal experience without commercial influence.”

Like all nonprofits in a challenging economy, TACA Hawaii’s biggest challenge is fundraising. To contribute, please visit firstgiving.com/tacahawaii.

For more information on TACA, visit tacanow.org/hawaii or call 387-6338.

4. Daily Autism Updates for Families

All news related to autism: AgeofAutism.com

5. Investigating An Epidemic

Envision host Joanne Faryon travels to The Netherlands to interview a scientist who says there may be a mis-match between the current strain of whooping cough and the vaccine.

BY JOANNE FARYON, KPBS.org

SAN DIEGO — Last month I took an unexpected trip to Amsterdam. Ironically, it was not California’s Proposition 19 (the ballot initiative that would have legalized marijuana) that led me there, but the state’s whooping cough epidemic.

Let me explain.

Before this summer, what I knew about whooping cough, I learned as a new mother when my son was immunized as an infant. I knew he needed three shots before he was six months old to be protected from the illness as a baby. I didn’t know how dangerous the disease could be to infants, I just knew immunizing him could spare him from getting sick.

Now, 13 years later, after a state-wide epidemic has killed 10 babies, infected thousands, and lasted far longer than health officials had ever expected, I know more about the dangers and complexities of whooping cough than I should. After all, this is a disease that was nearly wiped out when I was a kid in the 1970’s. Whooping cough or pertussis, is a respiratory illness caused by bacteria. It can be deadly to young babies and debilitating to adults. KPBS began reporting on the epidemic in early summer. By late summer when news releases indicated many of the children getting sick were up to date with their immunizations, we decided to look at the data. Who was getting sick? Were they immunized?

Our first stories appeared in early September. Nearly two out of three people who got whooping cough in San Diego County were immunized. It raised enough questions for our newsroom to probe deeper and ask the Watchdog Institute at San Diego State for help in collecting state and national data on the epidemic. Was this a trend outside of San Diego and what did it mean?

The four-month, KPBS-Watchdog Institute investigation led us to UCLA, Sacramento and most recently to The Netherlands. In November, with five bags of Skittles in my suitcase, I traveled to Amsterdam. The Skittles were the only request producers at Radio Netherlands Worldwide made in exchange for a day with a camera crew.

RNW’s mission is to provide news and information worldwide in 10 different languages. Getting to the bottom of a public health crisis not isolated to California fit this mission. I traveled with video journalist Marijke van den Berg to the Netherlands Center for Disease Control, or RIVM, in Bilthoven.

We interviewed one of the leading experts on the disease, Dr. Frits Mooi. Mooi believes he knows one of the reasons whooping cough has re-emerged, not just in California, but worldwide. The bacteria has evolved and become less sensitive to the current vaccine. In fact, the new strain of pertussis is more virulent.

“We don’t know how effective the current vaccines are against the new strains,” Mooi said.

However, in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and the California Department of Public Health have been reluctant to accept this theory.

American officials cite waning immunity as the leading cause of the epidemic. Mooi says that explanation is “trivial” and doesn't explain the whole story. He believes we need better vaccines.

The data and research KPBS and the Watchdog Institute have collected calls into question the efficacy of the current vaccine. We also discovered vaccine policy is being influenced by doctors and scientists with financial ties to pharmaceutical companies which make the pertussis vaccines.

During our four month investigation, we also met with families affected by this disease, including a baby boy who was diagnosed with whooping cough when he was just two weeks old.

6. Mercury: How To Get This Lethal Poison Out Of Your Body

Mark Hyman, MD, HuffingtonPost.com

If you are heavy, it could be making you sick and tired and age prematurely. And I don't mean heavy with fat...

I mean heavy with heavy metals -- like mercury!

Unfortunately, toxic mercury problems are common. Along with polar bears, beluga whales, ducks, otters, panthers, and all river fish as well as most large ocean fish, we humans are poisoning ourselves with mercury at ever increasing rates.

There's no doubt about it, mercury is the most alarming, disease-causing source of environmental toxicity that I see daily in my practice. Many of patients have toxic levels of mercury -- and they're not alone. I personally suffered from mercury toxicity and chronic fatigue syndrome --which I cured myself from, in part by getting rid of the mercury in my body. So I know about this first hand.

I became toxic because I polluted myself by growing up on tuna fish sandwiches, eating sushi, living in Beijing, which heats all its homes with coal -- the major source of environmental mercury load -- and having a mouthful of amalgam (a.k.a. mercury) fillings.

All of these exposures, combined with genes that prevent me from effectively detoxifying metals in my body, led to a slow and significant poisoning of my cells and mitochondria. And the effects were obvious ...

I felt weak, tired, and couldn't think. I had muscle pain and twitches, insomnia, digestive problems, food allergies, depression, and anxiety. And it was only by discovering high levels of mercury in my hair and urine -- and slowly detoxifying myself -- that I was able to get better.

I have seen this over and over in my patients, too. From chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, to depression, anxiety, obesity, dementia, Parkinson's disease, cancer, heart failure, and heart disease, the message is clear ...

We are being poisoned!

This is such an important public health and personal issue for so many people that I'm going to use this blog and next week's blog to fully explain the extent of mercury issues and give you a comprehensive plan for reducing your exposure and healing from mercury toxicity. I'll show you the science behind mercury toxicity, share some stories about my patients who have suffered, and talk about the way we need to deal with this major health problem.

First, I'd like to share with you what I learned at one of the most important international conferences on mercury yet to be held. It was called "The Impact of Mercury on Human Health and the Environment" and was presented at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans.

There, a unique international group of policymakers, environmental scientists, toxicologists, biochemists, journalists, academic physicians, practicing pediatricians, neurologists, and dentists gathered.

We were there to make sense of the environmental impact, toxicology, basic science, public policy and health implications of one the least studied and perhaps greatest potential threats to our long-term health -- mercury. And I want to share some of what I learned at that conference with you.

Mercury Levels Are on the Rise

Barry Kohl, Ph.D. is an adjunct professor in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University. At the conference he provided a unique overview of the impact of industrialization on environmental mercury levels through a description of the levels of mercury in the ice core extracted from the pristine Freemont Glacier in Wyoming.

There were small peaks in mercury concentration in the ice core from the 1815 Tambora volcanic eruption in Indonesia, the 1850-84 gold rush in California where mercury was used for smelting, the eruption in 1883 of the Sumatran volcano Krakatau 10,000 miles away, and the more recent Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980.

Overall, the changes in environmental mercury levels have been dramatic. Over the past 100 years, there has been a 30-fold increase in mercury deposition, 70 percent of which is from human sources. In fact, there was an exponential peak in mercury occurring in the last 40 years due to major industrialization. Much of this mercury comes from coal-fired industrial plants and from chlor-alkali plants that use mercury in the process of making chlorine used in plastics, pesticides, PVC pipes, and more.

One note of hope was the reduction in industrial mercury emissions from 220 million pounds to 120 million pounds a year over the last 10 years. But that's small consolation when we're talking about a substance that is toxic in parts per million, not in millions of pounds.

And the more mercury we are exposed to, the more we are likely we are to be toxic.

Risk Increases with Dose

Harvey Clewell from the ENVIRON Health Sciences Institute, Ruston, Louisiana, reviewed the epidemiologic studies from the Seychelles and Faroe islands. He showed that your risk of toxicity increases with higher doses of mercury.

Now, there are different types of mercury. Nearly all human exposures to one type, methylmercury, come from fish.

In the Seychelle Islands, there seemed be little effect on kids from mercury; however their fish consumption was predominately from low-risk small reef fish that don't contain much mercury.

On the other hand, in the Faroe Islands people eat whale blubber, which contains high levels of mercury -- over three parts per million. There, high levels of mercury were found in umbilical cord blood and correlated with reduced performance in neurologic testing in 917 mother-infant pairs.

The health effects from methyl mercury upon infants and children depend on the dose. Severe symptoms start with exposure to doses of 100 mcg/kg/day, mild symptoms with more than 10 mcg/kg/day, and sub-clinical symptoms with less than 1 mcg/kg/day. These symptoms include late development in walking and talking and decreased performance on neurological tests.

Dr. Clewell also reviewed the limitations of various forms of testing for mercury.

Methylmercury (also called organic mercury) is found predominately in red blood cells, which is what doctors check when they do a blood test for mercury. But unless you've been eating fish with mercury recently, you won't see your total body level of mercury.

Plus, mercury is lipophilic, meaning that it concentrates in fatty tissues, especially in the brain, which is made mostly of fat. That means that blood levels aren't an accurate measurement of total body burden of mercury.

Inorganic mercury from dental fillings (amalgams) is found in plasma but is rapidly cleared and stored in your tissues. Inorganic mercury is also converted from methylmercury by the body and is the main form of mercury in brain, which can lead to dementia, autism, ADHD and more.

All of these are reasons you need to get comprehensive testing done to assess you total mercury load. I will review the test you need in a moment, but first I want to talk about how mercury gets in your body and what it does to your body and brain.

Health Effects of Mercury

We get mercury in our bodies from many different sources including mercury vapors in ambient air, ingesting it via drinking water, fish, dental amalgams, vaccines, occupational exposures, home exposures including fluorescent light bulbs, thermostats, batteries, red tattoo dye, skin-lightening creams, over-the-counter products such as contact lens fluid and neosynephrine, and more.

You absorb about 80 percent of inhaled mercury vapor and nearly 100 percent of the mercury in fish through your gut.

Once this mercury is in your body it is then primarily distributed in the kidneys and brain and can be readily transferred to the fetus via the placenta.

The only way it can get out of your body is via urine, feces, expired air, and breast milk. The major reason it is toxic to human biology is because mercury has the ability to bind to sulfur-containing molecules in the body (found in nearly every enzyme and in the mitochondria), as well as other chemical binding sites in the cells.

We've learned a lot about how this mercury effects us and our children from reported exposures to mercury over the last 100 years. These include epidemics such as the Minimata Bay exposures in Japan, acrodynia or pink disease in children from calomel (HgCl) used in teething powder, "mad hatter syndrome" or erethism, and methylmercury fungicide grain seed exposures in Iraq and Pakistan.

The symptoms and diseases these exposures have caused are varied and mimic many other conditions. Nervous system toxicity can cause erethism ("mad hatter syndrome" as mentioned above) with symptoms of shyness; laughing, crying, and dramatic mood swings for no apparent reason; nervousness, insomnia, memory problems, and the inability to concentrate.

Other neurologic symptoms may include encephalopathy (non-specific brain malfunction), nerve damage, Parkinsonian symptoms, tremor, ataxia (loss of balance), impaired hearing, tunnel vision, dysarthria (slurred speech), headache, fatigue, impaired sexual function, and depression.

Kidney toxicity leads to proteinura (protein in the urine) and acute renal failure.

Gastrointestinal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and colitis.

Skin toxicity causes allergic dermatitis, chelitis (cracked corners of the mouth), gingivitis (gum disease), stomatitis (sores in the mucous membranes of the mouth) and excessive salivation.

Clearly, mercury toxicity is VERY serious business!

Dentistry and Mercury

One of the more controversial sources of mercury toxicity is dental fillings. Silver dental fillings, or amalgams, contain inorganic mercury. Mercury exposure from amalgams is estimated to be between 3 to 17 micrograms per day from chewing, brushing, grinding, and even slow corrosion.

Questions have arisen about whether or not this amount is toxic ... I am going to clear up the confusion here.

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found no significant neurologic or behavioral changes in children who had mercury amalgam (silver) fillings, compared to kids who had composite (white) fillings placed. But there were significant problems with that study ...

First, the duration of the study was short and the effects subtle. Second, they failed to emphasize the significance of the fact that the kids who had the silver fillings had much higher levels of mercury in their urine than the kids with white fillings.

This is one of the most important details of that study, because it proves that mercury fillings in your mouth release mercury vapor that is absorbed into your body, ending up in your urine. It is deposited in your organs, including your brain, where it accumulates over time.

Whether your fillings are new or old, the mercury in them is constantly absorbed into your body. And even if you stop being exposed to that mercury, it sticks around. It takes up to 18 years for the body to clear half of the dose of mercury from the body. Once mercury is in the body it comes out only VERY slowly.

In fact, people with amalgam fillings have significantly elevated blood mercury levels, three to five times more mercury in the urine, and two to twelve times more mercury in their tissues than those without amalgam fillings.

However blood and urine mercury levels don't necessarily relate to the mercury load in your body tissues or severity of clinical symptoms.

Research on sheep and monkeys with dental amalgams has shown that blood mercury levels remained low -- even though their tissue mercury levels were raised.

Urine mercury levels aren't much better as an indicator of your total mercury load. They mainly reflect the cumulative dose of inorganic mercury in the kidneys and there exists only a very weak correlation with levels in other target tissues.

Another speaker at the conference, Mike Robichaux, a practicing dentist, reviewed his experience with removal of amalgams fillings. He showed a remarkable video of mercury vapor being released from a 25-year-old tooth. You can watch it on the website of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.

But other dentists aren't so concerned. In fact, the American Dental Association still says it is safe to use mercury or silver fillings. That's something I've always wondered about, since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers old mercury fillings that have been removed from the body toxic waste that has to be disposed as such.

Let me put this another way. It's apparently all right to put mercury fillings in your mouth -- but not to throw them out in the garbage!

The danger of amalgam fillings has been confirmed by research from around the world.

At the conference, Anders Lindvall, M.D., from the Foundation for Metal Biology in Sweden, reported his work on the health effects of dental amalgams and presented a review of the controversial literature on dental amalgams and human health.

Many of his patients reported a symptom complex consistent with chronic fatigue syndrome that they believed were related to dental amalgams. So in 1990, Dr. Lindvall began a study at Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden to diagnose and treat 796 patients with suspected amalgam-related illness and to develop and evaluate diagnostic tools to assess toxicity from dental amalgams. (i)

Besides conventional measures of quality of life and symptoms, unique laboratory assessments were used to determine the presence and immunological toxicity of metals.

One was PIXE, an accelerator-based test on single blood cells that assesses intracellular levels of trace elements, which showed that, in lymphocytes (white blood cells), mercury is found in the nucleus, particularly in places where zinc is low.

The other was MELISA, a test of lymphocyte reactivity to metal compounds. Information about the MELISA test is available at www.melisa.org. (ii)

Dr. Lindvall's patients were treated with antioxidants (B complex vitamins, vitamins C and E, and selenium); infections and jaw dysfunction were addressed; and selective removal of any incompatible dental material was performed using low-emission amalgam removal techniques and bio-compatible materials to replace the amalgams.

The cost of these procedures was covered by national health insurance.

Laboratory follow up at one year showed over 70 percent of patients reported significant improvement in symptoms after amalgam removal!

Unfortunately, this study had some problems too ...

The clinic was closed after the study was published, so there was no further access allowed to the records, which contained over 1,000 untreated patients who could have served as a control group. And since 1999, amalgam dental restorations in Sweden are no longer covered by insurance.

But Dr. Lindvall's study still suggests that silver amalgams can cause health problems -- and that removing the fillings can help relieve these problems.

And other studies have had similar effects.

Research has found that patients with chronic fatigue and autoimmune thyroiditis show improvement in their health status after their amalgam fillings are replaced with composites. (iii)

In another study, 71 percent of people with autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, improved after amalgam removal. Low-dose exposure to inorganic mercury may be a contributing factor in the development of autoimmune diseases. (iv)

Animal and lab studies suggest that exposure to metallic mercury may cause nerve cell damage and promote the production the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. (v)

Plus, we know that mercury levels in the human placenta correlate with the number of maternal amalgam fillings -- and a substantial amount of mercury from amalgams reaches the fetus.

Worse, mercury from dental amalgams in pregnant women may also contribute to development of autism in their children. In one study, mothers of 94 autistic children had statistically more amalgam fillings during pregnancy than 49 mothers of healthy kids. (vi)

In contrast to their higher mercury exposure during pregnancy, these autistic children had reduced mercury levels in their first haircut (mercury exposure can be measured in human hair). This may reflect a reduced capacity to excrete mercury from their body, which in turn may lead to elevated brain mercury levels.

And approximately 20 percent of the general public may experience sub-clinical central nervous system and/or kidney function impairment due to amalgam fillings.

When taken collectively, the research forces us to question the safety of dental amalgams. In my view, there is no doubt about it ... they are a danger.

But before you start yanking out your fillings, there is something else to consider ...

Genetic Variations in the Ability to Detoxify

Some of us are very good at detoxifying mercury and other toxins, while some of us store toxins like a toxic waste dump. Genetic variations (called polymorphisms) make some people more prone to metal toxicity.

One gene in particular is very important because it's related to the body's production of glutathione, our most powerful detoxifier and antioxidant. Your body can only excrete mercury when it's bound with glutathione.

The polymorphism of the gene that controls the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase (GSST) prevents excretion of mercury. That is the gene problem I have that led to my mercury toxicity. When that happens, the mercury stays in tissues and does damage. Plus, mercury also binds to key enzymes that help us produce glutathione -- in effect helping itself accumulate in our bodies.

Research also shows that people suffering from symptoms like fatigue, irritability, mood disorders, poor concentration, headaches, and insomnia due to their amalgam fillings are more likely than their peers to have the apolipoprotein E 4 (ApoE 4) gene. (vii)

ApoE 4 is known as the "Alzheimer's gene." It also promotes heart disease. ApoE 4 reduces detoxifying activity. This means that people with this gene can't get rid of mercury from their brains, contributing to its toxic effects on this organ.

I know this all sounds very depressing. And it is. But the good news is that there are things you can do to reduce your exposure -- and identify if you have toxic levels of mercury. So let me sum up what we learned in this week's blog and offer some suggestions for reducing your exposure.

10 Truths and Tips about Mercury Toxicity

1. Industrial exposure to mercury is significant and mostly comes from coal burning (220 million pounds a year) and chlor-alkali plants.

2. The main ways that humans are exposed to mercury are from contaminated fish and dental amalgams or silver fillings.

3. Mercury can affect nearly all your organs, especially the brain, heart, kidneys, and gut.

4. Many chronic diseases may be caused or worsened by mercury, including neurologic disease, ADHD, autism, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and more.

5. Some of us are genetically better adapted to detoxify mercury than others, leading to variable effects within the population.

6. You should reduce your exposure by avoiding large ocean fish (like tuna, swordfish, shark, and tilefish) and river fish. Eat only small wild fish. If it fits in your pan, it is probably okay.

7. Blood tests are relatively worthless for analyzing mercury toxicity, unless you have had a significant recent exposure or eat a lot of sushi or tuna.

8. Hair tests only check for mercury from fish, not from fillings so they only give you a partial picture.

9. The only way to find out your total body load of mercury is to take a medication with sulfur molecules that binds to the mercury like fly paper. This is called DMSA or DMPS.

This test should ONLY be done by a trained physician and involves taking one dose of this medicine, followed by a 6- or 24-hour urine collection to see how much comes out. (In my opinion, the most reliable testing is done by www.doctorsdata.com).

10. If you are toxic and sick, you may consider addressing your dental health by seeing a biological dentist who can safely help you deal with mercury in your mouth.

Going to see a conventional dentist who drills out your fillings without any precautions or protection can lead to serious health consequences. I strongly advise against it. However, amalgam filling removal CAN be done safely and effectively done by a dentist trained in the correct techniques.

That's all for this week. Next week, I'll give you more advice on how to safely eliminate the mercury in your body if you find you are toxic. Finding out if you are poisoned by mercury, limiting your exposures, and getting the mercury out of your body is absolutely critical if you want to achieve lifelong vibrant health.

If you would like to read more of the extensive research on the biologic effects of mercury and toxins on human health, please link to this extensive online bibliography. If you have any doubt about the evidence of harm across a broad range of health conditions of mercury, you must do your homework and review the research yourself.

Now I'd like to hear from you...

Do you think mercury toxicity is a legitimate health concern or a bogus problem?

Do you have any symptoms of mercury toxicity and what have you done about them?

Have you asked your doctor about mercury toxicity and if so, what was his/her response?

Are you exposed to many sources of mercury? What could you do to reduce your exposure?

Please let me know your thoughts by adding a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

References

(i) Lindh U. Removal of dental amalgam and other metal alloys supported by antioxidant therapy alleviates symptoms and improves quality of life in patients with amalgam-associated ill health. Neuroendocrinology Letters 2002; 23(5/6):459-482.

(ii) Stejskal V. Metal-specific lymphocytes: biomarkers of sensitivity in man. Neuroendocrinology Letters 1999;20:289-298.

(iii) Sterzl I., et al. Mercury and nickel allergy: Risk factors in fatigue and autoimmunity. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 1999; 20: 221-228.

(iv) Prochazkova, J., et al. The beneficial effect of amalgam replacement on health in patients with autoimmunity. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 2004; 25(3): 211-218.

(v) Stejskal, J. and Stejskal, V. The role of metals in autoimmunity and the link to neuroendocrinology. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 1999; 20: 351-364.

(vi) Holmes, A.S., et al. Reduced levels of mercury in first baby haircuts of autistic children. International Journal of Toxicology. 2003. 22(4): 277-285.

(vii) Wojcik, D.P. et al. Mercury toxicity presenting as chronic fatigue, memory impairment, and depression: Diagnosis, treatment, susceptibility, and outcomes in a New Zealand practice setting (1994-2006). 2006. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 27(4): 415-423.

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.

7. The Love You Give Tour to Benefit Autism

"Compassion is at the heart of every cure." Dave Wakeling, The English Beat

THE ENGLISH BEAT
Announces "The Love You Give" Tour To Benefit Autism
Dave Wakeling To Release First Recording Since 1994

New York, NY - Well-known for his humanitarian efforts working for Greenpeace and supporting the "Smile Train" mission, Dave Wakeling of Two-Tone ska legends THE ENGLISH BEAT is once again putting the World in the forefront and supporting an issue that needs attention - autism. "My mom nursed autistic kids in the Sixties and Seventies and she told me fascinating stories," he recalls, regarding his early exposure to the neurological disorder. "And now, I have a number of friends dealing with autism in their families as well."

In an effort to raise awareness and funds for the care of autistic children, Dave is launching The Love You Give Tour this week on the East Coast with donations to be collected during the concerts. The tour launches on December 8th in Annapolis, MD and travels up the East Coast until mid-December (dates below). As an added incentive in these dire economic climate, the band has reduced ticket prices for select dates for the unemployed as a sign of solidarity and support - "a helping hand in these hard times" as Dave explains. Fans wanting to take advantage of this reduced admission will need to provide a current unemployment check stub as proof at the door.

In conjunction with this tour, Dave will be releasing the acoustic solo performance version of his new song "The Love You Give," (his first studio recording since 1994) in association with Acoustic for Autism, an organization created to increase awareness, acceptance, understanding for those with autism and to help raise funds for organizations who are making a direct, positive impact for families and their children. "I am so astounded by Dave’s involvement and enthusiasm for this project," says Acoustic For Autism (A4A) Executive Producer Mike Cusanelli. "It is amazing for me to be working closely with an artist that inspired me long before I ever dreamed I would work in the music business." Adds A4A Founder/Producer Louis Gendron, "I had a list of artists I wanted to contact - artists I've respected my whole life. When I contacted Dave, I did not expect him to respond so quickly or directly."

"The Love You Give" has been an audience favorite at recent concerts but has never been released commercially. Stripped down and intimate, Dave Wakeling's solo acoustic version will be available digitally this week for $.99 on iTunes (a full band version will be available in 2011). This will mark the first recording that Dave has released since General Public unleashed its single "I'll Take You There" which landed the #1 spot on Billboard's Dance Chart. The song can be purchased here.

"The sentiment of 'The Love You Give' as well as Dave’s desire to help us out means the world to me," says Mike who, like Louis, has a child afflicted with autism. Louis adds, "My wife and I, like so many families, spend so much time and energy focused on helping our daughter get the best treatment she requires. Autism therapies are expensive and are incredibly time consuming for the children and their families. The financial and emotional strain is overwhelming. Part of the reason I started A4A was for parents to have something that can help them relax, while also letting them know they're not alone. It means a lot to know there are other mothers and fathers going through the same struggles."

"We are all in the same boat with this human experience," explains Dave about the song. "The love you offer during your lifetime lasts forever in the help you've given to others." Louis concludes, "I think the song says it all really. If we don't love each other and take care of all of our children now, then what else is there?"

THE ENGLISH BEAT's THE LOVE YOU GIVE TOUR
* denotes "Unemployment Rates Available"

Dec 08 Ramshead On Stage Annapolis, MD
Dec 09 Bell House Brooklyn, NY
Dec 10 Fairfield Theatre – Stage One Fairfield, CT
Dec 11 Fairfield Theatre – Stage One Fairfield, CT
Dec 12 Infinity Hall Norfolk, CT *
Dec 14 Maxwell’s Hoboken, NJ
Dec 15 Tupelo Music Hall Londonderry, NH
Dec 16 Tupelo Music Hall White River Junction, VT
Dec 17 Port City Music Hall Portland, ME
Jan 06 Sellersville Theater 1894 Sellersville, PA
Jan 08 Bourbon Street Baltimore, MD *
Jan 09 Highline Ballroom New York, NY *

About The English Beat:
The English Beat's irresistible blend of ska, reggae, and punk has made them undeniable stars throughout the last three decades and, in fact, this year marks the 30th Anniversary of their 1980 debut I Just Can’t Stop It. As a testament of their longetivity, their music has been heard recently in Hot Tub Time Machine ("Save It for Later"), Shrek Forever After ("Click Click"), television shows (TBS's Glory Daze), and even in Target commercials ("Tenderness" as their post-English Beat break up band, General Public). Among the other uber-memorable hits include “Mirror In The Bathroom”, “I Confess”, "Doors of Your Heart", and "Tears of a Clown" among many others.

www.myspace.com/officialbeatspace
www.twitter.com/EnglishBeatFans
www.facebook.com/EnglishBeatFans

About Acoustic For Autism:
Acoustic for Autism is a music project founded by childhood friends Mike Cusanelli and Louis Gendron who reconnected after twenty years and formed a bond when they discovered that they both have children with autism. A4A donates 100% of the net proceeds to non-profit organizations in the US who are helping families and children directly afflicted with autism. A4A released a critically-acclaimed compilation Acoustic for Autism that included acoustic recordings by notable artists including Chris Trapper of Push Stars, Anuhea, Amber Rubarth, Kris Delmhorst, and Cormac McCarthy. Boston Globe called the collection "magical… a profound listening experience.”

www.acousticforautism.org
www.twitter.com/acoustic4autism

8. Chromium-6 Is Widespread in US Tap Water

Cancer-causing chemical found in 89 percent of cities sampled

Laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) have detected hexavalent chromium, the carcinogenic “Erin Brockovich chemical,” in tap water from 31 of 35 American cities. The highest levels were in Norman, Okla.; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Riverside, Calif. In all, water samples from 25 cities contained the toxic metal at concentrations above the safe maximum recently proposed by California regulators.

The National Toxicology Program has concluded that hexavalent chromium (also called chromium-6) in drinking water shows “clear evidence of carcinogenic activity” in laboratory animals, increasing the risk of gastrointestinal tumors. In September 2010, a draft toxicological review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) similarly found that hexavalent chromium in tap water is “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”

In 2009, California officials proposed setting a “public health goal” for hexavalent chromium in drinking water of 0.06 parts per billion (ppb) to reduce cancer risk. This was the first step toward establishing a statewide enforceable limit. Despite mounting evidence of its toxic effects, the EPA has not set a legal limit for hexavalent chromium in tap water nationally and does not require water utilities to test for it. In 25 cities where EWG’s testing detected chromium-6 — in the first publicly available national survey for the contaminant — it was found in concentrations exceeding California’s proposed maximum, in one case at a level more than 200 times higher.

At least 74 million Americans in 42 states drink chromium-polluted tap water, much of it likely in the cancer-causing hexavalent form. Given the scope of exposure and the magnitude of the potential risk, EWG believes the EPA should move expeditiously to establish a legal limit for chromium-6 and require public water suppliers to test for it.

9. CAARC Response to Senator Christopher Dodd's CAA Draft

DODD’S DRAFT FALLS SHORT ON NECESSARY ACTIONS TO ADDRESS THE AUTISM EPIDEMIC

CAACoalition.org

Statement from the Working Group of the Combating Autism Act Reauthorization Coalition on Senator Dodd’s Working Draft of a Combating Autism Act Reauthorization Bill; Dodd’s Draft Falls Short on Guiding Principles that 70 Autism Organizations Have Endorsed

On Tuesday December 14, 2010, Senator Christopher Dodd (D, CT) shared a working draft of the Combating Autism Act of 2011 (CAA 2011) that he plans to introduce later in the week. Submitted in the waning hours of the 2010 session and unsupported so far by a Republican co-sponsor, Dodd’s introduction of an actual bill was largely a symbolic gesture. Discussions over CAA 2011 will resume in the New Year. As with the original Combating Autism Act of 2006 (CAA 2006), bipartisan cooperation will be essential to an effort that truly commits our medical and scientific institutions to combating the autism epidemic, the most significant childhood public health crisis of the 21st century. The latest information available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 110 American children born in 1998 were stricken with autism.

The Combating Autism Act Reauthorization Coalition (CAARC) wrote letters to Senator Dodd on November 19th and December 3rd. In these letters we urged Dodd to delay introduction of any reauthorization bill in order to leave sufficient time to consider the policy challenges our country faces with the autism epidemic in a more deliberate fashion so that we might craft a consensus bill--one based on bipartisanship, broad participation and wide support from the autism community—in an open and transparent process.

CAARC is concerned that Senator Dodd’s draft bill, while introducing some new and positive elements, does not yet provide necessary improvements to CAA 2006 and, more importantly, was drafted neither in a transparent process nor a bipartisan spirit. CAARC looks forward to continuing the discussion of CAA 2011 with both parties in the next congressional session. We all must take the necessary time and care to authorize and implement a bill that will effectively address the critical challenges presented by the American autism epidemic.

Progress in Some Areas

In the draft bill, the most important improvement over CAA 2006 that Senator Dodd proposes is contained in the findings section. There he acknowledges that “with prevalence estimates increasing at an alarming pace, autism is a national health emergency.” According to CAARC’s first guiding principle, “The reauthorized bill should embody the sense of urgency appropriate to the problem. There must be no sugar-coating of the national health emergency we face with autism, no hedging language conceding merely that real increases “cannot be ruled out.” CAA 2011 needs to include a clear acknowledgment of the rising trends by birth year and age group.”

In large part, Dodd’s draft meets CAARC’s standards in declaring autism a national emergency; this declaration is the first and necessary step on the way to a rational and coherent national autism policy.

There are other positive aspects to Senator Dodd’s draft. The draft requests $2.75 billion over five years in federally funded research into autism, a substantial increase over the five year funding authorization proposed in CAA 2006. The bill also authorizes $3.15 billion over six years in autism services funding. CAA 2006 was primarily concerned with research on cause and treatment. Several "services" bills have been introduced during the past few years but have made no progress. The draft CAA 2011 combines, for the first time, research and services. CAARC welcomes these proposed authorizations; clearly, the autism epidemic deserves a vigorous federal response, one which includes both honest investigation of the factors that have provoked the epidemic and critical assistance to affected families and individuals.

CAARC believes that $6 billion of federal autism spending providing for necessary expenditures in prevention, treatment and services could yield extraordinary returns on an admittedly large taxpayer investment. This return will be realized, however, only if the spending is well targeted and the federal officials who govern and manage that spending are held accountable for results.

The Need for an Open and Transparent Legislative Process

Although CAARC represents by far the single largest coalition of individual autism organizations consulted by Senator Dodd’s staff, there were a number of other organizations consulted. Several of these, including Autism Speaks, the national offices of the Autism Society of America and the Autism Self-Advocacy Network, clearly represent families and individuals affected by autism. Even when we disagree with them on the specifics of policy proposals, we welcome them to the discussion.

In addition to these autism groups, Dodd’s staff has consulted with several disability services organizations. To the best of our knowledge, these include Easter Seals, the National Disability Rights Network, and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. Although CAARC values autism service providers and welcomes the increased funding of autism services, we are concerned when a short list of disability organizations with a diffuse agenda and little background in autism are given such a strong voice in the formulation of autism policy. The most notable shared feature of these groups appears to be that they are large enough to have Washington based lobbyists on staff.

CAARC has made requests to Dodd’s staff on numerous occasions to share a draft copy of the bill so that our legislative working group can review it in detail and share it with the members of the coalition. These requests have so far gone largely unheeded. The first occasion in which members of CAARC were permitted to see the draft language was a two and one-half hour meeting on November 30th in Washington D.C. In that meeting, two CAARC members participated in person and several others participated by phone. Most of the time was devoted to group discussion, leaving little time for document review and analysis. Only those who were present in person were able to review the draft and they were unable to leave with a copy. On December 14th 2010, Dodd’s office distributed a draft copy of the bill for the first time and gave the autism community just a day to respond before moving to introduce the bill in the final days of the lame duck session.

During the November 30th meeting, CAARC became aware that the participation of some of the disability services organizations seemed to be tied to funding earmarks in the draft bill. The language of these earmarks provided detailed specifications for organizations that were to receive funding authorizations ranging from $63 million to $150 million over six years. Although these organizations present on November 30th were not specified in the bill, one of the representatives in attendance referred to a $63 million earmark as “my part of the bill.”

CAARC is in no position to evaluate whether this organization, or for that matter any of the others with active lobbyists that were consulted by Dodd’s staff, deserves to receive funding appropriations of this magnitude. But there is no place in the formulation of critical legislation for insider deals; in a fiscal environment where any spending request is subject to great scrutiny, they put the entire process at risk.

Funding is Only the First Step in Combating Autism

CAARC believes that appropriating more money for autism is a critical first step but not sufficient by itself as a response to the public health emergency represented by the autism epidemic. Increased federal funding for autism must be governed, allocated and managed effectively before we can ever hope to stop the autism epidemic in its tracks and relieve the suffering of hundreds of thousands of affected individuals and their families. Specifically, research spending into causes and treatments for autism must be held accountable and not be held back by the ideological burden of decades of failed investments; similarly, new autism services funding should be channeled to existing services infrastructure at the state level and not be used to prop up new disabilities bureaucracies simply because they have Washington lobbyists.

Ensuring autism research accountability at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Currently, autism research is directed from the National Institutes for Mental Health (NIMH) and governed by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). Most autism organizations would agree that autism science is not well placed in NIMH and that the IACC has not performed well. The draft Dodd bill proposes one positive step by proposing a new National Institute for Autism Research (NIAR), taking autism research authority away from NIMH and creating a new research oversight committee. Unfortunately, the draft bill doesn’t go nearly far enough in critical respects: the IACC continues to have authority over autism research; the research funding process remains passive and slow; the oversight responsibility for autism surveillance remains within the CDC; and NIAR officials remain free to withhold funding from politically difficult investigations of environmental factors in autism, including vaccines.

The purpose of CAA should be to stop the autism epidemic in its tracks, not to defend and continue the failed research investments of the last several decades. CAA 2011 needs to fix what’s broken at NIH, not throw more good money after bad.

Resisting autism services bureaucracy. The current state of autism services is familiar to many autism families. Dedicated local service providers and determined families struggle to obtain funding for and deliver services to needy affected individuals (largely children to date) in the face of mounting constraints on local and state resources. The resource gaps are acute and immediate and the urgency of the services demand is increasing as a tsunami of young adults with autism is beginning to age out of the special education services system.

The purpose of CAA 2011 should be to provide direct support quickly to an existing and overburdened services infrastructure and not to replace it slowly with new providers overseen by distant bureaucracies.

CAARC’s Guiding Principles

CAARC has not had a sufficient amount of time in which to examine the draft bill provisions. But based on our brief opportunity to review an earlier version of the draft on November 30th and our initial observations of the recently released document, we have prepared the following summary of how well the draft bill language addresses CAARC’s ten listed Guiding Principles.[1]

Addressed in part

#1- Recognize that our country faces a national public health emergency. The draft bill contains language that is responsive to this principle. The key question is whether the rest of the bill actually implements a solution to the declared emergency.

Incompletely addressed

#2- Direct increased resources for a lifespan of autism services through established services infrastructure at the state and local level. As discussed above, the increase in services funding is substantial. Unfortunately, the services funding has not been endorsed by any Republican co-sponsor (a critical gap in the current fiscal environment) and risks wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on expensive, slow and centralized bureaucracies.

#3- Dedicate federal research funding to strategic research that can halt the autism epidemic in its tracks. The draft bill directs continuing and increased research funding for autism to a focused NIAR. Unfortunately, the draft fails to fix what’s broken at NIH and will likely extend the autism epidemic for many years to come.

#6-Keep individuals with autism safe from accidental death and injury. The draft bill includes a provision to study the issue of safety and wandering for a year. Unfortunately, many autistic children will walk away from home and die while this research is underway.

Not addressed

#4- Conduct autism surveillance with the scope, timeliness and rigor appropriate to the need. The draft bill continues to place autism surveillance under the CDC, which has for nearly two decades failed to meet the most basic standards of care and diligence in autism surveillance.

#5- Focus strategic new research in areas that can yield meaningful near term results. The draft bill is silent on the direction of research spending and fails to provide meaningful mechanisms for research accountability.

#7- Prevent harmful restraint and seclusion of autistic individuals. The draft bill contains no provisions to prevent harmful restrain and seclusion practices in schools. We are grateful that Sen. Dodd has led the effort to pass the House bill in the Senate. Unfortunately this has apparently been stalled by opposition from some "education" and "disability" groups who favor the use of restraints and seclusion.

#8- Address critical gaps in vaccine safety research and policy governance. The draft bill makes no provisions for vaccine safety research, despite rising evidence for a role of vaccine injury in many cases of regressive autism.

#9- End health insurance discrimination against individuals with autism. The draft bill contains no provisions on a critical issue for many autism families who too often cannot obtain critical health services simply because their children carry the autism label with them into the doctor’s office.

#10-Develop autism policy with an open, transparent approach. The draft bill was written in a process, as described above, that has much room for improvement.

Where To Go From Here

As Senator Dodd leaves office, the process of improving CAA 2011 will begin. CAARC wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to Senator Dodd and his staff for their hard work and good intentions on autism policy, and for focusing much needed attention on the needs of those with autism over the last several years. However, we recognize that we have a long way to go before a single dollar from the Combating Autism Act legislation provides benefits to a single autism family rather than being lost in an autism bureaucracy. CAARC urges the next Congress to begin their review of autism with the greater openness and transparency necessary to achieve bipartisan support and community consensus. The best place to start is with a wide ranging series of hearings into all aspects of the autism epidemic. These hearing should include numerous panels addressed to the issues and concerns outlines in our Guiding Principles to assure that the taxpayers money is well spent on truly improving the quality of life for those with autism and stopping the autism epidemic in its tracks.

CAARC looks forward to broadening the discussion and drafting process of effective solutions with all in the autism community, and to developing a Combating Autism Act that changes the course of autism and the treatment of those with this challenging diagnosis."

About CAARC

The Combating Autism Act Reauthorization Coalition (CAARC) is made up of approximately 70 autism organizations in 40 states. CAARC members represent tens of thousands of families and uses the collective voice and power of those organizations to pass legislation that serves the interests of those with autism. You can learn more about CAARC and its Guiding Principles here. CAARC invites autism groups large and small across the nation to join us in advocating for those with autism by signing on to our Guiding Principles. Together, we are stronger.

10. Year-end Message from TACA Founder, Lisa Ackerman

Our gift this year to the families we serve is to be there for them during their time of need.  For the past 10 years the TACA staff and hundreds of valued volunteers have worked diligently to provide families with tools and resources to support them along their autism journey.

TACA is currently working with a production team to share the challenges of families living with autism. We are proud to share our recently completed Public Service Announcement:

As the year comes to a close, I ask, “Where did the time go?”  Like many busy parents, I cannot believe 2010 is almost in the books.

At TACA, that feeling is multiplied by a factor of 10. This past year has left many families with enormous challenges. The terrible economy coupled with raising a special needs child equals difficult times.  We empathize with the families we serve and the challenges they face. We do our best to help where ever we can, whenever we can.

In planning for 2010, I forecasted TACA would grow to serve 18,000 families (which would have been an increase from 2009’s total of 16,000 families). Well, I was wrong.  TACA is now serving 20,000 families.  

TACA still provides 12 core programs at no cost to families. For programs where there is a charge we offer Family Scholarship Programs that can offset the cost for families who apply. Read about TACA’s programs here.

This season we focused on our Adopt-A-Family program. With the support of a variety of businesses, individual donors, and clubs we brought the spirit of the holidays into the lives of 80 families. I would love to share with you some the heart-warming messages of appreciation we received:

“Thank you so much for the package with the gift cards.  A serious sigh of relief washed over me when I opened it.  I don't know what we would do without TACA.”

- Stephanie, mom of 4 in Idaho, TACA Adopt-A-Family Participant

 “What a blessing TACA has been to my family!  TACA has helped our family in more ways than I can count!!!”

- Julie in California, TACA Member     

“TACA just saved Christmas. My children wouldn’t have one without you. Thank you.”

- Angie, mom of three in Wisconsin, TACA Adopt-A-Family Participant

“Big hugs to my TACA friends. I am jumping up and down (and not because of a tantrum this time!!) Wanted to let you know that we received the TACA Package - an angel in a mailman disguise showed up at our door and brought the blessings. I want you to know how very much it means to me..it is hard to ask for help and sometimes it can make all the difference in the world....Thank you for your efforts and love have spread all the way to the northeast to a very special little boy ..one that I love dearly..the autism cards went straight into my purse...information is a wonderful thing!!”

- Barbara, single mom in Pennsylvania, TACA Member  

The only way we can continue to scholarship our families is through our community. TACA does not raise funds from the families we serve but many times we are helped through connections in their community. A great many members have stepped up to help and we are grateful for their support.

Some of our families have shared how they've helped TACA:

• Setting up a workplace give-back day or a grant for TACA.

• Becoming a TACA Ambassador. This new program involves business and community leaders collaborating to raise funds and secure grants for TACA.

• Volunteering as a parent mentor or taking a role at a local chapter to help bring the TACA mission to their local community.

If you’re planning to make a year-end donation we hope you’ll consider TACA so that we can continue to help more families affected by autism. Also, please share this enewsletter (click on Share This at the bottom of this page) with any family members or friends who would like to become involved with TACA as a volunteer, Ambassador or make a year-end donation. As always, we are most appreciative of your consideration and ongoing support.

WHY TACA?

The struggle with autism often times leaves families feeling very isolated and alone. TACA helps families with a sense of community. You can help TACA be here for those families.

WHY NOW?

If not now, when? TACA families need help. Autism is the least funded disability in the United States and we need your help.

YOUR IMPACT

Your donations and support are important. Your partnering with TACA and helping the families we serve will have an dramatic impact in the life of a family.

It is important to reiterate - we don’t ask the families we serve to donate to TACA – we look to our communities to help us serve families living with autism. Thank you for supporting TACA, the mission and the families we proudly serve.

In friendship and support of our children,

Lisa Ackerman
TACA Founder
Mom to Jeff, Lauren and wife to Glen