SAR "Healing Autism:
Schafer Autism Report No Finer a Cause on the Planet"
________________________________________________________________
Monday, March 12, 2007 Vol. 11 No. 36



>> PROMOTE YOUR 2007 EVENTS NOW - FREE <<
Conferences * Presentations * Parent Meetings
DEADLINE FOR APRIL AUTISM CALENDAR IS
March 23!

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EVENTS
* Anti-Mercury Activists Invite All To Attend "The Most Historical
Event Of 2007"
* DAN! Defeat Autism Now! Spring Conference

TREATMENT
* Canadian Autism Leader To Make Announcements in Australia

CARE
* Autistic Boy, 10, Who Went Missing Found Safe
* Official: Illinois Shortchanging Autistic Kids
* Chief, Mom Raise Autism Awareness With Police
* No Easy Answers In Autism

MEDIA
* Specials this week on Autism One Radio www.autismone.org/radio
* Special Edition on Autism One Radio - Portia Iversen April 3


LETTERS
* WSJ Letters in Response to Autism-Caused-By-TV-Watching Article
* An Autism Calling



EVENTS

Anti-Mercury Activists Invite All To Attend "The Most Historical Event Of
2007"
The Simpsonwood Remembered Rally, June 8, Atlanta, GA.

From an organization announcement. www.momsagainstmercury.org

This momentous "mainstream" rally takes place on the 7th anniversary
of the infamous, secret, Simpsonwood meetings this June 8 and is in support
of the United Methodist Women Division's, (one million strong), conference
at the Simpsonwood Methodist Retreat Center, to address the dangers of using
mercury as a preservative in vaccines.
Having become aware of a closed-door "Simpsonwood meeting" held at
Simpsonwood United Methodist Retreat Center, and of the danger of mercury in
vaccines and other drugs, the Women's Division of the United Methodist
Church is sponsoring "The Truth is Coming to Light," a teach-in on the
dangers of mercury in medicine. Fittingly, this historic event will be held
at Simpsonwood Retreat Center June 6 & 7, 2007, to mark the 7th Anniversary
of the closed-door meetings.
Seven years ago, on June 7 & 8, 2000, at the Simpsonwood religious
retreat center in Norcross, Georgia, leaders of the CDC, FDA, and Pharma
gathered to discuss troubling studies which showed a strong correlation
between mercury exposure from vaccines and the risk of tics, speech/language
disorders, and other neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
The "transcripts" from that meeting record an overriding concern among
most participants for protecting vulnerable agencies/companies from
liability, but almost no concern for protecting vulnerable children from
mercury poisoning. Instead, participants were asked to protect--not the
children--but the information discussed in this closed-door meeting.
The studies presented there were manipulated several times until, in
2002, most of the statistical associations found originally became less than
significant, and only then were the final "results" shared with the
Institute of Medicine in 2004.
What was said in secret will be spoken in public. Now, instead of
government officials and industry executives protecting mercury and those
culpable for its presence in baby shots, the faith community and parents of
mercury-poisoned children will gather at the gates of the CDC, on June 8, to
protect children from mercury in medicine and the danger it represents.
In addition, the Women's Division and all those attending this rally
will call for the right of informed consent before any drug containing added
mercury is administered, because mercury is a known poison and carcinogen.
The Simpsonwood Remembered Rally
Be Part of History!
Be There!

* For More information on the rally can be found at:
www.momsagainstmercury.org.
* For information on the history of United Methodist Women's work with
issues related to mercury poisoning and children's health, visit
www.umwmission.org.




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DAN! Defeat Autism Now! Spring Conference For Parents and Practitioners
April 19-23 Alexandria, Virginia

From an organization announcement.
http://www.danconference.com/

If you have a child affected by autism, or if you are a professional
working with children on the autism spectrum, attending a DAN! Conference is
one of the best ways for you to obtain the latest information on the safest
and most effective biomedical interventions for improving your child's
condition.
There is no other conference that devotes its entire agenda to
teaching parents and practitioners how nutrition, intestinal disorders,
detoxification and other metabolic issues impact behavior, attention, speech
and the general health of children on the autism spectrum. The Defeat
Autism Now! (DAN!) Conference focuses intensely on these important issues.
Whether your child is mildly affected, has more pronounced symptoms, is a
two year old with a recent diagnosis, or an older child with autism,
attending a DAN! conference will provide you with insights into the
underlying metabolic problems that are often responsible for the symptoms we
associate with autism. Additionally, you will become equipped with powerful
tools and information that you and your DAN! physician can use to often
correct these disorders and bring about improvements in your child.

+ Read more: http://www.danconference.com/

. . .

TREATMENT

Canadian Autism Leader To Make Announcements in Australia

http://tinyurl.com/yq9pz9

Fredericton (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Canadian leaders in
autism research and autism technology, Dr. Jeanette Holden, PhD, FCCMG and
Cynthia Howroyd, M.Sc, SLP, will be making exciting new announcements about
the use of technology in providing treatment to children with autism on
Statewide Morning with Tim Cox.
In a study begun in July 2006 at Queen's University in Canada, Dr.
Holden selected 50 families of children with autism to participate in a
research study using an online autism treatment platform called AutismPro.
The program allows families to obtain treatment recommendations
through the program's interactive artificial intelligence.
"AutismPro pulls together information about autism, helps parents
evaluate various options, and combines best-practice and evidence-based
procedures into one program," said Dr. Holden, Program Director of the
Autism Spectrum Disorders - Canadian-American Research Consortium
(ASD-CARC), an international consortium ofautism researchers .
"It is my sincere belief that using technologically-based approaches
is essential in order to provide the needed amount of therapy to the
hundreds of thousands of children world-wide who have minimal or no
services."
Dr. Holden will discuss her current research findings for the first
time ever on the March 14 Statewide Morning with Tim Cox show at 10:30 AM in
a interview with both her and Cynthia Howroyd, President and CEO of Virtual
Expert Clinics, the creators of AutismPro.
Ms. Howroyd, who was one of the first speech language pathologists to
set up intensive early intervention programs for children with autism in the
rural Canadian province of New Brunswick, said, "Besides being a practical
tool for helping professionals and parents of children with autism,
AutismPro is a powerful tool for researchers to collect data on intervention
choices and related outcomes for different children."
Dr. Holden and Ms. Howroyd will be giving a series of workshops and
presentations in Melbourne, Hobart and Launceston beginning March 13.
A schedule and registration form is available online at autismpro.com.
Dr Jeanette Holden, PhD, FCCMG is internationally recognized for her
research on autism and intellectual disabilities.
She is Program Director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders -
Canadian-American Research Consortium (ASD-CARC), a group of more than 60
researchers, clinicians, and parents carrying out research to understand the
Autism Spectrum.
She is also Program Director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders
Strategic Training in Health Research (STIHR) Program at Queens University.
Web sites: www.autismresearch.com, www.asdcard.com and
www.autismtraining.com.
Her research is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health
Research, the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, the Canada Foundation for
Innovation, Autism Speaks, and the US March of Dimes.
+ For more information on AutismPro, visit http://www.autismpro.com.

. . .

CARE

Autistic Boy, 10, Who Went Missing Found Safe

In the Ottawa Citizen. http://tinyurl.com/2xlag7

A 10-year-old autistic boy who disappeared from the Byward Market
Sunday afternoon was found safe outside of the Maison du Citoyen at 25
Laurier St. in Hull.
Ottawa police scoured the area after the boy was reported running
westbound on Clarence Street near the corner of Sussex Drive. The boy had
been walking with his parents, but had run away after seeing a dog.
The boy made his way over the Alexandra Bridge to Hull, where he was
seen by a passerby, who phoned police.
He was not injured and Ottawa police and his parents came to pick him
up just after 3:45 p.m.

. . .

Official: Illinois Shortchanging Autistic Kids Feds step in to increase
Medicaid waivers


As of July, 331 families with autism waivers were receiving
services, but there were 3,054 on the waiting list. The average
amount of time spent on the waiting list is eight years.


By Susan Brown. http://tinyurl.com/2nm9q6

The largest study of its kind has found about one in five American
children now suffers from autism, higher than any rate previously reported.
In recent weeks, the media have given widespread attention to the
surge, and advocates have called for federal and state legislators to step
to the plate with more dollars.
But it nothing new to Herb Grulke, executive director of In-Pact, a
homegrown organization founded 31 years ago by parents of autistic children.
"Parents were as frustrated 30 years ago as they are today," Grulke
said of the growing problem and shortage of resources.
In-Pact's early success with placing autistic children in group homes
led to the state requesting it broaden its scope to include a diverse group
of the developmentally disabled.
"They were spending $60,000 a year (per child) for care in an
institution," Grulke said.
Placement in a group home saved the state $20,000 per child. The
average child was expected to live to age 70.
"It didn't take them long to do the math," Grulke said about the
state's penchant for the bottom line.
According to Grulke, the bottom line still rules state government,
explaining why helping autistic children is painfully slow.
Grulke is so versed in the troubling nature of autism -- and the
state's attitude toward it -- he has served on the Indiana Legislative
Commission on Autism for 17 years.
"The thing that will kill a bill is fiscal impact," he said.
For that reason, this legislative session Grulke expected only one of
its two House bills to succeed because it required no additional funding.
That bill involved the training of emergency personnel like police
officers, firefighters and paramedics. Happily, the bill could be killed
because of voluntary compliance by emergency services, Grulke said.
The other bill allowed schools to add a day for in-service training
for teachers and paraprofessionals.
"If you have 5,000 professionals and if you assume an extra day of
pay, that bill had a lot less likelihood of being approved," Grulke said.
Nevertheless, Grulke said the state is starting to make some
improvements, but only because of heat from the federal government.
Take the Medicaid waivers for autism, for example.
Lake County restaurateur Jim Gerodemos, who already has spent $120,000
in savings on services for his autistic son, applied for the waiver two
months ago.
"We were told he'd be eligible after high school," Gerodemos said.
"He's 4. What do we do in the meantime?"
As of July, 331 families with autism waivers were receiving services,
but there were 3,054 on the waiting list.
The average amount of time spent on the waiting list is eight years.
"And that's assuming you apply today," Grulke said.
Coveted by families who otherwise pay an average of $961 a month in
private services for an autistic child, the state has increased the number
of waivers, according to Grulke.
But that's only because the federal government took notice of the
state's exorbitant waiting lists, he said.
"The federal government says you can have a waiting list, but there
was encouragement from Washington to start seeing some movement," he said.
The state is expecting to add 200 additional waivers during the next
two years without further pressure from the commission, Grulke said.
"We're somewhat pleasantly surprised, but the proof will be in the
pudding," he said.

. . .

Chief, Mom Raise Autism Awareness With Police

By Jean Murphy in the Boston Daily Herald. http://tinyurl.com/3bvd2s

Anticipating the fact that many autistic children will soon be
entering their teen years, every officer in the Mount Prospect Police
Department has now received training on recognizing autism, differentiating
it from belligerent behavior and dealing with autistic people, thanks to the
advocacy and concern of a local mother.
Joanne Prifti-Nicholas, the mother of a preteen boy with Asperger's
syndrome, a high functioning version of an autism spectrum disorder,
approached former Police Chief Richard Eddington last year, asking what
training his police officers had in dealing with people with autism. An
incident in a neighboring community in which an autistic man was Tasered by
police and subsequently died prompted Prifti-Nicholas' concern.
"Autism is an expressive language disorder," she explains, "and
statistics say that autistic people are more likely to get in trouble with
the police because they can't express themselves."
For instance, she says, they are very literal. If an autistic person
was stopped for speeding, and the officer told him he were going 45 mph in a
35 mph speed zone, he might say, "Actually, I was going 44." A police
officer could interpret this as them being belligerent or smart-mouthed.
Yet other autistic people might not respond at all, she continues, and
a police officer could think that they were drunk or high.
So it is very important that officers be trained to recognize autistic
behavior and how to deal with it. Prifti-Nicholas says that by approaching
the police she was simply trying to avert something that could be very
costly to an autistic child and very costly to a community.
Autism was on Mount Prospect training officer Sgt. Tim Janowick's
radar screen even before Prifti-Nicholas approached him, thanks to that same
incident in another community. So he was very receptive to her overtures to
the department.
In fact, he and Investigator Tim Griffin attended the "Autism
Awareness" training for police officers offered last May during the Autism I
Conference in Rosemont and plan to send another youth investigator to the
training this May.
+ Read more: http://tinyurl.com/3bvd2s


. . .

No Easy Answers In Autism
Theories abound, but no known cause or cure for baffling disorder

By Lisa Schencker, for the Californian
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/104427.html

It seems as if almost everyone has a theory about what causes autism
spectrum disorders and why more children are being diagnosed with them now.
But no one knows for sure. And there's no known cure. Experts disagree
on many of the issues.
"Unfortunately there are a lot of outfits that will prey upon people's
desperation," said Sue Backer, parent of a 4-year-old with an autism
spectrum disorder. "You really need to do research before you buy snake
oil."
Children with autism spectrum disorders -- a range of developmental
disorders that share some similar characteristics -- generally have problems
communicating and understanding social situations. Oftentimes, their brains
have problems balancing their senses, so certain sounds, sights, smells or
touches are overwhelming.
Researchers across the country have been working for years to try to
understand it. Many believe some children are genetically predisposed to
autism. Others believe something in the environment triggers it. Still
others believe it's a combination.
The UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute in cooperation with the National
Institute of Mental Health launched the Autism Phenome Project last year in
hopes of finding out more. The institute is studying children, their
families and environments in hopes of finding patterns that might help
explain autism and identify different types of the disorder.
Over the years, several causes have been discussed and then dismissed.
In the1970s, doctors considered what would be called autism today a form of
childhood schizophrenia. In the past, some experts believed emotionally
distant mothers caused autism in children. That idea has been discredited.
"I think pretty much everyone in the community would agree it's a
biological disorder," said Ann Mastergeorge, a developmental and educational
psychologist at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute. "At least structurally, we
know the brains of children with autism look very, very different."
Many have also pointed fingers at vaccines. That's largely because
many parents say their children started displaying autistic behaviors around
the time they were immunized.
The M.I.N.D. Institute published a position paper in 2004 saying
there's no evidence the measles, mumps and Rubella vaccine causes autism.
The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies also released a report
in 2004 saying there's no evidence vaccines cause autism.
+ Read more: http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/104427.html





EVIDENCE OF HARM DISCUSSION LIST HEATS UP
AS MERCURY LINK TO AUTISM QUESTION SPREADS

>> PAPERBACK BOOK NOW OUT - CHECK AMAZON.COM

An Evidence of Harm email discussion list has
been created in response to the growing interest
in the book and the issues it chronicles. Now over
1,500 subscribers. Here is where to subscribe
(no cost): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EOHarm/



. . .

MEDIA

Specials this week on Autism One Radio www.autismone.org/radio

Monday, March 12th
11:00 am - 11:30 ET Robert & Sandy Waters: The Candy Store.
Guest: Stanley Greenspan, MD and author of Engaging Autism: Using the
Floortime Approach to Help Children Relate, Communicate and Think.
12:00 pm - 12:15 ET VIDEO: "I Can See!"
Stan Kurtz: From the Children's Corner : Research, Reform, Recoveries.
A new, powerful video from Stan Kurtz, "I Can See!" documents an
important discovery: a mom recovers from life-long major vision dysfunction
in just 30 seconds.

Tuesday, March 13th 12:00 noon - 12:30 ET Ashley & Dillan Bono: The
Next Generation.
Ashley and Dillan Bono are students at the University of North
Carolina. Their brother, Jackson, who is now a teenager, was diagnosed with
autism at a very young age. They believe that the youth of this world can
bring about positive change. What has been the response of the overall
community to all of the teens with autism? What is the teen's perspective,
and how can they get involved?

Thursday, March 15th 10:00 am - 10:30 ET Rhonda Brunett: Unlocking the
Door to Autism.
Guest: Nicki Fischer, founder, The Autism Perspective magazine and VRT
(Vibration Regulation Training).

Friday, March 16th 8:00 pm - 8:30 ET Valerie Herskowitz: Embracing the
Journey.
Topic: Electric shock used with autistic students in Massachusetts.
Valerie and guests discuss ethics and alternatives.


Special Edition on Autism One Radio - Portia Iversen April 3
Tuesday, April 3, 2007 10:00 am - 11:30 ET

Portia Iversen, co-founder of Cure Autism Now and author of Strange
Son, is interviewed on Autism: Help, Hope, and Healing by Teri Arranga.
In fitting with Autism Awareness Month, this program highlights Portia
Iversen's book released in January titled Strange Son, which poignantly
increases our awareness into the mind of persons with autism, and offers
hope to children who are journeying forward on this road. Please visit
www.strangeson.com.
Portia Iversen will be opening up Track 5 at the Autism One 2007
Conference on Friday, May 25th. Come hear her bright and early as we begin
3 days of over 100 presentations ranging from biomedical to advocacy topics
and everything in between.

. . .

LETTERS

WSJ Letters in Response to Autism-Caused-By-Tv-Watching Article
Another Simplistic Blame-the-Parent Theory About Autism?

Hiding behind meaningless correlations, Michael Waldman did "cross a
boundary" by suggesting that television viewing causes autism ("Mind and
Matter: Is an Economist Qualified to Solve Puzzle of Autism?" page one, Feb.
27). As the mother of three children on the autism spectrum and a regular
visiting lecturer at Cornell's Johnson School of Management, I am horrified
that this "junk science" has come out of such a fine institution and has
been given validation by front-page coverage.
TV watching can't explain why our children are still excreting
elevated levels of mercury, lead and aluminum. TV watching can't explain why
our younger daughter, who has never liked to watch TV, can't speak and must
tap out her words on a communication device. Genetic mutations and
environmental triggers have caused damage to their minds and bodies.
Families with autistic children struggle with this epidemic 24 hours a
day, and we are flabbergasted every time one of these simplistic and
unsupported blame-the-parent theories is given media attention. It is a
long, hard road that we travel to recover our children from this serious
affliction, and such coverage is exasperatingly harmful. I expect the
Journal to report on real achievements in this field, not let an economist's
unfounded theory about a medical condition take up precious and powerful
column-inches. There is progress, and there is hope. Autism is treatable,
but, quite clearly, not by economists.
- Virginia G. Breen, General Partner, Sienna Ventures Andover, N.J.


Once again, the boundaries separating areas of expertise are blurred.
As a psychology student I am thrilled to know that it's not only
psychologists who are analyzing the causes of various disorders and reviving
the hope for solutions. Your article made me realize that interdisciplinary
contributions can be very productive. I applaud Prof. Waldman's initiative
to understand a psychological disorder. In the same way that physicians
could rejoice over the finding of a cure for cancer by an accountant,
psychologists should become more receptive to findings by experts in other
fields. Since human psychology is an intrinsic aspect of everyone's daily
life, it is likely that the answer to many psychological questions lies in
the thoughts of economists, mathematicians and school teachers. Let's leave
our diplomas aside and start listening to words of wisdom, from wherever
they come.
- Jacob Bitton, New York

Prof. Waldman noticed that "the more it rained or snowed, the more
likely children were to be diagnosed with autism," suggesting that the
increased diagnoses was triggered because the children were forced to stay
inside and watch more television. Perhaps it is just that the weather forced
the parents to stay inside and watch their children.
They were then confronted with the oddness of the children's behavior
or provided with the occasion to follow up on previous suspicions by finally
making an appointment to have the children evaluated.
- Robert M. Hamm, Ph.D., Department of Family and Preventive Medicine,
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Oklahoma City

The vista in Southern California, while rarely marred by rain clouds,
looks decidedly inclement from an autism prevalence point of view.
School districts in sunny Las Virgenes, with only 18 inches of rain
per year, and Irvine, with 12 inches, have autism rates of 1 in 80 children.
That is 12% among special-education students, which is more than twice the
California average. Primary contributing factors surely include parental
genetics, demographics and the quality of district special-education
services.
- Gavin Huntley-Fenner, Ph.D., School Board Member Irvine Unified
School District Irvine, Calif., (Dr. Huntley-Fenner is a member of the
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction's Autism Advisory
Committee.)

. . .

An Autism Calling

My friend Dave Humphrey has been writing a private blog, chronicling
his month-long trip to Thailand, where he is helping to open a Medical
Treatment Center for Autism. While many of his posts are private- detailing
the outstanding medical evaluations and treatments he is receiving for his
own personal health needs while there, he provided an entry that hit me in
the gut.
I consider Dave Humphrey a dear friend. Who else would take the time
to get his maintenance man to haul a rolling ladder in the lobby of Kirkman
Labs, just because my son had an urge to examine the exit sign on the
ceiling?
But this isn't just about my friendship with Dave; he is a friend to
the entire autism community and an incredible humanitarian. He is a Board
member of the Autism Society of America, Autism Research Institute and the
Northwest Autism Foundation, co-founder of the Autism Treatment Network, and
the owner of Kirkman Labs, just to begin with. Dave and his father shared a
life-long friendship, spanning decades, with one of the greatest men in
history- Dr. Bernie Rimland.
With his permission, I am circulating Dave Humphrey's heart-felt blog
entry. This is an open letter to all of those involved in autism, but
especially to all of those researchers and medical professionals who have
been, and still are- using precious research dollars on the pretense of
looking for answers at our children's expense. It's time to stop the
senseless research spending on snipe hunts and begin helping our families.
Indeed, it's definitely time to stop the NARAPOIA.
Heartfelt thanks Dave, for this outstanding reality check and call to
action. Go to: Autism - Global Problem - A Time for Action
http://tinyurl.com/38upou
-Tami Giles


Public Service Announcements to the Reader:

AUTISM IS TREATABLE. Consult these sources:

. Autism Research Institute http://tinyurl.com/ccxco

. Generation Rescue http://www.generationrescue.org

. UK - Autism Treatment Trust http://www.autismtrust.org.uk

. UK - Treating Autism http://www.treatingautism.com


WAS YOUR CHILD MERCURY or VACCINE DAMAGED? How to File in the US.
Filing a Short Form Autism Petition without an attorney.

If you have a child with autism and you think that the autism was
caused by vaccinations that the child received, you may be able to file a
Short Form Petition with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
(Link here to see Opinion of the Chief Special Master concerning this
procedure. http://tinyurl.com/ynyfgg ) While we recommend that you find an
attorney to represent you, if you cannot find an attorney, you can file the
Petition yourself by following these instructions. There are three forms to
download. There is a three year statute of limitations from time of damage!
For more information: http://www.attorneyaccess.net/ProSe.cfm

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: The above items are copyright protected. They are for our
readers' personal education or research purposes only and provided at their
request. Articles may not be further reprinted or used commercially without
consent from the copyright holders. To find the copyright holders, follow
the referenced website link provided at the beginning of each item.

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